visits are going well..

Boy it is hard to believe that we only have 4 days left before we say goodbye to Kosovo and return to the states. As it will be a bittersweet departure we will fly out of Pristina on Wednesday afternoon. Art and I have been attending our visits and enjoying the interaction with each childs family. My first visit was with Mendim he has been faithful in attendance since the beginning of camp. We took two female translators with us. Mendim is the only boy in a household with 3 sisters but they do not let him take advantage. He seems to enjoy spending most of the day playing fotball at the center with his friends. I was excited to meet his mother. She is a teacher and teaches at the elementary school not far from here. His father is in management at the petrol company. They are doing well finance wise compared to other familys. This family has recently had several loses but graciuosly opened their home and spent time with us. The mother shared that during the war the Serbian army came into their home and accused her husband of having guns and took him out for questioning. He did not return, after a week they were scared to stay and fled to a neighboring village only to assume he was dead After 6 weeks her family recieved word that he was still alive and shortly after their return to Lipjan he was released. I am in awe at how these families have suffered in a way that I Lord willing will never expereience. This mother was encouraged that the children (Serbian and Albanian) are interacting well I think that might be the teacher in her. I am sure that the father is encouraged as well but it must be hard after suffering at the hands of the armies. Trish made a comment that Art and I have been praying about since our arrival. For every story you hear of suffering from an Albanian family there is one as bad if not worse from a Serbian family. I feel that the parents desire for Kosovo to be unified but are afraid that if they reach out they may insult or anger the families that lost loved at the hand of war. Each night we share something in debriefing that has made us smile during the day and I am encouraged by all the things I am hearing. But if I leave you with one visual for today that can express what I as a mother am experiencing here let it be the visit the center recieved from the serbian family of Nicola and his cousins today to meet the teachers that these children have come home excited to share about Watching a father(Art) and mother(Joanne) shower praise on a family that is teaching their children that people should be respectful to one another regardless of their nationality and they need not be ashamed of who they are. The Lord is moving mightly during this camp I pray for the continued revealation of this country. I pray that the Lord will provide the long term team during the departure of the short term teams with strength and endurance for the watering of the seeds that have been planted. May God keep the people of Kosovo on our hearts as we begin to see the bearing of fruit however long He has designated it to be.

IHG
Melodye

Arts incident

Hello all,
Well it is Thursday and it was the in the first part of the camp. We had just finished games when my partner, Tim, got a new Albanian addition to his group. The boy is known as Shindit and is called a "townie". He has no parents and the town and his grandparents kinda raise him. He has no manners and is really seeking attention. This brings us to "The Incident".
I don't want to focus on the negative because there is so much positive about what happened. We all went to craft time and my group of 6 boys (3 Albanian and 3 Serbian) were at our cramped little table. Tim and his group of 3 boys were at his table. Shindit began to curse and say bad things in Albanian. This caused the other boys to laugh. Shindit became more bold and then began to threaten Tims Serbian boy that he was going to beat him up after camp. At this point he was told to stop cursing and to stop his actions. He refused and continued to curse. He then turned around and started threatening one of my Serbian boys, Nikola. Nikola is very small being 12 years old. The other boys are 14 and a little bit bigger. He wanted to know where Nikola lived and said he was going to go to his house and beat him up. He was over at the wall when the teacher told me there was going to be a fight. We told Shendit to go back to his table. As he walked away he turned and acted like he was going to fight or threaten Nikola again.
At this time Nikola was pushed to the back of the room and the other 2 Serbian boys, Nino and Vuk started to protect him. At this time the most amazing thing happened. The 3 Albanian boys Arjainit, Ardian, and Granit stepped up to Shendit protecting Nikola. Granit grabbed Shendit and told him to stop what he was doing, go back to his table, and to leave his friend alone. This was amazing to see an Albanian step up to another Albanian to protect a Serbian. I praise God that bondage to hate is being broken. This is huge to see them getting along because they have hated each other for hundreds of years. I praise God that the children are starting to learn unity and that there is a begining of change.
I pray that God will continue to change these people and call out His people. I pray that I have been able to plant seeds that He will use to change this country. It has been an amazing day and I ask you all to pray for these children and their families. Please also pray for Shendrit as he said he does not want to return to camp. I pray that God shows him his Glory and changes him as well...
In His Grace,
Art

