Handshakes in the middle of the street

 It was a really interesting feeling flying into Kosovo for our second visit. The first time we had no clue what we were going to see or experience. We were hopeful that God would use us for something, but other than that, really didn’t know what was going to happen. 

This time is different. It’s only been 9 months since the first visit and a lot has changed. First off, we have a clear calling that Kosovo will eventually be our new home; we have a pretty good idea what God is using us to do in Kosovo. While we had some good direction and focus during the last trip, this visit just feels different.

It feels more important, it feels more comfortable, it feels more…real.

Last July we landed in the middle of the night and then packed into a bus for a ride across the tarmac to the tiny, cramped, and old terminal. Today we arrived at noon and walked down the spacious jetway into the arrivals hall in the new, spacious, and modern terminal.

Basically, it was completely different this time around.

We spent some time catching up with Berat as we rode in his pickup truck through the Kosovo countryside. I love talking with Berat. His one desire is to help his country grow. He is a community leader who cannot even drive through the street with rolling down his window to call out to a friend, and maybe even shake hands in the middle of the road. Walking to our table at lunch he said hi to people at 3 out of the 5 tables. When you’re hanging with Berat, you’re part of the in-crowd.

We had lunch at what is quickly becoming my favorite place…in any country. This restaurant is on a hill-top amongst a grove of trees. There’s just something about this place; delicious meats off the grill, really friendly staff, and a phenomenal cup of coffee…and it has a playground that kept Kailyn happy.

We enjoyed a great time of conversation talking about the potential for the future and all the great ways that God has worked to prepare the way for working in Kosovo.

But today was also full of reminders of the many challenges that still lay ahead of the youngest country in Europe…

Kosovo is, in the words of Counsellor Marku, “one giant construction site”…so everywhere we drive we see buildings under construction, many that seem to be abandoned, and some where the bullet and mortar shell holes still scar the façade.

We drove past a couple of young men who attend the program at Bethany Christian Center (where Berat is the director) as they worked their small car washing service. Berat told me how they are an example of how difficult the child labor law debate is in the country. Families are dependent on the income from the kids…so, while protecting kids from predatory labor practices is one thing, maintaining a living wage and providing for the welfare of all family members calls for the help of all members of the family, especially in a nation that boasts one of the highest unemployment rates in the entire world.

As we settled into our apartment, the electricity in the neighborhood went out.  Slowly, the neighbors came out of their houses to confirm that everyone else was in the same boat. Power outages are still a fairly common occurrence here apparently…this was the second one of the day and it lasted for over two hours. The quite afternoon was replaced with the roar of the many gas power generators and kids playing outside. The mechanic across the street spent this impromptu break catching up with his friends as they sat on the curb in front of his shop.

Kosovo is a beautiful place and as you look a little longer, its challenges seem overwhelming.

We are excited that God is using us to help meet some of these challenges. Still don’t know why he chose us…but we’re gonna keep moving forward in faith.

Time to sleep. Tomorrow we get to go to a local church and meet a new friend; turns out, the pastor is the guy who Berat stopped in the middle of the street to shake hands with…