Hello!
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Even though you haven’t heard from us for a while – we are alive and well! At times, life flows like a slow river and there’s not much to tell, other times the currents of life carry us too fast to even remember the outside world exists…
In mid-September, the school year started with Eva in 3rd and Oliver in 1st grade. Oliver still misses the fun he had in kindergarten, yet he’s excelling in school. Eva started having English classes, and there’s something new even for her, as they are taught British, not American, English. Eleonora (almost 4) still mixes all three languages in one sentence, and Zigmas (17 mos), who has become quite vocal in the past few months, entertains us with his Zigmish.
For quite a few years now our church has participated in Operation Christmas Child by Samaritan’s Purse. We see the shoe boxes, which perhaps many of you joyfully and prayerfully have packed full with gifts, being received by gleeful kids in Albania. This year, we had the joy of distributing 400 boxes. Although proselytizing of any religion is illegal in Albanian schools, we were invited and accepted very warmly in 3 village schools in our region, even met with thankfulness for spreading the Good Christmas News in Muslim villages. The visit that stands out the most is to a school higher in the mountains, which has 3 teachers and 11 students in total! The school building stands above the village, yet it’s future is clear – soon it will be closed and students transferred to a bigger school in a nearby village. In Albania, there are many abandoned villages, because people have moved to bigger villages or cities in the lowlands. So we get surprised to still discover communities tucked deeper in the mountains.
Last year, we rented a building for gatherings in the village of Goskova, and the Korca church youth have started regular meetings there. Now our presence is more noticeable and opportunities for spreading the Gospel are greater. To celebrate Christmas, three separate events were organized – for the children, for the youth, and for the adults – all seeing the building fill up! Our church youth leader Vilson has taken on the responsibility to lead the ministry in Goskova, and has been doing it with obvious dedication. We are praying – and ask you to join us – for a team that would work in the village exclusively, so that nobody would be stretched too thin while wearing too many hats.
And now the cherry to top off the cake… You might remember that a few years back we arranged for The Jesus Storybook Bible by S. Lloyd-Jones to be translated in Albanian. Even more so, I, Vita, have always dreamt of seeing it in my mother tongue, Lithuanian. With many years of translating experience up my sleeve, I initiated the project and translated this amazing children’s Bible. The dream of 8 years came true this January, when the translation reached the bookstores. I’m extremely excited (and proud too), and have been hearing great reports from fellow Lithuanians!
Thank you for reading – and partnering with us!
Sean, Vita, Eva, Oliver, Eleonora, and Zigmas Mason
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Monday, March 04, 2019
The latest (news)!
Tuesday, August 09, 2016
Listen to a message Sean just shared at New Life Foursquare Church in Canby Oregon!
Just click this link to hear about some of the great things happening in Albania:
Tuesday, March 01, 2016
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
She's here!
Dear loved ones!
We are happy to announce that our little girl was born on April 8th, here in Vita's homeland, Lithuania!
Eleonora Louise is healthy and doing very well as it Vita. Eva & Oliver are crazy about their little sister and enjoy helping take care of her and giving her plenty of hugs and kisses!
Our love and greetings to you!
Sean, Vita, Eva, Oliver & Eleonora
Eva & Oliver meeting Eleornora for the first time!
Did we say they are crazy about her?!?
5 is better than 4!
Monday, February 23, 2015
Monday, April 21, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
a little late, but still our heart wish for you!
We had a wonderful CHRISTmas with Eva & Oliver as well as with our church family. Celebrating Christmas in a nation that knew no religion (or practiced no religion) for nearly half a decade during the communist era, is always special. This year more than before we saw fellow believers realize that Christmas is truly a bigger celebration than New Year's (the largest for most here). Without Jesus we would not have a new year!
May 2014 be a year of deeper understanding of Jesus' love for you!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Perfection or Honesty You Cannot Buy
We have two kids – a girl and a boy. So in the eyes of many we have reached the perfection, and should stop having children. When
I was pregnant with Eva, everybody wished me a boy. When I was expecting Oliver
– everybody still wished a boy. To attain the perfect duo, I suppose. And here
we are – raising both a girl and a boy. Now, Albanians love sharing their
opinions; with friends and strangers alike. So I should really stop getting surprised when some grandma on our first encounter honestly advises,
“Be careful now. Don’t make more babies.” I love to tease them by expressing my
liking of big families. In response they shake their heads with a confident,
“Two is enough.” And maybe they are right, after all. If we had a third child
and brought our perfect status quo to an end, there’d be no way back.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
What Is Your Address?
