Goings On

Our family took a mini vay-cay to a nearby beach this week in honor of our homeschool starting up again, as well as things ramping up a little here with the ministry.  You know how sometimes a vacation can turn out to be kind of the opposite of relaxing? Yeah, although we did have fun we were glad to be home again after a day and a half of bumpy roads, loo-oong border crossings, too much sun and way too many crowds! The kids came away thinking it was a great time, so I guess that was a win...? I came away thinking "Nice house, nice house! I promise I'll never leave you again!" Lol.

Lo-ong border waits!

Little ham!

                                                             

Well, at least she found it relaxing! :)

                                                   

It's funny but every time I think "Aaah, now we're heading into a calmer season," things always tend to get busier. Which is great really, God is good! We are starting up a new children's program on Saturday mornings and we're excited about that. It will be headed by one of the young women in the Church who has a great passion for children and has been desiring to help out in any way she can. This same girl also translates for me during the Girl's Bible Study. Despite the many obstacles and the oppression she and her family have faced and continue to face she has a true servant's heart and I thank God for her, she is one of my best friends. Other members of our Church group are eager to help with this as well and we would love prayer over this time, for the children who come, for their families who will also be positively touched by this, as well as for the group leading it. Another prayer request concerning the children's ministry is supplies. We don't have much to work with at the moment, so if you feel moved to donate particularly towards the children's ministry it would be greatly appreciated and well used. If you were thinking of sending something specific, the group's immediate needs are craft supplies, markers, crayons, water color paper, etc. simple Bible teaching materials, that sort of thing. Also group games, Twister for example, or others.

Waiting for the kids to arrive!

                                                         

A game of "Simoni thot" (Simon says!)

                                               

Prayers appreciated as we head into our next season of homeschooling. Adelina will officially be in second grade, Teuta in Kindergarten, Albulena will be into a bit of light pre-schooly stuff, and Violeta into, well, everything -the cupboards, the toilet, all of her sisters' most special Untouchable things... Haha. We'll be using a more formal curriculum this year, but still with a lot of eclectic stuff thrown in to make it interesting. Prayers for me and my Patience *and my sanity :) for organization, prayers that the girls will respond well to it all, prayers that I'll remember that they don't have to Learn All The Things in the world in this one short year, lol, since I tend to get over-zealous and then easily discouraged (not a productive combo.)

The Girl's Bible Study is going very well, I am really enjoying our weekly discussions. The girls who have been coming have really opened up and seem eager to dig in. This week we'll be talking more about honoring God with our lives and comparing Romans 12 with several passages in 1 Peter as a spin off from last week's talk on ways that our lives bring glory to God. Next week we'll be discussing Discernment.

Another thing I wanted to mention is that one of the young men in our church felt led to begin a young boy's Bible Study in the village. One evening a week he gathers all the boys in the field for a soccer game and then has a time of teaching. The last time we were out in the village (Krevasarie, Hasan's home village) I saw a TON of kids heading down there for that, praise the Lord! Prayers as this continues and grows!

We were recently able to purchase a van for Church use and wanted to give another huge THANK YOU! To our friends at RBC who funded that! I have tears in my eyes just thinking of their love and generosity, we were and continue to be SO blessed.

In Him~ Jacquelyn

An Owl And A Prayer

In local superstition, the hooting of an owl on a roof signals impending calamity.

Lord I pray 
That "the world is hurting my heart tonight."
Would become
"My heart is hurting for the world today."

They're immensely different,
Don't you see?
Switching to empathy for others
From pity for me.

An owl is hooting far away,
A plane was shot out of the sky they say,
Homes being swallowed in fiery rage,
Children being trafficked,
I could fill up this page!

You can't even take
A quick glance around
Without seeing that
Atrocities abound.

Harassment, violence,
Suffering in spades,
And for hundreds this moment
the light of life fades.

O Lord, may your kingdom come!
And end the evil being done.
So many who don't even know you...
O what can my feeble light do?
Lord, though mine is small,
Let it shine bright and true,
Reflecting your glory,
For to you it is due.
All who are hurting
-And that is no few-
All who need rest,
Lord guide them to you.

