I think that God
worked in my life.
00:01:22.97\00:01:26.35
I met, you know,
some wonderful people.
00:01:26.38\00:01:29.84
When I first met Blerina,
we'd just moved into our house
00:01:29.88\00:01:33.53
on Tokana.
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I was in the second
year of the university.
00:01:34.72\00:01:37.56
We got this knock on the gate,
00:01:37.91\00:01:39.40
and I went out there, and
00:01:39.44\00:01:41.03
it was this university girl,
00:01:41.06\00:01:43.84
and she said in fairly good
00:01:43.88\00:01:45.90
English for somebody who hadn't
00:01:45.94\00:01:47.93
really spoken to anyone.
00:01:47.97\00:01:49.19
Oh! Sorry, I want to
come to your home, you know
00:01:49.23\00:01:53.52
to speak English.
00:01:53.55\00:01:55.72
And I said, "Well
come on! Anytime you want,
00:01:55.76\00:01:58.78
come on in and visit. "
00:01:58.81\00:02:00.61
Really, not that I went,
you know, to know God from them,
00:02:00.65\00:02:03.95
I said really, I went
just to improve my English.
00:02:03.98\00:02:08.07
Before I knew it, she was
at my house again, but she was
00:02:08.10\00:02:11.21
really depressed. I hadn't
seen her for probably a week.
00:02:11.24\00:02:15.06
And she came by
and talked to me again.
00:02:15.64\00:02:18.26
After just that one conversation
where we, we became friends
00:02:18.29\00:02:23.81
almost instantly.
She's a very friendly girl.
00:02:23.85\00:02:26.82
And the second time she
came she was depressed and
00:02:26.85\00:02:30.30
she just said, "I want to die. "
00:02:30.34\00:02:33.38
And I thought, "Oh no! This girl
is going to commit suicide, and
00:02:33.42\00:02:37.43
I'll never get to
tell her about God!"
00:02:37.47\00:02:39.49
At that time is where I really
started praying for Blerina,
00:02:39.52\00:02:43.07
that she would be able to know
God, and know the peace that
00:02:43.11\00:02:47.33
He can give her.
00:02:47.36\00:02:48.89
In 1995, Adventist Frontier
Missions launched a project
00:03:15.07\00:03:18.79
in Albania.
00:03:18.82\00:03:20.12
Our goal is to establish a
self- sustaining church-planting
00:03:20.15\00:03:23.87
movement that can be carried
on by Albanians and spread
00:03:23.90\00:03:27.00
exponentially throughout
Albania and the Balkans.
00:03:27.04\00:03:30.30
Roughly the size
of Massachusetts,
00:03:33.43\00:03:35.90
this small European country
sits on the eastern shore of
00:03:35.93\00:03:39.22
the Adriatic Sea.
00:03:39.25\00:03:40.85
In English, Albania
means, "land of the eagle. "
00:03:43.17\00:03:47.34
Albania is real varied, as far
00:03:52.82\00:03:54.67
as its terrain. It is mostly
00:03:54.70\00:03:56.53
mountainous, but the kind of
00:03:56.56\00:03:58.66
mountains you find vary from
00:03:58.69\00:04:00.91
different parts of Albania and
00:04:00.95\00:04:02.52
from region to region.
00:04:02.55\00:04:03.79
Here on the coast, the
whole coastal plain in the south
00:04:03.82\00:04:07.45
is very arid and dry and rugged.
00:04:07.48\00:04:10.97
There are springs here
and there in the mountains,
00:04:13.18\00:04:15.58
but for the most
part, really arid and dry.
00:04:15.62\00:04:18.76
I particularly enjoy hiking
above Vlore. There's a lot of
00:04:22.07\00:04:25.43
pasture land where
they keep sheep up there.
00:04:25.46\00:04:28.36
It's real beautiful
and quiet and peaceful.
00:04:28.40\00:04:30.96
I even went up and I took my
sleeping bag to stay over night.
