Diana's Testimony

Diana Korani is one of the Albanian Campus Crusade (New Life Institute) staff people who worked with the RCC Team at the English Camp in Shengjin.   She is a full time staffer on the during the school year on the Campus of the University of Pristina.  (Link - http://www.uni-pr.edu/)  Here’s her story.

My name is Diana Korani. 27 years ago I was born in a small town named Librazhd, in the south-east Albania I come from a family with Muslim tradition but I grow up as a strong atheist in the only self declared “Atheist Country” in the whole world.

I was educated to be a very strong person

and not to put my faith in anyone but myself, I was one of the best students during the whole time in my studies till my mature came in high school but this was not enough for me.

I went to Tirana in the year 1996 to study Philosophy in Tirana University. My first contact with CCC was in that time but I have been reading different materials during high school and before that gave me information about the Gospel. One of my professors explaining about the Evolution theory during Epistemology hour helped me (not intentionally) understand that it was smarter to believe that God created the world than to believe that it was self created (séance each one of these theories needs to be taking by faith).

This was my first step, the second one was when I decided to take part in a Bible Study Group, all the rest of the group believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior except me. God used very much the leader of the group with her  patience and prayers to brake all my unbelief and it was the time to understand who God was, He opened my  eyes to see what He did  for me and for every other person in this world.

I enjoyed sharing the Gospel with others knowing that this was the most precious Gift given to people, I was thirsty for His Word and I grow fast.

I was leading a Bible Study group by myself 2 years later. I graduated in 2000 and decided to serve God full time reaching the leaders of tomorrow, students.

I am doing it from 5 years and my last 3 years I have been serving in Prishtina and I will be doing it during this year also.  

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OUR COUNTRY

Albania and Albanians have close historical and cultural ties with Western Europe on one side, and with Turkey and Muslim countries on the other side. We can be a bridge to bring the Gospel to the Muslim countries.

Albania is a small country of 3 millions in the Balkans. In the south of Albania there is Greece, in the north there is Kosova, a region inhabited 95% by Albanians.

 Kosova was part of Yugoslavia. Its population was treated harshly by the regime of Milosevic. As you may have seen in the news, few years ago the Albanians of Kosova were deported to Albania by Serbian army, but US lead NATO forces to the liberation of Kosova and the population went back to their homes.

Albania is an old nation. We were called Illyrians. Paul himself passed through our country to preach the Gospel (Rom 15:19).

In the 15-th century Albania was occupied by the Turks and was gradually Islamized. Now 70% of Albanians are traditionally Muslim, and the other parts are Eastern Orthodox (20%) and Roman Catholic (10%).

        In the beginning of the last century Albania became an independent country. When WWII was finished Communists came to power. They prohibited all religions and Albania was proclaimed the only official atheist country in the world. If you would profess any religion, you could go to jail.

In 1990 communism fell, as in all Eastern Europe, and Albania became a democratic state.

At this time it was possible for missions to cross the borders of Albania.

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OUR MINISTRY

Albania has been the most responsive country to the Gospel in all post communist Eastern Europe and God has used Campus Crusade Ministry in this process in a wonderful way. 12 years ago the first nationals came to staff, now in Albania there are ~ 80 staff members, 70 of them nationals.

Campus Crusade for Christ has its start as a ministry in University Of California – Los Angeles. Our vision as an organization is to reach the students. The students of today are the engineers, doctors, teachers and businessmen of tomorrow. If we reach the student today, this energy part of our society, tomorrow can reach the entire world.

CCC came to Albania after Communism fell. The people of Albania were hungry and thirsty for God after the spiritual wilderness of communism. CCC started its ministry with the students of the University of Tirana, our capital. Now God has built up strong student ministries in Tirana and three other smaller campuses of Albania. In 2000, after Kosova was liberated from the Serbs, a team of CCC staff started a student ministry in the University of Prishtina, the capital of Kosova.

Beside the student ministry, CCC in Albania has other ministries as well; “Coverage” – which is Jesus film ministry and help for the local churches, “Youth Ministry” – focused on collage students. Now our organization is planning to start a ministry with football players, and another one with VIP (University professors, politicians, businessmen etc.).

2 years ago our ministry has sent its first short-term missionary in Turkey. Some short missionary trips were organized also (I was part of one of them in the summer of 2003 .). The teams are settled in Ankara in order to minister the universities there.

You also can be a part of this ministry through prayers.

The prayer part works like this;   I  will send to you prayer letters every 6 weeks. This is a brief report of what’s happening in the ministry. It contains also 3 or 4 current prayer requests. This way you can see what the prayer needs are, how God is answering to our prayers and how your investment is reaping results in the form of changed lives.