As the COVID pandemic continues to impact the Albanian economy, we are being presented with new opportunities to minister to both the physical and spiritual hunger of the families we are blessed to serve. In fact, many of the new families we provided food aid to during the pandemic have become important parts of our quickly growing church communities.
Providing Spiritual Food
We thank God for the new growth we’re experiencing in the number of people attending our church services and meetings each week. Several new Bible studies have been started for men, ladies, children and youth held throughout the week, providing ministry opportunities for people of all ages and walks of life.
Our newest and fastest-growing church in Pogradec already hit capacity with around 60 adults and 45 children attending on a Sunday.
We pray that each of them would come to know the Lord for themselves. Going forward, the church leaders are looking for larger premises in which to meet. The churches in Katjel, Kotodesh, Rodokal, and Homezh also have congregations hungry to know more of the Word of God.
Meeting Physical and Economic Needs
However, spiritual hunger isn’t the only need in Albania.
We are praying for wisdom, flexibility, and new strategies as we move away from the ‘two meals a week’ model towards providing monthly food boxes that benefit not just individual children, but whole families. This has worked well throughout the pandemic when our centers had to close, particularly in the most remote villages. Looking ahead, we believe this new structure may be the best way to maximize time and resources for providing the most impactful help.
This provision of food has become increasingly more valuable with a worsened unemployment situation in Albania. Rural areas offer few job prospects and new COVID restrictions have taken away the possibility of traveling to Greece for seasonal work. Because many young people believe their only only option is to leave to FIND a better life elsewhere, we need job investment in rural areas.
As we continue our fight against COVID, poor countries like Albania do not have large-scale vaccination programs well under way. Here, many doctors and healthcare workers won’t even start receiving vaccines until the middle of March at the earliest making our medical and dental clinic all the more critical right now.
“If you offer yourselves in compassion for the hungry and relieve those in misery, then your dawning light will rise in the darkness…” – Isaiah 58:10
Thank you to everyone who prays for our church pastors and ministry team leaders as they continue to develop new, creative ways to help bring the hope of Jesus Christ to Albania. We are grateful for the opportunity to minister to every kind of hunger. Please visit our Albania webpage to learn more or support our mission in Albania.
