They Said God Was Dead, But Three Women Never Stopped Praying

In 1967, Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha declared Albania the world’s first officially atheist state. Churches were demolished. Priests were imprisoned and executed. People with religious names were forced to legally change them. Owning a Bible could mean five years in prison. Hoxha declared that God was dead.

After Pearl Harbor, every foreign missionary had been expelled, and the small evangelical community they left behind slowly disappeared into silence. Yet during those fifty years of communism, three women in the city of Korçë prayed in rotating shifts so that someone was always before God, every hour of every day. They continued without stopping through the entire communist era, and when missionaries finally returned to Albania, the women were still praying.

As many of you know, Albania is a nation deeply close to my heart. I lived there for three months in 2024. This is a nation that once heard the Gospel from the Apostle Paul himself, yet today is considered one of the least reached nations in the 10/40 Window.

When I arrived last year, I encountered people who were lost without a shepherd. Albania had been shaped first by centuries under the Ottoman Empire, then by the brutal atheism of communism, and now by the growing influence of Western materialism. So many people are searching for something to fill the emptiness in their hearts, looking anywhere they can find meaning. Many young men are trapped in addiction. Others try to find their identity in money, success, or family tradition. It felt like hard ground, and my heart broke for the people there.

So when the opportunity came to return and serve at an evangelistic event focused not only on outreach, but on sending young Albanians and Kosovars into their neighbourhoods, nation, and the nations of the world, I did not hesitate. I had been praying for this for the last two years, and God far exceeded anything I imagined possible.

On our first night, we participated in The Send event at the Palace of Congresses in downtown Tirana. This building was originally constructed to spread communist ideology throughout the nation, yet now it was being used to proclaim the name of Jesus. People came from across Albania and Kosovo for the eight hour gathering. Throughout the day, more than 1,200 people attended. We saw 15 physical healings, 12 salvations, and many young people commissioned and sent into missions.

One of my favourite moments was praying with four young Kosovar boys during worship as they encountered the presence of God. They carried such a genuine burden to see their unreached nation transformed by the Gospel. After praying with each of them individually, we gathered together and prayed that God would use their friendship and brotherhood to impact their churches, neighbourhoods, and nation.

Throughout the event, I also had the opportunity to pray with many other Albanians as God stirred their hearts for the nations and called them into missions. I prayed with others for freedom from addiction, and I witnessed people physically healed.

After helping with The Send event, our team transitioned into a nationwide evangelism tour. We traveled to five of the largest cities in Albania, hosting street evangelistic events that included music, dancing, skits, testimonies, and Gospel presentations. During the days, we spread throughout the cities, sharing the Gospel personally and inviting people to the evening events.

Across the entire tour, we saw 315 people give their lives to Jesus, both in the streets and during the events. We also witnessed numerous physical healings.

One story that stood out happened before one of our travel days. My friend felt the Lord speak to him that He wanted to heal blind eyes. I had been open air preaching about my testimony and my struggle with depression during one of our events, when this man who was blind in one eye walked up directly beside Joseph. The man, who was battling depression himself, stopped to listen. Joseph asked if he could pray for him in the name of Jesus. After the first prayer, the man said the pain in his blind eye disappeared. After praying a second time, he said he could hear the depression leave him. He had never felt so much joy and peace. Then this Muslim man asked if he could know Jesus personally, and he gave his life to Christ.

Another powerful moment happened during one of our evangelism outreaches near a mosque. One of my friends felt led by the Lord to speak with two girls sitting outside. Only one of them understood English, so she translated the entire conversation and Gospel message for her friend. After hearing the Gospel explained, the girl responded, “I have never heard that story before. It is so beautiful. I want Jesus in my life.”

Less than thirty minutes later, my friend met two more girls in a nearby park, boldly shared the Gospel again, and both of them surrendered their lives to Jesus.

Many people have said Albania is hard ground, and at times I believed that too. But God is doing something new in this nation. He is awakening hearts, raising up evangelists and missionaries, and drawing people to Himself in a remarkable way. God is saying, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

For decades, Albania was told that God was dead. Yet all along, God was listening to the prayers of three faithful women who never stopped interceding. And today, we are witnessing the beginning of the harvest they prayed for.

Prayer Requests

Please be praying for me and our team:

• Our final South London tour of the quarter, as we continue evangelism and ministry across the city and look to finish this season well.

• Our mission camp in July (NAN Camp), where we will host 250 young people, commission them to live all in for Jesus, and launch 5 outreaches into different parts of Europe.

• I will be leading one of those outreach teams to Durrës, Albania, stepping into continued evangelism and ministry in the nation.

• I will be taking part in a men’s fashion show in Milan, with the opportunity to engage with and serve men in the fashion industry, carrying the presence of Jesus into that environment.

• My sister and her husband will be visiting in early June, which will be a meaningful time together and encouragement in this season.

Thank you for your prayers and support. Together, we are seeing lives changed and the Gospel advanced.

Grace and Peace,

Cameron