We are continuing our series of introducing everyone to CrossWay's mission partners. This week we have the privilege of David, Yulia, and Anthony Beatty who live in Albania. Why don’t you start by giving us some background information? Tell us about your family, where you are living, and a little bit about what it’s like to live there.
I, David, am a “village” boy whereas my wife, Yulia, is a “big city” girl hailing from Minsk, the capital city of the former Communist country of Belarus (Population 3 million whereas my “village” has a population of 300!!). We live and minister in the “big city” of Tirana, capital of the Muslim country of Albania. We have one son, Tosha, and are expecting another baby (a boy) in November.
Recently the U.S. news reported a massive explosion at a munitions depot near your home in Tirana. What has been the effect of that incident?
The effect for us Christians was to bring different churches together in a common cause of compassion. Twenty-five people were killed by the two big explosions, and over 1,600 homes were damaged or destroyed. One of those killed was a believer from a church indirectly planted by our church (called “Kisha e Perendise) in the village of Marikaj. In an effort to help this church and others made homeless by the disaster, two other churches have helped by contributing clothes and food.
What are you doing there in Albania? Tell us about your work in Tirana.
We desire by the grace of our Lord and Savior to… “Raise Up Leaders Today, to Reach Other Muslims Tomorrow.” We are trusting the Lord to raise up leaders in the context of our Campus Crusade for Christ International(CCCI) ministry and in our local church (called “Guri I Themelit”) by training up believers who came to Christ out of Islam (CCCI and local church), and training up Albanian staff and others with CCCI. We train individually through one-on-one personal mentoring and in groups through training courses (12 course curriculum in Bible and Theology) designed to optimize interaction/discussion and personal application and designed to instill a BIG heart for reaching other Muslims.
What are you working towards long-term?
The goal of raising up leaders in Albania and beyond who have a BIG heart for Muslims is to see these leaders become effectively trained missionaries reaching Muslims in Eastern Europe/Russia and beyond; “Reach Other Muslims Tomorrow!”
Why are you doing what you’re doing? Why have you decided to spend your life like this?
God’s grace is all the more magnified, and His glory all the more increased when he uses the weak (the insignificant, poor people of Albania, Yulia, and especially myself) to accomplish His glorious purposes, the reaching of over 1 billion Muslims with the good news of Jesus Christ! Why? The glorious King of kings and Lord of lords is worthy of such! I want to live “My Utmost for His Highest!” (Phil.1:21, Sanders)
How can we be praying for you?
- Praise God! We are expecting another baby boy sometime in November.
- Pray for Yulia’s pregnancy in light of many upcoming transitions we are facing.
- Pray for Turi and Endriti who face adverse pressures from their Muslim families.
- Pray for our new church leader, Dori Melaj, to grow his responsibilities as administrator and to “preach the incomparable riches of Christ” – Ephesians 3:6.
- Pray for our upcoming church baptismal service in which 16 believers will be baptized.
