STIRE TESTIMONIAL

Prayerbreakfast with team mates

June 12th



What a joy to serve alongside these amazing women! Whenever we get together for prayer and/or Bible study, I am always encouraged to be more faithful as a wife, as a mother, as an encourager, as a friend, as a prayer warrior and as a part of our team here in Albania.

Pam is a source of great encouragement to me. She is a really busy mother and wife, but that doesn't keep her from giving me a call just to check up to see how I'm doing or to see if I need anything. She has really made me feel welcome as the "newbie" on the team. She is also a super generous and gracious woman. I am honored to call her my friend!

Mary Beth is an example to me of a faithful pray-er and a woman with a quiet and gentle spirit. She definitely has spunk in her, but she is wise in how and when she speaks. She is always serving in some way, whether it's with the children's ministry at church, providing meals for the single guys on our team or asking if she can watch our kids for a night out.

Julie has been a true gift from the Lord this year. She and I have developed a sweet kindred-spirit. She is a superb mother and home-schooler to her 3 boys and 1 girl. She has challenged me on many occasions to rely on the Lord and not focus on my discouraging or difficult circumstances. Julie reminds me of the Proverbs 31 woman.

Gretchen (not pictured) is not in this photo because she is in the states ready to deliver her 2nd child. This, in itself, is a great source of joy because the doctors here and in the states gave this baby a 5% chance of living to term. Gretchen has been an example of real faith in the fire. Even when she was told that her baby had a fatal problem she didn't fall apart, but continued to pray, do her duties at home,serve in the youth ministry, and respond with joy. We connected right away on our short term trip 2 years ago. I thank God for placing a dear friend here so that I would have someone to talk to during those first few, lonely months.

I thank God for these women that God has surrounded me with. I pray that He will bless their ministries at home, and in the church. I have so much to learn from them and I look forward to many years together in the service of our King.