What Month 3 Taught Me…

Kosovo Recap

Mitrovica lights at night

 

Month 3 Country: Kosovo

Dates: October 25th- November 15th 

October 25th- November 9th was spent in Mitrovica 

November 9-15th was a debrief in Pristina (the capital of Kosovo)

Currency: Euro

Language: Albanian

City: Mitrovica and Pristina

Ministry: ATL (Ask the Lord) Month 2 

Hosts: (We had a loose contact that allowed us to stay above the church we also helped with) 

The word (or phrase) the Lord gave me for this country: First Love 

This was a reminder for me not to abandon the love that I had when I first began to follow Jesus and to simply enjoy spending time in His presence without an agenda or a need from Him. I just want to sit at His feet and listen to His voice. I was reminded of a couple stories in the Bible where the response of the people was to simply sit at the feet of Jesus and listen. This month felt like an invitation to return back to a place of remembering my first love in Jesus and return to the place of sitting at his feet without expectation or striving. He reminded me of three stories of people who sat at his feet.

Mary & Martha

The first story comes from Luke 10: 38-42 and it is the story of Mary and Martha. Mary is described as one “who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching” (verse 39). She was a listener and was not distracted by other things, but instead her focus and her gaze was on Jesus. This story reminds me to ask the question, “Do I listen? Do I sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His voice speak to me? Do I take the time to listen, just with the goal of listening to the Lord and giving Him space and permission to speak?

A Sinful Woman Forgiven

In my Bible, the story found in Luke 7:36-50 is titled “A Sinful Woman Forgiven”. This story is of Mary and it is a beautiful story of a woman who brought everything that she had to the Lord. She comes before Jesus and wets His feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, and anoints His head with oil. She pours out everything that she has to Jesus and He responds by saying, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven–for she loved much” (verse 47a). Mary is described as loving much because she brought herself fully to the Lord. She brought her tears and pain, her actions and emotions, and her oil which was her treasure. She poured it out on the feet of Jesus. This story made me ask the question, “Do I bring to the Lord everything? Am I holding anything back? Do I give Him my pain, my actions, my emotions, and my treasures? Can I be described as one who loves much?

Peter’s Responses

The last story includes two examples of Peter’s responses as he fell at Jesus’ feet and recognizes who Jesus is. This takes place after Peter worked a whole night fishing without catching any fish and Jesus performs a miracle by providing a boat full of fish. 

Luke 5:8 “But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” 

The second verse is also Peter’s response when Jesus asks if any of the other disciples want to leave. Peter responds by recognizing again who Jesus is. 

John 6:65-69 “You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Both are examples of Peter recognizing who Jesus is and these examples led me to ask myself the questions, “Do I recognize who I am meeting with? Do I recognize the Creator God of the universe is meeting with me? Do I acknowledge His authority and leadership in my life? Do I surrender to that leadership?

These examples of people from the Bible have reminded me and encouraged me to continue to pursue that “first love” by simply listening, giving the Lord every part of my life, and recognizing the Almighty God who loves us and enters into covenant relationship with us. 

Mitrovica River

 

What made me feel alive this month?

• Worship- we focused more on worship this month

• Prayer walks to the bridge and around the city

• Walking in greater surrender and obedience to His voice

• Celebrating the beginning of the holiday season with my team

What was difficult about this month? Why was it difficult?

• We spent the shortest amount of time in this country and it was split between two cities. We spent 2 weeks in Mitrovica and 1 week in Pristina. I think that I was beginning to feel the challenges of constantly moving around and sometimes feeling like there isn’t enough time to really get established in a city before we move on. 

• Getting connected to people in each country and then leaving and starting over gets hard, but I am praying that my heart stays soft and just as eager to create relationships with people even when it is difficult to always be saying goodbye. 

• The environment of this city is heavy. The night after we got there the pastor of the church told us that some of the big issues that they struggle with in this city is division/hatred, depression, and suicide. 

 

 

What broke my heart this month? Why?

 

• This city of Mitrovica is divided between two people groups (The Albanians in the south and the Serbians in the North). There is a bridge that separates the 2 people groups and each side sees the other group as their enemy. 

• It was harder to engage in conversations in this city. People were more against spiritual conversations in Mitrovica than in Albania. 

• Talking to some of the local believers who have worked there for years and were facing some discouragement in the challenges of working in Mitrovica. 

What am I thankful for?

 

• Our early Thanksgiving Party with new friends from Kosovo, the space to host an event, opportunity to cook and bake for Thanksgiving, growing closer as a team, connections that were made with people in this city, debrief in Pristina with the whole squad 🙂

What things do I want to make sure to remember (funny stories, big moments, small memories)

• Our early Thanksgiving Party and Preparations and getting the opportunity to bake some holiday foods with Madison

• The Christians who are living day in and day out in this hard spiritual environment. I want to remember to continually pray for these people who are serving the Lord in a hard and difficult place and the sacrifices that they have made for their families, their children, and their marriages. 

• Debrief was a sweet time to be reunited with the whole squad again and to spend time together in Pristina. 

• Understanding the history of this country and the challenges they faced as a country.  They have such a resilient spirit and were so kind to us. 

• Keep saying yes, even when it is hard or uncomfortable. Our “yeses” are never wasted and we will never regret the “yeses” we give to Jesus. 

• Keep on praying over the hard ground, fasting is important because it knits me closer to the heart of the Father. 

Song on repeat this month? All is for your Glory by Cory Asbury 

 

Some of my favorite foods from Kosovo & traditional Kosovar foods? 

 

• One of the women in the church made us Goulash with mashed potatoes (Traditional Kosovar food), Ajvar (red pepper spread that goes on bread), Flija (Layered dough dish with egg and cream), Chicken crunch fajitas, Mexican Food in Pristina 🙂

Flying to Ukraine (Month 4) 

Can’t wait to share with you how the Lord moved in Ukraine! Happy 2022! Excited to see what the Lord has for each of us in this new year!