West Howe Baptist Church

 

Jonathan (a gastric-colo-rectal surgeon) and Hannah (a Clinical Psychologist) and their three children (John ( 13ys), Helen ( 11yrs), James ( 8yrs)) from South Korea dropped into the church one Sunday in 2003 having got lost on their way to another church. They were in the UK studying English while preparing to go to Africa as missionaries with AIM (Africa Inland Mission). They stayed and we grew to love them as a family and helped them with their English. Jonathan had told God that if his family came to Christ (which they did) he would give his life in service to God and this is what they were doing. We felt as a church we should support them too.

After spending a year at All Nations Christian College, they left for Africa in August 2005 to begin studying a third language, Malagasy, to be based in Madagascar.

In Madagascar, Jonathan works in the hospital at Itaosy, teaching students and performing surgery. He also runs mobile clinics in the villages and holds clinics at his house. Hannah feels prayer and intercession are her gifts, she is treasurer of the MCA,  Madagascar Christian Academy (where all three children attended school for a time), and induction co-ordinator of the AIM. She is seeking ways to use her counselling skills.

Eric and Ann Brignall went from West Howe Baptist Church to work with Operation Mobilisation in Albania in 1994.  They were linked with a team doing evangelism and planting a church in Lushnje, about 2 hours drive south from the capital, Tirana.  The Disciples’ Church was inaugurated shortly before Eric and Ann arrived and was led initially by missionaries, themselves included.  After the riots of 1997 and the Kosovo crisis of 1998, during which time many missionaries left Albania, most churches moved quickly to being Albanian led, and Andi Rrasa was appointed as Pastor at the Disciples' Church.  Eric and Ann had worked with Andi before and during his time of training for Christian leadership and were very happy to see him accepting the pastorate, working well and very fruitfully, especially among young people.  Andi subsequently visited WHBC in November 2005 along with Enio and Freya Sema.  Enio was one of the Lushnje church leaders during Eric and Ann’s time in Albania and he often translated sermons for Eric.  Andi Rrasa visited WHBC again in March and October 2007.

 

IIir, who was one of the children at a village Kids’ Club in 1994, now has some leadership responsibility in three village churches as well as in Lushnje itself.  He visited Eric and Ann here in Bournemouth in March 2007.

 

When Eric and Ann left Albania in 1999, they made plans to return from time to time, and always longed for the day when a group from West Howe Baptist could be taken with them.  This longing was fulfilled in 2004 and led, among other things, to a commitment to continue to support the church in Lushnje in prayer and practical ways.

Susan is a nurse in her early thirties working with the BMS (Baptist Missionary society) in Albania since 2001.
She is part of the church planting team of "Vlore Baptist church". Her work includes nursing and teaching at a local Women's Health Centre. She assists the church which involves working with students, visiting, and also teaching women bible studies related to their lifestyle issues.

 

We "adopted" Susan in October 2004 when we met her in Vlore while on a church mission visit to our sister church in Lushnje, Albania that year. We felt we had been led  to widen our links and support a BMS missionary there too. Her sending church is in Nottingham but the fact her home town is Shirley, Southampton made her a "local" to us.

 

Susan is currently on home assignment and looking at ways of extending her time in the UK while her father has a long term illness.