00:04:34.08\00:04:37.21
A shepherd insisted I
sleep in his hut with him.
00:04:37.25\00:04:40.69
He said there was wolves, which
I still don't believe. I know
00:04:40.72\00:04:43.52
there are further south on
the border with Greece there's
00:04:43.55\00:04:46.88
wolves still, but I don't think
we have them close to Vlore.
00:04:46.92\00:04:50.53
But he insisted, so I slept in
the little shepherds hut, and he
00:04:50.57\00:04:53.94
fed me supper and then
breakfast in the morning.
00:04:53.98\00:04:57.15
In 1945, communist dictator,
Enver Hoxha, closed Albania's
00:05:11.23\00:05:16.39
doors on the world.
00:05:16.44\00:05:17.79
For nearly 50 years, the
world heard little of Albania.
00:05:17.83\00:05:21.90
Oppressed and cut off
from outside influences,
00:05:21.93\00:05:24.72
spiritual darkness
settled on the country.
00:05:24.75\00:05:27.37
Entire generations grew up
without knowing the Creator.
00:05:27.40\00:05:31.38
Like the mist
covering its rugged mountains,
00:06:11.98\00:06:14.67
communist ideology and
domination enshrouded Albania.
00:06:14.71\00:06:18.32
Religion of any
kind was abolished.
00:06:18.36\00:06:21.55
Communist rule ended in 1991,
making it the last east European
00:06:23.71\00:06:28.98
country to turn to democracy.
00:06:29.01\00:06:31.37
When communism fell and
00:06:31.40\00:06:34.68
the democracy began here in
00:06:34.99\00:06:37.12
Albania, it was like big
00:06:37.16\00:06:39.23
explosion with almost
an immediate implosion.
00:06:39.26\00:06:42.70
Things falling
back upon the Albanians.
00:06:42.74\00:06:45.15
One of the very difficult
things that happened here in the
00:06:45.18\00:06:48.74
fledgling democracy was when
the get-rich-quick schemes began
00:06:48.77\00:06:53.05
Millions of dollars disappeared.
00:06:53.09\00:06:55.57
People had sold their homes.
While many of them had taken
00:06:55.60\00:06:58.85
back good percentages, a great
many others lost everything.
00:06:58.89\00:07:04.31
They turned upon the government.
00:07:07.29\00:07:09.18
Arms depots were ransacked.
Approximately 4 million arms
00:07:09.22\00:07:13.75
were released into the
hands of the common people -
00:07:13.79\00:07:16.42
8 billion rounds of ammunition,
00:07:16.46\00:07:18.72
literally tens of
tons of explosives.
00:07:18.75\00:07:23.30
The people just absolutely
went wild for several months.
00:07:23.34\00:07:27.05
It was during the height of this
that we were preparing to leave
00:07:30.94\00:07:34.88
America. For several weeks,
we went into Yugoslavia to wait
00:07:34.92\00:07:38.10
until the situation
calmed here in Albania.
00:07:38.13\00:07:40.30
We made a
decision fairly early on
00:07:50.10\00:07:53.87
that we would seek to
reach and work with adults
00:07:54.00\00:07:57.95
especially the
adult male, for Stan and I
00:07:57.99\00:08:00.64
to really seek to figure out how
can we, you know, really come
00:08:00.67\00:08:04.58
to the place in a relationship
with them where we can really
00:08:04.61\00:08:07.16
grapple with spiritual
issues and spiritual needs
00:08:07.20\00:08:09.47
in their lives.
00:08:09.51\00:08:10.78
Both of us have made some
significant friendships, and
00:08:18.81\00:08:22.18
we're finding that the
work takes a lot of patience,
00:08:22.22\00:08:26.21
takes a lot of friendship
building, and we're learning
00:08:26.24\00:08:29.79
to spend a lot of time in
prayer for the people that we're
00:08:29.82\00:08:32.59
working with.
