Long time not here!!.....

.......Lots to update and share..Chris writes: it has been a long time since we have been here! Sorry that we have neglected this way to update you but thanks so much that you are still with us!!
So where have we been and what is going on now??

Well, we had a great time in the UK and it was so good to see some of you and share our vision personally. We travelled up and down the UK seeing our families and spent Christmas and New Year celebrating with them. Then we had three weeks seeing some of you guys and it was great to have so much love and support from you...thankyou from us both!!

We returned here on 25th January and most of the country was covered in a blanket of snow..we could not even land for 15 minutes! The snow and the amount that we have had has dominated most of the last month! Some days we could not even get our vehicle out of the place where we have been staying and so had to walk into town. A meeting in town or a trip to the bank took up most of the day! Praise God for computers and internet!

We then took some time out, while we waited for the snow to go, so we went to stay with some friends for a few days and then had some much needed time on our own, the first quality time since November!

So now the snow is disappearing and it is so good to see some green grass appearing at last! We are able to use our vehicle again, and most of the roads are clear of snow.

Naturally a permanent place to live is our priority and we must find somewhere before we can stride ahead with the vision we believe God has for us here that we shared with many of you during our time in UK.

It is interesting but we launched our vision for Gjakove, for us to be a lighthouse to the community, with a certian amount of hesitancy, bearing in mind the financial crisis affecting most of the world. On the other hand we did not expect to have any problems finding a place to live here in Gjakove. Everywhere you look there are five or six storey plus, blocks of flats appearing. But God is a God of the miraculous and He often turns things upside down and reminds us that He is in control............so.......we have had hundreds of pounds given to us while in UK and even since we have come back here.....we have obviously inspired so many of you with our vision.....and....we have not managed to find a place to live yet!! God likes to surprise us sometimes...making sure we do not forget who is God......who is the creator.....not just of us but of our hopes and dreams and who is the created beings!!

It has been a testing time for us as I am sure for many of you....but I read this just today which we have put into our praise and prayer letter...let us know if you don't get it......

‘….We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next’. Romans 3 & 4 TM

Thanks for your support and for reading this and I promise the next one will not be as long!!

God Bless

Almost there!

Chris writes: So we have now completed more than a year together here in Kosova with OM. In total we have been in Kosova for three years. This has been a year where we have seen many ups and downs...we had a hard winter in our first house here and some of you shared in our sadness and loss during those days. Then when we were at our lowest and our money was cut we were offered a house rent free at just the right time. We had a good summer in the lovely house. We have house sat for other people during the year and this has made us appreciate and look forward to our own home so much. We will hopefully be in a position to rent our own home again during the spring of next year. We now both have a basic language though know we need more! Chris has worked in the schools and kids clubs around Kosova with the drug education and has built some good relationships. Lorraine has been developing her ministry and has built some good relationships with the kindergartens and is growing a craft passion and ministry.

We have much to be thankful for as we look back over the year..most of all to God for His goodness, grace and provision...but also to you, our supporters for your prayers and support.

We are looking forward and will be both be in the UK from mid December until end of January...details to follow...but are excited about returning...we believe we have a vision to establish a base here and build on the foundations we have laid over the last year and have many opportunities to share that while in the UK.

We have really appreciated your support and prayers over the last year and look forward to the next year with excitement.....and also trepidation!!

God Bless

Hi all,

I am sure you are all aware now that we will both be in the UK from mid December until the end of January.

During January we will be traveling round the country and wanted to make you aware where we shall be.

# from 3rd til 9th we will be in Reading

# from 9th til 15th we will be in Bournemouth

# from 16th til 18th we will be in Essex/Kent

# from 19th til 25th we will be in Worthing

Thankyou to those who will be hosting us and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible during our travels and sharing about our hopes and dreams for the next stage of our vision for Kosova........

With many blessings for a wonderful and restful Christmas and New Year to you and yours

much love to you all and thanks for your prayers and support, In Him....

Chris & Lorraine xx

back home!

HIV/Aids awareness......

We have now returned to Kosova after our time in Italy on the training......this is the varied group of people from all over the world who were on the training with us......


HIV/aids is a problem all over the world....our concern is how much of a problem this could be in Kosova in the future so it is important that we are ready and equipped and can educate the children about this now.....we must help them to be educated and to be prepared......we cannot not share what we know....in the words of Wilberforce...'having seen all this you can choose to look the other way but you can never again say "I did not know".

Thankyou for your prayers and support and enabling us to continue in this vital ministry.


On the way home, as we flew into Tiranë, we stopped off in Durrës for a few nights and had a beautiful afternoon on the beach......

HIV/Aids in Italy??

Chris writes...the schools have continued well...almost completed another school...as much as they seemed to want us anyhow and in another village too...been busy but has gone well...

We are now in Italy...hiv/aids impacts the world over so have been on a training course here...has been an intense week and has really stretched me but we leave tomorrow and head for home...for Kosova....am so grateful for the people who made it possible for us to be here and for the people we have met during our time here...God is sooo Good

schools work

Chris writes...finished our first school...was starting to feel a little tired at the end after repeating myself about fifty times..that was the first school and some say the toughest...good to do it but glad it is over. Some of the young people recieved it and were interested and engaged and they were a joy to teach..other seemed bored and were a struggle. The fact is they were all individuals and are vulnerable to drug use/abuse.

Some have already responded by emails/facebook which is great. Some say hi in the street.

But this is just the start. This week have been in Greece helping someone out for a few days but next week we start in another senior school here in Gjakove.

Would appreciate ongoing prayers..there is much to do......blessings