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Albania Tour October 2010

October 10-27, 2010

Proclaim! band Mercy Street Rhythm & Blues

Tour Support: $1450 + airfare

albania outdoor.jpg

Band leader: John Bowers

Tour leader: Bob Johnson

Support: $1450 + airfare

Arrive & depart: Tirana, Albania

Dates:

October 10 depart USA

October 11 arrive Tirana

October 27 return

Albanians continue to be the most responsive peoples in Europe to the gospel. Yet, according to the General Secretary of the Albanian Evangelical Alliance and other key leaders, the evangelical churches in Albania have decreased from about 20,000 members to about 11,000 in the past few years. This is due to falling away, the increased distractions of materialism, and severe economic recession that fuels increasing legal and illegal immigration. The churches of Albania have to grow by 20% per year just to stay even. There is real discouragement among many Albanian church leaders and at the same time a growing recognition that the churches need to be much more purposeful in evangelism.

In light of this situation, New Life Institute (Campus Crusade) has decided to initiate a new national and long term movement of evangelism on the campuses and communities in cooperation with local churches across the country. They have concluded that the start of the new academic year in October, 2010, is the best time to launch this movement and that a Proclaim! International Mercy Street tour that will include concerts at all their university campus ministries Albania will be the first strategic event in this initiative.

----Click Here to Apply----

----Scroll down for Personnel Needs:----

----Click Here to hear samples of the music of Mercy Street R&B

Position

Status

Requirements

1

Lead Guitar

Filled

2

Guitar 2

Filled

3

Bass

Filled

4

Drums

Filled

5

Keyboard

· experienced player having the ability to read music (notation as well as chord charts)

· ability to play in a variety of styles including R&B, rock, and jazz

6

Trombone

Filled

7

Trumpet

· experienced player having the ability to read music

· ability to play in a variety of styles including R&B, rock, and jazz

· sufficient stamina to play lead parts for a 90 minute concert

8

Alto Sax

Filled

9

Tenor / Bari Sax

Filled

10

Flute

Filled

11

Female Vocalist

Filled

12

Female Vocalist (2 needed)

· ability to read music

· possibility of lead singing based on audition, style requirements and need

· experience singing a wide variety of styles (R&B, rock, jazz)

14

Sound Tech

· excellent hearing

· ability to trouble shoot problems

· broad experience with audio equipment and sound technology especially with live sound ( e.g. outdoors, large and small venues)

· an understanding of electronics and acoustics

· patience, attention to detail, and the ability to concentrate for long periods

16

Sound Tech Assistant (2 needed)

· physical strength and stamina

· experience with audio equipment and sound technology

· ability to follow direction from others

17

Video Tech

Filled

18

Video Tech Assistant (2 needed)
1 of 2 filled
· experience with live video projection technologies

· experience operating professional level video camera (helpful, not required)

· ability to follow direction from others

20

Lighting Tech

· experience with live stage lighting equipment and lighting design

· have an aptitude for electrical work and electronics

· have creative flair

· be able to work quickly and creatively as part of a team

· have patience, stamina, physical agility and a head for heights.

21

Lighting Tech Assistant (2 needed)

· experience with live stage lighting technologies (helpful, not required)

· ability to follow direction from others

· have patience, stamina, physical agility and a head for heights.

SUCCESSFUL TOUR IN POLAND & UKRAINE

outland banner The Outlanders team to Poland and Ukraine had a full schedule starting with 2 days of rehearsal and including 2 days of travel and 10 events. Only 2 concerts had to be cancelled because of weather but the team resourcefully came up with alternative ministry strategies to make the most of the time.

LINK TO TOUR PHOTOS

Read about tour encounters:

Marjorie Proclaim-France

Andrew Proclaim-France

Chris Proclaim-Germany

TOUR REPORT - RUSS SPEISER

MARJORIE Proclaim-France

Down by the River

Rabka, Poland

Down by the river, where we were told most people don't like to go, was a shanty bar with men and women scattered around drinking beer in the hot sun. There we set up for our concert with blurry-eyed onlookers watching the unfolding curiosity.

