Violeta Veleçiku has multiple roles leading women and children in her local church in Kosovo.
When did you trust Christ?
I was born and raised in Albania under the communist regime, when religion was forbidden. After the fall of the communist regime, my sister went to study in Shkodra. There she met evangelical Christian missionaries who served with the CRU student movement. Every weekend when she came home, she would tell and share her experience with this Christian group about what she was learning and how the Lord Jesus was transforming her. I went with my sister on this evangelism project with the film Jesus. At that time, I was not a believer. During this project, I heard testimonies of people's lives and saw how Jesus worked in the lives of the people I met. All these testimonies and the work of Jesus touched and shook my heart, and it began to open to the Gospel. After this summer, I began my studies in the city of Shkodra, at the same university as my sister. There, I joined the student movement and the local church, Disciples of Jesus, a place where my life was transformed by the community of believers. Here was a lady who helped and led me to believe in Jesus.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
Our family was characterised as an enemy of the communist regime. So we grew up with rejection, hatred, and without many of the rights others had. The rejection filled my heart with hatred. When my sister spoke to me about Jesus and the love that He offers to all people, to give forgiveness and love for others, it seemed something far from me and impossible for me to be free, but day by day I saw how God had transformed my sister, and I wanted myself to experience that joy and love that she and other Christians had. When I came to Shkodra for my studies and met other people whose lives and examples inspired me, especially a woman whom we all called mother, she helped me immensely in surrendering, forgiving, believing, and walking with Christ. Today, I think that at that time, Albania was experiencing a spiritual revival, and you could not resist being influenced by every meeting and interaction with Christians.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I am excited about my time at the Forum. I believe that God will refresh my spirit, and I believe it will be a time of encouragement for ministry and the church vision, according to church planting.
What is your ministry?
Leading women's ministry, Bible studies and book club, counselling, and helping women and girls in the community with various challenges or problems. Oversee the children's ministry; empower and assist the group that serves it, and evangelise door-to-door in the villages of Gjilan, a ministry that also includes my son.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I volunteered with CRU, leading Bible studies in dorm rooms. I've led with my husband the Youth Ministry at a local church, I led the women's ministry at our church for many years, and I've been a disciple of Jesus Church, where my husband was pastor.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
We are all part of the body of Jesus Christ, and each one has to do as 1 Peter 4:10. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
