This report is from HeartCry missionary Xhevat Bytyqi, who is working as an evangelist/church planter in Kosovo
This month, my spiritual life has been very tried. I have felt tired physically and spiritually most of the time and also I have had trouble focusing on things. But this month also produced much good because we were more active as a church. We hosted a group of students from a Bible school in Albania that came for a mission week. As a result we shared the gospel with many people and that brought great joy to me.
It was a real blessing to have the group of students from the Bible school. They were very committed and ready to do everything that was needed. It was a big blessing for me personally to have them stay at my apartment so that I could spend time with them.
Another blessing in my life right now is the seminary (Master’s Academy International). It helps me to be more committed to reading and studying. Also, I thank God that I am really blessed with the people that God has put around me—my church, my family and friends, my future wife, and my mentors.
As I mentioned earlier, we were more active this month as a church. We went out to the city parks with the mission team from the Bible school everyday during the week that they were here. We thank God that He answered our prayers for good weather because we were able to talk to many people. On the first day (Monday) gave out Brother Washer’s booklet, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ,” to fifty different people who were walking in the streets. We were able to talk to only few people on that day, but we were able to visit a poor family and give them some booklets and groceries. From Tuesday on, we had really good weather so we were able to spend more time at the city park doing different activities (we played frisbee and volleyball) and talked to many people. As some of our team played sports with people, others talked to people about Christ. It was a really good way for us to start new relationships and to strengthen the old ones—we met many people with whom we had talked before. We had many good conversations, some challenging conversations, and some people refused to even listen to us. I personally had some really good conversations. I talked to two sisters who work in a pharmacy. They saw that we were a group so they asked us what we were doing. I told them a little bit about that and then gave them two copies of the books. Aftewards they shared that they would call themselves Muslims, but they did not practice what Islam required. After that, one of the students talked to them more about the gospel. I also talked to two KFOR soldiers (NATO soldiers in Kosovo). They were from Switzerland and did not speak Albanian but they had a translator so I shared with them a little bit and also gave them copies of Brother Washer’s books. Another time, after we finished playing, I talked to the group that was playing sports with us about the gospel and gave them books.
In the town of Malisheve, we have a weekly market on Thursdays. Because of this I went out there with the group of students to evangelize. We separated into smaller groups and we spread out at the market. I was with one of the students named Pierce. We tried to talk to people and give them books but most of them did not respond very well. In the beginning every person we tried to talk to rejected us. But finally, as we were talking to a person who rejected us, a man named Sinan approached us and asked us who we were and what were the books that we were giving out. We talked to him and gave him a book. While we were talking to him another old man approached, whose name is Xheladin. He asked us the same questions—who are we and what do we do—but he also had some interesting questions about our faith. He said that he had been watching some videos on the Internet about Islam and Christianity. He asked us, “Did Jesus have a wife?” “Who do we believe that Jesus is? We answered his questions and gave him a copy of the book. After that, Xheladin left and we continued our conversation with Sinan. He shared with us about his life, about his fighting in the war in Kosovo, and about his daughter who had been really sick and needed to go through surgery. The surgery was too expensive for his family to pay for it, but a Christian organization had paid for the surgery and gave him a Bible. He told us that he still had the Bible in his house and that he was very thankful to the Christians. As we were still talking to Sinan, another man approached and asked us who we were and what we were doing. We talked to him and offered him a book but he rejected it. I had still another conversation with an old man and he asked us questions like who finances us and why do we do what we. I answered his questions, but afterwards he shared with me that he was planning to go to Mecca for the annual Hajj (pilgrimage).
As I continue my ministry in Kosovo I kindly ask you to pray:
- For all the people who heard the gospel during this month and those who received literature from us. Pray that God would work in their hearts and bring them to Christ.
- For the church to grow in the knowledge of God, in holiness, and in love for one another.
- For me personally that God would give me wisdom in leading the church and compassion for the people that surround me.
- For my upcoming marriage to my wife Tina in June.
Paul is the founder of HeartCry Missionary Society and currently serves as its missions director. He also ministered as a missionary in Peru for ten years. He has preached hundreds of sermons and has authored a dozen published works. Paul lives in Radford, Virginia, with his wife Charo and their four children: Ian, Evan, Rowan, and Bronwyn.
More By Paul David Washer
