About Crossroads
Our mission is to proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through Biblical teaching and practical training, equipping men and women for service in His church worldwide.
Our Purpose
Crossroads began with the local church and its outreach into the community - which is still a main focus of Crossroads today. Out of the Kosovo Refugee Crisis of 1999, we were able to acquire properties which we now use to run camps for Albanian children and our Bible School Programs. Our purpose continues to be to lead people to Jesus Christ and help them learn what it means to walk with Him.
What we believe
- The Bible is, in its entirety, the revelation of God for mankind, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
- God is the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s Son being one with the Father. All things are created by Him and for Him.
- Through the action of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, He became man. He was without sin and of His free will, and by His sacrificial death upon the Cross, He brought about salvation for this fallen world. He is the only mediator between God and man, and by accepting His salvation through faith, man is justified from his sins and receives forgiveness and eternal life.
- Jesus Christ is risen bodily from the dead.
- Jesus Christ will return to deliver just judgment and to bring all things to completion.
- The Holy Spirit is God in unity with the Father and the Son.
- Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ comes to dwell within those who accept Him through faith. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, a person becomes a new creature and is being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
- Jesus Christ adds those who believe in Him to his Body. This is His church on earth, of which He is the Head.
Our Team
Linda Osborne
Linda lives on campus and is house mom to everyone (staff and students). She is involved in the ministries of our local church and also makes her home available as a haven for students to come and have a cup of tea or coffee and heart-to-heart conversations.
Mark and Melanie Stoscher
Mark and Melanie were married in March of 2024. Mark is the director of Torchbearers - Albania, and has been working and living in Albania for over 30 years. Growing up as a missionary kid, Melanie spent her childhood between Africa and New York State. She also served for 14 years as a teacher at a missionary school in Kenya. Mark and Melanie live in what is affectionately called the House of Hope, where there are usually over 15 people around the table at meals ... but with a space for you!
Eric and Kathy Gundy
Eric and Kathy are also from the U.S. and came to live in Erseka in 2000. Eric is a member of the leadership team of the Erseka Evangelical Church and Program Director of the Crossroads camps. He is the principal of the Bible School, while Kathy oversees the finances of the Foundation. They have three children, Andrew, Abi, and Josiah.
Melsi and Angela Plepi
Melsi is one of the leaders in the soccer ministry, and also very active in church leadership. Angela is our wonderful, warm, efficient Facilities Administrator. They have a baby son named Eden who everyone passes around - perhaps because he stares at you with a big smile and his big brown eyes as you hold him!
Sonya Harnish
Sonya served for three years in the capital city of Albania as the office manager for the national missionary organization AEP. She also worked in several other ministry capacities around Albania and has a heart for discipleship. Sonya is a gifted administrator having been involved in business in both Albania and the US.
Julie and Rozela Shkoza
Julie and Rozela are sisters who grew up in the Erseka Church. They are amazing with children and provide critical leadership and mentoring for the Foleza program’s at-risk children and young people. Julie is also a canoe instructor and Rozela leads the crafts program in the summer camps.
Walter and Manjola Zeqo
Walter and Manjola lead in the at-risk children’s program. They love hosting Bible School students in their village home. Their two young daughters, Deborah and Eisela (Ice-ella) are lots of fun!
Our Kitchen Ladies
Mile (Me-lay), Moza, Elvira and Eva are our amazing kitchen ladies! They cook a wide variety of Albanian and International food for the Bible School and Summer Camps. (We don’t want to brag, but the food here is excellent)!
Klodi and Nadine Pepa
Klodi is Albanian and one of the founders of Iron Sharp, the soccer ministry. It is an incredible ministry reaching young boys and young men in Erseka and across the southeast of Albania. Nadine is Swiss and grew up as a missionary kid in Japan. She is involved in a variety of ministries and loves her work caring for at-risk children and people with handicaps.
Aleks Melaj
Aleks works as a part of the Student Life Team. He loves interaction with students as well as anything to do with worshiping the Lord. Aleks also enjoys theological discussions over a cup of coffee with people of all ages.
