9 October 2025 | Tirana, Albania [Sarah Henke with tedNEWS]
In April 2025, the Albanian Mission (AM) launched Të bashkuara në Lutje (“United in Prayer”), a nationwide online initiative bringing Adventist women together to strengthen their faith and fellowship through prayer. Organised by the Women’s Ministries department, the group provides weekly opportunities to share prayer requests and gratitude, and monthly online meetings for collective prayer, testimonies and devotionals.
For Natiéli Schäffer, AM Women’s Ministries director, the inspiration came from her own experience. “I took part in a prayer project organised by the worldwide Adventist Church on Instagram, and it deeply touched me. And then I thought: why not create something similar here in Albania? Since we have few churches scattered across the country, an online prayer group seemed like the best way to keep our women connected and encourage a stronger prayer life.”
What began as a simple gathering has become, for many, an answer to prayer. Bárbara Perazzoli, one of the participants, explains, “I had been asking God for some time to create a way to unite His people in Albania in prayer. So the very existence of this group is an answered prayer! The group helps me to feel closer to my Adventist sisters. We can share what is happening in our lives, the joys as well as the challenges, and receive support from one another.”
These meetings are more than routine; they create moments of profound spiritual connection. Bárbara recalls one such experience. “A very special moment for me was the devotional about God being a God who sees us. It was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. Sometimes I feel lonely, so it is good to remember that God sees me and that I am never alone.” Another participant, Alma Treska, adds, “It is a very special time that we spend together as Adventist women, sharing many things about God, as well as our problems, concerns and thanksgiving to our Lord. And then we pray together for all of these. So much prayer, so much strength.”
Both leaders and participants agree that the power of the group lies not only in prayer itself, but in the bonds formed through it. As Natiéli emphasises, “Praying together allows us to experience God’s presence in a powerful way. Alone we can pray, but together we encourage each other and create bonds that go beyond the meeting itself.”
More than a WhatsApp group or a monthly Zoom call, Të bashkuara në Lutje has become a ministry of fellowship. “Little by little, I see that the participants recognise this as a safe and loving space, where they can open their hearts, find comfort in sadness and celebrate together in joy,” emphasises Natiéli. As Bárbara adds, these moments of shared prayer serve as “a reminder that where two or three gather in His name, God is present.”
[Photo: Sarah Henke].
