Living Water at the Well in Albania

It all started eight years ago. A woman named Dile felt called to preach the gospel in Fllakë, Albania, which has been labeled the “forsaken”town. During Communism, the government sent dissenters there, and it became a community of outcasts. The town became filled with despair, drugs, alcohol, and abuse, but Dile had faith that the gospel could penetrate those barriers.

The town had no running water to peoples’ homes, but only a solitary well where people gathered daily to draw water. Dile spent time each day standing in line sharing the gospel with the spiritually lost. One by one, people began to come to Christ. They went to draw natural water but found living water! Now there is a thriving AG church of 60 adults and 70 children. Money has been donated to purchase land for the church, but the land must be rezoned.

It all started eight years ago. A woman named Dile felt called to preach the gospel in Fllakë, Albania, which has been labeled the “forsaken”
town. During Communism, the government sent dissenters there, and it became a community of outcasts. The town became filled with despair,
drugs, alcohol, and abuse, but Dile had faith that the gospel could penetrate those barriers.

The town had no running water to peoples’ homes, but only a solitary well where people gathered daily to draw water. Dile spent time each day standing in line sharing the gospel with the spiritually lost. One by one, people began to come to Christ. They went to draw natural water but found living water! Now there is a thriving AG church of 60 adults and 70 children. Money has been donated to purchase land for the church, but the land must be rezoned.

God's Timing in Germany

AGWM Personnel in Germany, Mike Tyler, relates the following incident showing God’s care and timing. “About a month ago, we received an invitation to a birthday party for some friends in Dresden. We love these friends, but it’s about a nine hour drive to Dresden from our present home! The party was scheduled for a Saturday, and Cara and the boys had school on Friday and Monday. It seemed like a nobrainer: We should decline. But neither Cara nor I could shake the impression that I was supposed to go. “Regardless, I procrastinated in making a final decision. Finally, the week of the party, I said, ‘If there is even a chance that this is truly the Holy Spirit leading us, I should just go.’ So on Wednesday night I made my plans to go.

Thursday morning I woke up to find an email in my inbox from the leader of a Chi-Alpha University Ministry in the Midwestern U.S. bA mutual friend had given him my name. One of his former students from China whom he had led to Christ, had been living in Dresden for a few years and was in a really tough spot. He was looking for recommendations for a church to send this young man to. I replied, ‘I haven’t been to Dresden in almost 3 years, but I’m going there tomorrow! So I can do better than recommend a church. I can pick him up and bring him to a great church.’

“The young man got in touch with me, and we decided to meet as soon as I got into the city on Friday night. Though we had never met, right away he started pouring out his story and his struggles. At an early point in our conversation his eyes welled up with tears and he said to me, ‘’I’m sorry if I’m sharing too much. I know we just met. But I haven’t really spoken with a Christian face-to-face in two years!’ He had tried going to a few churches, but he didn’t speak German well, and couldn’t really connect with anyone at a deeper level so he had been feeling incredibly lonely. I told him the story of how I got to Dresden that weekend, and we both knew, God had sent me just for him.

“Beyond that, God used our conversation at this critical juncture in life, to give this young man some much needed assurance on several key issues in his life. Dresden isn’t a very international city, but I knew of an international church that operates in both English and German. We went there together on Sunday morning. He looked around after the service and said, ‘I fit here. Look at all these people, and they’re from everywhere.’ The church was like a glimpse into the nations - and it was truly a perfect fit for my new friend. Only God could arrange an encounter like that. Yes, it was twenty hours in the car, but it was worth every second, to show a struggling young believer just how important he is in God’s eyes.

“And at the same time we can’t ignore the fact that it was for us too. Whereas we have started German-speaking churches in the past, we have been feeling that God is calling us to launch an international church that will minister in both English and German. It will take time to get going, but if anything is clear from this experience, it is that everything happens in God’s timing.”