00:08:32.62\00:08:33.72
Our prayer is that, as we reach
and understand how to grapple
00:08:43.80\00:08:48.34
with the spiritual needs of the
adult male, that will bring in
00:08:48.37\00:08:53.69
its wake a strong influence upon
both their wives and families.
00:08:53.73\00:08:59.07
Albania today is a country where
spiritual interest seems to be
00:09:19.08\00:09:23.32
stirring. And yet, as far
as people grounded in a solid
00:09:23.35\00:09:27.02
faith, it just doesn't seem
to be happening very rapidly.
00:09:27.06\00:09:30.70
Albania was, for about 50 years,
almost totally isolated from the
00:09:30.73\00:09:34.91
rest of the world
under the communist regime.
00:09:34.94\00:09:37.77
In 1967, religious observance
was outlawed by the government.
00:09:37.81\00:09:43.26
Prior to that, there were
about 5 centuries of Islamic
00:09:43.29\00:09:47.47
occupation as the Turks
had come into the country.
00:09:47.51\00:09:50.61
Most Albanians today would
tell you that, before the Turks,
00:09:53.72\00:09:57.13
we were almost all Christians.
00:09:57.86\00:09:59.18
And yet today, 70 percent
of Albanians claim the Muslim
00:09:59.22\00:10:03.75
heritage, about 20 percent
identify themselves as Orthodox,
00:10:03.78\00:10:08.18
roughly 8 percent or so as Roman
Catholic, leaving 2-3 percent
00:10:08.22\00:10:12.58
a variety of different beliefs.
00:10:12.61\00:10:14.95
As far as Seventh-day Adventism,
we find that most of them
00:10:14.98\00:10:18.44
don't know what an Adventist is.
00:10:18.47\00:10:20.37
We've had about 4 to 5 young
00:10:29.34\00:10:31.50
girls coming to study the Bible,
00:10:31.53\00:10:33.66
and they range from 17 to 27.
00:10:34.33\00:10:37.62
We've been studying
together two times a week.
00:10:38.47\00:10:41.48
It's really been exciting for me
because I feel like I'm able to
00:10:58.61\00:11:02.26
communicate something of God to
someone who wants to hear, and
00:11:02.29\00:11:06.54
moving to that place
with people takes a long time.
00:11:06.58\00:11:09.79
But these girls do want to hear,
and I believe that the Lord is
00:11:09.82\00:11:14.12
working in their lives
as a group and personally.
00:11:14.25\00:11:16.81
I've seen that.
00:11:16.96\00:11:18.14
To choose a single Albanian is,
especially there, is difficult
00:11:43.20\00:11:47.57
because coming to
love so many of them,
00:11:47.60\00:11:50.58
but I suppose perhaps
one that is especially close
00:11:51.35\00:11:56.44
would be Zyke.
00:11:56.53\00:11:58.31
He's one of five brothers here
in Albania and basically they
00:11:58.34\00:12:02.81
consider me the
little brother in the family.
00:12:02.85\00:12:05.36
When we first came to Albania,
we spoke very little Albanian.
00:12:05.39\00:12:08.83
He would often invite me to
travel with him in his truck,
00:12:08.87\00:12:12.04
trips that would be 6-9 hours.
00:12:12.08\00:12:14.23
Each of those was like
one long language lesson.
00:12:14.27\00:12:16.60
But I've learned far
more than language from Zyke.
00:12:16.63\00:12:19.44
I've also learned things
about the culture, things
00:12:19.47\00:12:22.25
about their worldview.
00:12:22.29\00:12:23.53
Sometimes he's a little harsh
with me, and yet I know he cares
00:12:23.66\00:12:27.39
and when he tells me that
we're doing something wrong or
00:12:27.43\00:12:31.03
why don't we do this,
or why don't we do that,
00:12:31.07\00:12:33.38
generally it comes from a
genuine concern on his part.
