"Sewing" Seeds in Albanian HeartsOM International “Sewing” Seeds in Albanian HeartsBy Rebecca Barnhart Central Europe Area Communications Security Code (N) – No restrictions Many OM missionaries talk about sewing seeds of God’s love through the ministries in which they’re involved. Erna Neufeld, a Paraguayan woman serving long term in Albania, doesn’t just talk about “sewing” seeds, she’s planting seeds of hope through her thriving sewing ministry to Albanian women throughout the country. Last autumn, Erna started a sewing course in the village of Sukth near Durres, where OM has a team and also where the OM-planted Durres Disciples Church has an outreach ministry. Pastor Arvid Gogaj asked Erna if she’d be willing to teach a sewing course there after hearing about the success of Erna’s classes in villages close to Lushnje, where Erna lives. “Pastor Arvid said it would be an evangelistic course, to reach out to more ladies than girls. I told him that I only wanted eight students because otherwise it is so difficult and they don’t learn so well.” On the first day, eight students came and three of them were believers. Franceska, a Christian lady from the village who helps with the outreach ministry in Sukth, told Erna that there were two other ladies planning to come the next day, which they did. Two more women came later, but Erna had to turn them down, since her eight person limit was already 10 students and one helper! Not Just a Sewing Course When the course started, Erna explained the purpose of the class and what they could expect during the three months. In addition to the sewing lessons, Erna told them that she also planned to teach them something from the Bible and that there’d be a weekly Bible Study. All the women agreed to be involved in the study. While some were already Christians, the majority was non-believers from Muslim or Catholic backgrounds, so Erna gave Bibles to the women who didn’t have one. The first question they discussed was whether humans were descendants of monkeys or were created by God. “Most of them said we are from monkeys, so we turned our Bible to Genesis and read the creation story,” Erna commented. At first, some of the women laughed when Erna explained the Word of God, but that changed during the three months. “I started seeing that they were very interested in the Bible and were also reading it at home,” Erna said. Erna and Marie, another OMer working in Albania, shared their testimonies about how they came to know Jesus. Beri, an Albanian Christian woman who helped with the course for two weeks, also shared her conversion experience. Beri’s testimony was especially powerful for the Muslim women attending the sewing course because Beri is from a Muslim family. “Beri shared clearly that she had accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and also that it hadn’t been always easy for her,” Erna said. The Only Way to Heaven During one session, Erna asked the ladies what is the goal of their lives. When one woman answered, “To find out how to get to heaven,” Erna explained the Gospel and that there was only one way to heaven. “I really felt they were ready for a decision and so I asked if any one would like to accept Jesus as Savior.” Of the seven students attending the course that day, six responded that they wanted to accept Jesus. The other woman was already a believer. “We prayed together and afterwards I explained to them that they were now part of the family of God and that the Word of God says when we believe in Jesus, we have everlasting life. They were all very happy and I was, too,” Erna shared. “I almost couldn’t believe it, that all of them made a decision for Christ!” During the Christmas season, Erna took a break from the course and restarted in January. Only four students returned; two of the women got engaged and their fiancés didn’t allow them to come even though there was only three weeks to finish the course. This deeply saddened Erna, because she wondered how these new, young Christians would grow in their faith. “But I realized I couldn’t do anything to change the situation and the only thing I can do for them is pray that they will read the Bible and that God himself will teach them.” Following the completion of the sewing course, Erna reflected that the ladies did learn how to sew, but more importantly, they learned about the one true God and His Word. The Durres church is continuing the ministry in Sukth and hopefully, will be able to reach out to these women and help them grow in their faith. “My desire and prayer is that all of them would grow strong in faith and spiritually. I know for some of them it is impossible to come to services or Bible studies, but I pray, that somehow they will grow in Christ and gain more freedom from their husbands, families and fiancés. “God’s Word is alive and it doesn’t return empty,” said Erna. “That is what we read in the Bible and that is what I experienced again.” # # # Credit: OM International
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