In Tirana, Albania, Sonila and Gazmend Bejtja live out their commitment to Jesus through quiet faithfulness in their everyday lives.<\/p>\n\n
Sonila, an ordained minister who works in finance, serves with honesty and integrity in a field where corruption is common. Small actions, like accurate reporting and honest invoicing, build a reputation over time\u2014one of courageous commitment to the truth. When faced with the choice to do what is easy or what is right, Sonila finds encouragement in 1 Peter 5:8-9: <\/p>\n\n
\u201cBe alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith,\u201d Sonila reads. \u201cAs a finance person, this is very important It\u2019s important to stand firm in what God is saying and not be afraid. There will be difficult times that come in life, but I think with Jesus, we can overcome everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Gazmend shares his wife\u2019s conviction that commitment to Christlikeness in the commonplace is key for believers. As a project manager for the World Health Organization, Gazmend\u2019s career in public health provides opportunities to show the love of Christ through empathy, humility, and compassion. \u201cI just pray that the Holy Spirit guides me,\u201d he says of his interactions at work. He prays for courage and faithfulness, for the strength to do the next right thing with the love of Christ.<\/p>\n\n
The same holds true for Sonila. In 2020, she learned that a former colleague, Vera*, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Sonila supported and encouraged Vera through prayer, fellowship, and scriptures. Vera\u2019s health declined over the following months, and she started using a wheelchair, often alone in her home. For Sonila, her next small step was simple: Vera was isolated, so Sonila would bring her back into community.<\/p>\n\n
Vera\u2019s husband began transporting her to Sonila\u2019s office, where Vera could work with Sonila\u2019s support. Vera was able to experience the comforting normalcy of working among colleagues until she passed away in 2023.<\/p>\n\n
Sonila was following where Jesus led. Her coworkers were watching.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cI think the people here understood,\u201d Sonila said. \u201cThe love I have for people is not because of me. It\u2019s because of God\u2026I cannot be a person with two standards,\u201d she adds. \u201cI cannot be one person in the office and another person in the church.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Both Gazmend and Sonila believe that their faithfulness is one piece of God\u2019s larger plan for those around them. They are happy to play their role, planting seeds and cultivating a life rich in faithfulness to their calling.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think you collect fruit immediately,\u201d Gazmend said, noting that it\u2019s a process, \u201cJust like the Bible says\u2014someone will water, someone will pick. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cShow Jesus in your actions, in the way you talk, in the way you treat people. Then people will start wondering\u2026What makes him or her different than the others? Then they will understand that it\u2019s not this human being\u2014it\u2019s Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Iglesia de la Regi\u00f3n Nazarena de Eurasia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In Tirana, Albania, Sonila and Gazmend Bejtja live out their commitment to Jesus through quiet faithfulness in their everyday lives. Sonila, an ordained minister who works in finance, serves with honesty and integrity in a field where corruption is common. Small actions, like accurate reporting and honest invoicing, build a reputation over time\u2014one of courageous […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":38105,"menu_order":0,"template":"","news-categories":[],"news-region-taxonomy":[],"news-tag":[1493,1481],"class_list":["post-42054","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-tag-albania-es","news-tag-eurasia-es"],"yoast_head":"\n