Day 11: A Few Parting Shots, A Few Parting Thoughts

Today was a beautiful summer day here in Prishtina.  Seems hard to believe it is autumn already.  Around here, it still looks and feels like summer.

I had the privilege to worship with Word Church for their very first Sunday in their new building.

Like most new things, there is a growing period, but I see a lot of potential for them in their new location.  For instance, there are LOTS of grade school and middle school-aged kids within a few block radius of the church, and with the right  resources, the church can have a positive impact on their lives.  Just being in the building one hour, a few kids walked in, asking if there were English classes going on (I must have been talking too loudly!).  With growth comes growing pangs, I suppose.  Please keep this congregation in your prayers.  I presented Banush with a plaque for Word Church and their new location.

John 1:1-2

After church, another family stopped by to pick up their food parcel, since they weren´t available on Friday. In all, twenty-five food parcels were distributed during our time in Vushtrri.

Isak distributing a food parcel to a needy family.

We got back to Prishtina later in the afternoon.  I decided to take a short walk through the city park again, since the weather was so nice.  It is a great place to sit and people-watch and enjoy the warm weather.  Who needs a gym membership while living in Prishtina? Walking all these hills is a great workout.  This is also the part of the trip I like--all my clothes are a bit looser now...

Day 12 will be spent flying home.  I will leave Prishtina at 11:00 p.m. Rochester time on Sunday night and arrive in Minneapolis at 5:00 p.m. on Monday evening.  Once again, this is a bittersweet time.  I have grown to love and appreciate the people I´ve met on this trip and appreciate the ministry of Word Church as they struggle to minister with limited resources.  They have taken a leap of faith in several areas, but they also know God will provide.  "Even in the darkness a little light helps."  I hope I´ve been able to spark a little light in the lives of those I´ve come into contact, and hope I have made some impact.  I am anxious to get home to my family, but also look forward to the time when I can return.  This is an amazing country with amazing people.  Please continue to pray for and encourage the Word Church, especially Banush, Fitnete and their children as they continue to minister in Vushtrri.

Altina, Banush, Fitnete, Estera & Aron Elezi

I am not sure why all trip reports end with a sunset photo; it just seems like the natural thing to do.  I took this photo tonight at Memorial Park on my way to dinner.  With this, I want to close and say, "Mirupafshim, Kosova, dhe Zoti ju bekoftë të gjithëve!" (Good-bye, Kosova, and God bless you all)!

Until next time,
Les

Day 10: Prishtina on 10 Euros A Day

Today was our day off, so I decided to do a walking tour of Prishtina from my guesthouse down to the city center, through the park and back to the guesthouse.

Like so many other cities in this area, Prishtina can trace it´s roots back about 2000 years.  This area has a rich but complicated history.

A memorial park is not too far from my guesthouse.  This is where former President Ibrahim Rugova is buried, perhaps the most revered President of Kosova.

A short distance away is the Russian WWII Memorial (I don´t recall the significance of this).

Directly behind this, one gets a good panoramic view of Prishtina.

Near this spot is one of the mass graves, a constant reminder of the tragedy of war.  There are many of these all around the country.

My next stop was to find the statue of Bill Clinton that was dedicated in his honor last year.  He is also considered a hero here in Kosova, since he authorized the NATO bombing that stopped the Serbian army and essentially ended the war.  But all this walking and sight-seeing made me hungry, so I stopped in a little shop and had spinach burek for breakfast.  Burek is phillo dough filled with feta cheese and spinach, rolled up, and baked.  Coupled with yogurt (the unflavored, drinkable variety), you have a breakfast that will stick to your ribs.

To walk off the burek, I keep moving. . .

Although some people own single family homes, the majority of the people live in apartment complexes, especially near the city center.

Finally, I find Bill Clinton´s statue along Bill Clinton Boulevard, one of the main roadways in Prishtina.

While Bill gets an entire boulevard named after him, Hillary gets a dress shop (with a good sale to boot!)

Bill Clinton Boulevard intersects with Mother Teresa Boulevard, the other main roadway in Prishtina.  Kosova was Mother Teresa´s home country.

I started to make my way down to Mother Teresa Plaza, and saw some interesting storefronts along the way.  You can try your luck at the Free Shop (the prices are right), and yes, they are open (not sure for how long)...

