Ministry to Gerdec's victims

On Saturday, Chelle joined 12 others people from our church to minister to some of the victims of the explosion in Gerdec, Albania on March 15th. This explosion occurred during an accident when the Albanian government was trying to dispose of excess munitions from the communist era. The city of Gerdec is about 15 miles outside of Tirana and the blast shook windows in the center of Tirana. About 30 people were killed, over 300 were injured, 412 homes were destroyed, 3,800 others were damaged and artillery shells were scattered over 15 square miles.


This is a photo of a house that belonged to one of the women I met on Saturday.
The majority of the people in Gerdec had to leave their houses with all their belongings inside. Just a couple of days later, we had a few days of very heavy rain and this added to the loss of their belongings. This situation was more than just a physical tragedy. The Albanian people were shocked and dismayed when, during the investigation, it came out that there was government corruption in a grand scale that contributed to this event. One high level official resigned due to his part in the situation. The poor people of Gerdec had nothing left but what they left with on their backs. Their livelihoods are taken away and they have no money to rebuild their houses. Most of those people have not lived outside of that village all of their lives and have no idea what they will do now. Albania and other nations have helped them greatly by providing housing at some hotels in the area these past months. Our church has been going to minister to a group of these victims for the past few months. We have brought clothes, food, water, diapers, soap, detergent, and some other necessities. Of course, our ultimate desire is for to build relationships with these people and share the hope of the gospel. From what we area told our church is the ONLY one that has been ministering to these people.
Here we are getting ready to leave for the 1 hour drive. We had a sweet time of fellowship and prayer during the travel. We also saw a terrible, fatal accident on the road. It was sobering time as we remembered how our lives are but a vapor and that we need to be taking every opportunity to share the gospel and live lives of integrity in this dark land.
When we arrived at the hotel we met many women and children. Most of the men are gone trying to find work or clear the land to build housing again. They are only going to housed by the government for another month or so. I met these two wonderful women, Suzanna (in red) and Fellenxa(in brown). They don't speak any English, so it was a great opportunity for me to put into practice what I have been learning these past months in my language studies. They were very gracious as I stumbled over words and tenses. Fellenxa hardly left my side all day. The photo of the demolished house is Fellenxa's.
Elona, in the middle, is a single gal that befriended us. Bruna, in the white, is from our church and is one of my dear friends. Elona seemed very interested in why we were there and open to hearing what we had to say. Our group brought a variety of Christian women's magazines, with an evangelistic message, to hand out to the women at the hotel. They received them gratefully and many of them were starting to read them while we were there.
The children were one of the reasons that we were so warmly welcomed. They were some of the first to approach us and want to talk and play. They also wanted to take lots of pictures and then see themselves on the screen.

Here is a 49 second video of the kids singing "He's got the whole world in His hands" in Albanian. They have been learning it over the past couple of months and were quick learners. We put on a small children's program and taught them about the reality of the existence of God, even though they can not see Him. For many of these children, growing up in a post-communistic nation has left them without any concept of God. We also played games and did a small craft with them. They were so excited to have us there with them.

What a privilege for me to get to serve with my church in this way. Although I could not communicate in a way that I would like, I was encouraged that God allowed me to communicate, in Albanian, enough to make some friends and let them know that we care for them because of the love of God.

Please pray for these people that God would use this tragedy in their lives to draw them to Himself.
Pray that the relationships that we have been building over the past months would result in the opportunity to share the gospel and see these dear friends come to Christ. They have seen in us something different. I pray that they would read the material we gave them and that God would open their eyes to His majesty and their need for a Savior.
Pray for the nation of Albania. It seems that for the first time people are realizing how depraved mankind can be.
Pray that they would see themselves as sinners and not just look at those responsible for the Gerdec situation as culpable. My prayer is that is explosion would blast their view of the goodness of humanity and that they would see the reality of how desperate we all are for redemption by a holy and just God.
Pray that our church would continue to pursue these people even after they are settled in homes. There are most likely not any churches in walking distance of their village and maybe we can provide some spiritual help for them.
Pray that we, as Christians, would be reminded by this situation how vital it is that we live everyday with a kingdom mindset. God has placed us in this country, at this time, to be His hands and feet and mouth to these hope-less, desperate people. It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day living that we forget to look outside of ourselves, our church, our home and see God's big picture.

