In this time-stood-still land, where oxen still power many plows and donkey carts jostle with automobiles on the pitted roadways, progress is measured in tiny steps. For Father Martin Ritsi, the American Orthodox priest who has been toiling in this struggling Balkan nation for nearly three years, it is the satisfaction that his efforts and those of his church have made these steps possible in Burisht, Albania.

While Ritsi's main mission is to feed the spiritually hungry in a land where religion was banned for 23 years, the Orange County priest is also trying to help his needy flock with an array of relief and development projects. "You can't preach to an empty stomach," says Ritsi, 36, discussing the philosophy behind the ambitious program sponsored by the Albanian Orthodox church. "We feel that we have to try to help the whole person."

Known as Diaconia Agapes , the Service of Love, the 2-year-old program is aimed both at assisting individuals and helping Albania's weak, agrarian economy recover from nearly five decades of harsh Communist rule and the chaos that followed its fall in 1992. "There are so many needs and we are so few," Ritsi said. "But when we can give people the tools to help themselves, we can really make a difference in their lives."

Los Angeles Times Staff Photography: Gail Fisher

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer: Becky Trounson