The following post is from Bob Newell, one of CBF’s field personnel in Athens, Greece.

I knew that Petriti would be a great candidate to serve as PORTA’s acting manager while Janice and I were away for nearly four months on off-field assignment. But, Petriti, a committed follower of Christ who prefers to think of himself as a “behind the scenes” man, was initially quite hesitant to serve. After prayer and conversation, I convinced this young, thirty-something, construction worker who has already served as my apprentice to take the big challenge.

Just days before we departed for the States, Petriti came to me with a worried look on his face. “Bob,” he said, “I have been thinking. You have some advantages that I don’t have. You are an older man, and Albanians respect older men; you are an American, and Albanians love Americans; and, you are a [missions worker] and Albanian believers look up to these workers and give them much deference. But I have none of those characteristics. This job will be harder for me than it is for you.” 

“That’s right,” I said, with a mixture of compassion and firmness. “You will have to earn the respect that you get while doing this job! And I shall pray that God will help you to earn it”

A few days later, we departed for the States. With trust in God, Petriti had courageously agreed to oversee the ministries and make the essential, daily discernments associated with coordinating the facility, schedule, logistics and budgets and navigating the predictable conflicts among the staff and between the clients of the busy ministry center known locally as PORTA – the Albania House in Athens. I never worried while we were away. Petriti, wanting desperately to allow me to rest and not to obsess over PORTA, called me only three times while I was away.

When Janice and I returned to Athens, one of my first priorities was to sit down with Petriti and receive an accounting of his work. I was amazed at his attention to detail and the meticulous manner in which, in his desire to brief me completely on “how things went” while I was away, he had kept records. He had a log of every telephone call he had received and an accounting of every Euro cent that he had spent in the dispatch of his duties. He gave me “back story” on a couple of tense situations which he had brokered and gave me his assessment of the performance of the remainder of the staff. I was smiling on the inside and on the outside as I affirmed Petriti for his good work and gave him the small cross-shaped trophy inscribed with the scripture: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 3:13)

And then Petriti said this to me: “Bob,” he said, “I am a construction worker; I know construction; and I can recognize a good foundation when I see one. PORTA has a good foundation. You have done a good job in building a firm foundation for this ministry!”

Well, I nearly cried, as I hugged Petriti and said goodbye to him. Driving back home through the chaotic, strike-prone and sometimes violent streets of Athens, now with real tears in my eyes, I thanked God that, indeed, PORTA’s foundation is solid and her future leadership is growing stronger by the day! Janice and I have dreamed and hoped that this final chapter in our careers might result in a kingdom kind of something that is helpful, viable, sustainable and lasting. By God’s grace, I believe it’s happening!