Dream Academy has started!
We’re thrilled that we could start a 3-4 year program for children with their parent in prison, in which we provide them additional, quality experiences, practical information and training so that they can build their dreams and make them come true!
Check our website soon for regular updates!
What little we can offer
Orjana’s mom is depressed. Her sister committed suicide, one of her brothers is addicted to drugs and another is in prison and her father died recently of grief. It makes me think of the blackest psalms of David:
How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me? Psalms 13:1
Our chaplains and social workers meet situations like Orjana’s all the time. Often heartbreaking, and complicated if it comes to ‘solutions’. Fortunately for Orjana we found a local church ready to meet Orjana and her mom almost every day. And when she’s old enough we will take her into the Dream Academy.
Churches inside prisons
We’ve told you before about our mission to build churches inside prisons.
There are 7 places now where men and women meet, pray with each other and care for each other. Every time our colleagues come back from prison with encouraging stories:
– One of the men had his son deadly ill . In front of all other men he testified: “I did not speak to Him, but still God answered my prayer”.
– A young girl finds a safe job in a miraculous way when she wants to to take care for her family, just a couple of hours after she shares this with our chaplain.
– We had trouble getting started in a couple of prisons, but with Gods help we found the right volunteers, got permission of the authorities and are now establishing new groups of men that we could not reach before.
And still.. there are many inmates unreached, unaware of the Living Hope that can become theirs. God promises that they can become a Living Hope themselves- 1 Pet.1:3
You want to be part of this great ministry?
Here’s how you can join us:
– Pray for us. Pray that this special privilege that is granted to us will continue and that we will respond to it wisely.
– Support us with regular donations. This page offers several options.
– Ask for specific ways to cooperate. You can sponsor a ‘Dreamer’ on our Dream Academy, or for the successful rehabilitation of an ex-prisoner.
Your support makes a difference, and enables us to continue our work!
May God bless you abundantly
Fred Westerink
director Shkbsh Prison Fellowship Albania
So happy to hear about the good things God has placed in your heart to help prisoners and their families together.
I bless your work and I hold you in prayer. Proud of you!
Keep up the good works. God bless.
Great work made with love, congratulations especially to the work done in Fushe Kruja by Festim.
Blesses
Greetings to you. I am from America (Pennsylvania) and just found this website on my search and am glad that you are in Albania. I have come to Albania for many years to connect with the local people. I just arrived home from there in the latter part of May. Do you go into the max prison near the center? I have a friend who was in Albania on mission work, established a foundation there for a number of years and has been in prison there for many years. If you do go into this prison, and ask for this man to be involved in your ministry there. He needs encouragement to remain strong and filled with faith. While there for all these years, he is a light in the darkness and has favor with all those who are in authority. Thank you. Mary
Dear Mary,
Good to hear from you. And how encouraging to hear that you come for many years to Albania.
We are for sure active in the prison where your friend is serving his sentence. Don’t know if you have seen our update “http://www.shkbsh.com/and-to-bring-freedom-to-the-prisoners/ ” where he even shares his testimony in our cermon.
Please contact me if you like through email, and perhaps we can meet a next time that you are back in Albania again.
May God bless you abundantly,
Fred Westerink
f.westerink@shkbsh.com