Unfathomable sorrow, unexpected hope (Kosovo Day 1)

Not sure when this will get posted, but I am writing this at the end of our first day in Kosovo. Probably a bit long...but lots of pictures for you to enjoy as well!

Our trip started with a reminder of God's provision. After being offered the possibility of a voluntary bump (which, although a delay in our plans, would have meant a solid financial incentive) we were presented with an upgrade to business class. Now, families are usually never offered such an upgrade, so this was the first time Rebecca and I had received such an upgrade. It was great...we enjoyed a nice meal. Actually, it was crazy delicious...complete with mini clothes pin to hold our napkin in place. The flight was quick and uneventful.

Rebecca and I on the flight to Pristina

Our colleagues Brian and Pearl

We were welcomed with a smile at passport control under the watchful eye of the airport's namesake (a national hero in the war of independence - Adem Jashari) and proceeded to get our bags and through customs within ten minutes. The arrivals area is outside on the front driveway of the airport, and we were met there by our host Berat.

line for passport control

Rebecca and I with our host...and now, friend, Berat

Berat led us to his car...an extended cab Toyota pickup (first pickup truck I've ridden in quite a while...not many in Austria). He then informed us that he would like to take us to Prizren. Of course, we all thought he said prison...but then he explained that it would be very enjoyable to go there since it would be very lively as we are in Ramazan (and yes, I know we pronounce/spell it Ramadan, but in Albanian, it's with a Z). Of course, by the time we arrived in Prizren it was midnight. We walked through the old town...amazing town square with some very cool elements including an old mosque (with LCD announcement ticker) and the castle walls up on the hill (which we really couldn't see so well in the dark), and a fountain where young girls go to hopefully meet their future husband after taking 3 drinks (you'll notice in the picture below there are only young men drinking from the fountain).

Rebecca, Pearl, and I in the back of Berat's truck

mosque in Prizren 

local kids drinking out of the engagement fountain

After some walking around, Berat announced he wanted to treat us to ice cream...so we each had a nice 5 SCOOP sundae at 00:30 (Berat ordered for us of course!) While we were enjoying our multi flavored sundae, I was drawn in by the scent of a nearby French fry stand. So I asked Berat to join me to help me speak with the guy manning the booth. Turns out, this guy had been hand making these fries for 58 years! And let me tell you...his experience was quit noticeable. I would put these fries up against any I've had in my life. Skin on, freshly fried...amazing.

huge ice cream sundaes

We finally got in to the the apartment we are staying in in Gjakova at 2:45...fell right asleep and only vaguely heard the neighborhood mosque's call to prayer at dawn...and then we were out of the house at 9:30 to meet with the director of the Gjakova municipality's dept of youth, sport, and culture. This was a very encouraging meeting, and it looks like we will be able to continue to interact with them and have their support in setting up these camps. From there, we headed out to a nearby village to meet with a director of the village elementary - 9th grade school. We spent some time with him and some members of his staff before heading on to our next stop.

with the Director of Youth, Sports, and Culture (next to Rebecca), and at the far right, the vice director in charge of Culture.

With the director and some staff of the school we visited 

We convinced Berat that he should let us stop for a quick snack (we definitely had to convince him as he did not want us to ruin our appetite for our upcoming lunch (at 3 pm...at this point in the story, lunch was 4 hours away!). We stopped near a 400 year old bridge which historically served as the main route between Gjakova and Albania. From this point on the bridge we could see the former Serbian military base and a bunker that had been destroyed by NATO bombing in the 1999 war. 

enjoying our light snack

400 year old bridge...was the main road from Albanian kingdoms into Kosovo

large bunker just behind the machinery suffered a direct hit from NATO bombing. The bunker was part of the Serbian military base in Gjakova

From there we drove to the most sobering part of this trip. Berat took us up to a hill overlooking the city where there was a graveyard/memorial set up to honor all the innocent civilians who were killed during the war. He told us of his cousin and a group of his friends who were rounded up and executed by the Serbian soldiers. He then shared with us his experiences during the war...especially about the two days between the day the agreement to end hostilities was signed,  and the day NATO troops arrived and the Serbians left. He said that this time was by far the most frightening part for him. I couldn't stop the tears...

pictures of all the civilians from the town of Gjakova who were rounded up and executed by Serbian military...

In many cases, all the men in the family were killed. The boy in the top right was the youngest brother in this family. He was only 14 when he was killed. Our host Berat was good friends with these young men.

After this we drove through the country side, getting a chance to see more of this beautiful region...but also seeing the remaining after-effects of the war.

Berat took us to a restaurant that his wife is co owner of (and chef) for our lunch. Delicious. We spent a good three hours enjoying our meal and chatting about the morning meetings and how God is going to use this time to further draw Kosavars to Himself.

a local beer

 Tava e Presrenit...a stew type dish...slow cooked and so delicious.

It is now 8:25 and the sun is down and the temperature has become less hot, so we are gonna head out to check out some more of this city on foot.