Just in case anyone didn't know...

we are back home now. For serious.

it is finished...micah's thoughts days 8, 9

yesterday was a good day.
after countless hours, more sweat than i have produced in the last 11 months combined, a small buzz from the green oil based paint we used on the bottom of the rooms, and about 15 buckets of paint that were almost 5 gallons each, we finished painting the high school classrooms. originally we set out to do 14 classrooms in the time we were here. it seemed like a daunting task, but we were up for it. with the orginization of some slammin teams led by the most unbelievable adult leaders any youth pastor could ever ask for, we finished 22 rooms.

what struck me about this whole painting experience was the classrooms themselves. when we arrived, their was mold in the corners and in the peaks of the ceiling from poorly designed roofs and drainage. the paint was peeling off the walls in almost classroom. the desks were and still are falling apart. some kids have to sit on park benches scooted up to a table all day. if OSHA or any kind of education board showed up from america, they would deem this place unfit for learning. it was amazing. and yet, the kosovars make do with what they have. they never complain. and they are always proud of their country and their people to the point that upon arriving, i was constanly asked,
"you like our country?"

i have been told many times by many people including the director of the high school, the mayor of the city, and the painter in charge of the project, that we have every reason to be proud of our students, and their parents as well. part of being on this team was a committment to being ambassadors of the people who sent us, the church we attend, our peers in the fusion group, Jesus Christ, and the kingdom of God. as the leader of this group of students and leaders, i cannot express to you how proud of them i am. their resilience and fortitude are immeasurable. they have represented all of the above with style, class, and dignity. people here in kosova know the love of Christ through the hands and feet of your sons, daughters, and friends.

God is here in kosova. it has been a privilege to seek and find the Kingdom of God here in this place this week. it has been a joy watching God speak to and challenge our students and leaders. each of us has grown in a number of ways. the stories will challenge you as parents and friends. be specific when they arrive home. what do you want to know about the trip. there is so much to tell that the question of "how was the trip" puts us in a tough spot. part of being in community and walking this road together is to hear and learn from each others stories and experiences...pray and seek how God might challenge you as your students and friends return from this beautiful country and this life changing experience.

we love you and look forward to seeing you.

micah

God made this...because He loves us: days 6, 7

yesterday started early with a half day's work at the school. we finished painting the green in the final six rooms and finished the touch up work with white. all that is left to do is some touch up work around outlets and doors and of course clean up (everyone, everywhere, clean up, clean up...those with toddlers should be singing now.)
we took lunch at 12:00pm and then headed back to the hotel for showers, naps, and hang out time until we left for prizren.

upon arrival, i remembered what a beautiful city it is. i found out later that many kosovars believe it to be the most beautiful city in all of kosovo. bustling streets, with storefront after storefront. cute little restaurants and a river running right through the middle of the city. it reminds of the little european towns you see on postcards. a great dinner and some shopping and then it was back to suhareka for the night.

today, we took the day off and went up into the mountains. what a beautiful country! it reminds me of colorado because of it's mountains, but minnesota because of it's weather. hot and humid is the norm which lends itself to more deciduous trees and not so many coniferous (that's a pine tree.) we made our way up the mountain side in vans and then stopped half way up to get in the tractors that were pulling wagons/carts. it was a bumpy ride but we made it to the meadow where lunch would take place and where we would hang out.

some of us decided to take the challenge to make it to the top of the mountain and large rock outcropping that you could see from miles away and the main road. i thought our road had come to an end with my pregnant wife and two and a half year old daughter until hadley leaned into my personal space and said,
"daddy, can we go to the top?"
after tying my shoes, i hoisted her on my shoulders and it was up we went. last summer we went to north carolina and i carried a pack that was at least as much as she was, but it was on my back and not my head. and it didn't style my hair and play with my glasses either. being a dad is one of the best things has ever happened to me. the sincerity and beauty that i get to look into the face of everyday is something that i will hold near to my heart forever.
"hurry daddy, let's get to the top!"
she would say with such excitement. i was tired, but i wasn't going to stop. each step was more difficult than the previous and my hair was being pulled out now instead of styled. onward and upward we went. i decided to go left where others went right and went for the large grassy summit instead of the rocky one and told hadley mommy wouldn't be happy with me if we went that way.