You´ll always look great after shopping in the Lovely Store...

Then there´s the mini drag store (for those so inclined); and yes, they are open 24 hours for one´s shopping convenience...

Now, I´m no businessman, but I think Business Basics 101 must have included the importance of naming your business so that you draw patrons into your store, not drive them away, such as Keep Out Boutique...

It was a really nice and sunny morning for a walk, and so far my little tour proved quite interesting.  Prishtina is really going through a big renovation with all the new building projects, yet keeping those of national significance intact.  

As I continued near the university, I finally saw it in a shop window--flija!  You can´t visit Kosova and not try flija at least once (and that will be enough).  This is basically noodle dough, cheese, eggs and oil baked in 8 layers.  Not low-calorie by any means.  The traditional way is to bake it on hot coals in the ground.  

But consider yourself warned...one piece will leave you feeling stuffed for quite some time!

Making my way back to the guesthouse, I decide to pass through the university campus grounds, where I recall:

A piece of the Berlin Wall, a reminder of things past...

An unused,unfinished Serbian Orthodox Church, a reminder of things past...

The National TV and Radio Tower, which is monitoring my every move (just kidding!!)

The National Library

Looping through the park and up a couple hills to the guesthouse, I finally made it back. Whew! Nap time! But first, a Schweppe´s, which really tasted good after all that walking.  All in all it was a fun and enjoyable day (just ask Estera, after our visit to Kosova´s newest fast food chain later this afternoon).  

And the final tally of my walking tour of Prishtina: 7 euros for the day.

I hope you enjoyed the tour...

Les

Vushtrri--Day 9: "News at Eleven..."

One thing I´ve learned after several trips to Kosova is the art of being flexible.  This is an absolute necessity, as plans often change and change often.  Today was one of those days.

Last evening, the plan was to leave later this morning for Vushtrri, allowing enough time to get the food parcels from one of the local markets and have them delivered to the ministry center before the families started arriving at 1:00 p.m.  There was a little change in plans, in that the local TV station had heard about our meeting with the head of the municipality two days before and wanted to do a news story on our food parcel distribution today.  Frankly, I´m getting a bit tired of being in the public eye.  I prefer to keep a low profile, and do better working behind the scenes.

The news team arrived before the grocery truck, so we had a chance to explain to them what was our purpose (to meet physical needs for the short-term) , why we were doing this (on behalf of Word NGO as a humanitarian project), who would this benefit (those truly in need, and who were pre-determined by HandiKOS), and if we had other projects planned in the future (we would continue to provide humanitarian aid through Word NGO and partner with the municipality as we are able).  The truck from the local market arrived with the food parcels, and there were plenty of hands around to do the unloading.

Funding for this was made possible from caring folks from Rochester and points beyond.  This doesn´t seem like a lot, but the recipients can make one of these boxes last for a month or more.  One by one, the families came at their appointed time.  I had a chance to talk to a few of them, and hear their stories.

• One man was so appreciative that he was selected to receive another food parcel this year, as he and his family (including an invalid son) had received a food parcel from our team last year.  This was especially helpful, given their hard winter last year.

• One young girl came alone, since her mother and older sister were too embarrassed to come to the center with her because they were so poor (plus, the TV camera was still around, which didn´t help).  The father was paralyzed and couldn´t work, and most likely the mother didn´t work outside the home, so their only assistance was a small pension from the government.  The older sister did arrive later, but only to help carry the box to their home.  I helped them carry the box into their home, and saw that these people were truly in need.  The mother was so appreciative and couldn´t stop saying "falemnderit, falemnderit" (thank you! thank you!).

• A mother came to the center with her children.  During the war, she and her husband and children were fleeing their village late at night, knowing the enemy was not far behind.  Her husband sent her and the children in one direction and he in another direction, promising to meet up further down the road.  She never saw her husband after that.  

This is life for so many here in Kosova.  Everyone has a war story to tell, and how the war impacted them directly.  So many people in this city continue to suffer physically, mentally, socially and spiritually.  Unfortunately, it takes a lot longer to repair than to destroy, and meeting physical needs is a good place to start.

The news team interviewed the first recipients of the food boxes, who said how appreciative they were to receive this and how it would benefit their families, if even for the short-term.

