Mother Teresa gives her first TV Interview for 10 years. May 1993

Well the communist dictatorship which isolated Albania from the rest of the world for decades also prevented one of its most famous citizens Mother Teresa of Kolkata from returning to her homeland. But since communism's collapse Mother Teresa's missionaries of charity organization has moved swiftly to help Europe's most impoverished country. Mother Teresa was particularly moved apparently by the response of the British people who gave eight million pounds to an appeal which followed a series of reports on Breakfast News. In her first television interview for 10 years Mother Teresa spoke to our correspondent Bill Hamilton. For a lifetime she has radiated God's love across the globe but only now can Albanians join the rest of the world in openly expressing their love for their country's most famous daughter Mother Teresa of Kolkata. These are emotionally charged times for a nation where God was abolished and where people suffered unspeakable horrors for refusing to abandon their faith. The return of religious freedoms crowned by a first ever papal visit represented such a joyous moment for Mother Teresa that just for once she agreed to cast aside her normal practice of declining television interviews and talk to me about her country and her mission. The people you could look at their faces now you see that there is real peace. The first time when I came here was completely different completely different difficult to explain but it was different but now it is so beautiful. But does it surprise you here we are reaching the end of the 20th century and it seems your work is in greater demand than ever. Yes and all over now we are in 105 countries and we have 500 convents all around the world without counting India beautiful yeah and what is very beautiful that many people thank me for giving them opportunity to do works of love. It has helped so many people they would have never had a chance to do anything for the poor and now through us they are getting involved in the work so much. Work that Mother Teresa insists is not confined just to the third world worried about the homeless situation in Britain she's seeking to increase the number of centers and soup kitchens where her sisters are feeding several hundred people every day. God has been so good to us to give us the opportunity to serve him because Jesus said very clearly whatever you do to the least of pleasant you did it to me. You give a glass of water in my name to me if you receive a little child in my name you receive me and we have received thousands of children all over the place yeah it's wonderful we have given in adoption over three thousand children two or three children went to England also and one of them has grown big now and married and the first thing she wrote to me is that mother please give me a one little child so I want to do to that child what you did when your lifetime's work is finally over will your organization carry on oh yes it is not I who are doing it it's God's work and that is why we must do everything possible not to spoil God's work that it remains his we do it like that and we are sure to do it well then because it is not how much we do but how much love we put in the doing that makes all the difference and I'm very very grateful to the English people who have done so much to help peace love and joy to bring into this country the people appreciate us very much I don't know from they have very much very come very close to the English people I don't know how but so I'm thanking all of you for what you have all done for all people here