Posted by Anthony Adams.

Last month a team of us spent some time supporting a group of believers as
they began to build friendships in the village of Jub, Albania, where they
pray there will be a vibrant church community in coming years. As we sought
to help them make their initial connections we spent time with some of the
poorest families in the village, taking them some gifts and talking with
them, and showing them respect.

The father of one family we visited asked me how things were in Italy. I
(and the translator) kept having to tell him I was not from Italy; in fact I
have never been there. He later told me his cousin had been to Germany,
Italy and America '...do you know him?'

This lack of awareness indicates something of their isolation. They are
isolated even in Albanian terms. Having no car, they will not be making the
40+ minute drive down the horrifically bumpy road into the nearest city all
that often. Besi, one of the church leaders initiating this vision who
lives in another village nearby, described it simply like this: "This
village is quite far away from the city. It's not big but there are people
who need Jesus there."

He's right. That's why they need a church community in their midst, living
as a salt and light. And that's why we want to link them up with churches
who will pray for them and support them in their ministry.

If your church wants to explore a connection with church planting in Jub, contact