Happy New Year...

Greetings friends...

We trust that 2012 will be a wonderful year for you and your families...

First of all please forgive our complete failure to get any Christmas cards out this year... we arrived back in Greece from 2 months in Abania and a week in Bulgaria with very few days to spare before Christmas was upon us. We trust you had a great celebration.

We are currently in Istanbul with the whole family. This was to celebrate my 60^th birthday which happened a couple of months ago. So I am sitting in the Veranda of our top floor apartment close to the Agia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, overlooking the busy Bosphorus.We love visiting this place.

2011 has been a great year,  we began the year with German friends on Brean Sands, in the South West of England, watching the many chinese lanterns lifting off, we had a sense that the Lord was saying that in 2011 things would lift off! And so with joy we can say that 2011 has been a fruitful year, a time when new things have lifted off!

We have travelled many miles this year, back and forth to Albania from Thessaloniki – (about 400 miles each way) plus a number of trips to the UK

In January, Jamie Rachel & Oliver (3) returned to the Balkans and together we explored our mission in Albania seeking to release Salt that brings out the God flavours and Light that brings out the God colours! As the year has unfolded we have many funny, interesting and challenging stories to tell. 

In March, Anouk Florence was born to David & Carolyn – (our third Grandchild). They and Jemimah (now 3) spent the first 5 months of the year in the UK and then returned to Greece.

In the early summer we returned to the UK for Lynn's 50^th birthday. We spent a week on a narrowboat with various friends joining us for a couple of days at a time … it was a wonderful time cruising through beautiful countryside in central England at 4 mph enjoying the incredible relaxation... This was followed by a party at John & Christine Jeffery's in Aldershot … whose generosity is amazing!

Joanna and her boyfriend James return with us to Greece and we had a wonderful time together. Jo has been living with the Morton's in Manchester and is a part of the church there, she was baptised in October and works for Barnardo's whilst seeking paid work! She loves Manchester and is developing the accent.

The summer was hot in Albania, we enjoyed connecting, meeting, and provoking Kingdom Life. During the Autumn we have developed a home based group gathering each week and a more random getting together on a Sunday afternoon....

So now we approach 2012... as the year begins, the Carters will return to the UK, heading first to Birmingham where they will live for a while discovering the Midlands! The Barnes's will continue to be in Greece and Albania until mid-summer then return to Brighton for at least a couple of years whilst Jamie complete's his Ph'd. Lynn & I will remain based in the Balkans.

We find ourselves exploring a very organic approach to our faith; Pastoring Pastors; discipling a new generation; and offering encourgement to those in difficult places. We are being Salt & Light in Albania and in the year ahead we expect to see an increasing sharpness, cutting off unnecessary things to focus on the essential. Our desire is to also develop spiritual community and Spiritual retreats – helping people to remain focused on Jesus in the midst of incredible uncertain times which is all the world has to offer. Our first retreat will be in February in Albania, we then plan others in Albania, Bulgaria and Greece, you are welcome to join us and if you email me davidwebb.j2i@gmail.com tell the time of year you are considering, I'll let you know what's going on!

2012....

What a year this is going to be?

We see that a rebalancing of things is taking place... the systems of the western world that has dominated so much for many centuries is like a worn out garment. Crisis will continue to dominate world news... whether it is economic or political. We see that a new age is dawning and new ways of living are emerging. Kingdom Community will be essential. We will need to be ready with oil in our lamps... be flexible, ready to change and open to the reality the God is going to reveal himself in new and unfamiliar ways...

Finally – we love to hear your news and your response to ours! -

Always make sure you live with that sense of readiness

Much love

David & Lynn...  

Today is Albanian Independence day, it's 99 years since Albania was freed from its Ottoman rulers. In 2012, I desire to see a different sort of freedom hit this nation. Freedom from poverty, Freedom from the prejudice of the nations. Albania is the poorest nation in Europe after Moldovia. The communist regime that collapsed in 1991 left a people who had been isolated for best part of 50 years; everything was primitive; most were poor but worse, communism stole the people's identity and to a large extent, Albanians are still wrestlng to rediscover who they are. It is sad that they are still treated with much suspicion.

I've just spent an hour with a local guy who lived in Tunbridge wells for some years. He fills our cars with fuel at a local garage where he now earns £3.50 (4€ or $5.40) a day. There seems to be something completely unjust about his situation. He works 6 days each week which produces £87.50 (100€ or $135) a month, with money he supports his wife of 18 months, 6 week old baby and maintains a home.

