The Balkans Before Us

Kosovo ATL Ministry, Part 3

On an early Sunday morning, I met up with a hiking group based out of Pristina. For the past couple of weeks, I had known about this group and hoped to go on one of their outings. Though it took some logistical effort, seeing the plan come together was fantastic. Yet as my team mate Zach dropped me off, I was shocked at what I saw. This group is huge! Over two busloads of people came on the hike (most of which are Kosovar youth who started out from Pristina).

After passing through the town of Peja, we entered Rugova Canyon. This is one of the most spectacular wonders of Kosovo, and the scenery blew my mind. Huge cliffs towered above us, and the busses navigated through tunnels that were chiseled into the mountainside. A tall waterfall crashed in from the left, and we followed the creek for much of the canyon. It is a super scenic drive, and the canyon further opened up as we continued onward. Near the top of the canyon, we went up a series of switchbacks and made it to the trailhead.

And so, we started- as a group of around 100 people strong. We began our ascent of the mountainside. Yet it’s awesome to get to know the people on this hike. They come from different walks of life and yet are united by the pursuit of the outdoors. Some of the people that I got to meet included a physics teacher, a volleyball coach for the national (I believe) volleyball team, a ping pong player that competes in international tournaments, the man who started the outdoor hiking movement in Kosovo (who led the trip), and an Olympic athlete that travelled to Tokyo this year. This is not an exhaustive list, and I spent the whole day having conversations with people throughout the hike.

We reached a beautiful lake surrounded by pine trees early on. After taking a nice rest stop, we began our ascent of the mountain. This was a steep climb up a primitive trail (where a hatchet was used to cut away overgrown areas so that we could traverse them). Yet the Kosovar hikers handled the steep inclines like champs, and I sensed their connection with the mountains. Their people (the Albanians) have historically lived with these mountains for hundreds of years. Even though hiking has become a fairly recent thing due to the Kosovo war in the late ’90s, it is fast becoming a way to connect with the landscapes that have defined their livelihood.

The trail opened up to beautiful tundra, and we crossed into the country of Montenegro. Montenegro lives up to its amazing beauty; seemingly copied from a fairytale book. The hikers roamed around the tundra, and climbed peak after peak. Jagged monolithic cliffs greeted us as we stared in awe at the countless mountains beyond us in Montenegro. This is God’s creation- and I see times like this as a chance to worship and praise Him. We serve an almighty Creator who has made these spectacular landscapes that showcase His name! The area continued to open up to jaw-dropping scenery as we made our way up the ridgeline. A group of us did an all-out assault on Highlander Peak and made it to the top. We were greeted by even more views while posing for photos together. Shortly thereafter, we made our way down another path to connect back with the lake from the beginning of the hike.

I would have to say that this was one of my favorite ministry days of the World Race so far. Like God moved so much! Multiple opportunities came to pass to talk about the Gospel and what we are doing in Kosovo. It also turns out that this group is super relational- which made building new friendships very easy. Yet some of the most touching moments of the entire day were sitting down with people who had not read the Bible before. Examining Scripture and showing them God’s word (likely the first time for some of them) was absolutely amazing- and further provided an open door to share about the story of Jesus.

When the bus got back to Pristina late that night, ministry was not over yet. Multiple chances to follow up with these friends emerged. A couple days later, I met a group of four who came to visit at New Born Brew in Pristina. It was terrific to get to see them again and also further study Scripture together. Praying for them as the Lord begins to call them to Himself! At the end of this week, Chris and I connected with another group who goes back and forth to Peja and Pristina. We went to Peja to see them and had a picnic on the side of the mountain that overlooked the city. Having a conversation about Islam and Christianity with them further challenged me to dive deeper into their beliefs (especially with regards to the Quaran). Yet it had been amazing to see God work, and we also dove into the Bible as well.

With ATL, I have come to accept that ministry moments often happen when we least expect them. All of this went down during our debrief week in Pristina- which normally is a time for rest and renewal before going to the next country. Yet I also have peace with this because of the urgency and the importance of learning about and coming to know Christ. It is a decision that has an eternal impact- and we are not always guaranteed tomorrow (or that we will see certain people again). Please pray over the Balkan outdoor community- and the people that I was able to meet / follow up with. Pray for any seeds that were planted to take root- and that God will open the door to discipleship.

Hebrews 4:12: For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.