so it was dad and daughter, up to the top of our own little mountain. when we reached the top i had a moment with my daughter that will never leave my mind. i held in my arms and looked over the beautiful landscape. mountains, trees, valleys and peaks overlooking serenity below us.
"who made this hadley?"
"God did..."
"why?"
"because He loves us daddy."

in a moment i was enveloped in the holy! where temporal and eternal come crashing together in silence so deafening one cannot deny the creator's existence. as i looked at the beauty that existed in our eyes, i was crushed by the hell that once existed in the valleys below us. where mothers and daughters watched as fathers and husbands were killed and burned. how is it possible that such beauty and such horror can coexist in such close proximity? faith and God and our role in this world as followers of Christ is such a paradox. broken, messed up people, invited to participate in the divine story of the Creator, why...because He loves.

today i was reminded of this.
micah

gotcha

plants and hotel rozafa
wow this works... mumblemumble..
toaday we went up a mounrain. yep and thAT WAS jusdt about it.

Phil

hi all.

today the team went to Prizren, but i stayed back with Kim Gufstason. i had a tug of enormous proportions on my heart, and i didnt, at the time, know why. Kim talked to some of the believers about how to keep their Muslim faith, and be saved in the Christ. Very intresting, that man is. upon the intermission we had, we walked up to the bus station about a mile up the road. we all had pizza togeather (2 euro for a large!) and i got the most profound sense that the Christ was there amoung His children right there and then. I, being the passifist that i am, figured He was with someone near me, and i was just sensing him. I then heard Hillke's story of him and his friend from albania and he he knew she was living in heaven, even though she was on earth.
Still, i figured The Lord was near, not in me. Just then we walked to a sort of monument for the Kosovans. it was the place where 58 souls perished due to the Serbs burning them to death. i looked at the scene, trying to take in everything, and saw horrible things. a baby's doll cracked and charred. a fallen picture frame. all was almost too much, but at that moment i realized Christ was n me right there, and He made me realize that I, Philip James Giarratana, with all my flaws and sins, with my past, and everything, could be an instrument to undeniablly push back the darkness and evil in the world. to be a light in dark places.

Gandhi onece said to be the change you want to see. its time i started doing that


with love. Phil

1 Corinthians 2:9 *Lindsay*

Mer Dita!!!

Since the last time I made an entry I have learned SO many more words! It's great. Well last night we had a party and I met a girl named Xeneta. She is ten years old and she spoke very little english. I was just standing outside with a bunch of other people and this girl comes up to me and slips her arm into mine. I said hello and she replied and then we started to talk. And the most amazing thing was, I understood her. She spoke mostly in Albanian and some english words but I was able to understand what she was trying to communicate to me. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has concieved what the Lord can do for those who love him" I expeirenced that first hand last night.

Today Ron, Bruce, Cory, Braden, Jackie, Kari and I went on a walk up the mountain. We walked far enough out so we were in what we would call the suberbs. The hotel we are staying at is in the city. We saw some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. We also saw these little Kosovar kids and they waved and smiled. They followed us for the longest time. Also on our walk we saw the gardens that these people have and they were amazing. It was pretty hot, however a popcicle on teh way home cured that :o)

Thats all for now folks!
Lindsay

Lisa Gluck

Hi

I love kosovo so much it is so beautiful I don't want to leave but...I guess I really have no choice. At first my group was just painting windows and I thought what are we giving theses people we are just washing windows, but as the week went on they appreciate everything we give them no matter what the size. The kids are super nice and try very hard to speak English so we understand. They always ask us are we nice and I think you are some of the nicest people I have ever met! We this is all I am going to say so bye!

