March 7th, 2006
Dear Friends and Family,
I hope that you are all doing well. I am getting ready to return to the United States. I am back in Macedonia, but my visa still is not ready.
There is some important business that must be taken care of very soon, and so I must return to the States, and come back to Europe in about a month. I appreciate all of your prayers for me during this great adventure I have been on for the last five or six weeks. God has really used this to stretch me, and also to help me to develop some new contacts that are very exciting.
A week ago Friday I left Macedonia to go to Albania. This is the poorest nation in Europe, and it is 70% Moslem. I was not sure what to expect when I got there. It was not as bad as I thought it might be, but it was still quite poor, and the church there needs much help.
My first contact was Milto Marko. He is an Albanian believer with a heart for street children, the poor and the elderly. I got to go with him to meet many street kids that he ministers to both physically and spiritually. He has bought a house in the city of Durres (a 3000 year old city, and the largest port in Albania), and he houses several street kids in that house.
There is a house parent there to watch over them and feed them. They are able to sleep safely and warmly, bathe, and they are fed breakfast and supper. Milto has started a church in that house that is made mostly of former Moslems and gypsies, and the street kids attend as well. He has two bible studies with praise and worship during the week for the street kids too. I spoke in one of their services, and was surprised at the depth of their questions. It is apparent that they are being discipled by Milto. He has such a heart to see them saved, safe, and able to function in society.
I am hoping to partner with him in some of his endeavors.
We also went to the city of Kavaje, the strongest Moslem area of all Albania. Milto has rented a hall, and started a church on Mosque Street between four mosques (Moslem houses of worship). His life has been threatened, but he has continued. They have started by having a children's service. They have around 50 t0 60 children coming, and many of their parents and neighbors come in to see what is happening. There is another man, Arian, that works with Child Evangelism Fellowship that goes with Milto every week to teach the children. It is basically a gypsy neighborhood, very poor, and it is wonderful to hear them singing, "I have decided to follow Jesus!" When we arrived several of the children started running through the neighborhood yelling, "The Jesus's are here! The Jesus's are here!", and everybody comes running.
Later that day we went to an elderly home in the same town. When Milto started the service, he told them that "Martin is a Christian that has come from America to speak to you..." One old Moslem woman spoke up, "But we are not Christians!" I told her that I loved Moslems too, and that I was so honored to share with them a story that is very important to me as a Christian. It is found in our Bible, and I believe that it is true. I told them about Gabriel appearing to Mary, and telling her that she would bear a son, and would call his name, Jesus. I share with them that Jesus was born of a virgin, and conceived of the Holy Spirit, and that He was God Himself, Immanuel, God with us, just as Isaiah had prophesied so many centuries before. They listened very attentively and we prayed at the end. Milto has told me that twelve of them have accepted Christ, but that the others still enjoyed coming to the service. He is believing for a great harvest among the Moslems there. I can't wait to hear what the Lord will do!
After being in Durres and Kavaje, I went on to the city of Elbasan, to visit with a British pastor and his family. They have been there for twelve years. I did not get to attend a service at their church, but they wanted me to meet someone that worked with them at their church, Mimoza Pepa.
Mimoza is a blind lady who has started the School of Light, a school for the blind there at their church. She is quite a remarkable lady. They were having a day of prayer and worship, and they asked me to speak to the students of the school. I spoke to them that if they are Christians (a few of them are still Moslem) they are able to hear God's voice, and that He will lead them to the destiny that He has for them. I share that God has plans for them, plans for a future and a hope! I told them that they need to believe that the Lord has a challenging and fulfilling plan for them that they may have never imagined. I shared some of my own testimony as well.
At the end of the service they asked me to bless them. They were so encouraged and excited. Mimoza and I met later, and she shared with me the conversations that they had over lunch after the service, and that the students had really been challenged to find their purposes in life. So many of them only sit at home, and have no opportunity to do anything productive.
Their families simply consider them burdens, and they are often treated badly.
Later that afternoon Mimoza and I had a meeting where she shared some of the needs of the school, and her vision to reach the blind community of Albania. I will share them later, because I have to go catch a plane!
However, she asked me if I could do a one month Bible school for the blind in Albania, and I believe that the Lord wants me to do that, so help me pray about that!
Again, thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support. If you would like to make a donation to Obedient Life Ministries you can send your tax-exempt gift to Obedient Life Ministries, P.O. Box 267, Clarion, PA 16214. You may also donate by credit card through our secure PayPal Link on our website at www.obedientlife.org. Thank you again!
Be blessed in Jesus' Name,
Martin Sutton