The story of Gezim

I grew up in a small village in Albania during the communist era, surrounded by poverty and hardship. My childhood was marked by scarcity — not just of food or resources, but of opportunities and hope. When communism fell, a wave of people left our homeland in search of a better future. I was among them.

At just 15 years old, I left everything I knew and loved behind, boarding a path to Italy with nothing but the fragile hope that life might be kinder there. The hardest part wasn’t the unfamiliar streets or the uncertainty of each day — it was the silence between me and my family. At that time, even a simple phone call to Albania was almost impossible. Nights were the loneliest; I would dream of speaking to my family, pouring out my struggles, only to wake up to the same empty reality.

Life in Italy was far from easy. The people I lived with took advantage of me, and more than once, I found myself on the streets, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. Yet every time I thought about returning to Albania, I remembered the poverty I had left behind. I told myself I had to endure — for my mother, for my siblings. That determination became my lifeline.

Everything changed the day someone introduced me to Jesus as my personal Savior. My family had always been Catholic, but this was different — it was intimate, alive, and deeply personal. In that moment, I felt an invisible thread reconnecting me to my family. The people at church welcomed me with open arms, showing me the kindness and love I had been starving for. Through their care, I began to understand the true depth of Christ’s love.

One of the most unforgettable moments of my life came when, through the church’s help, I was finally able to reconnect with my family in Albania. Hearing their voices after years apart filled my heart with joy I can hardly describe. What had once been a season of pain slowly began to turn into a season of healing.

I later discovered Radio 7 online, and it became a constant source of encouragement. One program about forgiveness touched a place deep inside me — a place I had tried to ignore. You see, I had been carrying years of anger and bitterness toward the people who had taken advantage of me and left me with nothing. Every memory of them stirred up that same old resentment.

But the words of one of your radio Bible teachers pierced through my anger. I realized that as long as I clung to that bitterness, I could never truly be free. Forgiveness wasn’t excusing what they did — it was releasing my own heart from the chains of hatred. I am still on that journey, still learning to let go, but I am trusting God to lead me through it.

Jesus didn’t just save me spiritually — He restored my family, gave me a new identity, and began healing wounds I thought would never close.

Thank you, Radio 7, for guiding me closer to Him, for reminding me what it means to follow God with my whole heart, and for walking with me on this journey toward freedom.