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Along with much of the Balkans, Albania is experiencing a heatwave, with the temperatures between 38 - 42°C. We don't have air-conditioning, so we close our house up at 9am in the mornings, and open it again around 9pm once the temperature drops to below 30°C. Last night when we opened the house up, it filled with the smell of smoke from the forest fires. 

On a very different note, Refika and her husband Çlirim (pronounced Chleereem) moved from Berat (near Poliçan) to Tirana early this year, and now live within about 10 mins walk from our place. Refika has been a Christian for about five years, along with three of their four adult children. After they moved, Refika contacted a friend who goes to our church, and since then she has been a regular member of our church and has joined Féy's Bible study group.

One day about six weeks ago, she and her husband were out walking and bumped into Bujar and Shkëndia (good friends from our church). They started to talk about Bujar and Murray's weekly visits to Poliçan and Çlirim asked if he could go with them. Refika was mortified that he had asked, and thought he would just go to meet with his friends and drink raki.

We all encouraged Refika that it would be fine for Çlirim to go, if not just because he would get to know Bujar and Murray during the two hour drive each way.

Çlirim did meet up with his friends on that visit, but only for a short time, and then he joined the Bible study group in Poliçan. He is now a regular member of the team that goes to Poliçan and is learning about the Gospel and what it means to be a Christian! He is an avid reader, and diligently does his homework in preparation for each study, and he now regularly attends the weekly church services. It is obvious that God is working, and his family are amazed at what is happening in his life.

The visits to Poliçan have finished for the month of August, and will resume in September. Please pray for plans for the coming new 'academic' year.