Albania--Info & Prayer Letter

Hello, Friends and Family,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am enjoying finishing up my third year of school at The Master’s College (already!) and hoping to graduate a semester early. College is sure flying by!

I am very thankful to be attending a solid Christian college, and my Liberal Studies major allows me some freedom to choose classes that I most enjoy and benefit from. Some I have particularly enjoyed have been missions and intercultural classes, Bible classes, nutrition, and a photography class I am currently taking. I hope one day to serve God overseas (or perhaps in the States) with the knowledge and skills I have gained here, but for now I will wait for His leading.

This summer, I have been given the opportunity to go on a short-term mission trip with a group of students from my school. We will be traveling (for about 6 weeks, beginning in May) to the country of Albania. Perhaps the name “Albania” does not automatically conjure up a clear mental image for you—it didn’t for me either—so allow me to help. Albania is a small country in southern Europe, just above Greece and across the Mediterranean Sea from the tip of Italy. It was a communist state until 1990, and extremely atheistic at times, but since has become somewhat more open and is considered an emerging democracy. Most sources say that the majority of Albanians consider themselves at least nominally Muslim, with some Orthodox Christians and Catholics (although it is questionable for many how much importance is placed on these religious attachments—many consider national identity far more important).

We will be working with the Cesula family, missionaries who are supported by the Slavic Gospel Association and work as a part of Grace Church in Albania’s capital city of Tirana. We hope to be an encouragement to the church while we are there, as well as provide outreach and evangelism to the community. A good part of my time will be spent at The Lincoln Center, a highly-rated school in Tirana primarily for language (including English) and computer training. Because of this, the trip will allow me to complete my TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certificate.

There are two ways that you can support me on this trip—the first and most important of which is through prayer! Please pray for me and for our team as we travel.

You can pray for:

• Our team’s preparation right now, including raising financial support
• That we would be an encouragement to the missionaries and church that we will be helping
• Safety, health, and team unity in working together
• For the hearts of the people we work with to be open to the Good News of Christ’s Salvation
• 
  

Please pray for boldness and that we will clearly show God’s love to the people of Albania, to His Glory!

Another way that you can support me on this trip is by partnering with me financially. The full cost of the trip is $3,100. This will be raised primarily through your support and through fundraisers and our work during the semester. If you would like a donation to be tax deductable or returnable to you, I have enclosed another page which details how to make sure this is the case. Thank you in advance for your prayers and support. God bless!

Jessie Mauldin