Finally, Someone to Trust

Elma had had a difficult life. At age 24, Elma married a disabled man and moved far away to start a new life with his family. From the first day in her new home, she was treated as a slave, doing all the housework, cooking and cleaning as well as caring for the sheep and cows. Her in-laws treated her violently and did not give her proper food. And during this time, she gave birth to three daughters, one after another. 

When our TWR Women of Hope team in Albania first met her at the National Shelter of Domestic Violence, Elma had no hope in her eyes – only despair. Only one of her daughters was with Elma at the shelter. Her husband’s family had hidden the other two from her after she called the police to denounce the in-laws’ violence toward her.

During her stay at the shelter, Elma heard the name of Jesus for the first time. We gave her a solar radio to listen to our Women of Hope programs. The next time we visited her, she said, “I heard you tell a story on the radio that was quite similar to my story. How can that be possible?” Elma noticed that the lady in the program had chosen to trust God, so she wanted to know more about this God who can change lives and help her escape from her despair and suffering.

When Elma got out of the shelter, we connected her with a local church and went to see her in her new home. She told us: “When you visited us in the shelter, I didn’t understand anything, but one thing that stayed with me after you left and even now is that God is my shepherd. I couldn’t forget that. Thank you for connecting me with the wonderful ladies from the church. I know I have a long way to become like you, but the good thing is that now I have learned how to pray and where to trust.”

* Her name has been changed for security reasons.