On a rooftop somewhere,
Far away,
An owl hoots,
Signaling end of day.
Night falls softly,
With no other sound.
We thank God that his mercy
And love abound.

August Musings

Summer is flying by on wings that flash one day with sunlight, another with lightning. As much as I love the sunshine, hours at the pool side, picking plums in the lanes, the beautiful Summer storms, and the freedom Summer seems to bring, I am happy that fall will be upon us soon with cooler weather and long, golden days.

We've been here over two years now and I look back over that time with... What? Examining, I feel joy mingled with sadness, heartbreak and elation, I once said Kosovo is a land of contrasts, and it seems the missionary life is that as well.
Overall though a sense of accomplishment, of steadfastness.
And what more could one ask?
The two years have not been easy, and though no one said they would be, I expected different hardships than the ones which came to us. I joked with Hasan once that it felt we were being baptized by fire, and so it has been.
My hope and prayer is that whatever we go through we will come through purified, refined, and I continue to hope to this end. We don't always react as we should, we have flaws. Missionaries certainly are not perfect, we struggle and flounder like anyone else. We can only give our broken lives and trust that our perfect God will turn them into something beautiful, something that brings Him glory. We have all seen this in our lives and we know that our hope is an eternal one, sure, a hope that has already been fulfilled in the promises given to us.
So we press onward. We look forward to the things this next year will bring, knowing that they may be hard or good or both, but that they will certainly grow and better us.

Blessings to you all~

What challenges have you faced lately? How have you seen God at work through those?

Women's Ministry

Well, the women's Bible study has been meeting now for two weeks and it is going very well. We are looking at worship in its different forms and how we glorify God daily. It has been an interesting and fruitful study so far and the girls are responding with enthusiasm. This week we will be looking at meditation, what this word means Biblically and how the Biblical idea of meditation differs from the common worldly understanding of it, as well as how it honors God, how it benefits us spiritually, and how to build time for Biblical meditation into our daily lives.
We would love prayer over this study, which meets at 7 pm on Saturday evenings, as well as the girls who are coming.

The women here are far more beautiful and precious to God than these lovely poppies which are in full bloom now all over the country side.

I hardly know what to call this group, since in Kosovo women are called "girls" unless they are married and we have a variety of ages coming. Girl's Meeting? Women's Bible Study? Or some other name? I don't really know yet, but perhaps the ladies and I will come up with a better idea of what to call our study.
During our time visiting the States earlier this Spring I shared with many of you my heart for the women in the villages who do not come often into town. Some of which know little or nothing of Christianity and many of whom have never heard the Gospel.

Hasan's Grandmother, who knew little of Christianity before her grandsons became saved, asked us recently, "What must I do to be saved?"

Just since our return to Kosovo a few weeks ago I have already had surprise and unexpected visits with several ladies in villages nearby and am praising God for the way He opens doors. I am very excited about these new relationships and look forward to getting to know these women better, would you pray with me that God would strengthen these relationships?

I got to visit with the very family who reside behind this door, a beautiful family who I look forward to seeing again. Pray that God would continue to open doors!

Another area in which I need prayer is my ability as a hostess. Hospitality is very important here, indeed I would say that it is a central part of this culture. I am a terrible hostess, awkward at best. My house is messy, my kids are noisy and frankly I never know the right thing to do or say. We often have the young women from the church over for visits and although I'm sure they don't mind, (or are at least used to us) I always feel that I am hopelessly floundering as a hostess, it has always been a difficult area for me. I would love prayer over this, that I could do better, but also rest in assurance that God knew what he was doing placing me here and that despite my personal challenges, his love and light will shine through.
Thank you all!
God bless,
Jacquelyn

Grappling -Relationships and Solitude

“Oh MOM!” My seven year old flings her self onto me. Her sisters are driving her crazy at the moment. I am trying to help, but in a small space with six of us, some days everyone just rubs each other wrong. Being a rather (read: super) sensitive perfectionist, this girl of mine feels it more acutely than the rest of us. Sensitivity and perfectionism are not bad traits by any means, she’s simply still learning how to BE in this so less than perfect world, as we all are, with so less than perfect people surrounding our SO less than perfect Selves.
“I –I just wish I could live ALL BY MY SELF! With no one bothering me, no one talking to me, la la la, all day long!” She sighs, leaning limp on my arm, at a loss for words. Not that I buy that she’d be able to stand that for more than an hour –she is way too relational, but oh Honey, I do understand.

