Hosting Beauty for Ashes retreats
Your team hosts retreats for local women in and around Elbasan, creating a safe place for God to bring healing, restoration, and freedom.
WOMEN'S MISSION TRIPS
Beauty for Ashes: Albania Women's Mission Trip
Seven days in Elbasan hosting Beauty for Ashes retreats for women who have rarely been asked to tell their story.
- Length
- 7 days
- Ages
- 19–69
- Group size
- Individuals welcome
- From
- $1,222
The story
Why a women's mission trip to Albania.
Elbasan is about an hour's drive from the Tirana airport, in a country of 2.8 million people where Albanian is spoken and most of the women you will meet live in Muslim communities. Many of them are mothers who work as house moms or in farming. Social connection is thin, and abuse often goes unspoken because shame keeps it quiet.
That is the kind of place Beauty for Ashes was made for. Since 2014 the program has gathered women in safe places where stories are shared, connections are made, and grace is given, and it has now reached more than 5,000 women in 60 countries. On this women's mission trip to Albania your team will host those retreats alongside our ministry partner, the Church of God "Life in Christ," and you will speak about worth, identity, healing, and forgiveness through your own storytelling.
You do not need to be a speaker or a counselor. You need to be a woman between 19 and 69 who is willing to listen, to share honestly, and to do whatever the day asks, because plans in Elbasan change. The women on your team will become friends, and you will come home knowing more about God and about who you are as His daughter.
Adventures in Missions has been sending teams since 1989, and a trained Beauty for Ashes leader walks every step of this trip with you. Before you fly, three live virtual training sessions introduce you to your leader and your team and walk through the retreat sessions. By the time you land in Tirana, you will know what you are doing and who you are doing it with.
Part of Europe Mission Trips
The work
What you'll do.
Women's Retreats
Storytelling on worth, identity, healing, and forgiveness
You will learn to share your own story and the truths of Scripture in a way that invites women to believe their story matters.
Relationships with local women
Much of the ministry happens over meals and conversation, with mothers from Muslim communities and refugee families served by the Church of God "Life in Christ."
Serving wherever the day needs you
Daily plans shift with the needs of the community, so you come with a servant's heart and a willingness to do whatever is asked.
Programs
Who this trip is for.
This trip is for women ages 19 to 69 who want to serve other women and grow in their own faith while they do it. You can come on your own or with a few friends from your church, and no ministry experience is required. Capacity is small, 14 women, so the team gets close quickly.
The details
Upcoming trips & cost.
| Location | Length | Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 2027 – Sep 2, 2027Full | Albania | 7 days | $1,222 |
Logistics
Where you'll stay, eat, and get around.
Lodging
You will stay at the Living Water Adopt A Child Albania headquarters, a missionary guest house. Bedding, pillows, and towels are provided, so you can pack light.
Meals
Meals are prepared for the team throughout the trip. Purified water is provided, and you will need to bring a reusable water bottle.
Transportation
Fly into Tirana International Airport (TIA); Elbasan is about a one-hour drive from there. Your trip leader arranges all local transportation. Air travel is your responsibility, and please do not buy flights until you receive an email confirming arrival and departure times.
Before you go
Plan your trip.
Travel tips
Wait for the flight-timing email before you book airfare, and pack a reusable water bottle. Come ready to be flexible; the schedule in Elbasan follows the needs of the women you serve.
Lodging, meals, transportation, and safety for Albania are covered above.
Peace of mind
Safety.
Safety is a top priority for Adventures in Missions. Internal and external risk management teams review every trip, your ministry partner provides location-specific safety guidelines, and your Beauty for Ashes leader is trained in risk management with support both on the field and from the home office. You will stay in pairs at all times.
Your guide
Your Mission Leader.
Watch
See Albania.
Gallery
Photos from Albania.
Questions
Good to know.
Plan this trip
Plan your Albania trip.
Apply now, or schedule a quick call with us from the application.
from $1,222
Apply Now