With the support of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, the fifth family camp was organized from August 31st to September 4th in Voskopoja. The camp program was based on the study of Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.
Our Church does not remain indifferent to the problems of society, but it helps people by offering the presence of God in their lives. For this reason, 25 families were given the opportunity this year to live together in a God-centered community of love amongst the beautiful nature of Voskopoja. For four days, these families experienced deeper faith in God through common prayer, study of Holy Scripture, pilgrimages to sacred places, games and entertainment. Different generations had the opportunity in this camp to learn from the example, the presence and the interaction with each other. In the end of the camp, the participants chanted the Akathist Hymn and expressed their gratitude for all that God has done for them and for the blessed days they experienced in His presence. They also participated in the Divine Liturgy at the famous church of St. Nicholas.
The camp was visited by Metropolitan of Korça, His Grace Joan, who spoke to the participants about the Christian family and its important role in society. Among other things he said that “Selfishness has become a very risky phenomenon. Everyone is thinking about themselves, and if we continue like this, we will all remain alone at the end.” But we are social beings and we are created in the image of God; we are created to stay in touch with one another and be part of a community. Are we actually part of a community?
A special thanks goes to Archbishop Anastasios, who always encourages the members of the Orthodox Church to be active in society and offers the possibility for the organization of such activities that help Albanian society in general and the Albanian family in particular, which is the core cell of the society
By Alban Petro & Gabriela Hoppe