Can I tell you my dream? In my perfect world, there would be no one. I’d live in a Thoreau-esque solitude away among nature. A cabin or cottage among the trees, perhaps on the wild –and solitary- coast of Oregon somewhere or the misty mountains of Peru… I’ve always wanted to travel to Peru, it seems so… Quiet. A library of books and paints, pencils and paper and I’d be set for life. Just me and no one but God. Aaaand maybe a few cats.

I sometimes feel like Lucy in the Chronicles of Narnia. In book two she is summoned from sleep one night to meet Aslan in the meadow where they talk and relax. She curls up contentedly, wanting to stay there with him. But to her dismay she is sent back all too soon, back to the others. Back to deal with people. People and their problems and their complaining and their disbelief. And it’s hard and seems unpleasant, especially compared to perfectly contented solitude with The Perfect One.

I know.

The thing about this life though and our purpose here is that it is very much about relationships. Relationships which are messy and sometimes annoying.

Of course, there is a definite and extremely important place for solitude in our lives. It is refreshing and reviving and can give us back a proper perspective, as it did for Lucy in the story. It is particularly important in our fast-paced world today! In fact Jesus modeled it for us when he prayed in solitude and would seek solitude at other times as well. Times of silence, prayer, quiet meditation on the Word, etc. are very necessary for healthy spiritual lives (and for some of us very introverted folk, to other aspects of our lives as well.) However, it can sometimes seem an unfortunate thing that we can’t just stay there forever. It’s always back to the people. Helping and serving and caring and dealing. If we are being honest, it IS hard. It IS demanding. Yet… It is not a burden, not when it is the will and request of our beloved Lion, when it is really service to Him, who we adore. Not when we look at others with His eyes and in turn see Him in them. This is true service, true love, and it is truly a blessing. In fact it becomes a JOY.

And one day… Well, one day we’ll all be there together, worshiping him as he truly deserves in perfect relationship. No more sin to muddle things up or to sour our perceptions. We will be singing the beautiful song and he will be telling us the beautiful story for eons, all together in perfect fellowship and at the same time perfect solitude with Him.

I want everyone to experience this joy and really, I can’t wait until we are all there together.

How about you? Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you thrive off of being around people, and if so, is solitude the harder thing for you? Or do you thrive off of quiet alone time and have a difficult time relating to others? What are some ways you cope? Love to hear from you!

I Lift My Eyes Up

Look at that veiw.

Beautiful, isn't it? Majestic, wild, a little un-earthly. Green feilds lead up to hazy, purple and white mountains. Beautiful mountains. It is the veiw from my living room window.

When I cast my eye far, that is.

If I look straight down, though?

This.

Garbage... Mud... Weeds and ruins. A dump, nasty (and smelly!) A tangled, filthy mess. It is not an uncommon sight here.

Sometimes we fly along on wings of gold, through fragrant meadows. Everything's going right and we bask all that is good.

Other times we come to a landfill and the only way around it is through it. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow...
We can look directly down around us and quickly become disheartened, weighted down, thrashing. Caught in the bog.

Or we can cast our eyes high, to the rock, where there is strength, renewal, help. And we will wade through, He will lead us through, the ground becoming firm once more.

Psalm 121
A song of ascents

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."