Problem … this situation is reproduced 100's if not 1000's of times in this nation.

Yesterday the bell rang; (we have a bell at the gate), so I went out, there was a poor old man begging for food – Oliver gave him some tangerines and we gave him a little cash to go buy some bread... this situation is repeated many times...

It's a challenge and I wonder if the current financial collapse is a judgement upon prosperous so called civilised nations who refused to cancel third world debt and care for the poor and needy. There is an attirude that say's “Let's keep these people out” an thereby keeping them trapped in poverty. Yes, Albania has a fair share of corruption and has a share of organised crime - it's part of the survival syndrome, however most Albanians are happy with a quiet life if they can simply provide a life for their family. I wonder if the crisis will cause a redistribution of wealth, however I also wonder if in the face of financial chaos, those who are used to living on very little might have a headstart on those who are used to having so much.

It's almost the end of October...

Time seems to fly by really fast... suddenly it's almost the end of October ... where has this month gone...

Life here offers some great encounters, whilst at the same time offering challenges.

Our LIFE is about sharing LIFE and we love it... it's been a joy to open our home to a number of different people and I rejoice that Lynn is such a great hostess. I have to say it is a joy to welcome people into our home and share a meal around the table...

Years ago when we first arrived in this region we had a clear sense that we should meet around a table, in Greece we bought a large rectangular marble table that was more than adequate for the task, here in Albania we created a living room with a couple of round tables, one a coffee table, the other a small low dining table.

It is around these tables that we have enjoyed many coffee times and wonderful meals served up by Lynn who makes every recipe her own due to our not always being able to find the specific ingredients but also because she has a great ability to adapt!

About a year ago we were sitting in the living room asking the question... "What are we doing here?" The very next day Lynn read in the Message... "you are here to be salt that brings out the God flavours in people's  lives and Light that brings out the God colours"...

Every time we find ourselves around these table with guests, we discover Flavour and Colour that simply needs releasing. As we proceed on our journey to discover more of the greatness of God we realise there is so much flavour and so much colour in every individual... with this we are seeing the Kingdom of God come with ever increasing delight.

Finally, last weekend we met around the table with friends from Manchester,  family members and new Albanian friends, it was a full house... what a delight it was when the presence of God came and filled the room ... we are rejoicing that LIFE is finding an outlet and both influencing and drawing people into closer relationship with God...

Back in Albania

Greetings friends,
Lynn & I are now back in Albania after a particularly hectic three weeks...

We left here to travel to Greece where we visited a number of people before I (DW) headed off to the UK. Once in England I went away with a group of young men for a 4 day retreat. The Guys travelled from Stuttgart, Thessaloniki, and different parts of the UK.  Our time together was a great encouragement; we shared our hearts, our dreams and wrestled with Spiritual life in the 21st Century.

Lynn was also busy catching up with local Greek folk with whom she has important relationships. I am convinced that the next season of our lives will be spent encouraging the younger generation into radical christian living.

Following this time, I headed North, first to Birmingham where we spent time with family friends who have a home based fellowship, then attended to some family matters visiting my daughter in Manchester and father in Southport. Whilst in Manchester it was a privilege to meet with a family who will visit us in the next 3 weeks and a group of folk who plan to come down in 2012. This visit was concluded with a really good trustees meeting in Guildford.

On flying back to Thessaloniki, the last of the three weeks was spent packing up more belongings to make our house in Shkoder increasingly a home for the next season. Sofa's, armchairs and shelving where all placed on the bus to find it's way to Albania ... as I write I am waiting for the bus company to call and deliver! We are not deserting Greece, we will be keeping a base there for the future. So much of our life seems to be spent on the road, we appreciate the grace God has given us for so much travel and especially the safety we enjoy on the road.

FIRST THINGS FIRST! - Matthew 8v22 (The Message)

Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life." 

If you read the context of this scripture, Jesus is dealing with the excuses people make when it comes to following him. People where putting off 'til tomorrow what needed to be done now! 
There is no time to put things off, Now is the time to put first things first... 
Our business is life, and it is our passion to see a movement develop whereby people get past their excuses and pursue Life.
When we choose to follow the call of God, he takes care of the details. 
It was an honour to spend time with the group of young men who are "sons".  It is time for our generation to believe and empower those who will carry the Faith baton for the next great awakening...