Update: November 2009

Dear Saints,
Well, No Shave November is almost up and you know what that means, I still have nothing to show for it. But that is ok. I cannot believe that I have been in Albania for 4 months now! Where has time gone? That is the Torchbearer time for you. We also only have two more weeks of first semester! The weather here has been sunny and in the 60’s almost every day for the past two weeks. It is November? Almost December? Wouldn’t have guessed.
Now that the greetings and weather is out of the way, lets talk about my past month. There has been so much that it is hard to think back and recall everything that I have done. We went to Sarande for travel weekend, had a pumpkin carving contest and costume night, have had three different teachers and four different subjects, the students had an outreach week, I went to Greece and lots of card games, food, and soccer in between. Wow that is a lot.
First, the travel weekend. It was great to get out and see Albania a little more. Sarande is on the west coast of Albania, on the Ionian Sea. The water was warm enough to swim in and we did. It was crystal clear and beautiful! During that time, we went to visit different sites, including a ancient Roman colony called Butrin and two castles. Only in Albania are you allowed to climb all of the castles and explore anything you want, so that is what we did. One of the best parts would have to be one evening, after coming back from Butrin, we stopped by a soccer field and watch some kids having their practice. We said hi then started talking to the coach and he asked if we could come and play, so we did. We ended up whomping them but we had a lot of fun. They were about 13 but still really good for their age. We were just a little bigger also.
The Friday after coming back, we had a pumpkin carving contest. It was a lot of fun seeing the different designs that people did along with the costumes that some put together. The Stoscher kids were really excited for this event and went all out with the costumes and pumpkins. I also put together a costume of my own. I brought out the Paul Bunyan in me and was a lumberjack with the flannel, work boats, axe, hat and beard (not a real beard but I drawn on one, I wish it was real).
As I have said so many times before, God is faithful. Since the beginning of the year, we were playing for the students to go on a week long outreach to Durres. Two weeks for they were to leave, there were some miscommunications and the organization that was supposed to have the students couldn’t do it that week anymore. This caused a big panic for us because we didn’t know what to do in that short amount of time we had. Doing the only thing we could do, we brought it to the Lord. And oh did He come through. Instead of going to Durres, the students went to three different places, Leskovik, Bilishti, and here in Erseka. In those three locations, they put on two different programs, one for older youth and one for kids. This was all planned by the students, they did everything with not much direction from the staff. I am glad we did this because we really saw them come together as a group and plan everything they wanted to do, even with two different languages being spoken. The first day was for high schoolers here. The core group from the church showed up a long with a couple of new comers. Then two days in Leskovik. Leskovik is a really hard place. Missionaries have been there for a long time and there still isn’t a big church foundation there. So the students, and the staff, we thinking that only 10 high schoolers and maybe 20 children would come. We could never have been more wrong. Expect the unexpected. About 60 high schools showed up the first day along with 90 children the next. God provided! Hear the students share about this brought one word to mind, miraculous. There is nothing other explanation to what happened besides God. Hearts were opened and almost ever child raised their hand to accept Christ into their life. I hope we are able to go back there to keep in touch with the youth and children that made a step in their life that day. The next day was here in Erseka once again with children this time. There were about 70 that time and I was able to sit in on the program and see the students at work. They work so well together and put on a great program. Then they were off to Bilishti, where Skender is from and a leader in the church there. They did a program on Friday for high schoolers then two on Saturday, junior high and children. They were also only expecting the core group for all of these programs also. And they did have only the core group for the high schoolers but not with the others. Over 100 junior highers and 140 children! Praise God! We do not know where they came from but they showed up. And on Sunday, a lot of the kids came back to church. Lavdi Zoti (praise God in Albanian). Overall, it was a miraculous experience for all of he students. They grew so much together as a body, through the good and bad, and depended on God the whole way.
Last night we had a huge Thanksgiving meal. The Americans were very happy for this. It was a great time of fellowship and food. The Stoscher kids also did a small program explaining to the Albanians how Thanksgiving got started, it was very cute. We also had a time to talk about what we were thankful for. I would like to share that with you. I am thankful for my family. I have two amazing parents who have taught me, through example, what is it like to love God and have a giving heart. They have given me so much and continue to do so, thanks Mom and Dad! I also have two wonderful siblings, Jon and Hannah, and I am very thankful for their hearts for the person of Christ as well. Jon and my relationship has continued to grow each year as we get older and I look up to the example that he is in my life. I continue to pour my heart and love into Hannah hoping that I can be as good of an example to her as Jon is to me. I see a young woman of God who is wise beyond her years and has such a compassionate heart for those around her. I am also very thankful for you guys, for praying for me, for giving out of the kindness of your hearts, and for the example of Godly men and women you are. God has sure blessed me with a great family of Christ all around me, all over the world. Who am I to deserve this? I don’t know but just thinking about that makes me praise God and brings me to tears. I am blessed to be a blessing and I pray that Christ can be that, through me, to everyone I come in contact with.
Looking ahead. In two weeks, I leave to Germany to spend Christmas at Bodenseehof with Peter and Gaby along with the other staff that will still be around. I am really excited for be able to sit around and relax and read. I now understand how important that is. I am also very happy that I will be able to make it to Advent International and a week of school back at Bodenseehof. It will bring back memories. Then, for a week, I will be skiing in the Alps once again for the annual ski conference. I will be teaching this year and am really excited for that.
Prayer requests. Lets see if I can accurately get them from my head and onto paper with them making sense. Pray for the last two weeks of the semester. Since it is only two weeks, the students, and myself, may want to take it easy and not do much. Pray that we can push through and finish strong in our homework and relationships. Pray for Christmas break as the students leave. Pray they won’t take a “break” from God but use this time to apply what they have learned the past 11 weeks to their life in travel. Pray God would bring people into their lives, whether on planes, trains, or automobiles, to share His grace and love with. And that we may further His kingdom at no matter what the cost. For me personally, I would greatly appreciate if you would pray, not necessarily for safety but that I may further His kingdom during my travels, no matter what the cost because I know that God has me in His hand and His will will be done. I know this may be hard Mom and Dad :) Since the year is almost half way over, I am now starting to think about life after Albania. I don’t know what to do, where to go, or how I am going to get there. Pray God will make clear His will for my life, as clearly as He did this past year. Pray that I can trust Him in my future and not only that, but in my finances. I need His help in my spending. When I am in Germany, I will see so many things I want because there isn’t much here in Albania. Pray I will trust Him to provide my needs not my wants. To be honest with you, I don’t know how I am going to get home. Since the beginning, I have just trusted that God would provide the money for me to get a ticket home when He wanted me to go home. Now that it is getting closer to April, I am getting a little anxious. Pray that I will truly be able to trust Him in that area. Last but not least, pray I would continue to grasp the life changing truth of Christ in you, the hope of glory. I am starting to understand it more, but on paper and in books. I want to know it in my life and experience it.

Thanks for the prayers and thoughts. Once again, keep me updated with life at home and things I can pray for in your life, along with what God has been teaching you. I love to hear about that. I do learn a lot from what you tell me about you life, past, present, or future. You can read other updates on my blog at abes08.blogspot.com

In Him,
Luke Abrahamson

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'" -Hebrews 12:28-29