AGWM Personnel in Germany, Mike Tyler, relates the following incident showing God’s care and timing. “About a month ago, we received an invitation to a birthday party for some friends in Dresden. We love these friends, but it’s about a nine hour drive to Dresden from our present home! The party was scheduled for a Saturday, and Cara and the boys had school on Friday and Monday. It seemed like a nobrainer: We should decline. But neither Cara nor I could shake the impression that I was supposed to go.

“Regardless, I procrastinated in making a final decision. Finally, the week of the party, I said, ‘If there is even a chance that this is truly the Holy Spirit leading us, I should just go.’ So on Wednesday night I made my plans to go.

Thursday morning I woke up to find an email in my inbox from the leader of a Chi-Alpha University Ministry in
the Midwestern U.S. bA mutual friend had given him my name. One of his former students from China whom he had led to Christ, had been living in Dresden for a few years and was in a really tough spot. He was looking for recommendations for a church to send this young man to. I replied, ‘I haven’t been to Dresden in almost 3 years, but I’m going there tomorrow! So I can do better than recommend a church. I can pick him up and bring him to a great church.’

“The young man got in touch with me, and we decided to meet as soon as I got into the city on Friday night. Though we had never met, right away he started pouring out his story and his struggles. At an early point in our conversation his eyes welled up with tears and he said to me, ‘’I’m sorry if I’m sharing too much. I know we just met. But I haven’t really spoken with a Christian face-to-face in two years!’ He had tried going to a few churches, but he didn’t speak German well, and couldn’t really connect with anyone at a deeper level so he had been feeling incredibly lonely. I told him the story of how I got to Dresden that weekend, and we both knew, God had sent me just for him.

“Beyond that, God used our conversation at this critical juncture in life, to give this young man some much needed assurance on several key issues in his life. Dresden isn’t a very international city, but I knew of an international church that operates in both English and German. We went there together on Sunday morning. He looked around after the service and said, ‘I fit here. Look at all these people, and they’re from everywhere.’ The church was like a glimpse into the
nations - and it was truly a perfect fit for my new friend. Only God could arrange an encounter like that. Yes, it was twenty hours in the car, but it was worth every second, to show a struggling young believer just how important he is in God’s eyes.

“And at the same time we can’t ignore the fact that it was for us too. Whereas we have started German-speaking churches in the past, we have been feeling that God is calling us to launch an international church that will minister in both English and German. It will take time to get going, but if anything is clear from this experience, it is that everything happens in God’s timing.”

The Proper Time in Italy

THE PROPER TIME International Church of Rome began in 2010, a vision of AGWM Personnel, Bob and Lynne Rose, where, due to a limited selection of rentable facilities, they met in various locations on Saturdays. But during this time, they felt God drop a promise in their hearts of an ideal location just three blocks from their home. It was a perfect site with a large meeting space and classrooms. It was located on a street that had been in existence since the time of the Caesars and easily accessible by many modes of transportation. Upon inquiring about the use of the property, the Roses were told that it was not available.

The Roses state, “We continued to be thankful for what we did have and prayed God would grant us favor for a facility at ‘the proper time’ that we could use 24/7. But God didn’t forget what He had spoken into our heart or close the door on us--He knew ‘the proper time’! Last December, we felt the Lord speak to us again about approaching the owners regarding the possibility of using this facility for our church. We prayed and left the result in God’s hand. About a week later, we received an official notice that the property would be available for us to use…not only the meeting space and classrooms but all five floors of the building including a commercial kitchen, fellowship hall, dormitory rooms and more! ‘The proper time’ had come! International Church of Rome began meeting in the new facility on February 12th!

“Already new people have started coming to the church and our evangelism efforts in this area are showing a harvest of souls. We will initiate a children’s outreach in July with a neighborhood VBS. Gloria, a little girl in our church, loves to sing. One Sunday her mother said, ‘I’m not going to church today.’ Gloria immediately exclaimed, ‘I want to go because that is my church and I love it!’ Her mother has brought her to church ever since! God’s message of love never grows old!”

