Giving hope to the poor

Following my meeting a few weeks ago with Eurovangelism, who are working in Albania, it was good to receive their colourful newsletter, Rise.

I was delighted to see that the Operations Manager, Sally Bertram, pictured below, had written about her visit to Albania this year, the 20^th anniversary of the fall of communism there.

She writes: “In September 1991 Mission Possible Albania, a national charity whom Eurovangelism supports, started life, distributing literature about Jesus to a thirsty nation.

“But whilst Albania has enjoyed the fastest growth rate of Christianity in Europe over the last two decades, physical poverty is still extreme, and Albania remains the second poorest country in Europe.

“Sections of the community continue to suffer the weight of corruption and lack of opportunity that comes with a country in transition.”

One of the places Mission Possible Albania works in is Bathore, a shanty town on the outskirts of the capital, Tirana, where programmes are run in the Hope Centre.

Local people come there to learn how to care for their families, gain a basic education or are given vocational training, receive physical aid when available and learn more about God’s love.

It is estimated that up to 50,000 people live in Bathore, most of who are unemployed.

Sally said that when she visited Bathore she met Rufia, pictured below, who told her story.

Rufia said: “Before I went to the church at the Hope Centre I suffered a lot. I would go inside so the children could not see me and I just cried.

She said she cried out: “How am I going to raise my kids? My husband is jobless and drinks.”  

Rufia was given Harvest for the Hungry food parcels by the charity, which she brought home and gave to her children.

Now she says: “Today it’s like God has come to visit my home, and I would like to share my troubles and worries with the God who has visited today.

“I’ve learnt how to hope and pray in the Hope Centre.

“I thank God who has given me life. And, we are so happy we can know God now because we didn’t have this opportunity before, under communism.

“Now my soul is full.”

For more information visit www.eurovangelism.org.uk 

Albania celebrates 99th year of independence

Yesterday was an important day for Albania as the country celebrated its 99^th independence day.

In January 1912, with the outbreak of the First Balkan War, the Albanians had risen up against the Ottoman Empire and declared Albania independent.

After a series of territorial successes, the Ottoman government agreed to fulfill Albanian revolutionaries’ demands on September 4, 1912.

Then on November 28, 1912 the National Assembly of Vlore, made up of 83 Muslim and Christian leaders, pictured below, set up a provisional government.

It also approved the flag as a symbol of the Albanian nation. The double-headed eagle, pictured below, shows their dual Christian heritage through the Western Catholic tradition and the Orthodox east while the open-winged eagle symbolizes their refusal to submit to foreign conquest.

The country was finally recognised internationally in the Treaty of London in May 1913.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Sali Berisha and senior officials attended the homage ceremony at the Martyrs Cemetery in Tirana, paying respect to those who had fought for Albanian independence.

In Vlore the President, Bamir Topi, other VIPs and thousands of citizens paid homage at the tomb of Prime Minister of the first Government of Independent Albania, Ismail Qemali, at the Park of the Flag, where the president laid a wreath.

Before the independence celebrations Prime Minister Sali Berisha had visited Israel last week where he met their Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was elected an honorary member of the Albania-Israel Friendship Society.

Mr Netanyahu highlighted the friendship between the two countries, which had been strengthened during the Second World War when Albania became a safe haven for hundreds of Jewish refugees and not a single Albanian Jew had been turned over to the Germans.

Mr Netanyahu, who accepted an invitation to visit the country, praised Albania for moving from one of the poorest countries into one of upper-middle-income economies and successful policies on privatization.

He added: “We are looking forward to co-operate closely and encourage Israeli investment projects in Albania, in the field of tourism, technology and science.”

There more information about Albania in God’s Secret Listener, published by Lion/Hudson/Monarch of Oxford.

Signed copies for the special Christmas price of £6, including postage within the UK, can be obtained by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com

Darwin brought into Bible debate again

I was very interested in the debate in the newspapers over the weekend of Education Secretary Michael Gove’s plan to send a copy of the King James Version of the Bible to every school in Britain.