Mother's Day Tribute

ELAINE LOVELL

Chelle's mom

There is no way that I can even begin to write or capture in photographs the love, respect and honor I have for my mom in this short missive. On November 9,1970, I was given, by God's good hand into the loving protection of this wonderful woman. You can see in the picture above, taken a short time after my birth, that I was loved and prayed for from the start.

My mom said that my hair was always sticking up and that she tried all kinds of things to make it behave. Finally, she gave up and just let it do it's own thing. Her hand's on kind of mothering always made me feel special and I knew that whatever she was doing could be put aside when I had a hurt knee, a broken heart, a silly story or just wanted to talk. I remember following her around the kitchen as she washed the floor on her hands and knees or sitting on the counter "helping" her make cookies. In fact, now that I am a mom, I realize that she was an incredibly patient and fun-loving mom. She has always been a gracious hostess, the one who gave me the desire to make my home a warm and inviting place for all who cross my threshold, and an inspiration to do it all in a way that pleases the Lord.
I think that this is my favorite picture of me and my mom. This is exactly how I remember her when I was a little girl. She read me lots of Bible stories and knelt next to my bed to pray with me at night. In fact, only a few short years after this photo was taken in 1973, she helped me to understand the truths of the gospel that I had heard all my short life. Later that night, on my own, God drew me to Himself and brought me from spiritual death to life. The next day on my 6th birthday, my mom greeted me with, "Happy Birthday, Chelle". I replied, "I have two birthday's today!" I knew that I was a new creature in Christ. In large part, this early conversion, was due to the faithful example of my mom and her reading Scripture and Bible stories to me as a small child.
Thirty-three years passed between the previous photo, when I was 3, to the above photo. Those years were filled with much laughter, sweet memories, lots of cups of coffee together, the birth of 4 granddaughters and our fair share of tears and reconciliations. Today, I rise up and bless my mom and honor her with the words of Proverbs 31. Mom, you are a woman who fears the Lord, and I praise you. You are an excellent wife, you honor your husband and do him great good, you have always been a hard worker and make sure that your home and children and yourself are cared for and appointed with great beauty, I hardly ever remember you sitting idly or wasting time at home, you have always had a tender heart for those less fortunate than you, you are quite a business woman and have a great sense of character, your smile and fun personality make you a joy to be around, you have given me much wisdom these past years (much learned from your own life and even more from God's Word), your mouth and your early morning hours are filled with words that honor God and prayers for me. I can count on the fact that every day, at least once and usually lots more than that, you are bringing me and my concerns to the throne of God. That is the best gift a mother can give to her children. On top of all of that, you are the kind of Grammie that will live forever in the hearts and memories of my children. I am honored and thankful to God that they have the immense blessing to call you Grammie.
I can truly say that I hope that I can be a wonderful a mother, wife, home maker, friend, Sunday School teacher, administrator, decorator, super Grammie, and godly woman to my children and grandchildren. I love you and miss you so very much. Happy mother's day!

ROSEANN STIRE

Kris's mom

On December 18, 1993 God gave me an amazing husband, Kris. With him came the blessed gift of his mother, RoseAnn Stire. I praise God for bringing this godly example of a mother-in-law to me. She has, in fact, been much more than a mother-in-law. She has been a wise counselor, a dear friend, a wonderful grandmother (Nonnie), a faithful prayer warrior, a cheerful encourager, a transparent sister in Christ, a God-honoring wife, and so much more. I have been greatly influenced by her life. At our wedding, pictured above, I couldn't comprehend the rich blessing she would be to me.

