Location: Southeastern Europe, between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north
Population: 3,057,220, with 18% under the age of 15 (source – CIA The World Factbook)
Thank you for bringing Good News and great joy to a child living in Albania. Your shoebox gift was one of 15,304 sent to Albania from the UK in 2019.
We thank God for the thousands of children that have received shoeboxes here since Operation Christmas Child began distributions. While we are not able to provide pictures or information on the specific child who received your individual shoebox, we hope you will be inspired by the photos and stories below.
“This year we have distributed the gift boxes in some remote villages of Tropoja. It was a great blessing as very rarely is someone thinking of doing something in these villages. The distribution happened before the end of the school. The children were delighted with their gifts and we had the privilege to share the gospel with the kids, their parents and teachers.”
– Local Ministry Partner
Little Albie received a shoebox gift while in hospital and enjoyed exploring each item inside his treasure chest. The local volunteers also showed him how to play with a Yo-Yo for the first time.
“In our village, Operation Christmas Child has been a huge blessing. It was an opportunity for children and families to come to church, and many never heard about our faith before. It was great to see our young people involved in giving out gifts.
We held an outreach event in a very small village that people hardly ever visit. There were 36 children in the school. While we were there, many parents heard about it and came to thank us for coming, as no one had visited them in a long time! We built good relationships with families, and our church is now helping some of the poor families. There was a 12-year-old girl there who had just become a mother; we are helping her, and she is also attending our The Greatest Journey club.”
– Local Ministry Partner
After receiving a shoebox gift last year Aida had the opportunity to take part in The Greatest Journey bible study programme. After 12 fun interactive sessions she graduated and received a New Testament Bible. She enjoyed reading her Bible so much that she has read it three times already and bookmarked her favourite parts!
Operation Christmas Child invests in building National Leadership Teams made up of trained local volunteers and staff within over 100 countries. These teams then work alongside many Regional Leadership teams who in turn train local church leaders and teachers. In Albania 5 teams are working with 86 ministry partners (teams of volunteers in local churches) to make Operation Christmas Child and The Greatest Journey possible each year!
Each shoebox gift delivered by Operation Christmas Child is a tangible expression of God’s amazing love. But a shoebox is just the beginning. After receiving a shoebox gift, children have the opportunity to enrol in The Greatest Journey – 12 fun and interactive Bible lessons, where they get the chance to discover who Jesus is and how to begin their own journey of faith. At the end of the course they get to experience a graduation ceremony where they receive a New Testament in their own language.
The Greatest Journey is taught by local volunteers who have been trained to deliver the programme. It is offered free of charge, without obligation and with the consent of the child’s parent or guardian. Over 14,705 children in Albania have enrolled in this programme since it started.
You can be a part of helping us “go and make disciples of all nations” as Jesus commanded. Sign up for a monthly gift of £5, and each year you will give 12 children study materials, a New Testament, and the opportunity to share their faith with family and friends. Learn more
Thank you so much for packing a shoebox gift and sending love and hope to a child in need. Your generosity makes such a difference!
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