I am delighted to report that two people who played a major part in helping the young Albanian church and whose story is told in God’s Secret Listener are due to fly into London Gatwick today.
Gani and Adile Smolica met Stephen Bell from the European Christian Mission while they were working at Prishtina University in Kosova and as Stephen said: “We both changed each other’s lives.”
When Stephen left Albania in 1993 to get married in Germany he persuaded the Smolicas (pictured below) to give up a good university job in Prishtina and look after his four Albanian churches in Fier, Berat, Tirana and Patos while he was away.
They stayed there for seven years before leaving to work for ECM to church plant in Gani’s birthplace of Peja.
Now Gani and Adile are spending just over five weeks speaking at churches around the UK who have been supporting them in their work.
These include Hook Evangelical Surbiton; St John’s Fareham; Rising Brook Baptist in Stafford; Ballymena Presbyterian; Portglenone Prresbyterian and Sharnbrook Evangelical.
In their last letter before leaving for the UK they wrote that it had been a long, hot summer in Kosova with no rain for two months.
Gani said he had recently found some old photographs on his computer and realised it would be ten years next year since they moved to their premises in Peja.
He said: “God has been faithful with us during those years.”
Thanking his supporters he added: “Your prayers and support were always there to take us forward and to make us feel important in His plan to build His church in Peja. We thank you so much for being loyal to us with your prayers through many difficulties and problems.
“Working for God and living by faith is an excellent experience, and we are here to prove so. God kept us here in the church for His glory and for His purpose.”
Gani and Adile said they were looking forward to meetings so many supporters and to tell them how God is building His church in Peja, Kosova.
They added: “Do not miss the chance to learn more of our church’s history and to see for yourselves how you have helped God build His church by praying for us and by supporting us. We are very much looking forward to seeing you.
If anyone would like to contact them their mobile phone number while they are in the UK is 07835893446.
Gani and Adile’s incredible story of their call to Albania is told in God’s Secret Listener. To buy a signed copy email John@jbutterworth.plus.com
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