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Church
Planting in Pogradec
On Sunday, January 25th, the church in Durrës, Albania gave a party for
Kevin and Allison Morrill and said goodbye. The following Tuesday, Kevin and
Allison took their belongings to Pogradec (pronounced “Po' gra dets”) and,
with the help of Xhumert Nuro, their fellow worker, and Dashi, their
landlord, they moved into their apartment above the WEI Center. Soon after
their arrival in Pogradec, the Morrills began interviewing prospective WEI
students. By the end of February, they had enrolled
thirty-nine.
Kevin and Allison Morrill
Kevin and Allison were married in July of 2000 while actively involved in
the Master’s Apprentice Program (MAP) at York College. In this missions
program, they studied foreign cultures and went on mission trips to the
Ukraine and Finland. They were practically newlyweds when they moved to
Durrës in August 2002. Now, this young couple is launching a new church in
Pogradec.
Pogradec is a town of 38,000 people located on the shores of beautiful Lake
Ohrid in Southeastern Albania. Forty rivers and springs flow into the
lake—one of the deepest and clearest lakes in Europe.
Xhumert (pronounced “Ju mairt') grew up in Fier, Albania and graduated from
the National Military Academy in Tirana. After becoming a Christian in the
mid 90’s, Xhumert enrolled in British Bible School at Corby, England and
earned a degree in Bible. Now, he is back in Albania serving the Lord among
his people.
Xhumert teaches two WEI students each morning and spends his afternoons out
on the streets—talking to people, making friends, and setting up Bible
studies. He and the Morrills make up an excellent team.
The WEI Center/Church Building in
Pogradec
One of the panels on the
Morrill’s web site says, “Coming Soon: New Christians.”
Teachers Needed in Cambodia
Bill McDonough just sent us an article titled “Teachers Desperately Needed.”
Bill and Marie Claire have been working in Phnom Penh for more than a year,
and the Lord has blessed their efforts with phenomenal success. Sense the
excitement in Bill’s words:
“In this beautiful Southeast Asian country, there are hundreds of gentle
people waiting to study the Bible with you. Bright young university students
and professional people are coming to our door daily asking to study with us
in English. Last week, four more obeyed the gospel, and scores of others
would if there were teachers to share God’s word with them.
“At the lovely Partners in Progress Center, located in the center of this
city of three million people, you can have a private room with bath and
three meals a day for only $300 per month. (We pay the rent, and you pay for
food and utilities.) There is a well furnished teaching room on the third
floor dedicated to sharing the message of Christ eight hours a day, five
days a week, with our students.
Teaching WEI Students in Cambodia
“The receptivity window in Cambodia will not always be as wide open as it is
now. Won’t you come and help share the WORD with those who have never even
heard of Jesus Christ?”
A New Opportunity in Bosnia
On May 13, we received an email letter from Snezana Lepki, a young Bosnian
woman who immigrated to Canada eleven years ago. Now, Snezana wants to form
a summer mission team and share the Good News with people in her homeland.
Snezana says, “Soon after my immigration, I became a Christian, and since
then I have been praying for opportunities to spread the Good News to my
family, friends, and the lost in Bosnia. So far, I have not found any
Christians there, and I haven’t come across any work that is being planned
there.
“Last summer, while I was helping the church in Lithuania, I came across
some World English Institute booklets. So I took some of them with me when I
went to Bosnia and started going over them with my Mom. Since that time, she
has read the first three booklets three times each. I am praying that her
heart will continue to soften.”
Snezana Lepki
“I am hoping and praying that you might be able to help me get a team
together to go to Bosnia and establish a congregation in my city of
Banjaluka. As a female, I am uncomfortable in leading this process, but I
would love to be a support to the best of my ability.”
It seems that God is using Snezana as a key to unlock the door to Bosnia.
Who will join forces with Snezana and walk through the door?
Three kinds of Christians are needed in order to establish the church in
Bosnia. First, someone needs to step up and say, “I will lead this summer
mission effort.” Second, a team of teachers needs to go and stay for at
least a month. Third, someone needs to go and stay for a few years and
nurture the new church until it reaches maturity. Are you a retired
preacher, elder, college Bible teacher, or church leader? Here is your
chance to extend your usefulness in God’s kingdom. .