00:12:33.42\00:12:38.13
And I see that God is at
work in his life. Even though he
00:12:38.17\00:12:41.69
teases me a lot, he loves to
introduce me to his friends in a
00:12:41.73\00:12:45.85
variety of ways to embarrass
me, it's all in good fun.
00:12:45.88\00:12:48.84
I enjoy his
personality very much.
00:12:48.88\00:12:52.80
I'll tell you about Shpresa
because, she's a lady of about
00:13:00.44\00:13:04.90
42, 40-something years old.
00:13:04.93\00:13:08.20
Her husband was a good friend of
00:13:08.24\00:13:11.47
my husband's, before he died,
but last year he died suddenly
00:13:11.57\00:13:15.14
of a heart attack. We started
visiting Shpresa because we felt
00:13:15.17\00:13:19.63
so sorry for her.
00:13:19.67\00:13:21.37
And she considered us to
be her husband's friends.
00:13:21.41\00:13:25.26
He taught English, so there was
a connection between he and my
00:13:25.29\00:13:29.23
husband. I wanted to communicate
to her that I wanted to be
00:13:29.56\00:13:32.27
her friend, not just
her husband's friend.
00:13:32.31\00:13:35.30
And it wasn't long after that,
that we went to visit her one
00:13:36.82\00:13:39.97
day and she was very nervous,
and so we walked in her house
00:13:40.01\00:13:45.35
and I could tell something
was wrong, and she said,
00:13:45.39\00:13:48.95
"My blood pressure is high and
my heart is just racing. I don't
00:13:50.87\00:13:54.51
know what's wrong. " So I took
her blood pressure for her and
00:13:54.54\00:13:58.46
her pulse, and it was pretty
wild, and I sat with her for a
00:13:58.49\00:14:03.35
while and we talked, and it was
related to the stress that she
00:14:03.39\00:14:08.02
feels and the emotional stress
she feels with her husband's
00:14:08.06\00:14:10.78
death. So, it was really neat
because from that experience,
00:14:10.82\00:14:16.54
I said, "You know, Shpresa,
you need someone to regularly
00:14:16.58\00:14:19.81
check your blood pressure daily
until it gets figured out. "
00:14:19.85\00:14:24.86
And she said, "Well, I
don't have anywhere to go. "
00:14:24.89\00:14:26.62
And I said, "Well, I'll
come and check it for you. "
00:14:26.65\00:14:29.23
So I did. I started coming
every morning to her house,
00:14:29.26\00:14:32.14
and it was during those
times when I would come for the
00:14:32.17\00:14:36.51
blood pressure that we would
talk, and she became very open
00:14:36.55\00:14:40.71
to me and open to express
her sorrow about her husband and
00:14:40.74\00:14:44.87
open about
sharing herself with me.
00:14:44.91\00:14:47.60
It was unexpected for me.
It opened up opportunities
00:14:47.64\00:14:51.50
for me to talk to her about
the Lord. And we had several
00:14:51.54\00:14:55.37
conversations like that. One
time in particular, it was right
00:14:55.40\00:14:58.89
before we went on furlough,
I was there and we were talking
00:14:58.92\00:15:02.09
about saying hello and reunions
with your family, and she said,
00:15:02.13\00:15:05.01
"Yeah but, when you guys leave
your family, it's going to be
00:15:05.05\00:15:07.55
really hard on
you. " And I said,
00:15:07.58\00:15:09.40
"Yeah. Wouldn't it be neat if
00:15:09.43\00:15:11.21
there was a place where
you never had to say goodbye?"
00:15:11.24\00:15:13.67
Which for her is a very tender
issue, because of her husband
00:15:13.70\00:15:17.63
dying, and she said, "Oh
wow. " And I said, "Shpresa,
00:15:17.67\00:15:22.78
maybe there is. "
00:15:22.82\00:15:24.23
There are a lot of barriers. She
and her family suffered greatly
00:15:24.26\00:15:28.41
under communism, with family
members being killed even, and
00:15:28.44\00:15:32.46
them being relegated out to a
village and sort of quarantined
00:15:32.49\00:15:35.86
off. They had suffered a lot
00:15:35.89\00:15:37.76
under communism, and I think
00:15:37.79\00:15:39.40
that the suffering has made
00:15:39.43\00:15:40.97
it hard to believe
that there is a God.