After 3 hours of set-up and another 1 hour and half of the concert, the climax came where all the team had a chance to visit with the people and share their life story and why Outlanders had come to their city. I looked around for someone to talk with and then I saw Margaret's group. They didn't really look like the others at the river. Margaret and her 6 friends seemed to go down to the river because it was comfortably away from the average pace of life. Perhaps a little more raw than the other bars they frequented. I walked toward their group, sat down at the edge and began asking questions. Does anyone here speak english? Just a little. Do you live here? Some said yes, Margaret said no. After a few awkward smiles, and some curious looks at each other than at me, someone asked… where do you live? I'm from Canada but I live in Paris. Two of the group smiled then left to get another drink from the little run down bar.

Suddenly, a fellow from across the way, who had obviously been drinking all night, came over to me and tried to strike up a romantic conversation. Perfect timing as it gave me the opportunity to scoot over in the seat vacated by Margaret's friends. I was now right in the middle of the group, who were all laughing sympathetically at me as the drunk guy gave up and left muttering to himself. Margaret began talking and as she was asking different questions, I immediately noticed a warmth and openness in her. I moved again and sat right beside her. And there began a conversation that quickly turned toward the reality of living in Poland, then to where purpose could be found and then ultimately toward Jesus Christ and hope for eternity. She was ready and open as I shared my testimony and other stories. I asked her if she wanted this same hope that had led me to a new life. She said yes and she accepted Christ as her personal Saviour. We talked more, making it clear what it meant to be a child of God. After awhile it was time that I left the group to help finish packing up as it was after midnight. She indicated that she would see me again at the next concert in a different part of the city. I said good bye to the group, who I found out then had been listening to our conversation, and walked away with the joy of knowing that they all had heard the way to accepting Jesus Christ personally for themselves.

Down by the river, where most people don't like to go, Margaret met Jesus and I gained a new friend. I may not see her again in this life time but I will pray for her and hold her in my heart each time I remember Poland and a little town called Rabka where a new river of life and hope runs through the heart of the city.

ANDREW Proclaim-France

andrew poland web After the first Poland concert, God drew me to 16-year-old Christophe. He really opened up to me because of his interest in a specific kind of computer programming that I'm specialized in. Eventually, as I moved the conversation to faith topics, I wondered why I was speaking in such philosophical terms. Am I just confusing him?, I wondered. Christophe said my questions were hard and he needed time to think about them. I told him that was ok -- but I wanted him to come back to our Sunday concert with answers. He did! We spoke at length about faith and works, what God wants from us... and about his main struggle: how to be a Christian and a philosopher.

Although he hadn’t told me previously, Christophe is a deep thinker. But his friends and family criticize him, telling him to stop thinking and "just believe.” He had few role models in the faith, and none who affirmed him in using the intellect for Christ. I also challenged his universalist ideas and encouraged him to make contact with the local church. Nearly crying, Chistophe confided that he had never been able to speak freely with anyone about these things.

CHRIS Proclaim-Germany

chris message web After our last concert with The Outlanders in Ukraine so many kids wanted autographs that it was very difficult to share the gospel with any of them. My translator was obviously overwhelmed by the mob of people talking all at once. It was just too difficult for her to keep up so I decided to sign as many autographs as I could and then see who was still there. This worked well and soon there was a much more manageable group of people.

One of the kids in the crowd could speak decent English and began translating for me. My other translator acknowledged that he was doing a good job so we continued. I asked the group to follow me to a quieter spot and began to ask them what they thought of our concert. Many liked the music, and when I asked about the message almost all of them said simply, “It was good.” They admitted that they did not completely understand the message and agreed that I should explain it again. I told them that God designed us to have a relationship with him, and I shared my salvation story with them again, explaining how I learned that Jesus offered a new heart and forgiveness as a free gift and that when I received the gift my life had changed. I told them they could talk to Jesus then and there to receive the gift that He was offering. We could ask him to forgive us, receive forgiveness and ask for the new heart and then commit to follow him. Nine kids prayed with me – including my translator!

It was great to talk with so many at once who wanted to receive Jesus. Two of them, my new translator and a girl named Kate, were especially moved. I spoke with my translator alone afterwards asked him what he was feeling. He said he was very happy but could not explain more than that. I told him that he should connect with some other believers at the evangelical church youth group to discuss what they had all just experienced. I encouraged him to go there to learn how to pray and read scripture. Our sponsor was there when all this happened and immediately invited them to attend their youth group meetings. He also collected their contact info. It was the quickest follow-up I have ever witnessed on tour.