Not abandoned – Teuta finds the way of love through Youth Bible Curriculum

She silently hopes that finally she’ll have the opportunity to make new friends and learn more about God. Her eyes soon give away the hope she has nurtured about fitting in and finding a place in which to belong.

“Before going to the centre, Teuta used to be very sad and lonely,” says her mother. “Now she is learning new things, which make her more happy and joyful.”

Teuta’s loneliness is written in her beautiful face and her teachers, Lindita and Marigela, noticed it on her first day at the centre.

“She was very lonely and used to be the first child to come to the centre and the last one to leave, when all the other children were gone,” they say.

With the passing of time, Teuta began to feel the warmth of those working and participating at the centre and she opened up to her teachers about her problems.

Teuta’s parents divorced many years ago when she was a little girl and this left deep scars of sadness in her life. The hurt and loneliness of that time is what drove her to walk around in search of love and hope to fill her empty heart.

“I am very grateful to my teachers at the centre for their warmth and care towards me,” she says while smiling with gratitude. “I am happy to have people listening to me and to whom I can open my heart,” she continues.

I am happy to have people listening to me and to whom I can open my heartIt’s been three years now that Teuta has been going to the centre and her life has changed drastically since being involved in the Sunday School activities and working through the Youth Bible Curriculum provided by the church with World Vision’s support. Currently, this centre supports 17 children and has strived to make a difference in all these children’s lives.

“I felt so good when I read my first book ‘God Created Me with Love’,” Teuta says with peaceful eyes. “For the first time I knew that I was not alone but I had a father God in my life and He hugs me with love and care every time I need Him,” her eyes shine with warmth.

I felt so good when I read my first book ‘God Created Me with Love’Through the lessons given in the Youth Bible Curriculum books, Teuta learned about a loving father - a God that would never leave her. She also learnt from the Bible that His love was never going away - unlike the love of her biological father that she was missing in her life.

“I have learned that God is here anytime that I call for Him in prayer,” she says with comfort and faith.

Youth Bible Curriculum, or YBC, is a series of easy-to-read and interactive Bible study materials for children as young as six through to youth aged 17 that encourages a love of learning about the Bible and the Christian faith with an emphasis on history, culture and family.

But even more than a bible study, YBC is helping the Church to engage children and youth in a structured, interactive and fun environment, imparting lessons and values that impact children’s everyday lives. Positive relationships and attitudes fostered in the ‘classroom’ can help protect children from being drawn into the wrong crowd and the lures of drug and alcohol abuse or other risky behaviour. And, on an even wider scale, stronger communities are more able to fend off negative influences and better protect their children.

YBC is currently distributed among Orthodox churches in seven countries within the Middle East & Eastern Europe Region, including Armenia, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia & Montenegro, Georgia, Lebanon and Romania, with the endorsement of the Archbishop / Patriarch in each country. World Vision plans to work with other Christian denominations and adapt the curriculum according to their tradition, after completing the curriculum for all age-groups in the predominant Orthodox tradition.

“Through the second phase of the YBC project we are looking for a good integration of the curricula with other World Vision programmes, in particular Education and Child participation,” says Diana Bakia, Christian Commitment Coordinator for World Vision in Albania.

“Also, we are exploring ‘integration points’ between YBC and World Vision programmes for the remaining curriculum that still needs to be written such as life skills training, child protection, advocacy and social justice,” she continues.

Back in Qytet Studenti” neighbourhood, Teuta no longer feels abandoned and sees she is valuable in God’s eyes. She no longer feels lonely while walking in the neighbourhood because she can participate in church activities where she meets other children with whom she can play and have fun and share her love and friendship.

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