Mr Gove, pictured below, who has written a foreword to the Bible gift, said it was the most important book in the English language and had major cultural significance.

The Department of Education said the Bibles would be sent to more than 20,000 schools to mark the 400^th anniversary of the translation.

Supporters say the book would help supporters of all faiths to take pride in the history and culture of Britain.

But non-religious groups have condemned it as an unacceptable waste of public money and former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott described it as Mr Gove’s ‘vanity project’.

Mr Prescott said on Twitter: “And Gove gave unto 20,000 schools a Bible that cost £10 a piece and the taxpayer wasted £200,000 on a vanity project.”

The National Secular Society suggested the Department of Education could put a message on its website and save tens of thousands of pounds.

Its president, Terry Sanderson, added: “Will he also please ensure that a copy of On the Origin of Species is sent out on Darwin day (February 12)?

“This book is murder to find in schools and would be in line with his policy of promoting science and evidence based education.”

The story of Charles Darwin, who was born in Shrewsbury and who stayed at The Lion Hotel just before and immediately after his epic journey, is told in Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel.

Richy Thompson, campaigns officer at the British Humanist Association, said: “Either the Government is funding this initiative itself at a time when it is making severe cuts elsewhere, or the Church is funding it but using the Government as a vehicle through which to promote Christianity – both are unacceptable.”

The story raised a number of questions in my mind.

1. Surely schools in Britain already have a copy of the Bible?

2. With all the economic cutbacks going on at the moment, isn’t this the wrong time to suggest this gift?

3. I am all for pupils studying the facts and reading the evidence for themselves. But if the schools were given a Bible and a copy of the On the Origin of Species, what other books would the Government be asked to provide for free?

4. Each of these Bibles for schools would include a foreword by Michael Gove. Why? Surely he is not trying to make any political capital out of this, is he?

5. The third official translation of the Bible into English was commissioned by the Protestant King James I in 1604 so the ordinary people could read it in their everyday language. If pupils today are to get a Bible, shouldn’t it be a modern version in today’s everyday language, not in the English of 400 years ago?

What do you think? I would be interested in your views?

Linking up with the Albanian Evangelical Mission

I was asked to see the three main leaders of the Albanian Evangelical Mission and on Monday had an enjoyable meeting with the Rev Trevor Baker.

I had already been to Wrexham to see David Young, who is retiring at the end of this year as head and of the mission.

Then Paul Davies, who is succeeding David, called in to see me a few weeks ago.

To complete the visits on Monday I met the Rev Trevor Baker, who had been the pastor for 20 years at Jireh Baptist Church, in Orrell, Wigan, before joining the Albanian Evangelical Mission in 1996.

As Trevor lives in Wigan we met halfway at The Bears Head, at Brereton, near Sandbach, a lovely historic hotel which I can thoroughly recommend. It was built in 1625 and is just off exit 17 of the M6 in a picturesque village.

I was delighted to hear that Trevor knew Besti Dosti, whose story is told in God's Secret Listener. Trevor had only just returned from Albania where he had preached in Berti's Way of Peace church in Lushnje.

The plan is that I will link up with the Albanian Evangelical Mission and help because they will have only two leaders in 2012 with David’s retirement.

I have offered to cover some or all of David’s churches in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Wales and any other talks they need help on while at the same time continuing my links as the Midlands volunteer for the European Christian Mission.

I am also planning to go out to Albania in 2012 to meet some of their missionaries working in the southern part of the country.

Finally, I was delighted that Trevor took 65 copies of God’s Secret Listener off me and called me yesterday to say he had already sold eight.

Anyone who would like a different Christmas present for Christians and non-Christians from teenagers upwards can email John@jbutterworth.plus.com for a signed copy for £7 including postage to anywhere in the UK.

How Albania is trying to solve its gas shortage

It is interesting to see that the UK is not the only nation grappling with the problem of providing enough gas for its people.