love,
Lisa

we are ambassadors...micah's thoughts days 3,4,5

first let me tell you about the power in kosova. on two seperate occasions, i had just finished pouring my heart out (into very good blogs if i do say so myself) when somebody at the local power plant tripped on a wire resulting in the immediate loss of my blog and everyone else's power. the lesson learned is called "save as draft" (i'm saving now) quickly in review, the last few days have been filled with amazing events and encounters. unfortunately because of time, a two and half year old, a severe case of jet lag, and a two and half year old with severe jet lag, i am forced to give the short versions. we have painted our hearts out. 2 colors in every room, 16 rooms so far and 6 more to do tomorrow. then the ever awaited process of cleaning up the mess we've made during the past 3 days. the teachers at the school stop by and are absolutely blown away at the transformation. more on this later. i have met a man named vatmir who is amazing. he is a teacher at the school and volunteers his time to be there to help us everyday. last night before said man tripped on a wire at the power plant, (saving as draft now) i blogged about his story during the war and his deep and heartfelt appreciation to americans for our role in their country's freedom. he is truly an amazing man.

last night we had our first "party" at the hotel which drew almost 100 kosovars. we sang songs, danced, played games, had a short drama, and one of our students shared her story. it was completly and utterly off the hook. there was a ton of energy in the room and we didn't even have drums (which by the way we secured a set today for monday and tuesday's party.) with the addition of the drums, i forsee new chandeliers in the restaurant below.

today we were ambassadors.
after lunch i was summoned upstairs to the open space in the school where we eat lunch.
"micah, hurry up...they want you up here."
i was not prepared for what was about to happen. an older man joined kumeta, (the current principal of the school) rick drenk, myself, and my friend vatmir who translated for us, as all the students gathered around. he told us that he was the original principal of the school when it opened in the 70's and was now retiring as a teacher. he told us that the school today, looked more beautiful than it did when it opened because of our work. he told us that he was grateful for our sacrifice to come to their country and to help them and serve them. he told us that we were ambassadors of a love and friendship between americans and kosovars that he hopes and prays will last for many years to come. with all the sincerity he had in his distinguished demeanor, he told us of the love and gratitude that was welling up inside of him for us.

i cried.

i was honored. these people know that we love them. they know we come in the name of christ. and we never ask for anything in return. we only give out of what we have been given. i'm not sure about you, but i'm pretty sure this is the heart of the gospel of jesus. we have been called and invited into the good news, which is the redemptive work of God in the world, by Jesus in order that we might bless others. for all who have supported us. for all who have prayed for us. for all who are praying for us right now...you have helped make possible the opportunity for us to step into the story of God here in kosova. you have helped us bring the kingdom of God to this place. for this we are forever grateful.

we love you all and miss you. we think of you often and look forward to the beautiful reunion when we can see you in person and tell you of the ways God has met us, challenged us, and changed us. naten mire..."good night" from those of us in kosova.

micah

Beautiful Moments by Laura

I must share two beautiful moments that I have recently witnessed. Last night we were hanging outside the hotel before our evening event started. Two little girls were walking by and I pointed them out to Hadley. We had not seen any little girls around yet, so Hadley was excited. We went up to them and I pointed to Hadley and held up two fingers, and asked about the younger girl. She held up 3 fingers. Then I did the same for names, and we learned her name was Adressa. Hadley then took her hand and said hello. Adressa wasn't sure about that, so the two girls walked away. Hadley said, "She's not talking to me." And I again explained the language difference. Then Hadley followed the girls and took Adressas hand again. Soon all three girls were holding hands and walked away, then they walked around in a circle with smiles on their faces. As we watched them I said to our students, See, we don't need language to make friends.

Soon, more kids gathered and we were sitting around smiling at each other. The kids here are so loving, almost overwhelmingly so, and continuously kiss Hadley and pinch her cheeks. We called an interpretor over to explain the game of duck, duck, goose. There were probably 8 kids that bravely joined in and about 10 more that looked on. Before the game I had invited them to our party at the hotel. They all refused, but after we played awhile, I asked again, and they were eager to follow. Once upstairs, the music started and all the kids followed along with the motions. We then played some more with the kids, while the older students played another game. Each little one walked away with a new beanie baby. That was just a small piece of a very rewarding night, that I'm sure our students will blog about later. I am just amazed at the bravery and simplicity of children.

