Participants: Gary Krause (Host), Mfakazi Ndebele, Julian Kastrati
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000702B
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00:05 Welcome back to London.
00:06 Next up, we travel to Albania, 00:09 where Rick Kajiura is talking with Pastor Julian Kastrati. 00:14 Thank you, Gary. 00:16 We're here in Tirana, Albania 00:18 and I'm here with Pastor Julian Kastrati 00:21 who's the secretary of the Union. 00:23 Last night we had the opportunity 00:24 to visit with a small group, 00:26 and they're some very interesting people. 00:28 Could you tell me about some of the people 00:29 who were in that small group? 00:31 Here we have a very interesting group of people 00:34 because it's backed-- 00:36 we probably didn't have the full group last night 00:38 because it's still the holiday season. 00:40 But part of that group 00:42 is a member of the Albanian parliament. 00:44 We have national celebrities in that group. 00:47 And even children that come regularly, 00:51 so we have a nice interesting mix. 00:53 We have students, we have professionals, 00:57 so it's kind of a very interesting 00:58 and quite influential group. 01:00 So we had a chance to meet two other people 01:02 and one of them was a woman named Julie or Ulie. 01:06 Yes. 01:07 Can you tell us a bit about her background 01:08 because she is one of those national celebrities 01:10 you talked about. 01:11 That's right, Ulie, her name is Ulinda, 01:14 but we call her Ulie. 01:17 She became famous because she took part 01:19 in the Big Brother reality show, 01:22 in the very first one that happened, 01:25 that was broadcast in Albania, I think 6, 7 years ago. 01:30 It's very interesting that from this kind of worldly event 01:35 that we as Adventists don't really attend, 01:40 that was the point of her conversion 01:42 because what was going to be her future best friend, 01:46 very close friend, 01:47 he was the brother of two of our church members. 01:50 At that time he wasn't baptized. 01:52 He actually won the Big Brother reality show, 01:54 she was one of the finalists. 01:56 But he wore this T-shirt, 01:59 I heart Jesus and that impression stayed with her. 02:04 And she enquired about why these people 02:07 are so public in their faith in God. 02:11 I must go to their church. 02:13 So as she got closer through friendship, 02:16 through the circle, 02:18 influences of the family and the two sisters, 02:21 she came to church. 02:22 That's when I met her. 02:24 She also took part in a wedding 02:28 that I performed for our... 02:33 two members that got married, 02:37 a Member of Parliament and another national celebrity. 02:42 And she just kept coming to church, 02:44 after that and she wanted to know more and more about God 02:48 and then we naturally started studies 02:52 but the best idea that ever came 02:54 was having a small group at her home. 02:56 As you saw, she is very lively in her personality 02:59 but she's very hospitable, 03:01 very nice and one of the most active members 03:04 of the church in Albania, as we speak. 03:06 And that small group that has been taking place 03:10 for the past three and a half years, 03:12 almost four years has produced so many baptisms, 03:15 has led so many people to Christ and we meet, 03:18 whether the pastor is there or not, 03:20 and I am there most of the time. 03:22 It has been considered 03:23 the most successful small groups in Albania, 03:25 in the history of the church in Albania. 03:28 And it just takes place every Wednesday-- 03:31 every Wednesday at 7o'clock we are there. 03:33 And as you saw, we, everybody brings some food, 03:36 we fellowship together, we do some Bible study, 03:40 we pray for each other. 03:42 Very simple format but so much a blessing from it, 03:47 so much positive energy. 03:48 And you know they talked a little bit about 03:50 how much it feels like being part of a family 03:52 when they're meeting as a small group. 03:55 Go ahead, yeah. 03:56 Now we have been through some very serious circumstances 04:00 with some of the members having you know, 04:02 serious sicknesses, 04:05 health issues, so on and so forth, 04:08 and we all have the confidence to contact each other, 04:12 even through Whatsapp, Messenger, messages, 04:16 praying all the time, 04:17 sometimes fasting for each other 04:19 and that has brought this strong family sense, 04:23 you know, being one strong spiritual family 04:26 in that small group setting. 04:27 Now you mentioned Whatsapp, and last night, 04:31 Ulinda talked about posting on Facebook 04:35 and saying happy Sabbath and people would ask questions. 04:37 We also talked with another person last night, 04:39 Andy, and he found out, from what I understand, 04:42 about the church a little bit online. 04:43 Could you share a bit of his story? 04:45 Very interesting and fascinating story, again, 04:48 and it's not the first time. 04:49 I'm also the web pastor for Albania, 04:51 I'm in charge of Internet ministries. 04:54 And it's been amazing 04:56 how God has brought people to our church, 04:58 not just in Tirana, 04:59 I think other churches as well in Albania 05:01 but mostly in Tirana through the internet. 