Discovering MOPS
I am Blerta Veliu, and I was born and raised in Tirana, the beautiful capital of Albania! I am the mother of two sons, Melkid and Naason, who are eleven and five years old, respectively.
Today, as I am writing this, I am 36 years old. However, I was only 26 when I first heard about MOPS, which was a ministry for mothers with small children.
“I was going through a not-so-beautiful period in my life.”
At the time, I was a young mother with a two-and-a-half-year-old child, and I was going through a not-so-beautiful period in my life.
It was during this time that my cousin and good friend Bona came to Albania and invited me to be a part of the MOPS ministry to support her vision for the mothers of our country.
As a young mother and wife, I had various insecurities and was often dissatisfied with the lifestyle I had. I felt alone and didn’t try to engage in activities or relationships with other mothers. I found myself complaining more than having a thankful heart, and it seemed like this approach had become a way of life for me.
Bona presented MOPS to me as a meeting where both church-going and non-church-going mothers would be invited to experience something different – a time completely dedicated to them as moms.
Overcoming Shyness and Insecurity
The first thing that comes to my mind from that conversation was Bona’s proposal that in the first MOPS meeting, I would be responsible for an ice-breaker so that moms could get to know each other more.
“I’m shy.”
My response was memorable because of what I told her:
“I’m shy.”
This was the beginning, I’d say, of my challenge and the impact of MOPS, which was a war with my shyness and insecurity.
In the early days, I was a person who always had complexes and embarrassment to open my mouth and give an opinion or make a joke. I wanted to, but the embarrassment prevailed that people’s eyes would focus on me.
“I didn’t know how to do otherwise because I hadn’t explored myself.”
That’s how I was formed, and I didn’t know how to do otherwise because I hadn’t explored myself. I believed that I was a person who couldn’t have an impact on other people’s lives because I wasn’t usually a girl who encouraged others, nor did I express myself. While time passed in preparation, ideas, meetings, phone calls, and shopping, as for every new beginning, we had a lot of joy.
That feeling that I could go in front of some mothers to introduce myself and create a fun moment was the beginning of me getting to know an aspect of myself that I didn’t yet know. Over time, we met many mothers and had many conversations. We created friendships that continue to this day. I realized that the vision that MOPS had was now being developed in my life – I had the ability to understand the potential that I had as a wife, a mother, and a friend.
“… using my voice actually gave me a lot of joy.”
I realized that hearing my own voice while leading a meeting, playing games, or hosting MOPPETS for the children, etc., was not that bad. On the contrary, using my voice actually gave me a lot of joy.
Creating Lasting Connections
My desire to be a part of MOPS and support the ministry came gradually over several years.
It developed little by little as I saw the special relationships we had created with many mothers. Their joy was always reflected during the warm and friendly environment of our MOPS meetings. Our mission was to make every mother feel loved and equally welcomed, not to experience discrimination or judgment. These principles were life-changing for me, and over the years, I experienced feeling loved, heard, free, and capable.
I realized that God had given me a gift too!
The Impact of the MOPS International Conference
In September 2015, I took my first trip to America for the MOPS International Conference in Indianapolis. God had many blessings prepared for this journey, not only material blessings but also emotional and spiritual. It was the first time I saw so many mothers gathered in one place, about 3,000 in total.
Everything was centered around this long-standing ministry founded by a mother from another generation and then had been handed down from one person to another and expanded not just in America but also in many other countries around the world, including Albania.
And who would have thought that it was the four of us that God was using?
Bona, Anila, Valmira, and I were already experiencing a life-changing MOPS meeting. The care was amazing!
“What changed my heart forever was the example of Karen Parks.”
What changed my heart forever was the example of Karen Parks, the leader of that time.
Her example and calmness were the greatest lessons I received at that conference. I shared it everywhere I went and had the opportunity to speak. The conference organizers had put us, global leaders, from outside the US on the same floor as the leadership team of MOPS International. Even though Karen was responsible for 3000 mothers, every time we saw her in the halls of the hotel, she made sure to ask us if we were well and having a good time and if we needed anything. She constantly expressed her satisfaction that we were part of that conference.
This was an example that had been missing in my life for years before. This was the MOPS spirit!
May the passion never die!
It has been a privilege for me to be on this journey. I have received and grown a lot, experienced emotions, and built relationships with very good friends. We have been deeply touched and laughed endlessly.
I pray that this service will continue and the influence of MOPS will develop in Albania and everywhere. May the passion to move forward never die out!
In my heart, I will always have gratitude for anyone who placed a stone, no matter how small, to help and encourage me. Bona, as the closest friend of my heart, will have a special place every time I talk or remember that life-changing journey!