A set of teeth and a new bicycle - 2 November

So, if someone asked you the question, “What is evanglism?”...  how would you respond?  Is it a large crowd, lots of lights and music, the laying on of hands?  Or, alternatively, is it true that evanglism isn’t an event, but a lifestyle?  Krystal and Don moved from South Carolina to Tirana some years ago with a desire to share Christ with people who have had little chance to hear of Him.  They work with Albanian Roma... some of the hardest people groups to reach.  

Roma are... well, how to describe?  Although most Roma would probably say that they are “Muslim by tradition,” I have been told that most actually live under the oppressive weight of animism and a cultural brokenness that seems impossible “to fix.”   Not only do their traditions and cultural “habits” work “against” them (they don’t send their children to school, for instance), their approach to life is very “in the moment” with little regard for what might be needed tomorrow or, even less important to them, next winter or eternity.  How does one reach these people?  There are many ways... 

New teeth will also
help him eat better

One way to reach them might be to provide a platform to befriend, train and enrich their lives through a commercial venture... to teach them the value of responsibility such as showing up for work every day... and then helping them to reap the rewards!  When a man can provide for his family it sets an example for others.  When a person is at work every day, there is a platform for friendship and, guess what, evangelism and then mentoring.  This is exactly what Don has worked to do... and it is finally becoming a reality.  And don't forget the "business park" neighbors, landlord, vendors, clients and others that will interact with Don during the work day.

Don inspects the new bike...
braking will make the commute safer
for his employee

Starting a business in Albania is no a small thing.  There are reams of papers... permits, taxes, insurance, etc... that need to be completed.  Interesting here is that the biggest onus that a new business faces is what happens if it fails... to close a business is even more difficult, prolonged, and quite expensive.  With the help of a new mission organization, Don has been able to navigate all of this in such a way that he is able to actually develop, produce and sell a product... wood stoves... for a reasonable price that the poor are better able to afford.  He currently has three employees... one came to work today with a new set of teeth (hallelujah!), another’s wife went to the ABC clinic today which she is able to access because of his private health insurance, and a third bought a new bike that actually has brakes!  Making a difference?  I think so... and providing an example.  Today I was lucky enough to see the factory.

(NOTE:  Please forgive the long pause in posting blogposts.  I haven't been in Albania long enough to become adept at working around internet/computer problems that occur due to be located in Albania. Thankfully, Krystal is quite adept at solving problems.)