10,000 Reasons

10,000 Reasons. 

The words bringing vivid memories. 

We sang it as a congregation at our wedding. We were both happily dripping in the 110 degree Fresno heat and looking out at a mass of people fanning themselves but all singing joyfully. The dearest people in our lives, all worshipping together. Tears. 

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes. 

Cory played the piano and led this song at my Grandpa's funeral. Everyone shared memories of how my Grandpa loved the Word of God, loved his family and loved to tell stories. He is already worshipping in Heaven. Tears. 

The end draws near and my times has come, still my soul will sing your praise unending...

When Cory was leading worship at 2 churches, we got to sing it almost every week because that meant the church was only singing it every other week. We were preparing to move to Albania. I was pregnant with Baby Shiloh. Tears. 

This last Sunday, we sang it in Albanian (or at least tried to) at the church in Korce. Hearing songs in other languages always makes me think of heaven. There will be thousands of languages all worshipping One Lord. And when I think of the story of this church...tears. 

20 years ago, around the time communism fell, Ian and Caralee Loring moved to Korca which is a "larger city" in southern Albania.

Albania was the first "Atheist" declared nation in the world under communism. There was no religion at all. No religious books. No religious names.

There they found the only underground "church" in Albania. 4 old men. 

These 4 old men had remained believers throughout the 50 years of lock down. 

Ian and Carlee began to plant a church. They began with the hungry youth. They had never heard any kind of spiritual truth in their life. They were drawn to the gospel, to the light of Jesus. 

Now, 20 years later, that tiny church plant has become a congregation of 300+. The largest Evangelical church in Albania.  Through the church they have established a clinic, a retirement home, a safe house for abused women and more. 

They worked effortlessly to reach the more impoverished villages around them.

They put on outreach festivals and VBS camps. 

About 15 years ago, at one of those outreach festivals in a little village outside of Korca, a 13 year old boy went, because he was Muslim (this is Muslim in name, not in practice), to throw rocks at the Christian workers. 

He threw rocks and asked taunting questions. To prove them wrong. 

The more he tried to prove them wrong, the more he heard the gospel truth. 

Christ saved him. 

Eventually he became a part of the church in Korca. He was discipled, trained, and equipped. He grew up and began to lead outreaches in other villages and to disciple and work with youth in the church. 

Today he is planting a church in Pogradec. That boy was Erion. We are in Pogradec to work with Erion and his wife Melodie. 

Currently, there is a youth meeting in Pogradec with about 30 students. They come with us to church in Korce on Sunday. 

We are so excited to see what the Lord will do with these students and how these boys and girls will grow into a church, the same way they did in Korce. 

So when we sing 10,000 Reasons...

I think of our wedding and God's faithfulness to bring Cory and I together. 

I think of my Grandpa's funeral and a life lived for Christ. 

I think of how the Lord gave us the love and support we needed to move across the world. 

And I think of one couple. 

Of 4 old men. 

Of a boy throwing rocks. 

And of Heaven. Where thousands of tongues will all sing to Jesus.