KTC Seminars in Kosovo

Shelly's letter about Kosovo follows below...

I am still struggling to find words to describe the ministry in Kosovo!  But, with our next ministry commitment coming soon, I HAVE to sit and write it out right now!  First and foremost, THANK YOU for your prayers! I could NOT have managed all the challenges without your undergirding of prayer!  

The reason for the trip is that Kitchen Table Counseling (the book I wrote with my mother) has been translated into Albanian. It is part of a long-term strategy for equipping leaders in Kosovo and Albania in the area of encouraging hurting people.  The Christian and Missionary Alliance’s Great Commission Women funded the program.  Because of that, my way was paid!

Dr. Lisa Ramsey, a missionary counselor was responsible for the vision of the ministry.  
Pastor Femi, the translator of the book, told us that he made sure the translation was not addressed specifically to women and that he uses the book in his own pastoral counseling!  I was touched by Femi’s warmth and testimony of how God is using the material in his work! His church hosted the large event we had with women from multiple churches and backgrounds at the end of our visit.

The first three nights of the week I taught a group of 40 women leaders.  They came from various parts of the country, traveling through snow, often trips of over an hour on country roads.  Our hosts, Lisa Ramsey and Melissa Singfiel were pleased with the number of women who came.  I had the privilege of speaking privately with some of the attendees who made it clear, often with tears, that the Lord had touched their hearts and encouraged them to help others as well.  

A highlight for Beth and me was the opportunity we had to spend time with amazing missionaries who’ve served many years in Kosovo.  I particularly loved being able to ask questions, listen and respond using what God has taught us in our ministry challenges to encourage and support.
I was interviewed on the radio for a 45-minute morning show (with translation, of course). During the program, we extended an invitation to any woman who wanted to attend our general meeting at the end of the week.

Because having a meeting like that was something they had not done before, our hosts weren’t sure what the response was going to be.  They were very pleased that close to 90 women came for the three sessions and lunch! We spent the day looking at Shame and Guilt and how God wants to free us from that.  The Albanian culture is shame-based and I understand that well, having been raised in Taiwan which is also a culture of shame.  After the meeting I spent time with one woman who wept over the heaviness of her shame and many others who shared that their lives would not be the same after what they had heard. 

It was not an easy trip.  I struggled with brutal jet-lag and most of the week felt like my head and body were not connected!  The team in Kosovo experienced illness and the pain of the death of a key leader’s father (who never accepted Christ as far as they know, though he’d heard the Truth many times) which included going to the wake, funeral and burial, all while hosting Beth and me and facilitating the meetings!  

It was a wonderful trip. We, and our hosts, have a strong sense that what happened is part of a wave of God working among the churches in Kosovo, sparked by the His women there!  Thank you for your prayers AND for your loving support of other opportunities God gives me to serve women around the world!

Shelly