Day Two: Sunday, Celebration

Its Easter Sunday !
Christ is Risen Hallelujah he is risen indeed!

And we are in Tirana our adopted home for 5 years of our life !
I can't describe how it felt walking across Tirana for the first time in two and half years.
Yes the roads are bad and the driving dangerous, Yes the pavements have all been dug up and there's a general air of chaos everywhere, But its so real and alive and interesting, people stop and greet each other , but they stop! No one is in a hurry.

The Lana - the river that runs through the centre of the city was brown and swollen with muddy dirty water from the mountains - they have been experiencing really wet weather here like in England!.
When we lied here there was an new inner ring road planned . On both side of the houses were smooth dual carriageway roads yet but a few houses stood in the middle of the road. We were told it was all political. But now the road was open making it quick and easy to walk from the Lana to Fusha Ali Demi where we take the bus to Shkoze.

As soon as we stepped through the doors at Drita e Botes we were overcome with hugs and greetings by our old church - everyone looking slightly older and grown up but so good to see them all.

What was even better though was seeing the church building full of people and so full of life. In the last two years the church has grown especially with the children and youth now so involved in the life of the church.

The service was a showcase of Easter celebrations, videos,films, powerpoints, songs, dramas, most of which led by the youth of the church. Loud raucous worship, slightly tuneless but with no doubting the spirit even if the tune was somewhat questionable at times.

The most moving part of  the service must have been the excellent youth drama capturing how Jesus can free people from addictions, abuse and other challenges of life. The drama itself was excellent but also seeing how the youth were taking such a lead and such initiative. This church doesn't need a youth pastor fighting their cause. this church is effectively being led and shaped by their youth, who all have a great practical and real understanding of what Jesus' death and resurrection means to them.

It was a great service but it was also a long service and it was after 90 minutes I was invited to preach. Now, however good the service is no one wants a sermon after 90 minutes so I kept message short and to the point! (I know that many Upton Vale people will find that hard to believe)

Preaching with a translator is such a difference experience, learning to he pause and let translator catch up. Thankfully I had Lejda translating for me,  We've known Lejda since our second day in Albania, she came to look after Ellie and Gemma when we had first arrived in Vlora, and had worked with us ever since. I've never known a translator like Lejda, she seems to know what I'm going to say before I've said it!

The rest of the team arrived  during the time after the service while we were being served a cocktail of drinks and biscuits and chocolate. Sam, Tom, Ellen & George arrived looking tired but excited to be here and slightly overawed walking into all that was happening in the building.

Sam, being Sam wanted to jump straight into things so I took him for a tour of shkoze. Within minutes we'd been invited in for a drink with Denis, the café owner. This is how it is in Albania.

At 4 we shared our Easter Meal; Meat, chicken, Pilaf ( Rice) Salad absolutely delicious! Nearly 100 people came to eat with us. What a great way to celebrate the greatest day in human history, Jesus risen from the dead.

We left this church over two years ago wondering whether the church would survive. Today we celebrated Easter Sunday with  a thriving young church that seems to be outgrowing its premises. Even better than that we shared the day with friends from our current church. Past Present and Future


all together. The Team is here and the mission can now begin.