The time that Kris and I (and Kaitlyn for 1 year of her life) lived in California, our house was only a couple of blocks from Kris's parents house. We had so much fun with them. Those days are full of great memories of games, lots of meals together, holiday gatherings, fellowshipping together at church and challenging one another to be more faithful to Christ. RoseAnn is a fantastic grandmother (pictured above with Kaitlyn, who is about one year old) and our children have been and will continue to be blessed to have her as a grandmother and friend.
When Kris and I followed God leading to serve the Lord in Albania, RoseAnn (and Arper, Kris's dad) were nothing but encouraging. It was never a concern of ours that they would try to talk us out of moving their four granddaughters to the other side of the world. Of course, the heart of a mother and grandmother, hurts to know that her loved ones are growing and changing apart from her watchful eye, but RoseAnn's commitment to honor God reigned supreme as she gave her blessing and her prayers.
As Kris stood next to his mom at his graduation from Dallas Theological Seminary in May of 2007, I knew that the influence of his mother had made a lasting impact in his life, and consequently on mine and on our children's lives. From the first day that I met RoseAnn our hearts and spirits were knit together in a unique way. I am thankful to God for this woman who walks before me in humility, walks beside me in love, and walks behind me in faithful encouragement. Thank you, RoseAnn, for being a tremendous mother to me. I love you! I can't wait to see you in July, Lord willing.

Our new dog - Oreo

This is Whitney and the puppy she got for an early birthday present.

Oreo, who is a miniature Schnauzer, is 11 weeks old. Whitney's birthday isn't until May 23rd, but these puppies were ready to be taken to good homes and so we got it for her early. Whitney named her Oreo because she is all black and has only a small patch on white on her chest and on one paw. Also, the father's name is Snickers. Sadly, I am now craving Oreo cookies, and can't even get a package at the store. My sister did send a bag of snack Oreo cookies to commemorate the name. Oreo is actually a present from us, Chelle's mom and her husband, and Chelle's dad and his wife. Whitney is an avid dog lover. She is always drawing pictures of dogs, talking about dogs. She has stuffed animal dogs all over her bed (sometimes she can't even get into bed because of all the animals), and she even sings songs about dogs. For the past couple of years, Whitney has showed interest in becoming a veterinarian.

Kris and I have been wanting to get Whitney a dog and were waiting until we thought she was mature enough to care for one. We praise God that she has really matured this year and is showing some real responsibility at home and at school. After much prayer, because Kris is allergic to dogs, God provided this short-haired, "allergy friendly" bundle of love. One of the missionary families here in Tirana was selling their pure puppies for a great price and we were happy to surprise Whitney with one. She was really shocked because it wasn't even near her birthday. She was beside herself with excitement when she realized that she would get to pick one of the three little puppies at the Livingstone's home. After much deliberation, she chose the smallest and most mellow of the puppies - for which I am really glad. Oreo, a female, will only grow to be about 12 pounds.

Here is Oreo on the first day at her new home. Yes, the dog house is from a "Build a Bear" store. It is actually for a stuffed animal toy dog, but Oreo is so little that she fit just right in there. I love the "Home Sweet Home" label. She is such a sweet and loving dog. She likes to sit on our laps and take a snooze. I am happy about this because I would prefer to have a cat that will just cuddle up on your lap and not a dog that yaps around your feet all day. However, Kris has a real aversion to cats and as long as he is alive, we will never have a cat. So, Oreo is a great compromise. Praise God for small blessings.
Of course, all the girls love Oreo. They are just happy that she is Whitney's when it's time to feed and clean up after the dog. The really great thing about having a dog in Albania is that all our floors are tile and we have very few area rugs, so any puppy accidents are really easy to clean up. We are working on house-breaking her. Too bad kids don't learn this skill as fast as animals. LOL! This picture is of Kaitlyn with Oreo. All the girls wanted pictures to take to school to show their friends.
Sierra and Oreo - happy and ready for fun. Oreo will be an outdoor dog when she gets big enough that she won't slip through all our fences. She is so small that she couldn't even climb down the stairs for a couple of weeks. She wriggled through a 3" hole in the mesh fence and wandered into our landlords yard. Thank God they were there and tied her up until we came back from our language class. The funny thing is that most Albanians are really afraid of dogs. Most avoid even the smallest of dogs, so she will be a good guard dog even though most cats wouldn't be afraid of her.
Oreo has been a great source of fun and family time together. Breanna has tied a piece of string to a stick and spends hours, literally, having Oreo chase this string on a stick. It is hilarious. We do have a veterinarian in the area that will give Oreo all her necessary shots and flea/tick care.

