Life-changing decision for the Smolicas

Eighteen years ago this week Gani and Adile Smolica, pictured below, and their three children made a life-changing decision.

Gani decided to give up a good university job in Prishtina and to move his family from Kosovo and go to what Gani called ‘his promised land of Albania’.

A few months previously Stephen Bell had invited them to come to Albania and look after four churches in Tirana, Patos, Fier and Berat, while he took time off to return home to get married.

Stephen decided Gani was the ideal person as he had been on a three-month Bible course, was excellent at encouraging new Albanian Christians to grow in the faith, as well as answering radio listeners’ letters, translating documents and helping new missionaries adjust to the country.

Understandably, their children were not too keen on the idea, nor was a horrified Gani’s mother who said to Adile: “Tell him not to go, and don’t take the children.”

But on January 15, 1993, the family, who were now supported by the European Christian Mission, left Prishtina by truck and by bus and for political reasons drove to their new home in Tirana, via Macedonia.

It was a difficult time and a tough baptism for the Smolica family.

Gani said: “I was a spiritual sheep and a shepherd at the same time. I had had hardly any training, so I was learning from Stephen and then teaching others.”

Adile said: “It was difficult bringing up the children there.” After the relatively good lifestyle in Kosovo, she found life in Albania much harder.

“I couldn’t find any meat to buy and nowhere was very clean,” she admitted.

However, just as they were settling down to life in Tirana, Stephen left them on Sunday, March 14, to go home to England and Germany for his wedding.

He handed over full responsibility for the Fier, Berat, Tirana and Patos churches to Gani.

However, the Smolica family soon adapted to their new home as did Gani  to his new role - and they stayed there for seven years.

To find out more about their story email John@jbutterworth.plus.com for a signed copy of God’s Secret Listener, published by Lion/Hudson/Monarch, for £6 including postage within the UK, or £8 abroad.