Jehovah Will Not Leave His Loyal Ones (Ps. 37:28)
The Albanian brothers sent out messages indicating how trying things were but expressing their determination to remain loyal. In the meantime, the world headquarters in Brooklyn kept trying to make contact with the brothers in Albania. John Marks, who was born in southern Albania but was living in the United States, was asked to try to obtain a visa for Albania.
A year and a half later, John succeeded in getting a visa to enter Albania, although his wife, Helen, did not. John arrived at Durrës in February 1961 and traveled to Tiranë. There he met his sister, Melpo, who had shown interest in the truth. She helped John make contact with the brothers the very next day.
John talked with the brothers at length and gave them some literature that he had concealed in a secret compartment of his suitcase. The brothers were thrilled. They had not had a visit from brothers outside of Albania in over 24 years.
John calculated that there were 60 brothers in five towns and a few others in smaller villages. In Tiranë, the brothers were trying to meet secretly once a week on Sundays to review the publications they had kept hidden since 1938.
With so little contact with the organization for so long, the Albanian brothers had to be brought up-to-date on organizational matters and current truths. For example, both brothers and sisters were conducting meetings, and sisters even offered prayers. John later wrote: “The brothers were rather skeptical and concerned about how the sisters would accept the adjusted arrangements, so they asked me to explain them to the sisters privately, which I did. I was glad to see that they accepted them.”
Despite their poverty, these faithful servants zealously supported the Kingdom work. For instance, John took note of two elderly brothers from Gjirokastër who had saved “from their very little money and had accumulated a certain amount for donations to the Society.” Each one had saved over 100 dollars in gold coins.
The brothers in Tiranë appreciated receiving the booklet Preaching and Teaching in Peace and Unity, which provided direction on how the congregations were to function, even under ban. Then, in March, John held the Memorial in Tiranë at the home of Leonidha Pope with 37 present. Right after the talk, John took a boat back to Greece.
AN ISOLATED SHEEP IS FOUND
“Are there any Witnesses in Vlorë?” the brothers asked when discussing the advancement of the preaching work in Albania. Some knew only of an old woman who was reportedly senile. Then a woman came to the office saying that she and her family were ungjillorë and that someone named Areti had taught them the truth in Vlorë. So brothers from Tiranë made a trip to Vlorë to find Areti.
Areti Pina, a short elderly lady, invited the visitors into her home, but she seemed somewhat reserved. When they explained that they were her spiritual brothers, it produced absolutely no reaction.
“Can I ask you some questions?” Areti suddenly said after a few minutes. Then she started firing questions at them: “Do you believe in the Trinity? What is God’s name? Do you believe in hellfire? What happens when we die? What about the earth? How many will go to heaven?”
The brothers answered each of the questions.
“Do you preach?” Areti then asked.
“Yes,” said one brother, “we preach.”
“But,” she responded, “how do you preach?”
“We preach from house to house,” replied the brother.
Areti burst into tears, leaped to her feet, and embraced the brother.
“Now I know that you are my brothers!” she exclaimed. “Only Jehovah’s people preach from house to house!”
Protestant groups in Vlorë had heard that Areti was a religious person and had asked her to join them. “But I did not want anything to do with Babylon the Great!” she explained to the brothers. “So I needed to make sure that you were my real spiritual family!”
Areti was baptized back in 1928 at the age of 18. She traveled up and down mountains on foot, preaching with Bible in hand. Although Areti had lost contact with the brothers for years, she kept preaching faithfully on her own.
“Jehovah is wonderful,” said Areti through her tears. “He never forgot me!”
People thought Areti was crazy for keeping faith in God under Albania’s ironclad totalitarian rule. Yet, Areti was anything but senile. Her mind was as clear as ever!