Gospel Programming from The Tide® Ministry Helps Albanian Parents Through Difficult Situations

HARRISBURG, Pa.—The COVID-19 global pandemic has forced people into isolation worldwide, including in Albania, where The Tide® (www.thetide.org) global radio ministry has shared the Gospel over the airwaves since 2015.

“But when we open our hearts to the Gospel, we are never alone,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “Christ is always with us, to the end of time, and all of us at The Tide ministry are praying for every listener in every corner of the world who is going through difficulty—whether sickness, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job or feelings of isolation, worry or fear.”

Like in many other countries, schools and churches in Albania remain closed, activities have been cancelled, any many families are experiencing unprecedented challenges. Amid all this, however, many are finding hope through a program called “Sipas Fjales”—meaning “According to the Word”—which airs through The Tide ministry throughout parts of Albania and Kosovo—and beyond due to online efforts and media downloads.

Aleksander from Shkoder in Albania reports that he is a single father of four children, raising them alone after his wife died three years ago. He shared with The Tide partners more about his journey to Jesus.

“It has been a huge challenge for me to go to work and at the same time help my kids to grow up and be healthy and smart,” Aleksander said. “One day, my daughter came to me and talked about Jesus. She asked me to go to church with her, but I had a bad experience with churches in orthodox religion. I want to please my sweet daughter, but I’m done with church. My daughter gave me a solar-powered radio. It was on that device that I heard for the first time about Jesus. Pastor K was sharing about this personal relationship I have never heard before. I began to listen regularly to the program ‘Sipas Fjales’ twice a week. Now I understand that Jesus it is not a religion, but He is my Lord and Savior, and we are His temple and church. I am more than happy that Jesus is in my family. Thank you, radio staff. God bless you.”

Like Aleksander, Anisa from Shkoder, also in Albania, is a young mother. Due to pregnancy complications she was suffering from anxiety, reported The Tide partner who is ministering to her.
“She was worried constantly for the life of her first child,” the partner shared. “She had to stay in the hospital for the last four months of pregnancy. A believer gave her a solar-powered radio. As she was lying in a hospital bed, afraid for her life and the life of her first child, Radio 7 filled her heart with hope and encouraged her to trust God in these circumstances. She learned that nothing is a surprise for God. The different programs and the music helped her to cope with her anxiety and fear.”

Anisa went on to say, “The program ‘Sipas Fjales’ was a blessing because it was through this program that I knew Jesus, as a personal Savior, not just a religious personality. I prayed with Pastor K, and I was so relieved. I found out later when I went to church that so many people in the church who never met me were praying for me. I thank God that through this difficulty I met him and made the most important decision of my life. My baby was born healthy, and I am doing better every day. I shared this story with my husband and family. They are thankful to Jesus for saving our lives, and I come to church with my husband. Jesus is good, and I am thankful to Radio 7 for helping people know our Great God.”


For more information about The Tide broadcast projects, history, radio programs around the world, special yearlong campaigns, the weekly Global Update radio features or other news, visit its website at www.thetide.org or its Facebookpage. Read more about The Tide ministry and Director Don Shenk here.
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To schedule interviews with Don Shenk, director of The Tide global radio ministry, contactMedia@HamiltonStrategies.com, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.