So, now we have joined the rank of pet owners. I have such great memories of my childhood years with my dog, and I relish the thought of my kids having these same great memories.

First Spring Break in Albania

God, who is so good to us, allowed us the opportunity to enjoy a few days away during the girl's spring break. We decided to explore some of north Albania and visit Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia) and also Croatia. It was a relaxing trip and one that built some great memories for us and for the kids.

After being in Albania for almost 9 months, I was ready to get out and see some different scenery. Our months here have been hard and filled with hard work and so we were weary and in need of some family time as well as some fun. I praise God that He always knows how to refresh us and encourage us, and at what time.

Here is a short photo tour of our 3 country trip - which only used one tank of gas, by the way. It's amazing that you can drive for 6 hours and pass out of Albania, through Montenegro and into Croatia. Things are just so close here in Europe.


Sunday - April 6th

What a beautiful country Albania is! This is a shot of a Catholic church on one hill and a Muslim mosque on another. Just driving through the country and seeing the gorgeous creation set the stage for a great time away.


Once we crossed the border in to Montenegro - the country just to the north of us - we were looking for the Adriatic Sea. It almost brought tears to my eyes when we crested the hill and looked down on the sea sparkling with sunlight. God is so creative! The coast is filled with bluffs and small islands.


Monday - April 7th

This is Kotor Bay, Montenegro. This Bay is the only natural fjord in Europe. A fjord is a steep walled valley filled with sea water that resembles a lake because it is inland, not right on the coast. The view of breathtaking. We rented a place on line and the picture above was taken from our balcony. There is just no way a picture can capture the grandeur and majesty of this place. It is so rich with history as well. In the distance (of the picture) you can see a 3 mast ship sailing into the bay. It was surreal.


The weather forecast was quite gloomy for almost our whole vacation. I was praying hard for God to change that. Praise God, we only had a couple of rainy days. On one sunny day we visited the coast. BRRRR!! The water was cold and the wind was just blowing down from the cliffs on either side. I sat on a chair with a coat and two towels wrapped around me. What are the crazy kids thinking running in the water with their pants rolled up? Breanna almost blew away. I was happy to get back in a warm car.


We also visited a park in Kotor. The park equipment has much to be desired in Tirana - if it's even safe. The girls enjoyed the unique play things. The see-saws were deadly. They were super tall and could throw off the riders if the drop was too hard. I could envision broken tail bones and cracked skulls.


Kotor has a 700 year old fortress and city. The picture above is of the wall being lit up at dusk. It was a tremendous sight. There is nothing like a huge, ancient city to remind you of how small and insignificant you are. We really enjoyed exploring the old city. We got lost in the maze of small, winding streets, but finally found our way out by following all the cats.


Tuesday, April 8th

On Tuesday we took a day trip to the next country north, Croatia. We had heard that Dubrovnik was a "must-see" city and since we were so close we thought we would be real world travelers and go. We took a ferry across the Bay with our car to get to the border. Now we have one more stamp on our passports.


Here was our first view of Dubrovnik. It was stunning to me. The whole city is walled in and is still inhabited. It has a distinct Italian feel to it make those stories of walled cities in the Bible so much more understandable. Dubrovnik was a major center for trade for centuries and was almost undefeatable because of their defenses.


Dubrovnik celebrated it's 500 year birthday this year!


Here are the girls on the stone streets of Dubrovnik. It's crazy to think that we were walking on the same stones that some children centuries ago played on. I think that was lost on the girls, but they had fun terrorizing the hundreds of birds in the main square.


Here is our family on the wall surrounding the city. It is a 2 kilometer ( just over a mile) walk around it.


