Trials!!!!

Chris writes: we have now been open for around one month though only still for three days/week......and business has been steadily growing with more and more new customers coming in. Our two volunteers from UK returned home on Friday and we have now almost finished the work we were doing in the prayer room and around 2/3rds completed making the basement into a kitchen.....thanks Allan + Lynne!

................now we seem to have hit a wall...on Friday the coffee co called to say they had to take our machine away as we have not been selling enough coffee...not a surprise but we told them we were starting small.and this is the Kosovan way...step by step.......now today our young volunteer working as his work experience with us has been recalled by the school and told he must go to another placement as we are not giving him enough hours....now I am not one to see demons on every street corner but I know we are in a spiritual battle and I thought of the Scripture in Ephesians 6:12: "...our struggle is not against flesh and blood...."......please do pray for us as we know this is a work of God and He will not allow us to stumble.

Can't wait for tomorrow!!!

Thanks for your prayers and support, In Him

Ne jemi të hapur!!.....We are open!!

Chris writes: hello from Gjakova's newest cafe!! So we have stepped out of the boat and we are open at last! It has been a long road to get here...and in reality we are not 'here' yet but we are certainly getting there!!

Business is slow but the doors are open now at least!!

We have now been open for nine days and this is our third week as we can only manage to open for three days a week at the moment owing to our other commitments. We have a great team here volunteering with us.....one of the young people from our church, he has been with me making the coffees and serving customers. We also have a lady from the USA who has been with us for a month who has been a great support, especially to Lorraine. In addition we have a couple from the UK here for a few weeks who have been helping with some plumbing and joinery and other jobs around.....we have many more people helping us but these are the main helpers for this stage of our adventure....

..................I have been thinking how amazing God is and how His timing is perfect...not just a recent revelation {!}....all these people have come at the perfect time in order to fulfill their God given task in the Lighthouse..not sooner or later but at the right time....but we must keep trusting God more than ever as in a week we will be on our own again here as all these people return to where they came from and our yp to school...God is so great..He is Awesome!!

Thanks so much for your support and prayers for this ministry.

In Him

The culmination:.'...desires...' Ps 37:4

Chris writes: when we first came to Kosova as a couple in 2008 we realised there was not such a big drug problem as the majority of people were under 30, so there was more of potential for a big problem in the future..we realised this was a lost generation...a generation who had largely lost hope and wanted to leave the country...the main drug was tobacco, usually with a macciato...thus a generation that needed education... ......when we joined OM in 2010 I had a vision for a cafe. We started off visiting the schools doing drug education but despite building some great relationships with young people this was shortlived and of course we know anyway that the best way to educate is by example...thus the vision was birthing.

                                  Tonight, two years on, that vision became a reality as we opened the doors on Hope Inn Cafe at Lighthouse.

There is so much more I could write but it is late and as a picture speaks a thousand words...here are two thousand........

Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed to make this become a reality and to Lorraine of course who believed in this vision......Ps 37:4...xx

The end of a long week!!

Chris writes: the week is almost over now for our team of four girls working with us and the local missionaries, with CEF. Tonight we finish with a party. It has been a full week...maybe too full...but nonetheless lots of children have been loved on and heard the Gospel and heard that Jesus wants to be their special friend, a hot week, a week of challenges, of ups and downs, a week in which we have seen the girls step out of thier comfort zones and blossom, a tiring week, but a week where we have planted many seeds....now it is the work of the Holy Spirit.....who prompted us in the first place......to water the seeds and we pray that fruit will come in the future.

It was also a week in which we had the chance to say goodbye to a special man of God....Randy Harvey who is now in the presence of Jesus

Thanks for your prayers....the children also met a new friend of mine....kalter....thanks Hilary!!

Back home!!

Chris writes: so good to be safely back home in Kosova now from Rome...arrived back around 10pm in Albania last night, with some of the Albania team and back home in Gjakove around 2.30am this morning.

We now have four people from all over the world working here for one week as we put the words of John 10:10 in practice.......

Please pray for an annointing for all the team, both locals and internationals....and for those we will ministering to.

Blessings

Chris

Still Roming!!!

Chris writes: what an exhausting but fantastic day!! Have been in Rome all day in the centre sightseeing and meeting people on the streets and chatting and praying with them...was really tiring and really hot...but really rewarding...even made it to the Vatican....

You may have heard about all the work we (mainly Lorraine) had to do with getting the permission for the SAs to come to Kosova....two of them leave here tomorrow at 6.30am.......usually this take around two weeks to get the permission....well this evening a few hours before they are due to leave and a little over a weeek after we submitted them I was able to put them in the girls hands...they now have permission to come to Kosova....this is just amazing and such a miracle!!!! What an end to the day!!

I now know that God has got something planned for this team when we are all in Kosova...can't wait what for!!

Now I need some sleep!!

Thanks so much for all your prayers      xx

still in Rome!!

Chris writes...quite a tiring week...lots to see and do..trying to maintain contact with Kosova and Lorraine...and she is very stressed (please pray for her) is hard as I feel so far away and so helpless...so hard to concentrate and find some place to be alone....the internet is a slow connection...quite a tough and busy week....on the plus is a lovely hotel...a great group of people with great energy and vision...great to be a small part of this organisation...it is not so hot here so am actually sleeping loads....it is so busy here then straight back to Kosova and into our outreach...would appreciate prayers for me and for Lorraine!!

Meeting so many people and they are just so encouraging...Praise God!!!

Tomorrow we hit Rome for a day for some outreach...I have been asked to lead a small team...would appreciate prayers for energy and wisdom as we go and that lives will be Transformed through our witness

Blessings