Puppet on a String

About a month ago we saw a street performer with a puppet singing and dancing. We stopped and were amazed of the creativity and talent of this street performer. The man holding the puppet had the biggest smile on his face as he made the puppet play the piano and even kiss a small child. There was so much fun and joy that you were fully captivated.
I want to be a puppet on a string for God. I want God to look down and smile because I am doing His work with His help and guiding hand. I want people to be captivated by what God is doing in my life. But sin causes us to break free from this love that God gives us and get caught up in the sins of this world. We get tied up and led by worldly strings. Even in our house we allow sin to creep in. Bad words, sex, and materialism fills our television screens every day. As you walk down the street in Albania you are bombarded by casinos and sport gambling. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9 We all have a choice to make and I choose to be God's puppet lead by His loving hand!

God's hand is guiding us every step of the way and every day we see the proof! Every Wednesday we go to the old home to have a bible study with the residents. Usually we have 10 residents who come to the bible study. We go and visit the other 40 residents after the bible study and take them a snack and ask them how they are doing. Fatmir is one of the residents there and he has many muslim pictures and writing all over the wall in his room but we continue to tell him that God loves him. A couple of weeks ago he was having a problem with his bladder and one of the residents told him that he needed to ask Arian for prayer. That week when we went to his room he told Arian that he wanted prayer and please pray to Allah. Arian told him that he only believed in God and he would only pray to the one true God. Fatmire said ok and Arian prayed for him. Now Fatmir is asking more about our God and wants to know more and more. Praise God that a door was opened to speak the word of God to Fatmir. Please help us in praying for his salvation.

God is also blessing us with the growth of the church. Since many of the new people do not know about Christianity or the Bible Arian has started a new class about Christianity. We are very excited about this class and every week we have 1-3 people in attendance. Jako who is 15 has been coming very faithfully and is very interested in the word of God.

Member Spotlight:
This week I would like to tell you about Drita. Drita has been so faithful in letting us use her house for the home church in Kavaje. Now Praise God we are in a building but Drita is still very faithful and helpful in preparing communion and getting things ready for the church service. Drita has  two adult children Ervin and Ornella and a daughter Ana who is handicapped that is 18 years old.  She also has two grandchildren Romina and Jonny. Drita just had a birthday January 31st and turned 51. We are very happy for Drita and pray that God continues to bless her for many more years. We are very blessed to have Drita in the church!

Praises/ Prayers: 
* Continue to pray for Klara. She is still waiting on word from the doctor. She is currently in the hospital getting blood treatments. 
* Pray for continual spiritual growth in the church. 
* Continue to pray for Juli as he is in school, he will be going on a mission trip 
      to Turkey Feb. 17th.


We would love to hear from you! God bless!
Serving in His name, 
Arian & Stefanie Kosta
kkdurres@gmail.com
Address: L3 Rr Skenderbej AP:1043 Durres, Albania 

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