Joys and problems of being a Christian in Kosovo

It was fascinating last night hearing Gani Smolica talk about his work in Albania and Kosovo to an audience at Rising Brook Baptist Church in Stafford.

In a previous blog I explained that when European Christian Missionary Stephen Bell was going on home leave in 1993 to get married he needed someone to look after the four churches in Albania while he was away.

He decided the ideal person was his friend Gani, but it would mean him giving up a good university job and persuading his family to leave Kosovo for what he called “his promised land of Albania”.

While their children were not too keen on the idea, Gani’s mother was horrified. But on January 15, 1993, the family, who were now supported by the European Christian Mission, left Prishtina in Kosovo by truck and by bus going to their new home in Tirana.

Gani, pictured below at Stafford, explained how difficult it was for his family at first to adapt to life in Albania, which was much poorer, and also to get used to schools in Tirana.

However, the Smolicas adapted to their new existence and stayed in Albania for seven years until June 2000 when they left to work for the mission in their home town of Peja, Kosovo.

Although there are evangelical churches in most towns of Kosovo with its beautiful countryside and mountains there are still only a few Christians in this mainly Muslim country.

Despite the problems for people converting to Christianity the church is growing. We were also impressed to hear how Gani is working to build bridges between minority groups in the country such as the Romanys.

However, it is difficult, particularly for the young, to be a Christian in Kosovo. Gani said it was not unusual for a child to be the only Christian in a school of more than 1,000.

Also it was hard for girls later on in life to marry a Christian boy when there were so few in the country.

We need to give thanks for the growing church there but also to pray for those Christians whose lives are so much tougher than in many other parts of Europe.

There’s more of the Smolicas’ story in God’s Secret Listener, published by Lion/Hudson/Monarch of Oxford.

To order a signed copy email John@jbutterworth.plus.com