Long before she ever stepped into a pulpit, Pastor Euxhenia Bregasi was just a curious little girl following her younger sister Restiola into a small church down the street. They weren\u2019t raised in a Christian home, faith was not discussed, and religion was something met with scepticism or silence. But in that little church, infused with songs, smiles and stories about Jesus, something began to grow inside them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still remember the very first day,\u201d Euxhenia recalls. \u201cThe hugs, the joy \u2014 it was overwhelming. We had never felt that kind of welcome before.\u201d What began as innocent curiosity grew into commitment. Sabbath School became their spiritual classroom. \u201cIt was the first place I learned how to pray; held a Bible and felt peace,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Restiola remembers a Christmas children\u2019s programme that forever marked her heart. \u201cI couldn\u2019t shake the feeling I had experienced in that church. I felt a warm, loving, peaceful atmosphere that I hadn\u2019t known anywhere else, with virtual strangers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the path wasn\u2019t easy, especially in a home where faith was strongly discouraged, church became a refuge. Volunteers, teachers and other members stood by them, prayed with them and modelled the love of Christ. Through prayer, they persevered. In secret, they studied. Eventually, the girls made a decision that would change everything: baptism.<\/p>\n The pastor at the time, S\u00e9rgio Borges, and his wife, Adriana Borges, closely accompanied their journey. \u201cDespite the challenges they faced in gaining permission from their family, they remained steadfast. Their father eventually gave his approval, and they were baptised at the first Albanian Mission (AM) Pathfinder Camporee,\u201d recalls Borges. \u201cSince then, God has honoured their faith, and we are so proud to see what they have become.\u201d<\/p>\n Years later, Euxhenia is now a pastor, and both sisters are actively serving in the Adventist Church. \u201cIt all started in a children\u2019s programme,\u201d they say.<\/p>\n And their story isn\u2019t the only one.<\/p>\n Seeds Being Planted in Albania Today<\/strong><\/p>\n Across Albania, local churches are embracing the power of children\u2019s ministries to plant seeds of hope, just as they did for the Bregasi sisters.<\/p>\n At Tirana Central Church, children await the annual summer camp organised in partnership with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) office in Albania. Entering its third year, this initiative \u201coffers not just games and crafts but a meaningful space where children grow socially and emotionally,\u201d explains Delmar Reis, president. \u201cVolunteers from Albania and abroad help make it possible, pouring love into every detail.\u201d<\/p>\n In Elbasan, the fourth most populous city in Albania, the church doors open each week to children, many of whom come from non-Christian families. Through Bible stories, songs, games and creativity, these little ones encounter Jesus in ways that speak their language. \u201cThe meetings aren\u2019t just programmes; they\u2019re opportunities for transformation,\u201d says Bregasi, who now serves in Elbasan.<\/p>\n In the mountain region of Kor\u00e7\u00eb, Sunday mornings are filled with laughter and music. \u201cFor over two years, children have gathered for Bible stories, playtime and even creative programmes like MasterChef<\/em>, where they learn about healthy eating in fun, interactive ways,\u201d explains local Adriel Henke the local pastor. \u201cAt Christmas, more than 200 children receive gifts \u2014 a tangible expression of God\u2019s love.\u201d<\/p>\n And in the nearby village of Dishnice, children, mostly from Muslim backgrounds, gather every week for the same joyful experience: Bible stories, songs and play.<\/p>\n Natieli Schaffer, AM Children\u2019s Ministry Director, comments on the programmes: \u201cAll these initiatives, big and small, share one goal: to help children meet Jesus. Not just in words, but in action. Not just once, but consistently.\u201d<\/p>\n Convinced that all it takes is a seed, Schaffer concludes, \u201cIf you ever wonder whether it makes a difference, just think of Restiola and Euxhenia.\u201d<\/p>\n [Photos: Courtesy of the Abanian Mission]. How Albanian Children\u2019s Ministries Are Inspiring a New Generation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":22946,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1580,1569,1570,1583,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albania-croatia-slovenia","category-communication-media-technology","category-discipleship-spiritual-growth","category-estonia-latvia-lithuania","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22945"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23036,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22945\/revisions\/23036"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Euxhenia](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/BAPTISM-copy-630.jpg\")
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\nFeatured image: Tirana Central Church Children’s Ministry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"