One gentleman came by who demanded a food parcel because he had a handicapped and felt entitled to one.  Unfortunately, he was not "on the list."  Since we purchased enough for those who met certain criteria by the HandiKOS office beforehand, one was not available for him.  Of course, he raised a ruckus, and of course, he raised a ruckus right in front of the TV camera, saying he was being denied a food box and was being starved by those who didn´t care about him.  We found out later that of course, that segment made the evening newscast.  What they failed to report that in the end, we had two boxes left over, and he actually did receive a food parcel after all.  This is the messy and difficult part of doing humanitarian work--sometimes helping hurts.

For me, this was a very sobering day.  I hope you didn´t find most of this too disturbing...but then again, maybe I do.  It´s only when we are jarred from our comfort zones and see the real world through a different lens, a different perspective, that we are spurred to action, and hopefully it´s being done for the right reasons.

I want to end this post like I ended the first post:

"Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world, when He could do something about it...but I´m afraid He might ask me the same question."

Count your blessings,
Les

P.S.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!

Day 8: "Baby, It´s Cold Outside"

BRRR!  It has been cold and raining the entire day.  What started out as a little cloudy has turned into nearly 12 hours of cold, rainy weather.  Although it's inconvenient, many here are not complaining since it is their first measurable rainfall in over 3 months.  This was the view from my window this morning...but the situation quickly changed.

Distributing glasses went much better today than yesterday.  This was the first public event held in the new ministry center.  It was good to be able to help those truly in need and explain again to some of them why we do what we do.

Isak helping a client with eyeglasses.

Isak, the HandiKOS director, is a very intelligent man who has many talents and many connections.  He phoned the Slovenia KFOR commander and arranged for the KFOR commander to stop by and see the new center and inform them how this ministry has partnered--and will continue to partner--with HandiKOS. Hopefully, it will also be a recognized NGO in Kosova very soon. He explained to the new commander that this is a Protestant church, Banush is the pastor, and all the work of HandiKOS in and around Vushtrri.  After the meeting, the commander promised cooperation and assistance from KFOR if it is ever needed.  Mission accomplished.

After all this meeting, it was finally macchiato time.  Schweppe's comes later.  We met Sabri for a short time, and to those who know him, he sends his greetings!  His family is fine; he is "so-so."  Enough said.

We went to the market to purchase the food for tomorrow's food parcel distribution.  En route there, we passed a small kiosk from the local hospital where two nurses were distributing information about varicose veins, diabetes, et al.  It was raining really hard then so I didn't take a lot of time to discuss this information with them [although I would have loved to], but I did get their photo [surprise, surprise!].  They were't up for talking a lot either; they said, "just check out the website!" and ran for cover.

The market was an interesting place.  I saw leeks the size of baseball bats, cabbages the size of bowling balls and tomatoes as large as softballs.  This could be a chef's paradise.

We were going to have a youth meeting at the ministry center tonight, but because of the weather, no one said they could come, so we called it a day and returned to Prishtina.  I found the nearest internet cafe so I could catch up on emails and update the blog page.  I'm sure the internet connection is still not functioning at the guesthouse, so I'm glad Banush told me about this internet cafe that is a little closer.  It sounds like it is still raining out,so it will be a fast walk back to the guesthouse.

I wonder if I can find some flija along the way...

"Note e mire" [good night],
Les

Vushtrri--Day 7: "Enough Said..."

[Editor's Note:  Due to technical difficulties with the internet at the guesthouse and since I was too lazy to walk down to the nearest internet cafe late at night, this blog is being posted now.  Sorry for any inconvenience.]

OK.  So today wan't the best day of this trip.  It started out well enough, but as we neared the building we were to do the reading glasses for a second day, I knew this would crash and burn.  For starters, we only had 90 pair of glasses for the 200-plus people that showed up [where's that five-loaves-and-two-fish miracle when you need it?!?].  Secondly, it was like fighting through a Black Friday crowd at Walmart just to get through the door.  Shortly thereafter, things got really out of hand, and soon, we had nearly 80 people packed into a standard room.  Regarding crowd control, there wasn't any, and most everyone was expecting  to leave with a pair of readers in hand.  The perplexing thing is that people wearing prescription glasses wanted readers.  Again, no gatekeeper.  On a couple occasions, Banush said something, then packed everything away until there was some semblance of order.  Then, those truly needing help were singled out somehow, and the rest had to leave.  I don't know if it was actual need [and going without for so long] or greed.  Nonetheless, I was glad when we finally ran out of readers and could close shop.  There are a few logistical issues to work out, and unless there is a better system in place beforehand, I am not sure I want to repeat this scenario again.  Enough said.

