Update for December 2009

(Click here to see this as a PDF file)

Greetings Family and Friends,

We are delighted to finally bring you news from Albania, having returned from and returned to such an outpouring of love from the people of God. We apologize for this long overdue update as these past two months have been quite full but fully blessed as we have settled into a routine with our new little lady as well as enjoyed our family and friends here in Durres, Albania. We have much to be thankful for as the Lord has been very good to us in these past several months.

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow . . .

• Annabella Natalie Kona was born on the fourth of July! How we are grateful for our little “firecracker” who weighed in at 6 lbs 15oz and is such a beautiful baby, bringing so much joy to our lives. She was then baptized on her eighth day at Woodruff Road PCA by Pastor Carl Robbins. Having received her own American passport, she has traveled with us to Albania and has been introduced and loved by all our church family and friends. She participates in our worship services with her occasional vocalizations, especially when her daddy is preaching. Baby Bella has recently turned 5 months old and is growing and developing well. Thank you for your prayers through a healthy pregnancy, delivery, safe travels and more.
• Jason Housewright, a GPTS student and licensed by Westminster Presbytery, TN served as The Reformed Church of Durres’ intern while I was in America during part of the summer. He did the most excellent job and the church was greatly blessed by his ministry here in Albania. We are praying God will call him to a full-time ministry in Albania. We suggest you do the same.
• We are thankful for the local church body that held together well while we were gone, showing that they have grown into a community.
• We were thankful for the opportunity God gave us to do some recruiting among seminary students while in the U.S.. Through the help of Pastor Carl Robbins and Dr. Elias Medeiros, the mission’s professor at RTS Jackson, we hosted a luncheon and missions presentation there at RTS seminary. The turnout was good and interest was encouraging. Dr. M and I brainstormed about the possibility of establishing an internship program for mission-minded students between the seminary and our ministry in Albania, and him bringing a short-term team of students for outreach. If this is to happen, such a program would bring a lot of manpower to our ministry and also be beneficial for these students in regard to on-the-field/cross-cultural experience. Please pray for such plans to come to fruition and that men would be called to a full-time ministry in Albania. In the same manner I presented at RTS Charlotte through the help of Dr. Mike Milton. This turnout was also good and interest was encouraging. I also was blessed to preach at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary during their chapel hour and later made a presentation during their mission’s prayer band. There is a Greenville seminary family that is looking into the possibility of spending their summer internship here in Albania, so please pray for them.

Specific Prayer Needs

• Please pray for an elder and his family from Midway PCA that are making plans to come and spend the summer with us in Albania. They would assist in the various teaching and shepherding capacities as well as with discipleship and other summer projects.
• Upon our return I began preaching through the book of Galatians, writing an expositional-theological commentary as I do so. Also, I am working on writing a book on worship that is based on a series of Sunday school lessons that I will be teaching soon, but currently I am teaching on the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Please pray for these endeavors.
• Please pray for the weekend of December 18-20th in which I am invited to speak for the Christian Medical Students Society for which we are sponsoring a portion. This year’s theme is evangelism and discipleship.

Specific Financial Needs

As we approach the end of 2009 we are reminded to seek your help once again through end of the year givings. Usually whatever is given at the end of the year makes up for a considerable portion of our annual budget, and we are grateful for those who have helped us meet such needs in the past. Your donations also help as the dollar continues to fluctuate and weaken. This year we will continue to do translation work, and we publish the works translated last year.

You are able to donate simply by writing a check payable to WRPC Missions (Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church in America) and designate “Albert and Jennifer Kona” on the memo line. Please send your checks to this address:

WRPC Missions

2519 Woodruff Road

Simpsonville, SC 29681

For Christ and His Church,

The Konas

www.missiontoalbania.com

bertikona@gmail.com | jennykona@gmail.com