August 4, 2018
Alda Braka, our new sister from Fier Albania, expresses her feelings about WEI in the following words:
“The English language has always been one of my favorite subjects at school. I remember how much I used to study before any exam in English because I wanted the highest grade. Here in Albania, the highest grade is 10, but I never did get one during all nine years of elementary school.
“When I got to high school, a friend told me about a church that was offering free English courses in all levels. That was it! My parents couldn’t afford a private course, so this really made my day. It was a good opportunity to learn English and about God.
“I wasn’t used to getting so much attention at school during my English classes, and this personal attention improved my speaking skills. It made a real difference in the way I pronounce the words, and it helped with writing skills too. My grades at school were improving a lot, and I was becoming one of the best students.
“WEI and the church also taught me the good news about Jesus and his sacrifice. Seeing the truth from another perspective made me realize what Jesus had done for me and what I needed to do to be saved. Step by step, through my years in high school, I learned more and more from WEI and the church until I felt it on my heart and got baptized.
Alda concludes, “After finishing high school, I was accepted by an International University in my country. They gave me a full scholarship for a year. All the courses were taught in English by foreign professors. For other students, it was kind of difficult in the beginning, but not for me. That helped me take good grades in all courses. This ended so well I got another scholarship for the next year. Now I can tell you how much WEI has helped me in high school and university as well. It has been a true blessing for me and for many others. I am so grateful.”
This personal account of Alda’s spiritual journey demonstrates the value of the English component in WEI and the power of the gospel for drawing students to Christ.