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I am so thankful for my dear intercessor
brother, Dag Rane Schjelderup. Dag has ministered in Albania for many years. He
sent the follow letter containing his spiritual and sociological update on
Albania for us to pray into. With Zuzanna and I presently hosting a team from
Charis Bible College in Colorado, little time was available to seek the Lord
for Albania. So let us be thankful that there is a man on the ground in Albania
that hears from God and supplied the follow insights.
Be Blessed Jerry!
A MOVEMENT OF PRAYER, REPENTANCE, HOLINESS AND
CHANGE
On November 29, the Albanian National
Liberation Day (from German troops in 1944), the leaders of the evangelical
churches (Ev Alliance) in the country had announced and organized a "Day
Joel" (Joel 2:12-17), of Prayer and Fasting for the Chruch and the
country. Not only the Germans left Albania, but Communism took over in 1944. As
the Israelis were 70 years in Babylon, the Albanians were 70 years under
Communism. "Democracy" came in 1990. But the "new" leaders
were former communists, and the dictatorial and communist way of thinking and
dealings among politicians were dominant till now.
Before Nov 29th this year, likely many hundreds,
possibly thousands of believers took part in a 3 weeks of fasting according to
Daniel, to repemnt and prepare for the "Day of Joel".
Our local church in Fushe-Kruje and other
places where we work, experienced great changes in peoples' and families' lives
those days. Root issues that had been hidden "forever" were revealed
and dealt with. Many experienced deep deliverance.
On the 29th, about 2000 believers gathered for
a 4 1/2 hour prayer meeting, unprecedented in our modern history., repenting of
national former and today's issues. Many again experienced a powerful touch and
change from God.
But the changes for better in the Church and
this nation has just begun. We are already planning for more prayer until and
on the next Nov 29th in 2015:
1.
Pray
that the move of prayer, repentance and holiness will go on and grow.
2.
Pray
that more believers and churches will be a part of this move of the Holy
Spirit.
THE NEW ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER EDI RAMA HAD
"RILINDJE" (REBIRTH) AS HIS SLOGAN BEFORE ELECTED. For sure many
changes has happened. He has appointed the first ever evangelical Christian as
one of his ministers. And he has got evangelical believers as close
counsellors, even Rama himself calls himself a humanist. He does not walk
around with a train of body-guards, like former leaders used to appear. He has
taken tough decisions on school reforms, closing down more than a dozen of
badly run private universities. The traffic police are enforcing laws, fines
have increased, and the way people drive has improved a lot just in a few
months' time. With these radical reforms, he has got many enemies.
3.
Pray
for salvation, wisdom and protection for Prime Minister Edi Rama.
4.
Pray
for the believers in the government to stay free of corruption and compromise
with any evil.
5.
Pray
for the "Rilindje" to proceed in God's way for Albania and the
Albanians.
CORRUPTION, UNEMPLOYMENT AND PRIVATE DEBTS
As one of the most corrupt nations in Europe,
a financial analyst found that about 2/3 of the finances [are] circulated in
the hidden/dark/illegal ways. That means that far less is left for righteous
wages, taxes etc. A normal manual worker, the lucky one to have a job, does so
without social insurance, on 1000 leke (7 €) [$9.50] a day, which is hardly
enough to sustain a family of 5 or more with the most basic food, or even to
pay for electric power, rent of house etc. A major bank did a research last
year, finding that about 1/3 of families are indebted to banks mainly for
borrowing money to buy food, even many lie to get loans, telling they will
start a business etc. 2/3 of the population is indebted to the local grocery
store, not being able to pay for daily bread.
6.
Pray
for corruption to come to an end Albania.
7.
Pray
that wages and employment levels will rise and become righteous.
Dag
Also I would ask that we pray for Dag. May he continue to be
close to the Lord’s heart, knowing the times and the seasons the Lord has
ordained.