Here is a shot of us all on the wall walk. It was quite a stressful time for me because the walls are not too tall and the girls wanted to run and then climb up and look over the side. There was a couple of hundred foot drop! Touring in the states is much different where they have guardrails and you can't get near the edge. Of course, they probably wouldn't let you walk on the 500 year old wall in the states. Not much is that old in USA. So, I am thankful that we could have this amazing opportunity.


One of the highlights of the day was meeting up the Provosts. This family, who have been serving in Albania for 15 years, have been great team leaders and friends. We are so blessed by them! They were going up into Croatia for their Spring break and so we enjoyed this wonderful city together. The kids all get along great and kept us on our toes. Here we are all together.


Kaitlyn was checking out the guillotine. No, it was a punishment :-) The kids thought this was so funny. I was just hoping that the blade was nice and secure. That would have been a major bummer and cut short our trip. LOL.


Here is a photo of the majority of the city and sea from the highest tower on the wall walk. I will never forget this sight. It was fantastic!

Wednesday, April 9th

Wednesday turned out to be really chilly and rainy so we went swimming in a nearby hotel pool. Because it was still early in the season we had the place to ourselves. It was so fun to watch the girls swim and play and enjoy themselves. This day was the highlight for them.


Whitney was having so much fun swimming that she swam right into the edge of the pool and gave herself a shiner.


Here she is smiling with her black and swollen eye.

Friday, April 11th


Kris took Kaitlyn, Whitney and Sierra on the hike up the mountain to the top of the fortress of Kotor Bay. It was even less protected than the Dubrovnik wall so I'm glad I didn't go. You can see that Sierra was up for the challenge though. What was I doing while they were having so much fun hiking up a mountain? Picking lice out of Breanna's hair! YIKES! We discovered on Friday morning that both she and I had lice - she gave it to me from a child in her pre-school. What a test of my joy in God in all circumstances. I spent 5 hours picking through her hair and then washed and hung dry lots of clothes. I was so exhausted and then Kris had to go through my long hair. Praise God they didn't spread to anyone else. I learned a "lice lesson" through this though. I was reading the book Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges and he was talking about how we don't deal with the "small" sins in our lives as the hideous affront to God that they are. I was thinking about how much time and energy I spent getting rid of lice because I was disgusted that they were anywhere on me, my kids or in my house. If only I would spend that much time and energy to get rid of the sin in my life that is so much more devastating than bugs. I had Kris pick through my hair at the slightest itch. If only I was so diligent to pick through my life and have others comb through it carefully to help me deal with the "eggs" of sin that will cause an infestation. Sin is so much harder to get rid of than lice, but I was more concerned about the lice. What a lesson. Praise God for lice. He knew I needed that lesson.


So, here is the slippery, wet and uneven journey Kris and the girls were took.


One of the saddest things that I learned on this trip is that in the whole town of Kotor there is not one Protestant church! This old catholic chapel is visited for tourism and the there is an old cathedral, but that's about it. I was so amazed by this and prayed so often for the city and the people during that week. Who will tell them of God's love and mercy for repentant sinners? Is there even one believer in that town? My heart was so burdened for them.


700 year old ruins and my 3 daughters. Who would have thought they would have the privilege of walking in and touching such history. Of course they only remember the stinky goat droppings all over the place. Oh well, that is why we take pictures. At least later in life they can look back and say, "Oh why didn't I appreciate that more?"


Here is the whole of our end of Kotor Bay and the city from the top of the fortress.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this photo tour. Thank you for your prayers for our safety. One of the most encouraging things about this trip is that I was really ready to be home - in Tirana - by the end of the week. I realized while we were away how grateful I am for where we live and for the ministry God has given us. I was even ready to get back into language classes. After spending 5 days in a country where I didn't know what people were saying, it was great to go back to Albania and understand at least 50% of the conversation. That was a real boost to my confidence level. I AM learning. It was funny because in Montenegro, I kept trying to speak Albanian to the people in the market or shops. The first words to my mind were not English, but Albanian. Yeah God! Keep up the prayers. We need them.