Tales from Team Albania
Niyi Ashaolu likes to get his step count up and loves to share his faith story. On his recent trip to Albania, he got to do both.
My journey to Tirana began when I signed up for the School of Missional Life in October 2024, and selected my choice of mission trip. Anticipation built month by month. Then, at last, the day arrived. Rachel, Denise, Njideka and I meet with Frank, Sharon, Hylton, and Suzanne at Luton Airport, and off we flew on our adventure of faith!
Thursday in Tirana
On our first day, while waiting on the street for others to join us, a lady approached us. Her sister has lived in London for 23 years, but she was afraid to apply for a visa. We encouraged her to try. Her boldness in approaching strangers struck me deeply.
Friday in Elbasan and Tirana
In Elbasan, we met Ilya and Olsa – an incredible couple known and respected across the city, who lead a church there. Their selfless service to an orphanage, their church family, and the local community – especially through praying in a hillside olive grove – was inspiring.
We dined inside the beautifully modernised Elbasan Castle, where I had my first taste of Albanian Raki, the alcoholic drink of choice in the country. Fruity, flavourful, and strong – it was an unforgettable experience!
Later, we returned to Tirana to support Eddie and Artina, leaders of the church that hosts us there. They were with a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) team at the University of Tirana. They’d just been told they couldn’t preach publicly, so they turned the event into a local music festival – they stayed obedient and faithful, trusting God to open doors, and he did. 20,000 steps later, we returned to our accommodation, joyfully exhausted in our service of the Lord.
Saturday in Tirana
A well-needed lie-in was followed by a visit to Bunk’Art Museum – a powerful reminder of Albania’s communist past, and its closed borders between 1946 and 1990. Released from this oppression, it was no wonder the people we met were so warm and welcoming.
Eddie and Artina hosted us for lunch at their lovely home before we joined them in handing out flyers for a karaoke outreach. That evening, I shared my salvation story, worshipped in Albanian, and even helped to secure a broken window after some boys’ had a mishap playing football! Over dinner with youth from the church, we offered encouragement and spoke into their lives – a real blessing!
Sunday in Elbasan and Tirana
We left early for Elbasan’s morning service, joined by the YWAM group from Brazil – young adults dedicated to reaching the unreached. Though I chose to pray for them, I felt humbled and blessed when they prayed for me.
We also prayed for a man recovering from a stroke. After Frank prayed, he could move his leg more. Hylton and I prayed for his hand, and he lifted it above his head! Praise God!
After a generous meal we parted from our Elbasan friends with warm hugs, and headed back to Tirana for the 6.00pm service. That evening’s worship was so powerful. Several people received the same prophetic picture, and a moving salvation story brought many to tears.
We ended our trip with a stroll through a refurbished castle-turned-mall, climbed the 200 steps up a local landmark, the iconic Pyramid, and shared one last light meal with Eddie and Artina, our inspiring and generous hosts. Our visit to Albania ended full of gratitude, encouragement, and awe at what God is doing through his people.
Find out more real-life stories from Albania on Sharon Clark’s blog, Looking to the horizon.
To sign up for a year of dynamic discipleship, visit School of Missional Life.