Happy New Year 2012 !

We have had quite a year in 2011!

Despite the global economic downturn, we managed to make it through the year without letting go any of our 29 employees (at the Stephen Center).  This means food and clothing continues for those employee’s families impacted by our Christian business ministry... as well as, a positive “testimony” for the people of God who work and influence the community within our ministry.

Our Emmanuel Radio Station, located in southern Albania in the city of Korce, has finally installed the third antenna in Albania that will help reach over a million people in the regions of Greece and Macedonia which border Albania... and parts of Central Albania as well.  This will include our broadcasts of “Unshackled” in Greek, Albanian and Macedonian languages.  Also, a very large listening audience will hear our broadcasts of “Focus On the Family”, “Vernon Magee” and a variety of newscasts of “events that are affecting our local community”.  Additionally, we are broadcasting “sports events” that help supplement the costs of our broadcast day. 

We are planning to open an outreach to surrounding remote villages with distribution of solar powered radios (pre-tuned to our station) that can be used to reach villages newly impacted by our signal.  This is a great evangelism tool and we pray teams will be available from the U.S. and Western Europe to participate in the future.

We are presently reaching out to Kosovo, Bosnia, and Macedonia to increase the church planting ministry we had begun developing over the past twenty years in Albania and the Balkans.  We continue to support church planting in Kosovo with Pastor Blendi Brazhdi.  Our future church plant in a gypsy village in Cuka, Albania is still in the developmental stage.  We are praying for our young pastor Jorgo, who was raised in the village, to decide on the time he will be able to begin his new role as pastor.

In the outreach to Macedonia,, we found a pastor Goran Dojchinoski,  who was not able to continue his church planting ministry because he lost his secular employment.  We partnered with him and helped open a car wash and cleaning business to finance his ministry.  He is developing the business and has been able to employ two members of his church and provide a living wage for his family. 

The Stephen Center Restaurant continues to be a blessing to the Christian community, providing quality food and a spiritual meeting place to feel the love and peace of God while pursuing the work of their individual ministries.  We are blessed and overwhelmed by the joy the restaurant has provided over the past seventeen years in this community.  Although our financial position is weaker during these difficult economic times, we see the support of the local Christian community in continuing to frequent our establishment and use our community meeting room for their various functions and church meetings. 

We plan to continue with our ministry here in the Balkans until the Lord tells us to do otherwise.  Most importantly, we pray that the vision of this ministry carries on to bless and bring hope to the “Lost and Hurting “even beyond what we are capable of doing.  HIS strength is what keeps us and we are thankful to be in HIS service and HIS will.

This year's annual Albania Pastor’s conference in November was a wonderful turning point for our ministry to pastors and churches outside of Foursquare.  We invited Dr. Jim and Melinda Scott (FMI Missions director) and they graciously accepted.  Their presence added a dimension to the conference that helped bring the churches and pastors closer together as a community of believers.The theme this year was "Unity among the Believers".  

We had our 17th anniversary of the opening of the Stephen Center the end of October and offered a lavish, traditional Thanksgiving Day meal with all the trimmings that was enjoyed by missionaries and Albanian families as well.  Christmas was joy filled and for us to have our granddaughter Rachel visiting with us for December and Christmas made it extra special.  

New Year's rang in here in Albania with a group of us performing a Flash Mob singing of "Auld Lang Syne" in the restaurant with customers pleasantly surprised at this "first" in this country.  Next year, we are heading to the new malls to do some flash mob singing at Easter time.  Songs about the greatness of the Lord are planned...

Again, Happy New Year and thanks to all of you who have prayed, supported and encouraged us during 2011. 

Blessings,

Chris and Laura Dakas

Missionaries to Albania and the Balkans