Let’s help this young Christian woman plant a church in Bosnia. To contact
Snezana directly, email her at
psalm119_9to16@hotmail.com
or telephone her at (780) 437-6627. Her mailing address is 11831-135
Street, Edmonton, AB, T5L 1W7, Canada.
The Church Grows in Durrës
In a recent report, Shkelqim (Çimi) Kafexhiu wrote, “God is at work in the
city of Durrës. The church has been growing tremendously in numbers and in
faith. The membership is 41 Christians not including those who have moved
abroad. The attendance each Sunday is between 43 and 47.
“Most of these people have come to Christ through the English language.
World English Institute has been a great blessing to Albanians. By learning
English, we hear the word of God.
“I personally came to Christ through studying English first. The word of God
had power to change me from someone who wanted to become successful into
someone who wants to be faithful to God.
“Sofia, a student of Theresa, was baptized into Christ on Friday, the 12th
of March. She had expressed her desire to become a Christian long before,
but finally with the approval of her parents, she made the decision.
“By God’s grace and providence, I believe the future of the church in Durrës
is bright.”
WEI Goes to Iraq
Carrol Harris, a member of the Bridgewood Church of Christ in Fort Worth,
Texas, was recently stationed near Baghdad, Iraq. While there, he helped
Iraqi people learn the values of liberty. More importantly, he talked to
them about freedom in God.
Carrol Harris in Iraq
Carrol distributed Arabic and English Bibles and CDs containing the WEI
Bible and English courses. He also handed out business cards directing
people to study the Bible on our WEI web site at
www.weiady.org.
Thank God for military men and women who serve their Lord while they serve
their country.
Continent of Great Cities
The Saturn Road Church of Christ in Garland, Texas recently hosted a
Continent of Great Cities seminar focusing attention on Latin America. WEI
was represented by Bob Patterson and Bob and Jan Towell.
At the conference, the Towells handed out 40 WEI CDs to missionaries and
church leaders.
To their surprise, they ran into Marco, a former WEI student from Peru.
Marco is now in Florida at the Sunset satellite school and is on the Mission
to Miami team that reaches out to Hispanics in south
Florida.
Bob Patterson and Bob Towell
Message from Tom and Angie
“What a blessing and joy World English Institute has afforded us to travel,
meet, and visit with so many wonderful Christians in churches of Christ.
Everywhere we go, we are warmly received, and we are thankful to God for the
evangelistic zeal that so many of you have for world missions.
“This new WEI office in Maryville, TN has now been open for 5 months. We are
so appreciative to the Maryville church of Christ for sponsoring us, and to
those of you who have made it possible for us to meet our financial
responsibilities.
“We still lack about 45% of the funds necessary to continue growing this
ministry which is so effective in fulfilling the great commission. If you
believe in this ministry, then please give prayerful consideration to
partnering with us. We invite you to share in the joy and blessing of sowing
God’s word in a needy world. The fields are ripe for harvest!”
Prayer Needs
Please pray for Tom and Angie Langley as Tom serves as Executive
Vice-President of WEI and organizes summer mission teams for Romania and
other countries.
Pray that God will also provide adequate funding for the Gresham office as
we continue to recruit teachers and students, write and publish materials,
and serve the needs of teachers, students, and national churches all over
the world.
Pray for Tom Bonner as he works alone in Lushnja, Albania. It gets lonely on
the mission field when you are the only American in town.
Pray for Bob Patterson as he manages the WEI web sites and for Bob and Jan
Towell as they head up the Internet outreach ministry.
Thank You, Dear Friends
Because of your generous partnership, God is now using WEI as an
evangelistic tool in 172 countries. Doors are opening right and left, and
the name of Christ is being exalted.
Even though we have lost $1,250 a month in regular support, you have made up
the shortfall with generous onetime contributions. Thank you from the bottom
of our hearts. May God bless you.
---Dick and Maudine Ady
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