Another beautiful moment occured at the school today. Micah and Rick Drenk were presented with a plaque from the original principal who opened the school in 1972 and still teaches there. The plaque says something to the effect of, Bless the hands of hard work. He said that the newly painted classrooms looked more beautiful than the day the school opened. He was so grateful for our presence and service. He said he hoped that the friendship between America and Kosovo would last forever. It was a teary moment to witness his gratitude.

Thanks for spending these moments with me, Laura Witham.

So the second day was fun even though we sat around when we worked, the kosovars are extremly nice and fun people to be wiht. they seem to want to help the school alot. a bunch of people went over to the park and played frisbee and football with some little kids.

and so they met...micah's thoughts-day 2

as we walked into the high school we were met in the large open space inside by kosovan high school students. what was once the familiar chatter of high school students turned to a low, hushed, murmur.

as they formed an impromptu line to survey the oddly dressed americans who had just entered their high school, it was obvious that anxiety, and fear set into our students. they formed a circle and talked among themselves trying not to make eye contact.

i sat and watched as it all unfolded. i wondered who would be the first person to step out of familiarity and into the unknown, out of fear and into confidence. i wondered who would be the first person to step out of their default mode where they can lose a limb or possibly their confidence for rest of their high school careers for not conforming. i wondered if anyone would do anything.

and then it happened, one of our students turned away from what was comfortable and towards what was a possible disaster and took a step towards the oncoming kosovar.
"hello, my name is..."
"hello, my name is...so nice to meet you."
what happened next was beautiful. instantly the once quiet and reserved room recieved new life. there was pure relational chaos. it was pure. it was true. it was beautiful. the rest of the day there was not a moment of silence. we had to seperate the recently formed groups of kids so that we could hear ourselves talk and try to figure out how we were going to actually paint the inside of a highschool.

a friend of mine once said that we need to build bridges that will bear the weight of truth when we are intentional about sharing the message and love of the risen Christ in whom we have come to find life. this is no drive by situation. we have come love these people and care too deeply to "dump" the weight of Jesus' call only to turn and leave. and so we build bridges. plank by plank, nail by nail, and mispronounced words by misprounced name, we build bridges. why...because we love these people, not because of what they might become, but because we love their eyes, and their smiles, their passion for life, and their faces.

pray that the Spirit would be in our deeds and our words. that they might know the Jesus we know because we love one another. pray that God would guide and direct our steps. pray that we might hear the small voice of the Spirit and follow it's promptings and movements. pray that we might find God where He already is and then direct attention to Him and Him alone. thank you.

practically speaking...if you want to make comments to any of the posts below for your loved ones, you can do that by clicking the "comment" link on the bottom of the post. keep in mind that we can all access that information so don't embarrass anyone unless it's completely intentional.

- molly and kari are both feeling much better today and are eating well without any problems.
- pray that whatever they had doesnt' filter through the rest of our team.
- pray that enough painters who know what they are doing show up tomorrow to train us.
- pray that our evening events which start thursday go well and are well attended.
- we don't have the drums that we thought we could get here...pray for a solution as it will add
life and energy to our meetings.

thank you all so much for your support. we love you and miss you.
micah

Becca, First Full Day

Today was full with many interesting things. We were able to enjoy the market this morning. We visited the school this afternoon and met the Kosovo students who we will be working with the rest of the week at the school. The school is very different then I am used to at Falcon Ridge.
This evening was a lot of fun. Some of the kids wanted to play fisbee in the field near our hotel. It only took a matter of minutes before they were surrounded by Kosovo kids off all ages. It was a lot of fun to see the interaction between everyone!

God is moving and it is fun to see him at work in the city and in the student's lives!

view template settings

so i couldn't think of a better title...

so today was fairly sweet, we me lots of people whose names are... umm get back to me on that one.

i don't have much to say really. everyone else stole the stories. well maybe.

i wanna go back to the hotel so bye

-the quesy chameleon

Lindsay Anne!!!

