| Back from Kosova!October 30, 2006 I’m back safely from Kosova! Praise God! It was A-MA-ZING!! God answered every prayer that we had going into it: that we would have His heart for the people, unity within our team, safe travels, etc. I couldn’t think up a better mission’s trip than what God had planned for us. His work is perfect! (Deut. 32:4) In going there, I was a little nervous about what to expect because in reality, I had no idea. This mission’s trip was different than any other trip that I have been on. Usually a missions trip is filled with evangelism, dramas, manual labor—and lots of ministry things that keep you busy throughout your day. This was the most practical trip that I have been on. I really feel like we got a taste of what it is like to just live a life of a missionary, without the hype and “honeymoon” mission trip feel. Because it is a Muslim country, street evangelism doesn’t work there. The way that they, Randy and Lycia (two amazing servants of the Lord from Cali.) reach the people in Kosovo is by practically living their lives transparently, boldly, and unashamed for Christ in the midst of a dark and lost world. They own a four-story apartment building that they use for their ministry. The top floor is where they live and have rooms with bunks for all the believers to sleep and stay. The next floor down is where they hold an English school and an internet café that draws in not only the believers but many Muslims as well. The next floor is a game room for the village (called Malisheve). This also attracts all the people to a place where the presence of the Lord abides. Every one knows that it is a Christian place and the people who run it are Christians; but that doesn’t faze them because they just want to learn English, check their email, and play games. Even in ten days, I could see how effective their ministry was! Randy and Lycia’s main goal for us in going was to encourage the believers. There was maybe around thirty of them…give or take a few. We drank cappuccinos everyday and spent time hanging out and building relationships. It is a very relational culture. The cool thing that happened in hanging out is that the Muslims that we’d meet teaching English or in the game room would come and hang out with us believers. We talked about the Lord and just lived our lives as unto the Lord—and before you know it, they were asking the questions and wanting to know about Jesus and our lives. Truly, He is the Light of the world that cannot be hidden! Goodness, I feel like there’s so much to tell. The second day in Kosovo there was a baptism for the believers in the church. One of our team leaders named Shaun announced that if anyone from our team wanted to get baptized that we could. When he said that, something within me shook and my heart started pounding. The night before I couldn’t sleep and flipped to a page in my journal to the day before I came to Hungary. All that I had written were three pages of Bible verses that portrayed what my heart was feeling. Every verse that I wrote has been a major theme this whole semester. It was so cool to see how the Lord was preparing my heart for that. Anyways, I cried as I read Matthew 16:24-25 “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” From there I read John 12:24-25 having to do with the same thing of dying to yourself, then I read Matthew 19:29, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” Then to Jeremiah 1:4-10 and a couple others as well. I just felt the Lord tugging at me to give it all. So I was baptized in Kosovo in front of our team and a bunch of Albanian believers! I couldn’t stop crying right before it was my turn because I wanted it to be a declaration to the Lord that my life is not my own; I am bought with a price and I belong to Him! As I went under the water, I wanted the Lord to remove my desires and my flesh that have been consuming me to gain His desires and will for my life. That was probably my highlight of the week! God taught me so much and revealed more of His heart to me and my own heart in its wickedness. I think that the believers there encouraged us more than we encouraged them. The Albanians were an example to me of what it looks like to not be hesitant in your faith, but to step out and be bold; share with others about Christ; let them know that you are a Christian by the way you live and talk. They truly did stand apart for Christ from the rest of their culture. Most were under persecution from their families and friends. Many families we talked to had no father because the Serbs killed him in the war a few years back. The oldest son works and sends all the money he makes to provide for the family. I asked what the women do and the response I got was “the women stay at home to cook, clean, raise the children—and get fat!” That was what was expected. One guy, named Burim, told us that he was hitchhiking one day and a Muslim priest ended up picking him up. He started talking to him about Jesus Christ and the priest beat him and threw him out of the car. Burim told us about the joy that he experienced from the Lord and that he would do it all over again for Christ! What great faith! Our team got along so well! Twelve girls and five guys and there was pretty much no drama at all! That’s God, let me tell you! Other than hanging out with the believers, we built bunk beds for the house, sewed and sewed and sewed, painted two backdrops for the believer’s Christmas and Easter drama, helped with the English classes (I loved it!), and cleaned up the road side. The last day they drove us to a waterfall!! It was so beautiful! We climbed rocks and some jumped into the water from the top of the fall. All the leaves were changed to fall colors—so beautiful! Overall, it was amazing and I feel revived with a passion to love others as Christ loved them—with a sacrificial love. I feel encouraged in stepping out in my faith and living boldly to bring Christ glory! I feel burdened to pray for the people who are following traditions that have always been in their families in serving a god that is dead and empty. Jesus says in Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you do not know!” God is a God of the impossible and I know that He is at work in the hearts of the people in Kosovo! I praise Him for the opportunity to go and be a part of His work there. Thank you so much for your prayers and support! I truly felt them! “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) I send my love and prayers! Thanks Again! In Him, Alie Sparrow |
