Rain doesn’t stop at the door of Apostol’s home. When rain sweeps through the city of Korce, Albania, basins and buckets are set out to catch the water that seeps through holes in the walls and roof.
“Whatever falls outside comes inside,” Apostol says plainly. Yet, when he talks about his life, it isn’t sadness that shines through, but joy. “Even now,” he says, “in my soul, I am happy.”
Even now, in my soul, I am happy.
Apostol is 18 years old and lives in one of the poorest neighborhoods on the outskirts of Korce—an area many locals didn’t even know existed. He lost his father in a tragic accident at a young age and now works wherever he can to support his family. With his mother’s health declining, their situation remains difficult, but Apostol’s story is not defined by what he lacks. This is a story of faith, determination, community, and joy in the face of hardship.
When Apostol reflects on his childhood, he remembers playing barefoot with the other children in his neighborhood. While they didn’t have much, he still remembers his childhood being joyful.
“I didn’t have any misunderstandings with anyone,” he says. “I was on good terms with everyone, and I still love the people I grew up with.”
During his father’s lifetime, Apostol’s family relied on his income from various private jobs. Tragedy struck when Apostol was just six years old. His father died in a fall from a five-story building while gathering wood to repair their home. This devastating loss forced Apostol and his mother to shoulder the household’s financial responsibilities. As he grew older, Apostol took on as many work opportunities as he could find.
School presented a different set of challenges for Apostol and his sister. While education in Albania is free, Apostol’s family didn’t have the income to cover the additional materials required for classes. This meant that some days Apostol and his sister went to school with food; other days without.
Compounding the situation was the discrimination Apostol faced from his classmates because of his darker skin tone. Those who weren’t outright mean to him simply avoided him, leading to a period of isolation during his school years.
“We met Apostol completely by chance,” shared Pastor Loren of the Evangelical Church of Korce. Apostol had attended a Vacation Bible School event Pastor Loren had held in the area. “We saw that, by his appearance, it looked like he was truly in great need of food and clothing.”
They asked Apostol where he lived, and he told them. Although Pastor Loren knew the area Apostol described, he had never been there before and hadn’t witnessed that level of poverty in the city.
“We visited the house, which was not a house, but a shack built with wood and makeshift materials. They were perhaps the poorest family in the whole neighborhood,” Pastor Loren shared. “They didn’t have even the most minimal living conditions, but they welcomed us with smiles on their faces. They also wanted to bring us food, to treat us to coffee, as is our tradition in Albania.”
They didn’t have even the most minimal living conditions, but they welcomed us with smiles on their faces.
But this wasn’t a one-time visit. The church immediately decided to begin visiting Apostol’s family regularly and to start bringing them Food Paks.
This marked a turning point for Apostol and his family. Not only were they receiving regular Food Paks from the church, but they also had a new source of hope as members of the church shared the gospel and prayed with them.
“Things changed for the better,” Apostol said, “We had so much more hope, and we connected more with the Lord because we continued to pray together as a household.”
Apostol and his family began attending church. His sister noticed that he had grown calmer and more loving. His mother observed his growing desire to help others and his hardworking attitude.
Over the years, Apostol became the church’s top volunteer on many projects, including camps, serving the elderly, food packing, and mercy ministry. “It seems Apostol wants to show us his gratitude by helping us back,” Pastor Nuri shared.
This hardworking nature isn’t limited to Apostol’s volunteer work at the church. At 19, he takes on multiple labor jobs, whatever he can find, to support his family. He wants to learn a trade, build a profession, and one day start his own business. His goal? To work enough so his mother no longer has to. For two years, his mother has been suffering from spinal pain that isn’t improving with the monotonous work of bending to collect plastic bottles and metal items for recycling.
Still, Apostol does not let his situation rob him of joy. Pastor Loren shared, “He always wants to make others happy and to smile. He said that it is God who gives him joy even in the midst of so many difficulties. He shares his faith in Jesus with everyone he meets.”
He said that it is God who gives him joy, even in the midst of so many difficulties.
Apostol’s life is still marked by hardship, but no longer by isolation. Through the church’s ongoing presence in his life and the faith he has embraced, he has discovered a joy and hope that hardship cannot take away.
“If I were not part of the food package ministry, it would be different,” Apostol shared. “My life would be different.”
If I were not part of the food package ministry, it would be different. My life would be different.
In a neighborhood few ever knew existed, Apostol’s story is a reminder that when compassion shows up consistently—when someone is willing to knock on the door and keep knocking—hope grows. And hope makes all the difference.