Mermenjes!!! Directly translated that is Good Morning! That has officially become my favorite word, therefore that is pretty much hello, good afternoon, and good night! Well, I am most defiantly immensely excited to be here. It has been one day and I have had the best pizza I've ever tasted, amazing strawberry juice, outstanding French fries, unbelievable taffy, bought extremely cute shoes, figured out how to conserve water in the shower, AND made about ten friends if not more. I also learned that people here do not yield to pedestrians. They pretty much assume you're going to move eventually and if not then... Too bad! SO, you need to be extremely careful when you are walking on the sidewalks. Also, one more thing before I sign off. There is this one little boy who is about three years old and we walk past his house pretty much whenever we go somewhere. Well, this little boy waves to me everything he walks past his house and he makes me smile each time. It cracks me up. So, maybe I should start waving more... :o)

Lori's insights

God is good. Boy, today's highlights for me was to see God having already orchestrated our devotions this morning. Bruce Morgan's prayer partner is Micaela and part of her words to Bruce and us was that God laid on her heart to talk about love. That this time for our group is to love one another so that the Kosovars see that and are compelled by that love. I, too, had been reading a book by Chuck Swindoll where he wrote about loving each other , and how that is the strongest form to demonstrate what Christ is all about. To love one another, be unified in that love. What a powerful way to start our time together!
Well, we got to go to market today.! Yes, the cows were there, too! The girls really showed me what it is like to power shop! Boy, we walked from shoe stall to shoe stall in no time flat and bought stuff, all in 1 hour's time!
After a nice lunch, we began our work time at the school. Moving the furniture out of the classrooms and cleaning and then priming the walls with a sticky bleach like substance. Not a nice smell. Tomorrow the paint goes on the walls to the 1st 6 rooms. While the majority of students work on those rooms, my group will be "doing windows!"
The second highlight of the day, for me, was to see our kids engaging in conversation with the Kosovar kids, the kids that are helping us paint. The lively discussions, pantomining and laughter brought such joy to my heart. This is what it's all about....relationships forming, the beginning of some new friendships. Some of these Kosovar kids are so delighted to be a part of this project, knowing they can spend time with the "Americans" and hang out with them. What fun!
This evening is a free night with an early bedtime. Hope we all get our sleep clocks in line with Kosovo time. Off to get some ice cream!
Lori

Yay For Sleep

Last night was the best sleep I've had in... well, as far back as I can remember. I was asleep within five minutes of getting in bed, and I didn't wake up once. I even slept through the guy chanting at the mosque at 4:30 that seemed to wake everyone else up. After finally getting up, I enjoyed a delicious omelette. Nobody makes omelettes like they do here in Kosovo. Following that, I had some quiet time where God used the devotional book I'm reading ("My Utmost For His Highest"... I realize that was a pretty shameless plug, but I like the book a lot) to teach me that I need to be praying for friends and family above myself, and in this case I took that to mean that I need to be constantly praying for the rest of the team as well as our families back home.

We spent some time at the weekly market today, where I bought a pair of knock-off Converse All-Stars. Talk about sweet. After that, as others have said, we went to the school to prime the walls so we can paint them tomorrow. The ladder we were using decided to break a little when I was on it, and to break even more when Ron used it after me. At that point we decided to get another ladder, and the rest of the time passed uneventfully. The sidewalk we laid last time has held up pretty well, but the patio is a little beat up, and the ground sank in one place beneath it.

All in all, it has been a pretty shpadoinkle time so far. I'm off to go have a juice-drinking contest with Corey, since Ernie ruined the one we had last time we were here. See, I told you this post would be awesomer. And, as promised, here is the cream-filling:

marissa

it's our first whole day in kosovo! we are experiencing a lot of friendlyness from the people of kosovo. it is also really hot! we are all sweating a lot and drinking a lot of water.
it is so different here, i have never experienced what it's like to have a language barrier until now. it is very interesting we either have to mime what we are saying or find an interpreter. this expirience is really opening my eyes to all that we take for granted in america. i have never been out of the us and have never seen what it's like to live in such poverty. i am having such a great time and am looking forward to learning more in the comming week.