Mid week and still having a blast

Another great day at BLC the kids are enjoying all of the things they are sharing. Again we had an awesome turn out for the game hour for the community. We have had a serbian family that has been coming for game time and Tiffany played volleyball with them when she took a break an Albanian girl then started to play that is a great stride for this culture its a reminder that God works mightly in all He does. As the teens are preparing to attend Lifeline our prayer would be that God would break down any barriers that He would ignite amoung our kids a fire that will not be smothered by the ways of the world that they would have a desire to see the world not in a tourist atmosphere but as our Father sees it all nations that He created for His glory and His honor. Not to breed hate and anger but to worship the only person worthy of honoring. Riverside is blessed as a body to sit under true teaching of the word to equip us to share His will for us all. We are blessed that as I think of the people He has put in our body and as I watch our teens learn and dive into His word I am humbled that a young lady such as Tiffany can sit with a fellow sister and point out an unbiblical concept. That God gave her the words to convey truth straight from His word. as I listened to a coversation Jeff was having with 2 local girls working at the camp regarding "our Bible" they said that because we have diffrent translations of the bible NASB, NIV etc that we change that there are too many diffrent story and that "they" only have 1 bible and that they have never changed. as they continued their conversation I was reminded of how lost these people are and how they view our glorious Father is vile to Him that is why we have come not only to teach them english but to show them God in our words our expressions and our actions. Continue to pray for strength and endurance as the week ends.

IHG
Melodye

First day of home visits

We had another fun filled day at the Better Life English camp. Things started off great I had 4 kids in my group 3 boys and 1 girl and 2 of them are brother and sister. I showed the kids pictures of the boys and shared their names and ages we then to english class and learned about familys such mom dad sister brother aunt uncle neice nephew cousin. when the teacher asked me to show a picture of my family I pulled out the pictures of my boys and my kids told her their names and their ages I was shocked they were so interested and they loved that Art is husband and we are here together. During game time we played an equivelant to capture the flag and the all wanted me to play so as your reading this try and imagine me running around chasing kids that make James look slow. The girls were good but the boys enjoyed making me run the would call my name so I would chase them. We had snack and then craft the made pictures and Anita gave me hers to keep I am so touched at how much these kids are open to the friendship and any affection we can offer. After lunch we had open game time for the community and I spent an hour playing UNO with a group of girls that enjoyed beating me I was so pleased to see their smiling faces as we tried to bridge the language gap and learned from and taught one another. I attended a home visit with Art and another team member Tim today there were 3 boys that are attending camp and one that attended last camp in this home. The mom was so gracious she is pregnant and due in the next 3 weeks. She served us coke and turkish coffe along with the coffee she gave us turkish delight and chocolate. Their since of hospitality is unlike any I have ever seen no longer will I complain about people stopping by unannounced. We spent time getting to know a litlle about their family. During the war her and her family fled to Macedona and It seems that most families have some family members that live elsewhere her brother lives in Germany and her husband brother lives in London.

Please pray for us that our Father will continue to provide us with strength and endurance as our bodies are tiring. May we continually glorify Him in all we do.

IHG
Art and Melodye

Camp is up and running

Camp started today and it was a grand success. We had about 15 serbian children come and they were mixed amoung the albanian children. The kids are older this year 12-14 yo so they seem to warm up to the leaders quickly During the course of the morning they had english class learning the basics "hello how are you? I am fine. My name is ______. I am ___ years old. after that they had games helping them work together as a team They had a snack and then made a craft to take home. I was amazed at how smoothly the day went and how much the kids truly enjoyed the interaction with each other as well as the leaders. Art and I went to the market and walked around it was quite crowded they only have it once a week so everyone does there shopping then. We were able to go and visit Akmed and Habib which are friends of Mark and Trish. Akmed was explaining how poor this culture is and how all the young people are leaving and goin to Europe. I was burdened for him and his family as he explained how things have gone downhill since the war As I sat and listened to this man I began to truly realize that these people are so much poorer than they think They have no hope. They have no one to put there hope in. These people are truly lost and confused. They desperately need our Father to touch their lives to tear down the lies and fill their lives with truth I am brought to tears at the very thought of a life without hope and I pray that our Father will mightly move through this land in a way that they will all fall to their knees in submission.

We miss you all terribly and would love to hear from you all. I am feeling much more home sick than I thought I would and Lord willing will be home to see you all soon.

IHG
Art and Melodye

Blessings be to you all

Dear friends as I sit here writing to you it is 5:51am Sunday morning your time. I pray that God prepares your heart for the worship and teaching you will sit under today. Family of Riverside you are a blessed people to have God present amoung you with the leadership He has provided as well as the clear biblical teaching you recieve. We had church today and Dr Mark taught on Nehemiah he started towards the end as they celebrate with the finishing of the wall in Jerusalem and ended with how the beginning of the book starts with the confession of one man. It was a sureal experience to worship our Father standing on foreign soil in a country that desperately needs to hear his call. We sang "Lord we ask for the nations", as Jeff Diehl played on the guitar I was moved to know that as we worship our glorious Father the people that passed by us out on the street were utterly lost. They are who we are asking for to be touched by the majestic spirit of our almighty Father. May each of you be moved by the words you will mediatate on today as a body of believers. Hold His word close to your heart for it is a part of you, a part that has been bestowed upon you as a blessing to share with those around you. Let not the sun set on this day that you do not give thanks in all you do to the glorious Father that has pulled you from the ashes and declared you are righteous.
IHG
Art and Melodye

What day is it?

