Worker Profile: Rafael and Solange Tartari

Service program: transForm
Serving since: 2011

Assignment:
Rafael pastors the local church in Lezhë by sharing the good news, teaching disicipleship, and training local people to be future leaders in the church. Rafael and Solange help assist in church
worship. They regularly make contact with people who have not yet heard the good news of the gospel, most recently by visiting prisoners.

Biggest challenge:
It has been hard to sometimes see young people who have made a decision to follow Jesus actually being prevented from coming to church by their parents. Also, a number of young believers in our church have left our city of Lezhë, and sometimes even the country, in search of employment.

Biggest joy:
Our greatest joy is to plant the seeds of the gospel and see it grow and multiply in the hearts of those who accept, or “knowing Jesus and making him known.” It fills our hearts with gladness to see new believers with a desire to follow Jesus.

A typical day:
On a typical weekday, our routine is to get up and get our children ready for school in the morning. Afterwards, Rafael goes to the church and usually meets believers for discipleship and conversation and often with non-believers to share the good news with them. In the afternoon, we have meetings of ministries in the church, such as prayer meetings, women’s or men’s meetings, etc. On Sundays we have our main church service, inviting everyone to worship God and embrace a life of faith in Jesus.