It was Friday, March 13th when Teanna, all four of the Sunberg girls, and I headed out to Kosovo. We got an early start since school was cancelled because of the bomb threat. Earlier in the week, Teanna bought a GPS. At the beginning of the trip, the girls decided to call it Penelope. Penelope is wonderful; she got us from Sofia to Skopje, Macedonia, (and back home) without incident (miracle!). We met up with some friends at a McDonald's for dinner and then followed them the rest of the way to Prishtina, Kosovo.
Another miracle... no problems at any borders. :)
So while we were at a red light in Skopje, I was teaching Lexi the fast food restaurant song (with the motions, of course). That apparently caught the attention of the guy in the next car beause he was very much staring at me. Then, he told his friend. I continued on not embarrassed at all and even laughing with Teanna about it.
On Saturday, we drove to Surheka which was about an hour away. We attended a church service there, and then joined some people for lunch. It was a wonderful day spent with wonderful people. The landscape on the drive was also gorgeous.
That night the adults stayed up late and talked. We had some ridiculous moments of very random topics, but we also got into some heavier stuff. One such topic was the history of Kosovo.The tension of this region began hundreds of years ago under the Ottoman Empire. Things shifted at the end of the 1800s and especially after the World Wars. (Now, let me explain that Kosovars are Albanian in heritage.) A lot of the countries were swooped into Yugoslavia, and Kosovo was just one district under Serbia. During the big communist era under the USSR, the leader of the country kept things pretty well together by playing various sides. However, when he died, people began crying out for independence. Around 1981, Kosovo wa peacefully resisting Serbia's control, but Serbia ignored them. Over the next 10 years, people became restless, and a small guerilla army formed. They used violence to voice their opinion. In the late 1990s, Serbia pushed back with a mighty force. Many people fled, but so many others were killed in the attacks, for it is difficult to find guerilla participants in small villages.
Imir, a Kosovar we stayed with during our visit, was 14 years old when Serbia's attacks began. While he never saw dead bodies, he heard bombs fall near his house, and his house was actually burned down 3 days after they fled. It is amazing to hear God's grace in Imir's life. As his family fled, he came across parts of the Bible, and he fell in love with Jesus. After several months as a refugee, Imir and his family returned to Kosovo. There, Imir heard of a church (the Nazarene Church) was helping people. He went to get physical assistance but also to learn more about Jesus. These events and more surely illustrate the power of God's prevenient grace. Furthermore, (I'm not sure how long ago) Imir and an American friend were walking home (but I think they were on the Serbian side or something). A Serbian guard stopped them and asked for ID. When the group of guards found out Imir was Kosovar, they began to beat him. Somehow he escaped and with his friend began running. When they crossed the bridge into Kosovo, Imir fell shaking, and the first words out of his mouth were "Father, forgive them."
It is absolutely incredible. I am amazed at God's presence and grace in Imir's life and so many others. I wish I could have heard more stories in my visit. As for Kosovo, the UN is also very much present. Kosovo claimed their independence in February 2008. They are recognized by America and many countries in the EU. However, several countries including Serbia and Russia (and the EU's official position) do not recognize Kosovo as a legitimate independent country.
It is amazing to have been in a place that is just beginning to gain an identity. And it is incredible to see how God is at work in it all.
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