We have arrived safely after 3 plane rides and 8 hours worth of layovers. When arrived at the airport yesterday we met Mark Edwards and he took us to our host home. We are staying with Shaban(a fellow police officer Art is pleased) Velemay his wife and their four girls Fiolla, Abataree, Shkorta, and Lulay. This is the same family that Christina and Mindy stayed with last year. The were truly glad to see us and have been so sweet in their hospitality. Tiffany is sharing a room at the same house with a young girl from Canada. The team is a little smaller than last year but we are meeting some interesting people. They have 100 12-14 year old kids sign up for the camp that will begin on Monday. Jeff and Debbie Diehl as well as Josh have been showing us around and sharing with me some of the things that have been occuring in the community. We went on a prayer walk through the town this morning and I was in awe of some of the ruins I witnessed left over from the turmoil but there are new buildings being built amoung the rubble. Josh says that building does not always mean the economy is up as the numbers of unemployment seem to be the same. As we have been going around the town Art, Josh and Tiffany have been seeing people they met and spent time with last year. The are geniunely happy that they have return and have been excited to know they will be staying for a while.
Please pray for me that I will overcome my fear of the language barrier as they have and I will begin to form relationships of my own with those I encounter and that we will always emulate Christ in all we say and do. That He will provide us with rest and endurance during the full and upcoming week. We are praying that He will use us as a tool to do a mighty work here in Kosovo and that He will till the hearts of the people to allow the seeds to be planted. Ultimately we pray for His sovereign plan to be accomplished in His timing and that we will accept His will for this time we spend here among this people.
IHG
Art and Melodye

We're off

Art and I will begin our trip with Tiffany Griffith today which including layover times will amount to roughly 20hrs. We will have two lengthy layovers one in Atlanta and one in London. I myself have never been any farther than Philadelphia so I am excited to be embarking on an international trip.

Art and I have been meditating and spending time with our Father asking Him to reveal to us what His desire for us to learn and experience while on this trip would be. My husband has a love for this country that his Father has impressed upon his heart, I pray He will reveal to me the same compassion and heart felt bound with this culture, with these people. We recieved word from Jeff and Debbie Diehl yesterday. They joyously relayed to us that the first english camp serving both the Serbian and Albanian children together for the grade school children has been completed. My husband was overwhelmed to read in the email that when opening the Better Life Center for parents night they took a lesson from their children and sat intermingled with one another. Only the hand of our Father could have orchestrated this and touch the hearts of two people groups that have such anger and turmoil between one another.

As we leave I would ask that your yarpers not only be for traveling because we are confident in His will to deliver us safely to accomplish His plan. But also for the preparation of the hearts of the teens we will enconter during the English camp we are participating in. For our father to be glorified in all that we do. Our father is sovereign and will use every word we say and every action we complete to facilitate His plan in His timing.

IHG
Melodye

Well the kids are happy

We are visiting Art's parents in Melbourne. The boys will spend the majority of our time away with them and boy are they happy about that. As Art and I made the drive over yesterday we had some time to really discuss and reflect on the message taught by Pastor Frank. How sovereign our Father is when the message you hear meets you right where you are. At times when we have discussed finances we have looked for a way for us to rectify a situation or how we can save for a rainy day. Again with the man centered mantality of how we provide for us because no one else does. When a raise or bonus has come through we are all quick to think it was what was due to us. But in reality we should fall to our knees praising Him for the blessings He is providing. Art and I were in awe of His provisions today more than ever. When Art left for Kosovo last year he took small gifts for the children he would be teaching during his stay. They were not glamorous gifts but just a token. Things financially were easier last year because it was just him traveling. This year we knew we wanted to provided the same tokens but weren't sure if we would be able. Again with the man centered mantality that we had to find the funds. We went shopping with our children and family to see what we could find. In friendly chit chat between my mother-in-law and a sweet woman she encountered in the store discussing the trip her son and daugter-in-law where about to make decided that they wanted to provide those gifts. Two women that had never met nor spoken before today would be the ones our Father had appointed to provide those gifts. It humbles us to be reminded that we are not called to find a way but to accept His way. When we give we should give with abundance and joy for the glory of our Father for its not ours to keep. Holding with a open hand for the Lord to give or pass on to others in the glory of His name.

IHG
Melodye

I am not a technical person

My Father just did not bless me in that way. As my husband and I are preparing for this trip to Kosovo I am learning the "new ways" so to speak of the young. I have been told (by my 9 yo son no less) that we should have a blog so they will be up to date on our daily activities. So no promises being made of what it will look like or how often we will use it I have done what was asked of me.

Art & I will do our best to convey to all of you what is happening in the last days of prepartion for this life changing journey our Father is bestowing upon us as well as the daily paths we will tread upon. Please yarp for us daily as this will be the first international trip I will be making and the farthest I have ever been from my boys. As a mother I am suffering from seperation anxiety but am confident that my Father is soveriegn and will provide a safe and loving enviroment for my children until we return.

IHG
Melodye