During all this, who should appear but Selijme!  For those of you who don't know, Selijme and her son, Driljon, stayed with us for several weeks while Driljon underwent eye surgery at Mayo 8 years ago.  She hasn't changed a bit.  She said Driljon didn't come because he was sick.  We met up with her and her husband, Hikim, later for a short visit.  Selijme thinks Driljon would do better at a special school out of the country.  Enough said.

Isak, the HandiKOS director, arranged for us to meet with the Mayor of the Municipality, who actually has a lot of power in the region.  He wanted to meet us and thank us for our past participation with HandiKOS and for the humanitarian work being done in the region.  Banush explained to him that I was part of a Protestant church in America that has been involved with several humanitarian projects in Vushtrri and the surrounding region for the past several years.  He explained our purpose, why we were doing this, and that we only came after being invited.  We mentioned our willingness to partner with the local hospital and provide teaching seminars, but this had been met with some resistance before.  After one phone call, the director for medical services suddenly appeard in his office, and we had an hour meeting with him afterwards to discuss the possibility of training sessions at the local hospital in the future.  We also met with the director of IT, as they are interested in further training in IT for the municipality.  I was reminded again how important relationship-building is in this part of the world, after they trust you.

Our entire interview was being videotaped, and afterwards, the mayor and I were interviewed individually about this meeting and our purpose.  I was also presented with a certificate of appreciation from the municipality for our humanitarian work in Vushtrri--something all of us at ARC can be proud of.

We returned to Prishtina after that, and I had a couple hours to myself as Banush had a real estate deal to work on [he is working for a company to sell real estate--houses, apartments or other buildings.  He gets a commission for each home he sells, which he is applying to the balance of his own apartment].  It was another leisurely walk along Mother Teresa Boulevard, which is currently all dug up and they are making the entire street into a walking plaza.  No more taxis, no more dodging traffic in front of stores.  Unfortunately, until it is finished, you are walking through construction sites and gravel trails to get from one end to the other.  I was surprised to see a couple large, new hotels along the adjacent roadway, and they are building a large one right beside the National Theatre.  

Later, we went to Banush's oldest brother's home and had a nice visit with his family.  I think I have met all five of his brothers now.  This day ended on a much brighter note than how it began, for which I am thankful.

Enough said...

Les

Vushtrri--Day 6: "I Can See Clearly Now..."

Today was our day to distribute reading glasses to the pensioners and other disadvantaged people in Vushtrri.  We were joined by three Campus Crusade Albania staff members who came to see what we were doing, and we quickly put them to work!

We were supposed to see about 85 people today, but ended up seeing 164!  Some of the stories a few of the people told us were quite touching.  One woman said, "This is the first time in my life I ever had glasses.  I needed them so much!"  Another commented, "My friend and I shared eyeglasses because we could never afford a pair for ourselves.  Now we each have a pair all to ourselves!"

It´s stories like this that really make this all worthwhile.  How often have I taken my eyesight (or my glasses) for granted... We used John 3:16 in different fonts for the reading charts, and the Campus Crusade staff had some time to share with a few of the people.

After a quick lunch of kebobs, tomatoes and spiced cabbage, we left to go back to the army base for the last lecture on chronic wound management.  Again, this was well-received, and we had a good discussion time regarding etiology, management, treatment plans, etc.  Afterwards, I made it official and presented each participant with a certificate of attendance, complete with signature and seal.  The photo shows most of the military medical personnel who participated in this conference.

With appreciation, Sergeant-Major Fetah also presented Banush and me with a plaque of the Kosovar Army insignia, thanking us for our involvement with the medical personnel over the past days.  The hope is to continue this partnership with on-going medical educational opportunities in the future.  With the start of their new hospital next year, they will need this.

We met with the three men from Campus Crusade Albania in the late afternoon over macchiatos (what else?) so Banush and the team leaders could discuss future ministry ideas for Vushtrri.  By this time of the day, a macchiato and a Schweppe´s tasted real good!  It was good to hear about all the ministry being planned for the Balkan region.

