Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go…
The Peaks of the Balkans in the west corner of Kosovo were a hidden gem! My team and I had so many sweet adventures and God-given encounters with people. We learned the true gift of provision from God, just by trusting that He would. But coming down from the mountains is always hard for me. Being in nature is where I feel closest to God, where I connect with Him, and where I thrive. I like to take walks in the forests, listen to birds chirping and the wind through the trees, feel the sunshine on my face, splash in the river, climb the rocks and cliffs, and smell the fresh grass and blooming flowers. Although there was still snow while we were up in the mountains, you could tell spring was coming. The river was rushing from freshly thawed ice and snow, the trees had just started to bud, the birds were out chirping, and the sun was getting stronger and staying up later.
The morning of leaving Guri I Kuq, we walked an hour and a half down to get to the bus that would take us to Pej’. The farther we came back down the mountain, the more spring showed it’s arrival. Getting off the bus in Pej’, we took off our jackets and flannels before adjusting our packs to search for housing.
Eventually we found a hostel, called Garden Charm Hostel, within our budget for the six of us and we headed over to check it out. About a mile later, we were a bit hot and sweaty. We arrived at the hostel and were ushered in the gate and to the back yard where we found lush green grass, blossoming trees, the sun coming through the trees, a set of chairs & a swing, and lots of cats. It lived up to it’s name!
There was a family that lived there, consisting of a grandfather, grandmother, father, mother and two sons, about 12 and 16. They offered us to sit and brought glasses of cold water to drink as they prepared our beds. We enjoyed playing with the cats, sitting in the sunshine and talking with the grandmother through broken English, our limited knowledge of Albanian, hand gestures and then help from the older son, who knew English.
We stayed there at the Garden Charm Hostel for a few days, enjoying the company of the family and occupants of the city. The first evening, Kirsten and I were leaving to go to the market to shop for dinner, and we passed Han and the grandmother sitting together outside with the Bible and talking about Jesus. We met several new friends there, we were given free Bibles (from a church that another team was attending) to give to our new friends, we met a girl from Germany traveling through Kosovo and also staying at the hostel and we enjoyed a day with her, some of the friends Han and I made brought us around the city to their favorite places, we were fed more traditional food from the grandmother, and made lots of memories as a team.
We wrote a song for our squad leader who was with us, we played the ukulele and sang so many songs, picked flowers, spent time out in the garden with fresh cut grass, made lots of meals with fresh veggies and fruits, and made banana pancakes!
It was a sweet time at this house with the family! We definitely felt as though we had gone “over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house!” The Kosovo culture is very similar to Albania, as well as the same language. We were very welcomed as part of the household. During the war back in the 90’s, the United States were a huge influence in Kosovo gaining their independence. Americans are warmly welcomed and seen as important guests because of their help in the war. It was definitely true, we felt so welcomed and cared for. It’s honestly incredible the way that my team has been cared for, in ways such as our housing and meals being provided many many times, God gifting us the time for rest, or for quality team-time, or with meeting amazing people to share the Gospel with, amongst many other things!
Until next time, please continue to pray for me and my team as we continually meet people and share the gospel with them. This is a very Muslim dominated area, and there is a loss of hope and connection with Jesus Christ.
Also I’m continuing to fundraise!! Only $2,300 more until I’m fully funded!
Will you partner with me in fundraising?? You can donate directly on this site by clicking the donate tab. It will be directly added to my funding and is tax-deductible!
Or you can donate to my venmo or paypal, my username is @clleverich.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT!!
Love, Clara Grace