00:15:41.00\00:15:43.04
But her husband's death has made
00:15:43.08\00:15:45.49
her feel a need for something
00:15:45.53\00:15:47.91
besides this life.
00:15:47.95\00:15:49.73
Her name means hope.
00:15:49.76\00:15:51.51
Nana Maria is my, she's
more like my grandmother to me,
00:16:07.93\00:16:13.30
because she does seem
much older than she is.
00:16:13.33\00:16:17.96
She lived below us when we
first came, and she's the mother
00:16:18.00\00:16:21.89
of our first landlord. And he
and his brothers and the mother
00:16:21.92\00:16:25.77
have all taken us in
like part of their family.
00:16:25.81\00:16:28.53
And so she's like our
grandmother of the family.
00:16:28.78\00:16:32.54
She's taught me how to
make borek and other yaprak and
00:16:33.57\00:16:38.61
different ethnic Albanian foods.
00:16:38.64\00:16:42.29
She loves me.
00:16:42.33\00:16:44.52
She loves it when I come. I just
wish I could go visit her more.
00:16:44.55\00:16:48.64
I only understand two thirds
of what she tells me. I wish I
00:16:48.67\00:16:52.78
could understand more, but
she pours her heart out to me
00:16:52.81\00:16:57.29
many times. Often she's
in tears, she misses her
00:16:57.33\00:17:01.15
daughter so much.
00:17:01.18\00:17:02.33
Her daughter lives in Greece.
For some reason, they think I
00:17:02.36\00:17:07.14
look a bit like her. So she
always says I'm her daughter.
00:17:07.18\00:17:11.79
Stan's her son, and I'm
her daughter. Try that one.
00:17:13.33\00:17:15.80
The biggest need that I've seen
that I've been interested in is
00:17:22.08\00:17:26.42
the increasing level of
lifestyle-related diseases
00:17:26.46\00:17:30.80
that they didn't have so
much when communism was in place
00:17:31.18\00:17:34.38
because their diet was a
lot more simple, and they didn't
00:17:34.42\00:17:37.59
have as much meat.
The food was different.
00:17:37.63\00:17:40.57
White bread was non-existent.
00:17:40.61\00:17:42.31
They ate beans and brown bread.
They had a lot less diabetes.
00:17:42.34\00:17:47.65
They had a lot less
heart trouble and hypertension.
00:17:47.69\00:17:50.87
Now they have the luxury
of meat and white bread and
00:17:50.91\00:17:54.26
lots of stress in their lives.
They are experiencing lots
00:17:54.30\00:17:57.70
of our western diseases, and
they don't have any answers for
00:17:57.73\00:18:01.89
them except to suffer through
them, to take some pills. I feel
00:18:01.93\00:18:06.06
that a real need is to provide
them with some knowledge so that
00:18:06.09\00:18:10.68
their lifestyle could be
improved and that would give
00:18:10.71\00:18:13.28
them, you know, a solution. But
the problem is, they associate
00:18:13.66\00:18:18.12
brown bread and beans with
poverty and communism. And meat
00:18:18.15\00:18:23.37
and white bread is luxury.
00:18:23.40\00:18:26.32
So, it's not a
simple solution either.
00:18:26.36\00:18:29.61
Since our arrival in September
of '97, things have calmed
00:18:35.29\00:18:38.91
considerably. We no longer see
tanks patrolling the streets as
00:18:38.94\00:18:43.04
we did. The armed police are
still out at checkpoints, but
00:18:43.07\00:18:47.71
the frequency of them being with
masks over their faces is much
00:18:47.75\00:18:52.37
less. Order is being
re-established here within
00:18:52.40\00:18:55.05
the country.
