The coolest thing I've EVER seen in Albania!

We've been back in Albania for almost two weeks now. It's a lot different this time around with two little kids. I feel like my days are very busy at home, and yet I feel not "busy". I really desire to spend more time with the girls in the youth group throughout the week, but I don't yet know how to balance life with two kids and doing youth ministry. For now, it's good just to get caught up with the girls and their lives from the past 6 months that we were in the States. I have been really encouraged by the spiritual growth I see in many of them. I am really, really proud of them for taking on extra responsibilities in the youth group and seeking out opportunities to minister to their peers.

Last week I witnessed the most amazing thing ever since being here in Albania. I "visited" a new believers' Bible study that was taking place at The Refuge (the youth center we opened up last winter). It was being led by Jona (in the yellow shirt in the picture above), a relatively new believer (3 years) herself. She was leading a great discussion in Albanian about the importance of fellowship among believers. The 6 other girls around her had their Bibles opened to Acts 2. For those of you who are thinking that this all seems pretty normal, and what am I so excited about... Let me tell you that this is certain proof that the Holy Spirit is working among the youth here in Tirana! This new Bible study is the very visible fruit of my labor in discipling Jona over the past 2 years - One of my disciples is discipling other younger beilevers!!! That is exactly the model of ministry that Jesus gives us in the New Testament and I am so excited to see it so clearly lived out in the lives of our students! We have poured our time, energy, and resources into those on our Student Ministry Team, and it is really paying off. This is all testimony to God's unfailing patience and grace with us as we learn how to do ministry here. For sure, we've made a lot of mistakes and there are an infinite number of ways that we can improve, but it is just so encouraging to see some fruit so clearly.

Please pray for Jona as she leads this small group of girls. Her co-leaders are Fjori and Xhili. The three new believers since camp this summer are Inesa, Eriola and Romina. Zerina has been a believer for about a year. Please please pray for the spiritual growth of these girls and the leading of the bible study!!