Heavy rains have flooded out a considerable part of Albania, blocking roads, leaving many families homeless and damaging the crops and lands. Durres, Lezhe, Kruje and Kurbin are the most overly-flooded areas.

The Municipality of Durres sheltered some of the families at three hotels in town till the water will draw back. The national road from Lac to Shkodra, north of the capital Tirana, was blocked for many hours, creating long lines of cars. Several local roads were equally impassable. The Interior Ministry and the Emergency Staffs in the areas are gathered to take immediate measures to relieve the situation.

Si Jeni is a quarterly Christian newspaper sponsored by Mission Without Borders. It simply translates “How are you?” And it’s read by Christians and non-Christians alike.

Its great appeal is due to its variety of content and writing styles.

Both old and young write for it. There may be articles by ministers from churches across Albania, or impressions of foreigners living and working for missionary societies in Albania. All these different styles give the newspaper a freshness and make it more interesting, more human and lively.

We are very grateful for the hard work, co-operation and skills of all who make it what it is.

On 26th November a new community centre was officially opened by the Mayor of Berat municipality, Fadil Nasufi.   Mission Without Borders, in partnership with the Free Evangelical Church, has made this possible and is continuing to provide financial, emotional and  spiritual support.

Berat lies to the south of Albania and well in land.   It dates back to before Christ.   Although it’s had an illustrious past,  Berat is now an impoverished town.

In his speech, Nasufi talked about the poverty there and the necessity of such a centre.  He thanked Mission Without Borders for this great opportunity, saying “A hot meal is always appreciated by those in need and without support.”

Dozens of needy people will benefit from the new Community Centre.   Included in these are the lonely and elderly, poor single parents who struggle to care for their family, street children, those with disabilities, and widows.

Everyone has a sad story to tell.    Not surprisingly their hearts have been hardened by their hardships.

It is our pray that the Lord will soften their hearts and bring hope and love back into their lives.

Summer is here and it’s time for Summer Camp! It’s the highlight of the year for thousands of impoverished children in Eastern Europe.

In Albania the camp takes place on the beautiful coast by the Adriatic. In a pine grove, just by the beach, 375 children are accommodated in tents. Not all at once of course! Every ten days a new group of 75 children arrive. Working in close co-operation with local congregations, these are the children we are able to help throughout the year. Many of the children come from homes that are no more than shacks, often with an outdoor ‘kitchen’. Their parents keep them away from school in order to help with work. The parents themselves have known little else. It’s now becoming a real fear that the majority of young people will grow up illiterate.

During Summer Camp there’s such a variety of things to do. There’s sports and swimming. Also there are competitions and creative activities to choose from. In the evenings the entertainment continues. The puppet show is loved by everyone.

It’s a happy time of fun and learning that the children will never forget. More importantly the opportunity to learn about Jesus could make this a truly life-changing experience.