Caitlin Schultz

So today we spent our first full day in Kosovo, and I have to say that it was quite an experience. The majority of us were woken up at about 4:30 in the morning by a call to prayer from a mosque, which is basically some guy chanting over this huge loudspeaker you can hear around the whole town. My first thought when I woke up was, "WHAT IS THAT?!" But after waking up later this morning, I began thinking about it, and thought that it was really neat. I mean, how often are you woken up at the crack of dawn by some guy chanting in a foreign language? Talk about a different alarm clock...

We started working at the school today, and that in itself was a great eperience. We were put into a group with three of us from Faith, an adult leader, and three or four Kosovans from the school. While we moved the tables and chairs out and primed the walls for painting, I was able to talk to a few of them, and I was amazed at how kind and friendly all of these people are. They are really interested in talking to you and finding out about your school, friends, family, and your hobbies. They smile all the time and are just a wonderful group of people to be around. Even the people that I didn't get a chance to talk to still smiled or waved and said good-bye as they were leaving. It astonishes me how friendly people are here.

We've only spent about a day and a half here, and I already love it. Two weeks no longer seems like a long time for a mission trip. In fact, I'm thinking that if it had been any longer, that I really wouldn't have minded. And as I mentioned, this is all after only a day and a half. God is truly blessing us with these people that he has brought into our lives so far, and I know that he will continue to bring more people like that into our lives as the week goes on. For those who are praying, please continue to do so, not only for myself and the rest of the team, but for the people that we will be encountering while here. They truly are a blessing.

~Caitlin

P.S. The food here is amazing. And I've been eating tomatoes today. You know it's good if that's happening. :)

Caleb, Tuesday Night

I am sitting at the internet cafe right now. Today we started our work at the school. We began to prep the rooms for painting; we will start tomorrow. Today it was hot, but I like the weather. I am excited for the rest of the week and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us.
-Caleb

marty maloney

We went to the school oday, and met quite a few of kosovans, it was pretty much the coolest thing ever. We bleached/ primed the walls and tomorrow we start painting. It shall be fun getting started and continuing to have gorwing relatonships with the kosovo students.

Bruce

To all back home thank you for your prayers. our trip was uneventful.....just the way you like it....

These students continue to amaze me as there was no complaining getting here. They are all truly a gift that I appreciate you sharing.

Caleb Durenberger

Due to jet lag, my roomates and I woke up at about 4 a.m. I look forward to new experiences with the Kosovars and I am very excited to experience a new culture. A couple of us walked to the bakery this morning, and I got a piece of bread filled with chocolate. It cost only 15 euro cents and it was incredibly delicious. The food so far has surpassed my expectations. Goodbye for now.
- Caleb Durenberger

Tim... is pumped

So its currently 5:30 in the morning and im feeling the jet lag for sure. Its tuesday morning and so far we havent done a whole lot(but thats considering im up at 5:30). Yesterday we got to here at about 4:30 kosova time. Making it about 11:30pm in America, now imagin staying up until 11:30 kosova time. Needless to say we were all pretty tired last night.

We all have high hopes for this trip and I can only pray that we can start some new relationships with some of the other kids here. But also meet up and reconnect with our old friends, I found out last night that I get to see Zgjim, one of the kosovars whom I met last trip over two years ago. I cant tell you the excitement going through me right now. Its great to meet back up with these old friends and continue a relationship from the years past, on top of meeting back up with zgjim I hope to see some of the other kosovars who i met last time like Charly (aka csene) , tony, and Lanty or cabbage as we called him. All i can say is:
Im pumped.

Also im praying that as someone whos been here that I dont make others who havent feel out of place. Im praying that like previous trips that our whole group could connect with the kids here and start new relationships. Anyway im starting to ramble and getting a little tired maybe I head back to bed. Long day a head.

Thank you for all the prayer.
-Tim

Tiredness = Less-Than-Awesome Post

It would appear that this is among the first posts on this blog, so I apologize for it's apparent laziness. I promise that the next post I make will be much awesomer. Basically all my brain can think of to say at the moment is that long flights are not a whole lot of fun, I am really, really excited to be back here, and I'd forgotten how much I love the espresso. I was going to write something about why I'm here and whatnot, but I'm on the verge of passing out on the keyboard, and any more brain-activity might push me over the edge. Besides, I think Audio Adrenaline said in pretty well in their song "Hands and Feet", the lyrics to which I will post now.