I was fascinated to read a Reuters report that Albania, once the world’s most isolated country, is now linking up with a number of states to solve their energy problems.

On Wednesday this week it became the first host government to start talks with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), aimed at transporting Caspian gas from Azerbaijan to Italy through Greece and Albania.

The TAP consortium, Norway’s Statoil, Germany’s E.ON Rurhgas and Swiss EGL, aims to build a 1.5 billion euro pipeline that would carry 10 billion cubic metres of Caspian gas a year along a 520-kilometre route.

Albania's Economy, Trade and Energy Minister Nasip Naço, pictured below, said the pipeline would play a key role in helping the energy-starved Balkan country.

The TAP project so far lacks intergovernmental approval between the three countries it would pass through, although it was included in an agreement signed in 2009 between Italy and Albania.

Construction would take three years and TAP is expected to make its final investment decision in 2013, in line with the schedule of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II gas field.

Reuters added that security of supply is a pressing issue for nations in southeast Europe, which were hit hard by a dispute between Ukraine and Russia in the winter of 2009 that cut off deliveries amid freezing temperatures.

To find out more about life in Albania read God's Secret Listener, published by Lion/Hudson/Monarch of Oxford.

Signed copies can be bought at the special Christmas price of £7 including postage in the UK by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com 

Fabulous ten days with more than 200 sales

What a fabulous few weeks it has been for God’s Secret Listener as I have had more than 200 sales in just ten days.

November began with meeting up with Gani Smolica, whose story is told in God’s Secret Listener, and hearing him speak at Rising Brook Baptist Church, Stafford, where we sold some books.

Gani is on a tour of Britain and a number of his supporting churches have ordered copies as well.

Then it was off to Warwick to attend a meeting of the African Pastors’ Fellowship where I am a trustee and they were all interested to hear the Albania story.

Last Wednesday I  gave an hour lecture to Stone Historical Society about my latest two books, God’s Secret Listener and Four Centuries at the Lion Hotel, while on the Sunday I met up with a good friend, the Rev Canon Dr Barry Wilson, when I went to preach at All Saints, Madeley,  pictured below.

I was surprised to hear that this beautiful historical church goes back to the 1100s and part of the original stones can still be seen today.

In between I have linked up with Eurovangelism and the Albanian Evangelical Mission, two groups who are working in Albania and who I hadn’t come across before.

With an invitation to speak at Shrewsbury Rotary Club next Wednesday at the Lord Hill Hotel and to meet up with some Shropshire friends it has been a great month.

More encouraging news came from Lion/Monarch Publishing who said the fourth edition of the book, which came out only eight weeks ago, has already sold more than 450 copies and they are talking about a fifth edition in 2012.

Meeting a group helping Albanian churches

With my interest in Albania I am fascinated by the number of missionary societies I am coming across working in that country.

I had never heard of Eurovangelism before so while I was in Bath the other weekend I went to meet their new director, the Rev Andy Drake, at their offices in Bristol.

Andy, pictured below, who was born and raised in Australia, is a dynamic leader. He planted a youth congregation at the age of 18 and is a Baptist Minister, leading three churches over the last 15 years.

He was previously the National Ministry Director of Christian Vision for Men before moving to Eurovangelism.

The mission has an amazing base at 1 Holdenhurst Road, Kingswood, Bristol, BS15 1HL. 

At the front is a detached house in a residential area and then you walk into the back garden where there is a huge modern office with seven people working in it.

Eurovangelism is a charity founded by Dave Foster in 1965 to support local Christians in parts of Europe where they were being persecuted by oppressive communist or fascist regimes.

Today they have partners stretching from Russia to Portugal and from Albania to Poland.

Andy says of Eurovangelism: “We help local churches as they work to transform their villages, towns and nations from the inside with God's love and power.

“As members of those communities our partners are best placed to know their neighbours’ needs, how to meet them, and the most appropriate ways to tell them about Jesus.

“As a result our partners are engaged in a huge range of projects including: caring for the poor, church planting and development, training and education, medical help, the Alpha course, working with children and emergency relief.”

