Summer Update - Part 1
What. a. summer.
Deadly hikes, facing death and walking out on the other side, co-leading a team of 50 young adults, leading worship in 3 new countries, being in a Muslim culture for the first time, learning Albanian, getting engaged, going to 8 different countries each with different COVID restrictions, and balancing my own walk with the Lord is the start to the absolute treasure that this summer was. Was it insane though? YES. How big was our risk assessment before going? lol keep reading…
As I walk back into American culture, people begin to ask, “Hey! How was your summer?” Hopefully with the intention of fully listening and learning. But that response is completely loaded to the brim. I can talk for 5 minutes or for five days. So this is my attempt to start to give you a glimpse of what a summer in the Balkan region with the Ten2 Project looks like. And if you have made it this far, thank you for reading and truly caring about what God did through us in this region. Your support means so much!
We began our first 9 days training and preparing our students for the culture they are about to walk into. We went to a part of Southern Kosovo called Dragash where we were right next to a village that was home to the Gorani people. -
Just a side note about the Gorani people. This is a region that is 0% Christian. Zero. They are barely above 3rd world living. There is no translation of the Bible in their language and no churches in that entire region. Completely unreached. So the next time someone tells you that Europe is reached, point them to Kosovo & the Balkan region. My heart breaks for that place. Pray for the Gorani people.
- In this town of Dragash, we learned about the history of Kosovo, the food, the culture, the language, the absolute desperate need that there is for the gospel to be preached, and how hungry people are for knowing the true Christ. There are discipleship opportunities everywhere.
This is the place that I was electrocuted. The craziest experience of my life. Thankfully, our team acted fast and got me to a hospital. It was also the most intense culture shock moment I have ever faced.
We commission the Ten2ers for mission & we head down the mountain from training week. We drive a stick shift charter bus with some of the craziest driving I have ever seen. Training week is a nice feeling, because you are around Americans and even though you’re in a new country, it still feels very American. This is mostly because of the people and the language being English most of the time. But now, the culture shock begins.
We got to serve at a church called Bashkësia e Popullit të Zotit which means “Fellowship of the Lord’s People”. This is the oldest and biggest church in Kosovo, so it was an honor to serve with them! They really served the community unlike any church I have ever seen. They were small, but this church used their resources so well. They provided free clothing and free food to families in need every single week through “Mosaik” and “Mercy Ministries”, both funded by the church. We did youth and teen camps, served surrounding cities every single week with a ministry called “House of Hope”, met every day for devotion, and worshipped every Sunday with our Albanian brothers and sisters in Christ.
Braden and Nicole were my co-leaders this summer. My goodness, we grew together more than I ever could have imagined. We laughed and cried together. We served well together. We led well together. We supported each other. They loved me through all of my frustrations and flaws and they both taught me so so much about compassion and gave me an entirely new perspective on leading.
Pajtim Smolica and his wife Nora (not pictured) and their kids (also not pictured), Elena and Teo, are our local friends that helped us adapt to and navigate the culture. They are also full time missionaries with Greater Europe Mission! What a blessing they were. The picture you see of Pajtim grilling bananas is how Pajtim always was. He was easy going and love able with a smile on his face. Pajtim and Nora were tough minded and ready to get the job done, whatever it may be. Their love and dedication for their country and the gospel inspired us to love their country and grew our passion for reaching it for the gospel!
The last thing I will say shocked me about Kosovo was the food and the incredible vibe of every restaurant we walked into. This was our team at the beginning of the summer. Most of the people at the front half served for a couple of weeks this summer and were a nice addition to the team. Meal times in the evening were precious together. At the end of an exhausting day, it was really nice to sit down for a meal together. I never payed over 8 euros for a meal while in Kosovo, so I didn’t cook one time. Why would I? The food was extremely cheap but delicious at the same time. The quality never suffered.