Mother Teresa's Early Life

• Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, later known as Teresa of Calcutta, was born into a region marked by conflict.
• From birth until age 18, her life unfolded against a backdrop of war.
• Anjeze was born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, Kosovo, a Serbian town within the decaying Ottoman Empire.
• Shortly before Anjeze's birth, ethnic Albanians in Kosovo tried unsuccessfully to gain independence.
• The failed revolt led to regional wars, which in turn redrew borders and created Albania.
• The outbreak of World War I in 1914 further destabilized the Balkans.
• Anjeze's parents were ethnic Albanians, with her mother remembered for her deep love for her father.
• Nikola, Anjeze's father, was a proponent of Albanian statehood.
• As Skopje remained Serbian, Nikola advocated for its incorporation into Albania.
• Nikola's advocacy earned him respect and political enemies.
• Nikola died suddenly in 1919, and it was suspected that Serbian nationalists poisoned him.
• Nikola was 45 years old at the time of his death.

The Aftermath of Nikola's Death

• Nikola's widow, Drana, and their three children, Anjeze (8), Lazar (11), and Aga (15), were left impoverished.
• Nikola's assets were embezzled by a business partner.
• Drana supported the family by sewing and doing embroidery.
• Drana welcomed anyone hungry to share meals with her family, regardless of their financial state.
• She taught her children to share with others.
• Anjeze's mother taught her to love God and her neighbor.
• Drana never turned away the poor and considered everyone her brethren.
• Mother Teresa once described her mother as a "holy woman."
• The Bojaxhiu family was Roman Catholic despite most Albanians being Orthodox or Muslim.
• They practiced daily prayers, attended Sacred Heart, and made pilgrimages to holy shrines.
• Lazar grumbled about his family's piety, noting their constant involvement with church activities.
• The Bojaxhiu women participated in the parish choir due to their musical talent, and Drana insisted her children learn instruments.
• Anjeze played the mandolin and sang solos during services.

Anjeze's Childhood Ailments and Faith

• Anjeze's nickname was Gonxha, which means "flower bud".
• She was introverted, but her physical health was of more concern to Drana.
• Anjeze had a persistent cough due to Skopje's humid climate, and she suffered from malaria.
• To escape the valley and due to Drana's faith, they made yearly pilgrimages to the chapel of Our Lady of the Black Mountain in Letnica.
• Mother Teresa believed the Madonna of Letnica accounted for her vocation.
• She first heard the divine call at Letnica during the Feast of the Assumption.
• Thousands of Roman Catholics still visit Letnica to venerate the Black Madonna.
• Anjeze's faith grew strong, and she was taught by Fr. Franjo Jambrekovic at Sacred Heart.
• Jambrekovic gave lectures and organized a club dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
• Jambrekovic's spiritual instruction centered on the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola.
• The girls were encouraged to examine their conscience and imagine themselves in biblical scenes.
• Anjeze likely reflected on the Feeding of the Five Thousand due to her mother's hospitality.
• Anjeze went through a judgmental period, but with guidance, she found her religious vocation at a young age.
• She felt the desire to become a nun at twelve years old during a pilgrimage to Letnica.
• Drana dissuaded her due to her frailty, and Jambrekovic likely advised her to wait.
• Anjeze continued her faith practices, but she started to doubt her call.
• She may have remained in Skopje, but she became fascinated by stories of serving Christ in India.
• The stories were relayed through letters from Jesuit missionaries to Fr. Jambrekovic.
• Anjeze was also intrigued by newspaper accounts of Mohandas Gandhi's return to India.

The Calling to Missionary Work

• At eighteen, Anjeze's sense of vocation returned, and she felt called to bring comfort to the poor in foreign lands.
• Mother Teresa stated that her path was God's choice.
• It may have been God's wish, but Drana tried to dissuade Anjeze.
• Drana may have been testing her daughter's resolve or grieving the potential permanent loss.
• After 1928, Anjeze's only contact with her mother was through mail.
• Mother Teresa could not return home due to her work and communist restrictions.
• Drana was deeply saddened by the prospect of losing Anjeze and shut herself in her room to pray.
• Drana gave Anjeze her blessing, but she warned her to dedicate herself to God fully.
• Lazar also disapproved of Anjeze's vocation due to his overprotective nature.
• Anjeze asserted that she was serving the King of the whole world.
• Anjeze felt joy, which Jambrekovic said was a sure sign of God's calling.
• She needed to discern which religious order of missionary nuns would suit her best.
• The parish priest recommended the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
• It was an order dedicated to educating young people with schools in India.
• Anjeze was eager to join and wrote a letter to the Loreto Mother Superior. expressing her desire to become a missionary.
• Anjeze traveled to Paris for an interview, and she was accepted as a Loreto postulant.
• Before going to India, she studied the order's spirituality and English at Loreto Abbey in Dublin.
• She applied herself to learning English and picked up the basics by the time she sailed for India on December 1, 1928.
• Leaving home was difficult for Anjeze, but it was made easier by her conviction, sense of adventure, and the state of the Balkans.
• The voyage to India was uneventful, and Anjeze celebrated Christmas with fellow passengers.
• She felt excited about embarking for India, but she mourned leaving her childhood and family.
• Anjeze wrote about leaving her dear house and asked God to accept her sacrifice and allow her to save one soul.
• Anjeze's excitement and loneliness continued throughout her life.
• She suffered from intense loneliness despite her missionary work, and she confessed she would be a saint of darkness.