00:18:55.09\00:18:56.15
Nonetheless, there's a
tremendous sense of cynicism
00:18:56.19\00:19:00.21
among the people. Many of the
people are saying, "Well, if God
00:19:00.24\00:19:04.58
cared about us, He
wouldn't have let this happen. "
00:19:04.62\00:19:07.24
Many other people say, "Well, we
see an need for God, but we're
00:19:07.28\00:19:10.93
just too busy for
Him. Where has He been for
00:19:10.96\00:19:13.36
the last 50 years? He's not been
around for us. We're a little
00:19:13.40\00:19:16.46
too busy for Him right now. "
00:19:16.49\00:19:18.42
The greatest need is of
course a spiritual need.
00:19:18.45\00:19:22.55
But unfortunately, as sinners,
we don't always realize where
00:19:22.58\00:19:26.40
the greatest need lies. If
you ask an Albanian what the
00:19:26.43\00:19:29.44
greatest need in Albania is,
they will say, "We need public
00:19:29.47\00:19:33.29
order, and we need work. "
00:19:33.33\00:19:37.17
For example, you look at adult
males. I don't know what the
00:19:37.21\00:19:41.39
exact percentage rates are, it's
really hard to tell, but I've
00:19:41.43\00:19:45.47
heard figures of 70
and 80 percent unemployed.
00:19:45.60\00:19:49.41
Or if they have a job, it
hardly brings in anything.
00:19:49.45\00:19:52.95
So, from their perspective,
which is a valid perspective,
00:19:52.99\00:19:57.41
the greatest need is work.
00:19:57.44\00:19:59.76
The greatest need is for people
to learn trust again. To learn
00:20:05.15\00:20:10.00
to trust others, to be
able to trust the Bible and God.
00:20:10.04\00:20:14.78
They feel God has forsaken them.
00:20:14.81\00:20:16.66
They feel, you know, during
communism, you couldn't trust
00:20:16.69\00:20:20.09
anyone. You didn't want to tell
them the truth, because it could
00:20:20.13\00:20:24.82
be used against you.
00:20:24.85\00:20:26.76
One of the most effective ways
to engage people in conversation
00:20:28.40\00:20:32.17
on spiritual things it just
to spend a few minutes at a time
00:20:32.21\00:20:35.70
with them. 15 minutes
here, 20 minutes there.
00:20:35.73\00:20:37.91
We have found as we travel
around, there are far more
00:20:40.40\00:20:43.24
people than we can effectively
work with on our own.
00:20:43.28\00:20:46.15
It's exciting to think ahead
of what's in store for Albania.
00:20:46.18\00:20:50.55
We have see that there
is definitely a spiritual
00:20:50.58\00:20:53.74
restlessness in the hearts of
the people. Short-term mission
00:20:53.77\00:20:57.65
trips and projects have their
place, but the beauty of what
00:20:57.69\00:21:00.52
AFM endeavors to do is that
we want to work ourselves out
00:21:00.55\00:21:04.07
of a job. We'd like to see
the church well established and
00:21:04.11\00:21:07.48
reproducing in an area, be able
to move over and do it again in
00:21:07.51\00:21:10.88
another area, and we need more
people willing to do the same.
00:21:10.92\00:21:14.31
We've had a very good working
relationship with the AFM
00:21:14.34\00:21:16.91
missionaries who've been
working in Vlore. And because
00:21:17.07\00:21:20.28
we've had that very good
partnership with the AFM people
00:21:20.31\00:21:23.43
who are here, it seems that it
would be a good avenue to find
00:21:23.46\00:21:26.44
more people to
work in the country.
