Website:
http://www.korcachurchesofchrist.com/myalbum.html

On the road between Korca and Tirana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OvawBnUMBA

Newsletter April 2014

We had a bit of a hard April. Many in the church have experienced losses lately and for us the death of a frequent attendee hit us hard. Winter weather and the joy of snow made it a bit easier, but we are ready to finally have spring.

Saying Goodbye:

This has been a sad few weeks for us. Kozeta, the mother of one of the church members, Teodora, passed away suddenly. Kozeta was a fixture in the church, she attended all the events she could, including our evening service which was in English, even though she did not speak English and depended on translation. Kozeta’s passing at 49 years old was a shock to everyone. It was also a wakeup call to all in the church that we never know how long we will have to share the gospel with those we love. About a month ago Kozeta woke up unable to walk. She went to the hospital in the capital for tests and it was discovered that she had a nerve problem in her brain. This is all we could gather because there is a big cultural difference between Americans and Albanians. When Americans here cancer they want to know what kind, location, stage etc. There is less medical literature available to read for lay people in Albanian so for the most part what is known is if it is not too bad, bad, or terminal. This is a part of the culture that can be frustrating as an American.

There were just two weeks between Kozeta’s hospitalization for tests, and her death. She was in a coma for most of the second week. On the day that Kozeta passed we were on our way to Tirana to drop Roger at the airport and visit her in the hospital. We left the kids with Ellen Walker to babysit while we went to the hospital. We called Teodora to be sure that she would be at the hospital, and Kozeta had died within the hour. We did not see Teodora until the following day because we arrived back in Korca late. Kozeta had suffered tremors and balance problems for a couple of years but we all attributed it to side effects from the medication she was on for depression. She was a very kind person and our church is missing her terribly. It is also very hard on the kids because they would see her often.


Roger Michael:

Roger Michael has been suffering from some severe pain in his knees and decided it was best to fly back early to the US, he had planned to go to the US for the month of May, to have it dealt with. He is currently in the US and has met with an orthopedic surgeon. He has been told that he is a likely candidate to have a knee replacement.

Reading and More reading:

We got more books from Amazon so we try to read a little every night about our move back. In many of the books it describes moving as a grieving process, and we have seen this even now as people talk with us and cry and vice verse. We want to be as prepared as possible, but still want to live and experience every day.

A surprise snow storm:

We had 2 snow storms within two weeks in April. This was a winter without snow so Abby and Michael were elated. We got them bundled up and out because we knew it would melt fast. It did melt, but not before the kids made a slushy snowman. We then prayed fervently for the farmers who have apples that it would not freeze and God answered our prayers and those of others; it did not freeze. The trees have already budded and fruit was set so a freeze would have been devastating. One family told us that they would lose their whole yearly income of 20,000 dollars. We are grateful that everything is alright so far. So many in Albania depend on the locally grown produce: local apples can sell for about 20 cents a pound where as foreign apples can be 3 times that price. When your family income is 300 dollars a month food prices are a really big deal. To see a video of the kids in the snow go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veZFf9RYm4c

Theft:

There was a theft at the school/church building this past week. During the night, someone stole our projector, a complete desktop computer, a webcam, and various other things even our instant coffee and sugar. We spoke with the police but have little hope they will be recovered. We just pray that God can shine through this situation. One of the police detectives went home with a copy of “Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel in Albanian. Unfortunately, just this month, Albert began using the projector for his lessons, and we use the projector to watch movies as a church. Kevin had been hooking up the computers via Skype so that the parents with fussy kids could watch the lesson in our other room before the webcam was stolen. The theft has shaken up many in the church. We pray that good can come out of it.

Prayer requests:

Kozeta’s family specifically her daughter Teodora – that she will find comfort and that she will be blessed in her evangelism with her family. Teodora is a newlywed. She had been married only a few months before her mother died.

Roger-that he will have relief in regards to his knees.

Our family-that our transition will continue to be as smooth as possible.

The police-that they will be able to find the thief or that some good will come out of the situation.

Rosa- This May will be seven years since the death of her daughter Mira. This would be difficult in itself, but Rosa is also facing some hard times which are making it even more difficult for her right now. Please pray that she will draw strength and comfort from her relationship with God, and her church family.

In His Service,

Kevin and Allison Morrill



Mailing Address:

Kutia Postare 11

Korca, Albania Europe

Our e-mail: morrills@fastmail.us


 

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