I walked to Banush´s apartment for dinner and stayed for a little visit.  His wife, Fitnete, makes the BEST Turkish coffee!  We discussed our all our schedule for tomorrow, which will make for another interesting day.

YAWN!!  It´s time to close.  I will write again when I can.
Naten e mire! (Good night!)

--Les

Prishtina--Day 5: "Reporting for Duty, Sir!"

I awoke this morning to a symphony from the mosque´s imam, two dogs fighting, and a car alarm--all going off at the same time.  At least the imam can carry a tune...

Today I am to lecture to 15 medical personnel at the Land Force Command Center in Prishtina.  This was arranged via email with Sergeant-Major Fetah Zejnullahu several weeks before this meeting.  I met Col. Dr. Xhevdet Tahiraj this morning as we met for coffee (a preliminary requirement before conducting any kind of business in Kosova).  Imagine my surprise when I learned that they thought I came prepared to do a 5-day seminar instead of the 2 lectures I had prepared.  Since I have not perfected that "five-loaves-and-two-fish-miracle", they had to settle for three lectures spread over 2 days instead.

I may be biased, but I think the lectures went well.  Everyone seemed to appreciate the information, and I had an excellent translator, Diana, whom I met last year.  She works at the Command Center, so that was an added plus, since she knew who to go to to get things done.

After having lunch in the officer´s commissary, we were given a tour of the new military hospital by three of the doctors who attended the seminar.  The army is building this on-site, which is set to open early next year.  They have plans for this to be a very well-equipped 80-bed, full-service hospital.

Later, I helped Banush take some of the furniture and books to the new ministry center in Vushtrri.  We met with the young man who will arrange a meeting with some of the young people for Thursday night in Vushtrri.  All in all, this was a full and somewhat exhausting day.  After resting at the guest house for awhile, I decided to take a walk down to Mother Teresa Boulevard, have dinner at Rings, and people-watch.  It was a beautiful evening and everyone was enjoying themselves out on the plaza.  The hike back to the guesthouse was a bit challenging--seems like I could do it a little easier ten years ago!  That will be my cardio work-out for the day.

OK, for those who know me too well...what is wrong with this picture?

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(That´s right...the Schweppe´s is almost gone!!)

Until next time, take care!

Les

PS: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GLEN AND IRENE!

Day 4--Vushtrri & Mitrovica: Tasting trout at Cafe Krapi

I left Hotel Sharri in Prevalle about mid-morning, and we drove in a fine mist all the way back to Prishtina. After getting settled at the professor´s guest house, we went on to Vushtrri to finalize the deal with renting the space for the ministry center.  After the agreement was made, it was time for coffee--my first of a few macchiatos today.

We met up with Isak from HandiKOS, and discussed our plans with the pensioners for Tuesday and Wednesday, again over a macchiato or two.  Have I mentioned how wonderful their coffee is over here?

Later, we drove north, on to Mitrovica to see Fetah and his family.  His son, Ensar, is the little boy with rickets that I met last year.  That meeting was a result of divine intervention in itself, and it has been nice to keep in touch with his father over the last year to hear how Ensar is doing.  We had an enjoyable visit in their home.  As a way of showing hospitality and gratitude, we were their guests at Restaurant Krapi, a very nice restaurant with great fish dishes.  We also had some of the local fare, which is very delicious as well.

It was a long day, but enjoyable.  I was able to reconnect with many acquaintances and will make a few more in the days ahead.  Tomorrow we go to the Kosovo Special Forces where I will lecture to the medical personnel and tour their nearly-completed medical unit on-site.  I foresee lots of opportunities for future educational programs here.  Medicines they´ve got.  Medical personnel they´ve got.  What they really want (and need) is more education...and that packs very well in a suitcase.

Prevalle--Day 3

Today was a very full day day attending and presenting at the pain conference.  There were about 300 participants. I did one lecture right away in the morning then again this afternoon.  Although it wasn't their mother tongue, many of the presenters gave their lectures in English, which made most of it easy to follow.

Tonight was the "gala dinner", and grand it was!  Over 4 hours of ethnic food and music, both of which were essentially non-stop.  It was a really fun evening, and a good way to close the conference.  Have I mentioned how gracious and hospitable these people are?

Stay tuned for more...
Les