I Am Not Afraid Of Dogs

I was walking with my kids today, out tramping across the fields, enjoying the sun and the sky and the wide open space. Laughing, they trotted ahead of me a ways, boots galumphing, hair streaming on the wind. Our carefree joy was interrupted however when suddenly three huge dogs rushed out of the bushes charging and barking viciously, the leader running us down and poised to attack. A hot lick of fear swept through me for a split second as my eyes scanned the ground for a stick or rock, but there were none. The kids had fled behind me crying. And as the great beast bore down upon us that momentary fear fled me, I felt more confident than I ever had in my life. I stepped fully in front of my children, legs braced, shoulders back and issued a command that in Albanian means "GET BACK!" The stance of my body and the tone of my voice stopped that dog dead in his tracks. He skidded to a halt, then turned and left, barking over his shoulder, taking his friends with him. I kept my eyes on them until they had disappeared, far beyond the grasses and hedges.

"Oh Mommy!" My daughter cried, throwing her arms around me, "How did you do that?!"

"I am not afraid of dogs." I replied.

What followed was a lengthy discussion of animal behavior, and safety, and why we stay close to Mommy, and so on and so forth. But that is topic for another time and is not the point of this post.

There are dogs in this town who are greater scoundrels than the above mentioned, and I am not talking about the four legged kind.

Let me make our stance to them crystal clear.

They can bark and they can charge, but we will NEVER back down, for unlike them we serve a mighty God. THE mighty God. We have Christ and all his hosts at our backs and we continue to fight the good fight with our heads held high. We are not cowards who lie in wait like predators, who live and lie for selfish gain, who pick on the poor that have no one to protect them. And those dogs can come one hundred strong to my face if they so dare and just see what this daughter of the King is made of.

For we wear the armor of God.

As it is, I am sure they will continue to hide under rocks and behind computer screens, preying on the defenseless.

My friends, pray for these individuals for they are desperately lost. So blinded by fear and greed and hate that they can not tell up from down. And I exhort you all "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 5:8-11)

Bytyqi Family February Update

January and February can be hard months for me, they sure were last year. If it is snowy and clear, that is fine, but mud and muck and endless dreary days wear me out in a way that no amount of work ever could. This new year however has been so pleasantly busy and the weather so mild and lovely and down right balmy that I've been enjoying them very much. This next month and a half will be quite a buzz of activity with meetings and birthdays (four of our family have birthdays in the next 6 weeks) and moving that our trip to the States will be upon us in no time and I look forward to enjoying the spring there.

Ah.
Yes.
The moving.
Well, it turns out we DO have to move after all. We've found a very sweet little solitary apartment in the center of town that will do nicely for us for the time being. I'm a girl who likes to put roots down, so moving often has been hard on me on the one hand, though exciting on the other. I do yearn so for a place for us. A real place, our place. But I am content -well, mostly and trying to be- as we shift from space to space, as I know that this is simply what the Lord has for us for now. Perhaps this upcoming move is a step towards land and a house of our own or perhaps it's a "foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." sort of thing. (Luke 9: 57-58) Well, I still will follow then, Lord, lead on!

Speaking of following Christ, I would love to share with you about a new Sister in Christ. Hasan has a ministry that I call his "Coffee Shop Ministry." Each day around noon he takes his Bible and sits in a local coffee shop reading for an hour or two and the fruit of this simple act just over the last few months has been astounding. People meet him, get to talking, and pretty soon he's practically got a little Bible Study on his hands. Some days they just talk about life and drink a cappuccino, others they bring friends and relatives to ask questions about our faith and Scripture. One young girl recently accepted Christ and her boyfriend too is very interested. We would love if you would join us in praying for their young hearts, that they would continue on in a path of righteousness and continue hungering and learning and that others too would come to know the Savior.

We are heading into our last week of the Foundations of Christian Faith Study that we've been holding in our home. It has been a really blessed time with a pretty solid group of about fifteen believers. Once finished, Hasan will begin a weekly study of Hebrews and we are planning on beginning a prayer meeting once a week as well, just as soon as we've moved into the new place. Please pray with us over these meetings, that we would all be learning and growing closer to God and in knowledge of His Word.

Grace and Peace to you~

A Quick Family Update

Hello everyone, we hope you all had wonderful Christmas and New Year celebrations! We had a busy, but happy Christmas with everything from holding a Christmas Eve service in our home to handing out shoe boxes to needy children. A highlight of the season was that we had two young women, students from the Bible School in Erseka, stay with us for two weeks over the holidays and we had no end of fun with them. Our kids grew very attached to the girls and we all miss them a lot now that they have returned safely to school in Erseka.

