From loneliness to faith: a new beginning for an elderly man in Albania
Once isolated and struggling in poverty, Misir now calls his church community his “family in Christ.”17th February 2026
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The weight of loneliness
For years, Misir lived in solitude, his days reduced to routine and survival. His small, aging home bore the marks of time: cracked tiles, a broken heater, and a bathroom that hadn’t been renovated in decades.
“I’ll never forget the first time I visited his home,” said Anila, who works for Mission Without Borders. “The room was filled with cigarette smoke, his table was covered in medicine bottles, and the weight of loneliness was visible on his face. He barely spoke, only answering with short sentences, as if he had forgotten what it was to have a real conversation.”
Misir’s children had left Albania for Greece when they were teenagers, chasing a better life, and over time, the distance between them grew, not only in miles, but in silence. The occasional phone calls became rare, and eventually, they stopped altogether.
A visit, a Bible, a new beginning
Now in his late 70s, Misir was struggling to survive on a meagre pension, barely able to afford food, medicine, or basic utilities. Yet more painful than the financial strain was the persistent ache of loneliness.
It was through a friend in Mission Without Borders’ Senior Care program that Misir first met Anila, the coordinator of the project.
At first, Misir was hesitant. Accepting help felt foreign to him. But over time, as Anila continued to visit him regularly, bringing him food packages and small necessities, he began to open up. He started to look forward to her visits, to the warm conversations that replaced the silence he had grown used to.
One day, he asked Anila for a Bible. He started reading it on his own, and eventually, he found the courage to attend a church service.
“I feel young and alive now” – Misir finds faith and family
Misir went to church out of curiosity, sitting in the back, listening but not engaging. But the warmth of the people around him and the gentle encouragement from the pastor started to fill the emptiness he had felt for so long.
Slowly, faith became an anchor in his life. The day he decided to get baptized, it wasn’t
just a religious ceremony. It was a declaration that he was no longer alone.
“I feel young and alive now,” he said, with a smile that was once rare but now comes easily.
Beyond spiritual support, the Senior Care project has ensured that Misir has enough food, hygiene products, and warmth in his home. But most importantly, it has given him community.
“The Mission helps me a lot with the things I need every month, but more than that, it helped me find the church. Now, I have spiritual guidance and people who truly care about me,” Misir said.
Anila said, “The impact goes beyond what words can capture. Misir is no longer just surviving. He is living, surrounded by faith, friendship, and a family in Christ.”
The Senior Care project provides ongoing support to elderly people – one of the most overlooked and vulnerable groups in Albania.
Donate today and help bring hope, dignity, and community to more elderly people like Misir.
