In towns across Eastern Europe, pastors are serving faithfully, often with little financial support. Through WorldShare’s Cup of Hope initiative, we help provide regular funding to leaders like Anita in North Macedonia, whose story of transformation and ministry is a powerful example of what God is doing through this work.
This is Anita’s testimony...
"My name is Anita Dimitrievska. I come from a Christian Orthodox background but I didn’t have much knowledge of God. As a high school student, I saw the Jesus of Nazareth movie on the TV and it touched me deeply, creating a hunger to learn more about Christ. I started attending the Orthodox church as it was the only church in my town, Kratovo.
At the age of 16, I met a pastor who said, “My wife and I have come to tell you that Jesus is alive.” Until that point, although I knew from the movie that Jesus had risen, I thought I could only have contact with Him after my death and that I needed to strive to be a good person.
By the time I turned 19, I’d knelt, repented and confessed that without Jesus my life was worthless, that I couldn’t live without Him. I began studying the Word of God more deeply and wanted everyone in my town to know about this unconditional love and the Good News of salvation.
I faced rejection. Kratovo, where I lived, is a small town and none of my friends wanted to be seen with me. For two years they observed my life, noticing my smile and the joy on my face, even though I was alone, and even though everyone made me feel crazy and hurt me because of my faith. Later, one by one, they came and said to me that they’d seen a change in my life, and so we began gathering in my house.
God then provided me the opportunity to spend a year in another city where I experienced a different style of church. This was a time of preparation for me, like training for what was to come. When I returned to Kratovo, God sent people to me who wanted to know more & follow Christ. I started a home group, joined a YWAM Discipleship Training School in my town & later also graduated from YWAM Worship School.
During my training, I was blessed with the opportunity to take part in missionary trips to other countries like Albania, Hungary, Finland, Sweden & Kosovo. But later, I realised that my heart was with the church at home, so I dedicated myself to the group of people that God had entrusted to me there.
After several years of faithful service, I was ordained as a pastor in the Evangelical Church and have continued this ministry to this day. Due to significant emigration from my town to other cities and countries, the number of people in Kratovo decreased. In response, God opened a door for me in Ohrid to help the then-pastor. When the pastor retired, I took over the leadership of the church.
I have now been serving as pastor of the church in Ohrid for four years.”
Praise God for all that He is doing through Anita as she faithfully leads the Evangelical Church in Ohrid and reaches out with the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