International Church of Rome began in 2010, a vision of AGWM Personnel, Bob and Lynne Rose, where, due to a limited selection of rentable facilities, they met in various locations on Saturdays. But during this time, they felt God drop a promise in their hearts of an ideal location just three blocks from their home. It was a perfect site with a large meeting space and classrooms. It was located on a street that had been in existence since the time of the Caesars and easily accessible by many modes of transportation. Upon inquiring about the use of the property, the Roses were told that it was not available.

The Roses state, “We continued to be thankful for what we did have and prayed God would grant us favor for a facility at ‘the proper time’ that we could use 24/7. But God didn’t forget what He had spoken into our heart or close the door on us--He knew ‘the proper time’! Last December, we felt the Lord speak to us again about approaching the owners regarding the possibility of using this facility for our church. We prayed and left the result in God’s hand. About a week later, we received an official notice that the property would be available for us to use…not only the meeting space and classrooms but all five floors of the building including a commercial kitchen, fellowship hall, dormitory rooms and more! ‘The proper time’ had come! International Church of Rome began meeting in the new facility on February 12th!

“Already new people have started coming to the church and our evangelism efforts in this area are showing a harvest of souls. We will initiate a children’s outreach in July with a neighborhood VBS. Gloria, a little girl in our church, loves to sing. One Sunday her mother said, ‘I’m not going to church today.’ Gloria immediately exclaimed, ‘I want to go because that is my church and I love it!’ Her mother has brought her to church ever since! God’s message of love never grows old!”

By Prayer and Fasting in Spain

AGWM Personnel in Barcelona, Spain, Missionary Associates Nick and Kelly Seders, are excited at the result of the prayer emphasis at the International Church of Barcelona. Nick relates, “In January, the two of us worked very hard to create a 14-day journal, to guide our congregation through a time of intense prayer and fasting. We were so glad to see our brothers and sisters internalize the Word of God, as they expected him to respond to prayer and help them speak truth to their peers. Out of those two weeks came inspiring stories of university students introducing their friends to the Bible, ladies having Christ-centered conversations at work, and men witnessing in public.

“The prayer and fasting culminated in a new season of community groups (small group ministry). More than 20 groups are now meeting together! Having received the charge to oversee discipleship within the congregation, I hope to raise and equip leaders within that ministry, so that our community of faith begins to multiply itself throughout Barcelona in a movement of disciple-making.

“One thing I’ve implemented is a weekly Sunday Review – a discussion guide that helps leaders expound upon the most recent sermons, and explore the truth of the Gospel with their groups. This is helping people of all backgrounds engage the Word of God on a consistent basis!

Kelly is also instructing others in obedience to the Word, as she pastors the children that participate in ICBKids activities. Every Sunday, in coordination with a great team of volunteers, she leads the kids in worship, prayer, and the examination of Scripture.”

AGWM Personnel in Barcelona, Spain, Missionary Associates Nick and Kelly Seders, are excited at the result of the prayer emphasis at the International Church of Barcelona.

Nick relates, “In January, the two of us worked very hard to create a 14-day journal, to guide our congregation through a time of intense prayer and fasting. We were so glad to see our brothers and sisters internalize the Word of God, as they expected him to respond to prayer and help them speak truth to their peers. Out of those two weeks came inspiring stories of university students introducing their friends to the Bible, ladies having Christ-centered conversations at work, and men witnessing in public.

“The prayer and fasting culminated in a new season of community groups (small group ministry). More than 20 groups are now meeting together! Having received the charge to oversee discipleship within the congregation, I hope to raise and equip leaders within that ministry, so that our community of faith begins to multiply itself throughout Barcelona in a movement of disciple-making.

“One thing I’ve implemented is a weekly Sunday Review – a discussion guide that helps leaders expound upon the most recent sermons, and explore the truth of the Gospel with their groups. This is helping people of all backgrounds engage the Word of God on a consistent basis!

Kelly is also instructing others in obedience to the Word, as she pastors the children that participate in ICBKids activities. Every Sunday, in coordination with a great team of volunteers, she leads the kids in worship, prayer, and the examination of Scripture.”