00:21:26.48\00:21:28.22
The greatest need in Albania is
the need for people. We have a
00:21:29.40\00:21:33.69
number of young Albanian pastors
here, and we've been able to
00:21:33.97\00:21:37.03
attract a number of student
missionaries who've come and
00:21:37.06\00:21:39.86
spent 6 or 12 months working in
Albania. But people is the real
00:21:39.89\00:21:44.10
need. Many cities have no
Adventist presence. These are
00:21:44.13\00:21:48.01
cities with 30, 40, 60 thousand
people, so people is what
00:21:48.05\00:21:52.77
we really need.
00:21:52.81\00:21:54.13
Although it sometimes is a
horribly painful experience to
00:21:55.40\00:21:58.36
try to go from one culture
to another and never completely
00:21:58.39\00:22:01.17
leave your own culture, but
you're not completely, you're
00:22:01.21\00:22:04.91
sort of in the middle between
two cultures. That's really
00:22:04.95\00:22:09.69
difficult for me. But on the
other hand, in the short time
00:22:09.72\00:22:13.68
we've been here, I've had the
opportunity to go into places
00:22:13.72\00:22:17.88
that I could never have gone.
I would never know the mind or
00:22:17.92\00:22:22.25
the life of, say, Shpresa or
my little Albanian grandmother.
00:22:22.28\00:22:26.65
I could never have entered her
life if I hadn't been willing to
00:22:26.69\00:22:30.95
cross over the barriers and seek
to learn how to speak to her and
00:22:30.99\00:22:35.22
to make those moves. There's
a price to pay to seek to move
00:22:35.26\00:22:39.69
from one culture to another, but
I really believe that that's the
00:22:39.72\00:22:44.62
call of the gospel. You know,
I believe I have something very
00:22:44.66\00:22:47.78
valuable and precious, and
I feel responsible to make the
00:22:47.82\00:22:51.62
effort to cross those hard
things and to come after them
00:22:51.66\00:22:55.47
and not sit back waiting
for them to come after me or to
00:22:55.50\00:22:59.26
come after what I have that's
precious. For me to take the
00:22:59.29\00:23:02.83
initiative and to go.
It's pricey, but it's also
00:23:03.02\00:23:06.59
really special.
00:23:06.62\00:23:08.78
She came up to me, and she was
going through a time where she
00:23:20.49\00:23:25.33
was very discouraged and
depressed. She told me that
00:23:25.36\00:23:29.03
she should die. And I asked
her why she would say something
00:23:29.06\00:23:32.26
like that. And she said because
she just wants to have a happy
00:23:32.29\00:23:35.95
family, she wants to have a
simple life, she's not asking
00:23:35.98\00:23:39.14
for much, but she can't have it.
00:23:39.18\00:23:41.82
Not here in Albania.
00:23:41.85\00:23:44.15
After she asked me a few
questions, I started telling her
00:23:44.18\00:23:46.87
about Jesus and how He had
00:23:46.90\00:23:50.16
sacrificed for us and how much
00:23:50.20\00:23:54.13
He loved us, and trying to tell
00:23:54.17\00:23:58.07
her, explain that to her.
00:23:58.10\00:24:00.82
I tried to use their - what I
00:24:00.86\00:24:03.54
have learned about
their hukmaria here.
00:24:03.58\00:24:07.55
They have a revenge
killing, that if I kill your
00:24:08.16\00:24:13.87
brother, then you come and kill
my brother, and you try and kill
00:24:13.90\00:24:16.60
me. But then if you kill me,
my brother tries to kill you,
00:24:16.64\00:24:20.47
and it goes on and
on like that forever
00:24:20.51\00:24:22.25
until somebody says, "Stop!"
00:24:22.28\00:24:24.18
And they're willing to
call it quits and offer a child
00:24:24.22\00:24:28.95
instead, you know, to
the person who wants revenge.
00:24:28.98\00:24:33.68
I told her it would be as if I
had a very good friend here who
00:24:33.71\00:24:38.99
had only one son. And
they loved me so much that they
00:24:39.03\00:24:43.67
said that their son
would die instead of me,
00:24:43.70\00:24:48.65
and that the hukmaria
would no longer be against me.
