After the Lord provided enough money for my airline ticket, I left for Tirana, Albania, full of faith and trusting Him every step of the way on October 31st, 1995.
When I arrived at the airport the director of the Bible school was supposed to pick me up, but there was no sign of anyone. I had been given an address and phone number for the school, so I hired a taxi and asked the driver to take me to the address. When we arrived, I discovered it was an old address. The people next door told me that the Bible school had moved from that location over a year earlier. So, the taxi driver took me to a phone booth, and the phone number was disconnected.
Here I was in Triana Albania with no address or phone number, so I asked in prayer what to do.
The Lord reminded me of some people on the airplane talking about the Stephen Hotel, so I asked the taxi driver if he knew where it was, and he said he did. So, he drove me there.
When I walked into the hotel, I went to the front desk and asked if anyone knew anything about VBI or a man named Larry Johnson. No one recognized either name. However, someone pointed to a man sitting at a nearby table and suggested that I ask him.
I walked over and asked him if he knew anything about VBI or Larry Johnson and he said sure I do Larry is at the airport picking up a man by the name of Jerry to bring him here so I can help him find a place to stay. I reached out to shake his hand and told him I am Jerry, he then responded and asked me where is Larry? I told him he did not pick me up and I showed him the phone number and address I had, and he told me they had moved from that address several years ago. He could not believe that Larry did not pick me up and I just walked into the hotel and introduced myself to him.
He looked at me with complete amazement and asked, “How did you find me?”
I told him I heard some people talk about Stephen Hotel on the plane and after the phone number I called was disconnected and the address was an old one, I asked our Lord in prayer what to do.
He still had a hard time believing how God led me to the very place where he was waiting.
He then told me he was there to help me find a hotel. I replied, “The Lord doesn’t want me to stay in a hotel. He wants me to live with an Albanian family so I can spend time with the people.”
He looked surprised and said, “No one has ever done that before.”
I asked, “Do you know any Albanian families?”
He smiled and said, “Yes, I do.”
Before long, he introduced me to a wonderful Albanian family, and they graciously opened their home to me. During the entire time I was teaching at the Bible school, I had the privilege of living with them. It was a great blessing for my time in Albania. I was able to experience their daily lives, learn about their culture, build lasting friendships, and witness firsthand how God provides for those who are willing to trust Him completely.
This experience taught me once again that when we surrender our plans to the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to direct our steps, He is always faithful. Even when we cannot see the way ahead, God has already prepared the path before us.