The other day I was browsing through an advertisement paper and amusing myself reading the addresses of some major appliances' stores throughout the country. A few of my favorites read: "Main avenue, "Xhevdet Neprevishta" neighbourhood" (in Lushnje), or in Elbasan: "Qemal Stafa" str., apartment building next to the former military base." (Mind you, these are large cities.) More often than not an address is "somewhere close to something former." So learning an address for a newcomer like me the enlightenment is double: I learn both where a certain store, office etc. is and, for instance, where a flour factory used to be.
With the advent of democracy in 1990, city planning in Albania went off the hook. Years later (some) illegally built structures were demolished, and some cities regained their shapes, yet others (like the capital Tirana) remain a maze.
The street name signs are in place, but if you want to find us in Korca, forget our address. You'll have more luck looking straight above the cinema (former cinema, to be more accurate), just below the water depot, and behind a tall green house. Alternatively, ask where a known writer Vangjush Ziko used to live or mention our neighbour's from across the street name.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Saturday, January 05, 2013
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
it's a boy!
it's our pleasure to introduce to you the newest member of our the Mason family
Oliver Kostas, born February 11, 2012 in Vilnius, Lithuania:
Oliver Kostas, born February 11, 2012 in Vilnius, Lithuania:
4.1kg, 54cm
Eva meeting her brother for the first time!
Eva is smitten with her brother!
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
soon, very soon!
we are in Lithuania (Vita's homeland) counting down the days until baby #2 is born. within the next week or two, we should be welcoming our newest son or daughter to our side of the world! we will keep you posted...
Monday, January 30, 2012
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Concept of Queuing
It’s been three years since I, Vita, moved to Albania, and still every time before making a trip to the post office or to pay bills I must make a resolution not to educate people on waiting in queue. As I am often taking Eva with me, being with a huge stroller I stand at a respective (in the eyes of a north-European) distance. More often than not people think that I am just lingering there for the fun of it…
Recently, as I’ve complained to a lady about jumping the line in front of me, she apologized explaining, “I thought men were waiting on the right, and the women on the left.” (Whereas I was lost somewhere in between.) How strange, thought I, and quickly started recollecting my recent queuing experiences. To my surprise, in most cases I could picture men crowding on one side, and women – on the other. Could it be yet another sign of Muslim-rooted gender separation? I inquired a friend of this phenomenon. And yes indeed, she confirmed that during the communist times women and men would form two separate queues. And at that time there was a lot of waiting in lines.
Now who would have thought that there is some logic in the absence of a queue (despite the wide-spread queue jumping)!
Recently, as I’ve complained to a lady about jumping the line in front of me, she apologized explaining, “I thought men were waiting on the right, and the women on the left.” (Whereas I was lost somewhere in between.) How strange, thought I, and quickly started recollecting my recent queuing experiences. To my surprise, in most cases I could picture men crowding on one side, and women – on the other. Could it be yet another sign of Muslim-rooted gender separation? I inquired a friend of this phenomenon. And yes indeed, she confirmed that during the communist times women and men would form two separate queues. And at that time there was a lot of waiting in lines.
Now who would have thought that there is some logic in the absence of a queue (despite the wide-spread queue jumping)!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
would you like to support the translation and printing of a Bible in the Albanian language?
My wife and I have a dream: to see the "Jesus Storybook Bible" translated and published in the Albanian language.
This Bible for children is unlike any other Bible we have seen. From the amazing illustrations/pictures to the wording, it is simply brilliant. Beyond those, it is not simply telling Bible stories but each and every story, both from the Old and New Testaments, points to the main story of the Bible...our Savior and Lord Jesus!
Since I was introduced to this Bible a couple years ago, I have said it is my favorite Bible! We read this to our six-month old daughter and believe it would be an amazing resource for Albania.
Here is a description and a link to the website:
The Moonbeam Award Gold Medal Winner in the religion category, The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories in the Bible. At the center of the Story is a baby, the child upon whom everything will depend. Every story whispers his name. From Noah to Moses to the great King David---every story points to him. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle---the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the Story unfolds, children will pick up the clues and piece together the puzzle. A Bible like no other, The Jesus Storybook Bible invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures, to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation---and at the center of their Story too.
Here is a link to what some think about this Bible: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2009/12/28/what-the-bible-is-not/
I have been in contact with the author as well with the owner of the international copyrights who is based in the UK. If anyone is interested I would love to discuss how we could partner to get this published in the Albanian language.
We have no experience of translating or publishing a book and our interest is not about anything other than getting this out as a resource for Albania. We strongly believe this is the BEST Bible for children we have ever seen...in all aspects.
Please take a look at the websites above and see for yourself how great this Bible is! Send us an email if you would be interested in partnering with us to get this published in the Albanian language!
Prayerfully hoping to see this published in Albanian,
Sean & Vita Mason
Mission Emanuel Church-Korce
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