Albania
To Albanians, Albania is known as "Shqipëria", which means "Land of the Eagles".It is a beautiful country with everything from gorgeous beaches to breathtaking mountains. The Albanian people are equally beautiful - wonderfully warm and hospitable with an ancient and fascinating culture.
The Albanians have been known as a "gateway people", and I believe that they have a strong missions anointing that is waiting to be unlocked. Albania itself is a strategic place - it has been called "a bridge between the East and the West". It is a land searching for its identity, having been claimed and ruled by many other nations and having been Christian, Muslim and atheistic at different points in its history. Discipleship is of key importance, as is the developing and mentoring of Albanian leaders.
Open Heaven have been connected to churches in Albania since 2004. For the last few years we have sent a number of teams and individuals to bless these churches on short-term trips. We also invest into some of these churches as part of our giving.
Our vision to date has been:
- To build on the connections we have and establish new strategic connections as God leads, and to be a blessing to those we connect with.
- To serve the Albanian Church in humility, not as “teachers” but as “students”.
- To respond to the needs of the Church and community, rather than taking our own agenda.
- To encourage, edify and bless the Church.
- To train up potential leaders and see people step out in their giftings.
- To see spiritual growth in the lives of individuals, resulting in a passionate and powerful Church.
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To show a positive attitude towards Albania, accepting and embracing its culture, and to communicate the message that “God loves Albania”!
Open Heaven's Connections
We have regularly sent two-week teams to Paskuqan and Kruja, and we as a church have made a conscious and prayerful decision to invest into the churches in these places. We also have links with churches in Korça and Tirana.
Kruja
Kruja is an historic city not far from the capital, Tirana. It is a very strategic city, but many years of witchcraft and false worship have made it a spiritually dark area. It is a spiritual centre of the Bektashi faith (an offshoot of Islam) in Albania.
There is a small community of believers in the midst of all this, led by an Albanian pastor. They value our prayer and support.
Our work in Kruja usually involves running evangelistic workshops for children and young people, and supporting/encouraging the Church, serving at Church events etc. We also do a lot of prayer here – we want to see God breaking through and breaking strongholds in this place!
Paskuqan
Our work in
Paskuqan involves working alongside a small, young church in a village on the edge of Tirana. The missionaries who led the Church have returned to the UK, handing the church over to Albanian leadership. Most regular attenders are under 20 years old, which makes them a key age for investing into. These young believers and future leaders need nurturing and good role-models.
In the past, we have usually taken the young people away to the mountains in Lura for a few days of fellowship and fun. During this time we build relationships and lead a number of devotions and times of prayer and worship.
Future Trips:
There is the possibility that we may send a team out in Summer 2010, for about two weeks.
Read about a previous Albania trip.