00:24:48.69\00:24:53.58
That I would be forgiven.
00:24:53.62\00:24:55.88
So he dies. And then I'm free.
00:24:55.91\00:24:58.91
I don't have to hide. I don't
00:24:58.94\00:25:01.86
have to fear those people
coming and killing me. I have
00:25:01.90\00:25:05.66
another day to live, I have life
to live. Blerina came back at me
00:25:05.70\00:25:11.07
and she said, "So it's a sin
to want to die!" And I thought,
00:25:11.11\00:25:14.87
"Wow! Where did she get that?"
00:25:14.91\00:25:17.17
She realized that when you're
00:25:17.21\00:25:20.22
given life, it's such a precious
00:25:20.25\00:25:23.23
thing, that every day, you
should want to live the best,
00:25:23.27\00:25:28.35
the most for God because
He's done so much for us.
00:25:28.39\00:25:31.96
And to me, after we talked
on that, I think it hit me more
00:25:31.99\00:25:36.70
than it hit
her. I was just taken
00:25:36.74\00:25:39.13
with that thought. I thought,
00:25:39.16\00:25:41.24
I need to not just go
away in my housekeeping and
00:25:41.28\00:25:44.86
everything and just
say, "Oh yeah, another day.
00:25:44.89\00:25:48.41
I've got to wash clothes,
another day to wash dishes,
00:25:48.44\00:25:51.46
another day to whatever,
but I need to joyfully do
00:25:51.50\00:25:54.45
whatever is given to me because
I have life to live. " I have
00:25:54.48\00:25:59.86
so much to be thankful for
because God gave His son for me.
00:25:59.90\00:26:04.82
That was her turning point, and
she said, "I want to know God. "
00:26:08.77\00:26:12.11
And that's where she prayed,
well she asked me to pray, and
00:26:12.14\00:26:16.76
she repeated the prayer,
wanting to know God. But, even
00:26:16.79\00:26:21.49
more so, because for me, that
was a real eye opener of what
00:26:21.52\00:26:27.05
God did for me.
00:26:27.08\00:26:28.99
And why I want to be
here to serve Him, because
00:26:29.03\00:26:34.63
He gave me life.
00:26:34.67\00:26:37.09
What I want to say again is just
to pray God will do His best
00:26:42.71\00:26:48.45
for me and do what is best
for my people. I mean, Albania.
00:26:48.49\00:26:52.57
And I hope for them to know God.
00:26:52.61\00:26:57.03
Everything will be okay.
00:26:57.07\00:26:59.08
Do you not know? Have you
not heard? The Lord is the
00:27:03.20\00:27:06.10
everlasting God, the Creator of
the ends of the earth. He will
00:27:06.14\00:27:10.49
not grow tired or weary, and His
understanding no one can fathom.
00:27:10.52\00:27:14.14
He gives strength to the
weary and increases the power
00:27:14.17\00:27:17.75
of the weak. Even youths grow
tired and weary, and young men
00:27:17.78\00:27:21.53
stumble and fall, but those
who hope in the Lord will renew
00:27:21.56\00:27:25.76
their strength. They will soar
on wings like eagles. They will
00:27:25.79\00:27:29.73
run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
00:27:29.76\00:27:34.51
For more information on
00:27:55.91\00:27:57.41
how you can serve
00:27:57.45\00:27:58.42
or how you can support
00:27:58.43\00:27:59.69
frontier mission work, visit...
00:27:59.73\00:28:01.37
For the latest information on
00:28:11.42\00:28:13.10
the Albanian mission project
00:28:13.14\00:28:14.72
and Adventist Frontier Missions
00:28:14.76\00:28:16.31
or to order a copy of
00:28:16.34\00:28:18.24
Where Eagles Soar, visit...
00:28:18.28\00:28:20.68
When you call, please be
00:28:25.99\00:28:27.24
sure to mention where you
00:28:27.28\00:28:28.50
saw this program.
00:28:28.53\00:28:29.50