I am hoping with my interest in Albania and voluntary work with the European Christian Mission to link up with Eurovangelism, who are working mainly in the capital Tirana, in future.

For more details about Eurovangelism go to www.eurovangelism.org.uk

For more details about ECM's work in Albania see God's Secret Listener , published by Lion/Hudson/Monarch.

To order a signed copy of the book for £6 plus postage contact John@jbutterworth.plus.com

New missionaries off to Spain

Wearing my hat as the volunteer Midlands rep for the European Christian Mission it was good to call in at Abingdon, near Oxford, a week last Sunday, to wish missionaries Andy and Andrea Warner and their young children, Jacob and Alicia, all the best as they set off  for their new life in Spain.

The family, who have been at Redcliffe College, Gloucester, for the last 12 months, have joined ECM and set out last week to help plant a church in Valencia.

They packed up home in Gloucester the day before and on Sunday their church in Abingdon prayed for them and commissioned them to their new ministry during the morning service at Christ Church on Long Furlong, and during the evening service at Northcourt Road.

On Sunday afternoon friends and supporters were invited to a farewell party at Thomas Reade School, Radley Road, Abingdon.

On the following Thursday the family drove overland to Spain taking the ferry to France stopping over at Orléans, Carcassonne, and then Onda in Spain where they were due to arrive yesterday.

This week they are staying in a friend's flat and looking at apartments and schools in Villarreal, the town where they will be living while they learn the language and acclimatize.

Andrea, pictured below, said in her latest prayer letter: “If you’re wondering how we’re feeling...we’re happy to be going, sad to be leaving, still have a lot to do, but have also done a lot, have a sense of adventure about driving out to Spain and a slight sense of pressure with the need to find somewhere to live and move in five days! All mixed together!”

Andy, pictured below, added:  “We will let you know our new contact details from Spain when we have an address and internet access. Our email addresses will continue to work but we will only be able to check our email intermittently until we are settled.”

They can be contacted on andyandandreawarner@gmail.com 

Anniversary of a momentous day

Three important events happened 38 years ago today, two of which were to have a huge impact on Captain Berti Dosti.

Firstly, on Wednesday, November 14, 1973, the UK celebrated as HRH Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips, pictured below.

Secondly, it was the day when Sali Rahmani arrived in England after working for the European Christian Mission in Vienna, Austria.

Thirdly and sadly, it was the day Alfred Andoni, who had worked for the BBC World Service and then ECM, died. He had a cataract operation and never woke up after the anaesthetic.

Alfred had been an answer to prayer. When in 1967 Albania declared itself an atheistic country ECM general director, the Rev Stuart Harris, was looking for a way to get the Christian message into the country by radio.

ECM already had a radio studio as they were recording messages for their work in Italy, but he needed someone who could speak Albanian and who lived in England, a tall order in those days.

In July 1968, Stuart heard the BBC was cutting back on its foreign services and was axing a number of jobs, including Alfred Andoni’s job on the Albania desk.

Alfred was Albanian, married to an English woman and lived in London, where he worked part-time for the BBC in their Albanian broadcasts and part-time for British intelligence.

Alfred would write and read news in Albanian for the BBC and listened to all possible broadcasts from Albania to gather whatever information he could about what was going on inside the closed country.

Stuart offered to pay Alfred to translate messages from English into Albanian.

Alfred went to WEC’s Radio Worldwide studios, a Christian radio in south London, to record his messages, which were then sent to Rawtenstall to Heightside’s technical expert who forwarded them to Monte Carlo for Trans World Radio to beam into Albania.

The first time they went to record the programme, the Christians said: “We will start with a prayer.”

“Why,” asked Alfred? The Christians explained they were committing the programmes to God.

Five years later, Alfred asked to meet Stuart in London. When he asked him what the spiritual problem was, Alfred said it was heart and he now wanted to become a believer.