Christmas morning with our guests

New Year's Eve with our guests and Hasan's family

**We are now on week two of our Foundations of Christian Faith Bible study, it is going great and we've had a pretty good turn out so far. We are so encouraged, thank you all for your prayers! For those who don't know, this is a study being held at our home led by Hasan. It is open to any and all -friends, strangers, believers, or anyone interested in knowing more about Christianity and what it is all about. A special praise is that Hasan's sister is able to attend, we are very close with her and she is a believer, but she lives in a town rather far away and is unable to get any discipling there. It is such a blessing that she can come to this. The class is being held weekly and will wrap up just before our trip to the States in mid-March.

Hasan speaking

**And that leads me to our other big news -we're coming back for a visit! We'll be in the US from mid-March to mid-May and staying in the Tri-Cities with my (Jacquelyn's) parents. We hope to have a chance to visit with all our friends, family, and supporters during our time there, so if you'd like to see us, please let us know and we can set something up!

** We were recently alarmed when our landlord called us, out of the blue, to say he had lost the house he is renting us to his brother during a family argument and that we must move out within days! Though we are not positive yet, it seems as though things have been sorted out between them and that we will be able to continue living here after all (we do have a 2 year contract). Thank you all for your prayers over this, they are working! It was rather startling information, but of course, the Lord knows and we have peace and it seems to be sorting itself out.

Frosty view from our home in Malisheve

Thank you all again, we love you! May your new year be blessed!
The Bytyqi Family

Home Is Where The Heart Is

If home is where the heart is,

Then I have many homes.

I long for my eternal home

Wrapped up in Jesus' Arms

Enjoying His great bounty

Where love and praise abounds.

Isaiah eleven, six through nine,

Paradise restored.

Glorious future free from sin,

Rejoicing in the Lord. ~


I love my home in Kosovo

Where God will build His Church.

He has put a call

Deep in our hearts,

A desire we can't deny

To live and work with people there

And overcome each trial.

Among the towns and villages,

We live and work and teach,

And share the news of Jesus,

The Gospel message preached. ~


I love my hometown

-always home-

the place I grew

And played

As a child and with my own kids,

A home I'd never trade.

I miss and love my family there

And all my dear sweet friends.

It's a place I always can return

until the visit ends. ~


Erseka is a kind of home

with welcoming arms wide,

They've housed and loved and cared for us

Through good and harder times.

The place Hasan and I first met

We often will return

To learn a little more again

And sometimes teach in turn. ~


Yes, we've been blessed with many homes,

It's wonderful and hard,

To have so many that we love,

All spread out wide and far. ~

My Sheep Hear My Voice

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.” ~John 10:27-30

The horizon is a hazy turquoise blending higher into deeper and deeper blues, colors so vivid they make my eyes hurt. The mountains behind us are smokey gray and an unseasonably warm breeze ruffles the brown curls bobbing up an down in front of me as my daughter jumps excitedly at the fence. A herd of sheep is grazing behind the school. Shaddowy figures in the dusk, moving placidly between tufts of waving grass and piles of wood.

We call to them. We snap our fingers and click our tongues. They are within feet of us, yet not a single one so much as glances in our direction. They are very focused on their grazing, the sweet grass they have been led to.

All of a sudden we hear a strange noise. "Brrr! Brrr!" A tiny woman pops up over the hillside. "Brrr! Brrr! Hajde!" She is the shepherdess. Immediately woolly heads snap to attention, bells jangle as the flock bleat and maa and begin to trot merrily after her. "Hajde!" She calls them to come,

"Hajde Lako! Hajde Kiki!" She calls them by name.

I realize that I have never actually seen a shepherd calling to their sheep before. New images connect themselves to verses which begin to flood my mind, verses I had always known, but never really had a picture of.

