We left Albania Monday morning and headed for Kosovo.The path was well marked. It was hard to imagine how the Albanians of Kosovo had fled to Albania during the Kosovo war of 1998-99 under such trying circumstances. We are here to help in any way we can to relieve suffering and share the message of the Prince of Peace. That is our path.
We found our temporary digs above a bakery/pizza restaurant.
We have the balcony and windows on the corner. Only 25 steps up that path.
The view is spectacular.
We are grateful for a nice place to rest.
The green grocer is right across the street, in front of the bumper cars and tilt-a-whirl.
Kristi has already made me some applesauce.
We did some grocery shopping in the stores.
All the staples:
Bread
Eggs
Milk in cartons
Pasta
Lots of ketchup
and sausage!
After stocking up, we had a look around Gjakova and the surrounding area.
This is the famous grand bazaar that had been around for a thousand years. However, it was destroyed and rebuilt as best they could following the war.
Gjakova woodworkers are known for their cradles.
Many of the old bridges that were destroyed have been reconstructed.
Sheep don't change much. Some do stray from the path.
Mosques are everywhere. We get to hear the call to prayer right across the street.
(Not from this one, ours is closer)
If you look hard, you can find very picturesque scenes.
Adobe bricks and fired brick and tile roofs.
Eventually the outside walls are stuccoed.
After settling into our area we headed out on the path to find some of the projects the previous missionary couple had started and still needed the paperwork to be completed.
This is a water tank that now supplies water from a spring to a small village. The village had started it seven years before, but did not have the funds to complete it. Trees had started to grow up through what they had started. They were kind enough to attach a plaque with the Church name on it and honor us with a certificate which we accepted on behalf of the Stringhams.
We visited three small family farms that the Church had helped secure greenhouses for, extending the growing season. The three we saw had just been installed. So far 70 out of 100 have been built. We were met by the municipal director of agriculture, another official and Rrahman who has been instrumental in helping the missionaries coordinate projects.
We then visited a potential project of renovating some shop sites to house a program for disabled children to meet their mental and physical needs. It is the four shops along the bottom at street level. We will see what we can do to help.
They burn a lot of wood around town. (The pizzas are delicious).
These two-stroke engine buggies do a lot of the work.
I have seen a few with saws built right into the rig.
I mention that Kristi and I were holding hands quite a bit more.
I think that has come to an end, as the narrow path walking spaces tend to break us apart.
I am not too sad, as I have realized an old view that I had forgotten about, and it is quite pleasant!
This stop was on our path to church.
This is the Gjakova Branch building. On the first floor are a couple of classrooms and on the second floor is the main meeting room for Sacrament Meeting and Sunday School.
Above are apartments not associated with the church.
Here is the main meeting room.
I am reminded of an old photo of a storefront in Martinez, California I found in my father's things.
On the back he had written,
"Not much to look at, but we sure have some good meetings."
Sunday we had ten adults and six children in attendance and I can write the same thing as he did.
"Not much to look at, but we sure have some good meetings."
I am on a good path.