They prayed together and to show how serious Alfred was about becoming a Christian, he said to Stuart afterwards: “I have made a besa” (An Albanian word for a code of honour, which they wouldn’t break).

Alfred was probably the first person converted by the Albanian radio programme, and it was likely the first time a radio presenter had been converted by his own programme.

The radio staff were wondering where they were going to find another Albanian speaker when in walked Sali – complete with 12 Albanian radio scripts he had been asked to bring over with him.

To find out more about how the story unfolded read God’s Secret Listener, published by Lion Hudson Monarch, signed copies of which are available from mailto:from%20John@jbutterworth.plus.com for a special Christmas price of £6 plus postage.

Joys and problems of being a Christian in Kosovo

It was fascinating last night hearing Gani Smolica talk about his work in Albania and Kosovo to an audience at Rising Brook Baptist Church in Stafford.

In a previous blog I explained that when European Christian Missionary Stephen Bell was going on home leave in 1993 to get married he needed someone to look after the four churches in Albania while he was away.

He decided the ideal person was his friend Gani, but it would mean him giving up a good university job and persuading his family to leave Kosovo for what he called “his promised land of Albania”.

While their children were not too keen on the idea, Gani’s mother was horrified. But on January 15, 1993, the family, who were now supported by the European Christian Mission, left Prishtina in Kosovo by truck and by bus going to their new home in Tirana.

Gani, pictured below at Stafford, explained how difficult it was for his family at first to adapt to life in Albania, which was much poorer, and also to get used to schools in Tirana.

However, the Smolicas adapted to their new existence and stayed in Albania for seven years until June 2000 when they left to work for the mission in their home town of Peja, Kosovo.

Although there are evangelical churches in most towns of Kosovo with its beautiful countryside and mountains there are still only a few Christians in this mainly Muslim country.

Despite the problems for people converting to Christianity the church is growing. We were also impressed to hear how Gani is working to build bridges between minority groups in the country such as the Romanys.

However, it is difficult, particularly for the young, to be a Christian in Kosovo. Gani said it was not unusual for a child to be the only Christian in a school of more than 1,000.

Also it was hard for girls later on in life to marry a Christian boy when there were so few in the country.

We need to give thanks for the growing church there but also to pray for those Christians whose lives are so much tougher than in many other parts of Europe.

There’s more of the Smolicas’ story in God’s Secret Listener, published by Lion/Hudson/Monarch of Oxford.

To order a signed copy email John@jbutterworth.plus.com 

Meeting that changed Gani and Adile's life

Nineteen years ago this month Gani Smolica and his wife Adile, pictured below, were invited to a meeting which changed their lives.

European Christian Missionary Stephen Bell was going on home leave from April to November 1993 but he needed someone to look after the four churches in Albania while he was away.

He decided the ideal person was his friend Gani, but it would mean him giving up a good university job and persuading his family to leave Kosovo for what he called “his promised land of Albania”.

In November 1992 Stephen invited Gani and Adile to meet him in Vlore in southern Albania.

To Stephen’s surprise, Adile was the more receptive to his plans.

“I feel we should say yes,” she told her husband, “and we should start in three or four weeks’ time.”

Gani was shocked, but agreed. So they went home to break the news to their parents and three children.

Their children were not too keen on the idea, but Gani’s mother was horrified. She said to Adile: “Tell him not to go and don’t take the children.”

But on January 15, 1993, the family, who were now supported by the European Christian Mission, left Prishtina in Kosovo by truck and by bus going to their new home in Tirana via Macedonia, because Montenegro was too dangerous.

The Smolicas stayed in Albania until June 2000 when they left to work from the mission in Peja, Kosovo.

There’s more of their story in God’s Secret Listener, published by Lion/Hudson/Monarch of Oxford. To order a signed copy email John@jbutterworth.plus.com

Interestingly, I will be meeting Gani tonight at Rising Brook Baptist Church in Stafford as he is visiting his supporting churches in the UK this autumn.

I will report back on his latest news in a blog tomorrow.