MERRY CHRISTMAS!

“O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”

Ps 95:1

Dear Praying Friends,

We hope this update find’s each of you doing well and faithfully serving our Savior. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord at this special time of year we are reminded of how very thankful we are for the many blessings God has given us. We are thankful for His power that is evident in our lives and ministry every day. David explains it so well in Psalm 95 verse 3 “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” We are also thankful for His plan for our lives. We may not always know or understand what God is doing, but the Bible tells us so clearly in Jer. 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,” Isn’t it amazing that God knows us and is so personal? Most importantly we are thankful for God’s presence. Vs 2 “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,” He is always there. He knows what we need and when we need it.

Our furlough meetings have come to a close and in less than five weeks we will make the long journey back to Albania. We are really looking forward to going back home to be reunited with ministry and friends. We are grateful to each of you who faithfully pray and support our family and ministry, it truly is an honor and a privilege to be your representatives to the Albanian people.

As we prepare for our return we would like to share a few additional prayer requests:

 Please pray with us as we make final preparations to leave the US, we still lack some funding for passage expenses as well as additional needed support

 Travel safety, baggage & customs, etc.

 Transition for all of our family. Over the years travel has been a way of life for our family; it seems we are always saying goodbye…it is never easy, especially for our children. We will be leaving for the first time our son Ben, this will be hard for all of us, but will be most difficult on mom (Debby)

 Pray for our churches and leaders for continued spiritual and numerical growth

 New ministry opportunities. We are really excited about the prospects of beginning a new ministry in Sarande - down in the southern part of Albania. Once again I heard from our contact Fotos, he asked me “when are we coming?” Pray for open doors! We would also like to begin a national Albanian assistance ministry, we are still working on these plans and praying for God’s direction with this ministry.

The next time you hear from us it will be from the other side of the pond.

Thank you and may God richly bless each of you during this Christmas season.

Sincerely in Christ,

Mike, Debby, Heather & Mikayla

Your missionaries to Albania

Acts 26:18

Furlough Address:

60 Cambridge dr.

Charles Town, WV 25414

216/789-7747

mdalbania@gmail.com

Field Address:

Kisha Baptiste Jeta e Re

Kutia Postare Nr. 119, AEP Box 29

Tirane, Albania

Support Address:

Cleveland Baptist Church Missions

4431 Tiedeman Rd.

Cleveland, OH 44144

216/671-2822