Markelian and Kristina Kollcinaku
Markelian spearheads the junior high boys soccer team and ministry within Iron Sharp. He has an evangelist heart for Albanians who don't know Christ. Kristina is very involved in leading the second year program and is part of the office administration team. Meals at their house are a hoot!
Markus Steck
Markus is from Germany. After coming as a student, he has returned in several roles, including most recently working to co-lead the 2nd year program. He has a deep understanding of all things Lord of the Rings.
Shaun and Hae-Jean Peters
Shaun and Hae-Jean are both medical doctors. Their medical skills are a blessing to the community and they are always available for Bible School students and staff. Students love to help them with different projects around their house and to spend time with their five adorable little girls.
Amarildo Kodra
Amarildo works a lot with Sony as part of the Buildings and Grounds team. He also finds time to be one of the Iron Sharp soccer coaches. When he is not busy with these things, you might find him driving someone to or from Tirana or Thessaloniki with his ready heart and smile.
Niko Zhezha
Niko and his twin brother Marko came to Bible School several years ago. Niko has recently returned to be on staff as our primary translator for the Bible School. He is also a wonderful part of the Student Life Team and loves all activities with students. Wait, is this a picture of Niko or Marko?? It is difficult to tell!
Rudina Pepa
Rudina is a part of the Student Life Team as she mentors people, especially the girls, at the Bible School. She has a deep love for prayer and shows constant care for people of all ages in the Bible School and also in and through our local church.
Josh and Ali Reeve
Josh is part of the Student Life Team and one of our resident teachers. Ali is a doctor, but currently focused on home-schooling their four children.
Megi Nakoleci
Megi came to camp in Erseka. Then she came to the Bible School as a 1st year student, a 2nd year student, an Angaza Spring School student and as an R.A. Now she serves on the Student Life Team as an integral part of all things Crossroads. We love her enthusiasm for life and the Lord!
Eduart (Eddy) Lico
Eddy has been working for our staff for over 25 years. As the building contractor on staff he does so many things. If it was built at Crossroads, he probably did it or made it happen. If it was broken, he was the one who got it fixed. We are so appreciative of all that Eddy has done over the years and continues to do!
A History of Crossroads
In 1999, the Erseka Evangelical Church began to care for refugees which streamed in from Kosovo. 600,000 refugees flooded into Albania. The churches began to respond.
The Erseka Church formed a partnership with Schloss Klaus, a Torchbearers Center in Austria to aid the refugees. The Erseka believers worked side by side with their Austrian brothers and sisters in aiding those devastated by war – especially widows.
In 2001, Torchbearers-Albania began through the prayers, wisdom and help of other Torchbearers Centers – notably Schloss Klaus. The Albania Center main building was purchased during the Kosovo war. We began summer camps in 2000. These have grown steadily. Each summer nearly 2000 Albanian campers come to Crossroads.
In 2003, we began to pray about the possibility of a Bible School. The Lord put the vision on the heart of Albanian Doni Lilo, himself a graduate from the main Torchbearers School in Capernwray, England. The Bible School began in 2004 with Doni as principal. In 2024 we celebrated our 20th anniversary as a school!
Albania
Albania is located in south-central Europe. Crossroads is in Erseka, in the southeast of Albania near the Greek border and is the highest city in the Balkans. That means spectacular views and sunsets, as well as gorgeous snow covered mountains in the winter.
Erseka is not far from historic Thessalonica and Philippi in Greece and students may choose to visit these places on one of the free weekends.
Albania
Albania is located in south-central Europe. Crossroads is in Erseka, in the southeast of Albania near the Greek border and is the highest city in the Balkans. That means spectacular views and sunsets, as well as gorgeous snow covered mountains in the winter.
Erseka is not far from historic Thessalonica and Philippi in Greece and students may choose to visit these places on one of the free weekends.
Bible School
Crossroads offers both a 1st year 24-week course (two 12-week semesters) and the more advanced Ascend program. These programs run at the same time and in the same place and focus on in-depth studies of books of the Bible and theological topics. We also offer our spring school in Kenya.
Summer Camps
Since the year 2000, children and young people from all over Albania have been coming to summer camp at Crossroads. Crossroads was the first camp center in Albania and has been running summer camps with nearly 2000 campers coming each year.