05:05 Through our Facebook presence, 05:06 through our web presence and in particular, 05:11 as we speak, he's the guy I baptized 05:14 just one month ago, one month and a half ago, 05:18 and he is one of the most active members. 05:22 He basically, online found out about 05:26 which church is closest to the Bible so you know, 05:29 he had been attending before, you know, 05:32 and finding out about other church denominations. 05:35 But as I say in a joking way, 05:37 he got stuck with the Adventists 05:39 and he's glued, I would rather say and-- 05:43 So he came to me, he contacted me online. 05:46 In the beginning, I thought he probably 05:47 wasn't so serious but he was very serious 05:50 and he just came to church on that Sabbath 05:51 he said I'm convinced, on the Sabbath, 05:56 I'm convinced on the state of the dead, 05:57 all our distinctive doctrines and I said, 06:01 well, wow, there's not much for me to do 06:03 but I'm gonna give you a job, 06:05 you know, in the sense that I want you 06:07 to be an active lay member for Jesus. 06:09 He's already now one of our Sabbath school superintendents, 06:12 and he's very active with the youth group 06:14 and he has already started the forum online, 06:17 questions and answers to God and from God 06:21 and its already extremely successful. 06:24 That's wonderful. 06:25 I mean, just sitting there with the group last night, 06:28 watching them interact, 06:29 talking with some of them, hearing their stories. 06:31 It's so exciting to see 06:32 what's happening here in Albania. 06:34 You know, this is a country 06:35 that is still very much a challenge. 06:37 It's a relatively young church, 06:41 speaking in terms of the whole history 06:43 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 06:45 So, people out there, if you are watching this, 06:48 please remember to pray for Albania. 06:51 There are many challenges here 06:52 but they're exciting things going on. 06:54 The people here are reaching out 06:55 in many different ways, 06:56 through the internet, through personal contact. 06:59 They want to build a new church here 07:01 in the central part of Tirana. 07:04 Please pray for them. 07:06 Thank you very much and now back to you, Gary. 07:10 I hope you enjoyed the first half 07:12 of Lowell and Neria Jenks story. 07:14 Now comes the best part. 07:18 We were originally brought in here 07:19 to initiate a vocational program. 07:23 The name of this school 07:24 is Eyira Adventist Vocational Academy. 07:27 And other than teaching agriculture to the students, 07:32 nothing was being done. 07:33 And I don't know how many years 07:35 it had been since a more formal type 07:37 of a vocational program was going on, 07:40 but they wanted to come in 07:42 and make the part of the vocation 07:45 in the school's name more of a reality. 08:00 "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. 08:05 He makes me to lie down in the green pastures, 08:08 He leads me beside the still water." 08:11 There are different things, 08:14 I'm learning how to work in an Adventist school. 08:17 And how to share the gospel of Jesus with one another. 08:21 I study the Bible mostly. 08:24 I've get to know how to study 08:26 and I am acquainted to study the Word of God. 08:30 This year, this school 08:32 where we're sitting together with you, 08:34 as happen to be number three in the world of South Sudan. 08:37 We praise God for that. 08:39 It's good to see who's here. 08:41 You see, we don't have much but, 08:43 God is blessing the young people. 08:59 You know, if I had come in here 20 or 30 years ago, 09:02 I would not sense the physical challenges 09:05 as much as I do now. 09:07 You know, I was within a month being 60 09:09 when we came in here 09:10 and now I'm knocking on 65's door. 09:19 A big pin went through, 09:20 fell out of a control arm down there. 09:26 We should have checked it the other day, 09:28 I guess, but we didn't. 09:30 Fortunately we don't do it all the time 09:33 but it isn't the first time I've done something like this. 09:48 There's no question in my mind 09:50 that the Lord led us to come here. 09:57 I have no regrets because I knew 10:01 this is where God wanted us to be. 10:04 And it was not one fleece I put out 10:09 but two, three, four, 10:11 and every time it came out positive 10:14 and so I knew this was where God wanted us to be 10:17 and I have no regrets of coming here. 10:42 Well, thank you so much for joining us today 10:44 on Global Mission Snapshots. 10:46 I hope you've been inspired and challenged 10:49 about what you've seen and heard. 10:51 From big cities such as London to smaller, 10:54 rural areas such as in South Sudan, 10:57 people are touching other people's lives 10:59 with the light of God's love. 11:01 And thank you so much for your continuing prayers, 11:04 and financial support, 11:05 and personal involvement in Mission, 11:08 it is making a difference. 11:09 Before I go, I'd like to send you a small free, offer, 11:13 it's a book in titled "True Believer," 11:15 it's an exciting story coming from the former Soviet Union 11:19 written by Adventist Mission's Gina Wahlen. 11:22 I know that you'll enjoy this small book. 11:25 For Adventist Mission, I'm Gary Krause 11:27 and I hope that you can join me next time 11:29 here on Global Mission Snapshots. |
Revised 2015-06-22