Albania: the Mjeshtris
Serving with Cru
Azgan and Ida Mjeshtri were born and raised in communist Albania, during a time when believing in God and openly professing one’s faith were illegal. In 1967, Albania declared itself the first officially atheistic country in the world and eventually became completely isolated from the outside world. When communism fell in 1991, there were fewer than ten evangelical believers in the entire country. The fall of the regime opened the door for the first missionaries to enter and bring the Gospel to this once-forbidden country.
Both Azgan and Ida come from Muslim-background families and encountered Jesus through the testimony and ministry of missionaries. They are part of the first generation of evangelical families to emerge in Albania after the fall of communism, and they are raising their four children in the knowledge of the Lord.
While they were university students, Azgan and Ida volunteered with Cru. During a short-term mission trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina (where they later served college students from 2011-2018), they both felt called to serve as full-time missionaries. After returning to Albania in 2018, Azgan and Ida continued serving with Cru through various projects and outreach initiatives. They have provided Gospel and discipleship resources to young Albanians and trained Cru staff to use digital platforms to bring the Good News to Albanian speakers around the world.
Azgan and Ida are passionate about seeing lives transformed by the Gospel. For this reason, they have dedicated their lives to fulfilling the Great Commission by making disciples who make disciples.
They have 4 children (Arbian, Anja, Adria, and Alex) and are based in the capital of Albania, Tirana.
Contact the Mjeshtris