From our Mission Partner Zef Nikolla, pastor of Emanuel Church and director of BSKHS University Student Ministry, Albania:
December, 2022
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Greetings and blessings to you from Albania!
As a family we are very grateful for having you in our lives and counting on your prayers for us. Edita and I have been enjoying a good season of life, ministry and work. Greis is studying in the US, still staying with our friends, Jim and Marsh Peters, in Ventura, CA. We’re so thankful for the Peters for hosting Greis. Emili is in her 11th grade in high school Ñ. She is doing quite well, and we’re all looking forward to Greis coming home for Christmas and as a family traveling to the Revive Conference in Germany where I will be speaking to thousands of young people on Dec. 28 to Jan. 2.
Church - we’re very encouraged by what God is doing in the Emanuel Church in Tirana. God has blessed us with a great team of elders and other ministry leaders who love the Lord, love the church, and want to be salt and light in the world.
Church attendance has been growing. We’re very much involved in outreach ministries through small groups, the Book Club, sports and other evangelistic events. Looking forward to a cello concert at the church building on Christmas Eve. Praying that many nonbelievers will come, hear, and respond to the Gospel message.
I am also looking forward to seeing a number of discipleship groups start soon by the members of a discipleship group I have been leading for a number of years. The discipleship groups will be using Greg Ogden’s “Discipleship Essentials” in Albanian. Pray for those involved as I believe the discipleship curriculum has the potential to transform the church life in Albania.
Student ministry - the BSKSH student ministry is coming out of the difficulties that resulted because of the pandemic. We have had to let go of 1 full-time and 2 part-time paid staff workers due to financial difficulties. However, the work has been carried by committed volunteers and the 6 remaining paid staff workers. We have seen a good number of students become Christians through mission weeks, the summer camp, conferences and sports events. Please pray for God’s provision for our staff and student ministry needs. Pray specifically that we will be able to rent and run a summer camp site in the southern coast of Albania. Financial contributions for the student ministry are highly needed. We are sending a group of about 70 to the Revive Conference in Germany at the end of this year. Many of these students need scholarships to make it.
Wilberforce Foundation, Albania (WFA) - The third Albanian Leadership Forum brought together about 190 Evangelical leaders from all over Albania, Kosova, and North Macedonia. WFA is the platform to organize the Forum, the political summer school, and the “Movement Day, Tirana”. Some of the Forum networks are becoming year-round mentoring initiatives. We’re very grateful to God for being able to unite, equip and resource Albanian speaking leaders from various churches and denominations in the Balkans. Our 4th Forum gathering is scheduled for April 30-May 2, 2023. Prayer and support for this growing movement are highly appreciated.
All of the above is made possible by the involvement of many of us in the BSKSH student ministry. We consider it a great privilege to be used by God to serve and impact the whole church in the advancement of the Kingdom in the region.
Sorry, this got a bit longer than I wanted. Thank you for praying for us and supporting us in the ministry God has called us to.
Love and blessings to you all,
ZEGE (Zef, Edita, Greis, and Emili)