Thank you!

"It was a blast, God was truly exalted, seeds were planted for the kingdom, and we had a great time!" That is typically the answer given to the expected question, "how was your trip?" The experience that the seventeen of us shared in Albania this past month cannot be fully grasped in a few short paragraphs, but with God's help I pray the following will give a tiny glimpse into the ministry that God directed through us this past July, and is continuing as we speak.

Since last November God has been graciously molding the seventeen of us for His ministry this summer. Whether it was devotions from our team leader, team outings and meetings, or merely "hanging out," God's hand in the preparation of our team became more evident to us while we served in Albania than before we left. As the ministry exists, our primary focus was building relationships with students and peers, and then sharing with them the love of Christ exampled primarily in the message of His death and resurrection. As we were allowed to teach english at a foreign language center, the students in our classes were given the opportunity to hear the amazing truth of the gospel as we spent time with them outside of class. At the beginning of our first week of ministry, many of us were shocked with the fact that our first students were no more than 12 years old. This concern quickly disappeared when over 40 kids came to a youth rally we put together! After hearing worship music, a skit, a gospel presentation, and a real-life testimony from a team member, God's abounding kindness was exampled to us through the innocent and pressing questions of these kids. "Have you ever heard this before?" we asked. "I've been to a church before, but I've never heard about Jesus like this."

In the following weeks the ministry turned from ice cream with kids to coffee with teenagers and young adults, yet God's faithfulness was equally as prevalent. As countless opportunities for ministry opened up almost daily, it's clear that every situation was another opportunity to glorify our Lord still more. Almost every situation was another open door to share with people the glorious message of the cross. From playing basketball, helping at a pre-school, painting an orphanage, or even eating fast-food, God's sovereignty in the proclamation of His Word became more obvious with every passing moment. As seeds were planted, God's goodness and grace will only be illuminated still more through His people that remain in Albania.

Picnics, outings, evangelistic field trips, and every other means of spending time with people was the constant focus of every motion of our team, and our prayer is that the unchanging goodness of our God would not pass from our minds here at home. As jobs pick back up and school starts soon, it will be easy for us to quickly forget what we've learned in the past month. As God grows each one of us more for the advancement of His church, we will always remember the dear brothers and sisters on this team, and in Albania. We speak of "our team" as the seventeen Americans that left Los Angeles, but there are countless people across the globe that were invaluable to the effectiveness of God's ministry through us. To Robb, thank you for your faithfulness over the past thirteen years and your willingness to share this amazing opportunity with us. To Genci, thanks for your unfailing dedication to serving the church and our hearts in countless ways. To Peter, thank you for serving us during our time there, and all the preparation before and during our time in Albania. And to all of those who supported us in this unforgettable opportunity, THANK YOU, and grace to you on behalf of our team, and all those who have and continue to benefit from your ministry this summer. Lastly, it's the unfailing prayer of all of us that before all things our holy God and sovereign Maker would be exalted and worshipped more than ever before! Once again, thank you for everyone's patience and diligence in serving our amazing Savior in this way, we look forward to seeing all of your faces soon. "According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care of how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:7,10-11).

Because of grace,

Morgan Pixley