Newsletter for October 2004

October began with a medical adventure. Kevin got at infection in one of his teeth and needed to take a trip to one of the dentists in Pogradec because he was too sick to venture to Tirana. We were a worried because Kevin is allergic to both penicillin and sulfa drugs. The dentist was able to remove the infection by wicking it out with cotton and lots of antiseptic. This “wicking” process took about a week with about five dental visits before the tooth was healthy. Kevin was in a little bit of discomfort during the process because during this time; he simply had cotton in his tooth and couldn’t eat solid foods. Kevin was very brave. At the time the tooth was closed the dentist did something with lit wooden “tooth picks.” He had applied about four different materials to the inside of the tooth by the time all was said and done. This was not a western facility, but we were blessed that the dentist was qualified. God was truly with him, and the entire process came to about thirty dollars. Life here is always an adventure.

This month also saw the start of the Muslim holy month Ramadan. Some of our students are practicing Muslims. For them this month to focus on Allah, taking time to pray, and abstaining from food and drink during the daylight hours. Many of these students wake up at four in the morning to eat breakfast. This does not greatly affect us, but we want to be sensitive to our students’ needs. One of Allison’s students described her prayer life as repeating phases in Arabic over and over again. Please pray that these students will believe in the Bible as God’s true word and desire a closer relationship with Him.

In October we invited students to our house to watch a movie based on the Gospel of John. We split the movie in half and watched it over two Friday afternoons. The students who came seemed to like it very much, and we were happy that the film was so biblically accurate. The film is word for word from the Gospel. It is our hope to use this film in the future to accompany studies of the Gospel of John. 

Kevin and Allison had an opportunity to visit one of Allison’s students, Monika, at her home this month. Visiting a person’s home in Albania can last an hour or many hours. For Allison and Kevin it was many hours. They had the opportunity to meet and have fellowship with the wives of Monika’s husband’s family. The whole family lives in one house with each son’s family having its own one-story apartment. This is a common practice in Albania. At the time of the wedding the bride leaves her home and goes to live with her husband alone or with his family. Monika is currently waiting to meet her husband who is living in United States. She will probably leave Albania in the beginning of next year. Monika is a Muslim and has some unbiblical ideas of God. In the months that Allison has with her, Allison hopes to teach her about the Bible and the true nature of God.

Allison's student Monika at home.

  His Servants,

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