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