An image flashed across my TV screen
Another broken heart comes in to view
I saw the pain and I turned my back
Why can't I do the things I want to?
I'm willing yet I'm so afraid
You give me strength
When I say

CHORUS:
I want to be your hands
I want to be your feet
I'll go where you send me
I'II go where you send me
And l try, yeah I try
To touch the world like
You touched my life
And I find my way
To be your hands

I've abandoned every selfish thought
I've surrendered every thing I've got
You can have everything I am
And perfect everything
I'm not I'm willing,
I'm not afraid
You give me strength When I say

CHORUS

This is the lifetime I turned my back on you
From now on, I'll go so
Send me where You want me to
I finally have a mission
I promise I'll complete
I don't need excuses
When I am your hands and feet


I promise my next post will be filled with much more awesomeness and cream filling.

micah's thoughts - day 1

we are all here and accounted for...this is the first challenge for any youth pastor. are they all here still with you? day one has been a good one thus far. it is 9.42pm in the buzzing little city of suhareke and we have kids at the ben af (the local grocery store,) the internet cafe, the front stoop of the hotel and of course there are a few in bed. fear not my worrying mothers (and fathers, you know who you are) each group has one of the trusted and valued adults that have come along with us.

i think our students are anxious to get to doing what it is that we've come here to do. they are excited to meet kosovars and to hang out with them as we serve them by painting their high school classrooms. they are excited to get out of their comfort zones and risk a little bit of themselves. i am excited to see how God begins to use them in this littel city and with these beloved new friends.

we hired a man and his son to drive our bus around for the time we are in kosovo. i'm not sure either of them speak a bit of english, but they are such servants. the boy, who is quite the entrepreneur (i spell checked that word with our resident scholar and ACT acer) started by spraying air freshner in every vent that was blowing AC. so not only did we have cold air, but is smelled good too. this was a welcomed gesture after 20 high school students sat in a overly warm plane for 10 hours. he continued by handing out a very professional, two sided, business card for the family tour business. and if that wasn't enough, he finished by serving everyone in the bus ice cold coke which he poured himself. as i watched this all take place, i couldn't help but think of two things. service and gratitude. service because he did it without batting an eye. as if it was second nature to this kid. and gratitude because i have a sneaky suspicion that a "contract" like ours is going to do him and his dad and family quite well in an economy that cannot sustain itself.

we are in the middle of a place that God already is. there is no place outside of God's jurisdiction. it's not like we are bringing God to these people...He's already here! Just like Jacob in the old testament who began to realize that God was already here when he wrestled with the angel. it is our joy and privledge to be able to see the beauty, truth, mercy, justice, grace, and service that already exists in the hearts and lives of these people, and but point to it's source. we point to Jesus and duck.

thank you for all your prayers thus far...we can feel them and covet them throughout the trip. as for more requests, or possibly more specific ones
- molly and kari are not feeling well and got sick on the plane while traveling. please pray for renewed bodies and health.
- tomorrow we start the painting process. pray for good relationships with kosovan students we are painting with and opportunity for conversation.

love you all.
micah

Brad Smith

So the flight was long but I had fun with the people I was with, I got a few hours of sleep going to London and I got some more on my way to Pristine. So the country is beautiful the people really are open to Americans. The town is amazing. For being here for not even a full day that's all I can really say other than the team is getting along really well.

first day went smoothly.

Hi beloved family and friends!
this is the one and only Itilian Stalion, Phil Giarratana. I must say, that our travels went incredibally well for packing 30 teenagers on a plane for 9 hrs. i think we are all expirencing jet lag, beacuse I personally havent slept in over 36 hrs. what a blast. im typing from one of the newest internet cafes here in Suhareke, and i feel like i never left the States. even though I have. Everyone here is so excited to have Americans in town, were treated like honoured guests everywhere we go. Im more than confident that the students and leaders sent here to Kosova will do wonderful works for The Lords name in even the smallest things we do these two weeks. Tommorow were going to the treg, which is an open air market in the morning, and then in the afternoon the work begins in the school.

Love to all and in His name,

....Phil