The flock head over the hill and we share a wave. I consider it no accident to have witnessed this little scene only two days before the women's Bible study in which we are going through the "I Am" statements of Jesus. This weeks lesson? "I am the the good shepherd."

Psalm 112

1 Praise the Lord.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
who find great delight in his commands.
2 Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn will be lifted high in honor.
10 The wicked will see and be vexed,
they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Cling to the cross

Falling in His Arms

Some days are soul-sucking days. Sometimes I feel so defeated, so deflated. Sometimes the drudgeries of daily life and the trials this nomadic, temporary, earthly life bring weigh me down so much.

Sometimes I feel like the Bearer of All Burdens.

Like that guy in the movie The Green Mile, who takes everyone's pain into himself. He heals them, but at a terrible cost to himself.

For me there are the kids, and the husband, and friends, and HEY, I've got problems too you know! I am the sounding wall, I am a comforter, supporter, boo-boo fixer, ouchie kisser, referee, listening ear...

The funny thing is though... It's not really my job to be the Bearer of All Burdens. Um, that's actually God's job.

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

You'd think I'd be relieved, right, to pass all that onto Him, to cast my cares at his feet and melt into his glorious Rest? So why is it I sometimes find myself hoarding my problems and everyone else's like some greedy pack rat? To my own destruction, until it is all toppling over and crushing me underneath?


My two year old daughter is quite a character. I usually say I love the "terrific twos" because seriously it is one of my favorite ages. Two year olds are just so darn funny! And cute. And silly. But often... They're also really angsty. They get frustrated so easily. They want to do BIG things all by themselves and sometimes they just can't! They need help but they DON"T WANT IT! They have BIG feelings and huge thoughts but they can't seem to express them and this makes them sooooo MAD!!!

I'm always there for my baby/not-so-baby girl. But sometimes she just doesn't want my help. If it's something she really can't do or really can't express she might get upset. Really upset. And if she's been hurt in some way it's the same story.

"Come here, come let me hold you, come cry on my shoulder. Let me rock you, sing to you, snuggle you. Here I am."

Sometimes she doesn't want my comfort. She'll let me know in no uncertain terms.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Maybe she struggles, maybe she pushes me away, maybe she lays down on the floor and sobs.

I don't understand why. But I am here. My arms are ready and waiting. My voice is soft and it coaxes her.

Finally she will collapse on my lap, pressing her tear-stained face to my chest. Then we'll laugh because, Hey! She's wiping her tears all over me! She might dissolve into giggles then, or need more time to sit quietly hugging me until she feels better. She is so relieved, and it was so easy! So why did she not come to me earlier? I don't know.

Or maybe I do.

I think sometimes our burdens are a crown, a kind of idol that we have a hard time giving up, even though we are promised rest when we do. We are greedy, like Golem, desperately holding onto the things that would be our destruction.

"No, it's mine! All mine!... My Precious"

Instead we must give them up, free our hands to cling to the one who would wipe our tears away and envelope us into his loving rest. It's... It's a humbling thing. But like little toddlers we must fall into his embrace and let him handle all of our cares as he comforts us.

Will you join me today in casting your burdens on Him? In opening up your hands... And letting go?

Let us climb into our Abba's lap and enjoy Him this day.

Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."

The Gentle Man

So careful.

So tender.

I have never seen a father like him.

I see him at the pool fairly often. He brings his children to play on hot days, as we do. Few homes here have the luxury of air conditioning and summer can be down right sweltering. The pool is a cheap and enjoyable respite. The man is getting on in years, with salt-and-pepper hair and a lean build, unusually tall for the Balkans. His face and hands are worn with time and care and plenty of hard work, I imagine. He has several kids with him, ranging in age I would guess from early teen to toddler.

How patient he is with them.

It is clear that he is deaf, he never says a word and communicates with his children using a rough sign language I imagine is all his own. They use it with him as well, simple gestures, mostly. I am fascinated by the way he interacts with them. He is so careful with each one, making sure each has everything he or she needs. He pats and hugs them often, something I see little of here, as physical affection is not so freely given. He checks in with them often, and always has his eyes on them. The way those eyes look at them, I can tell his children are his pride and joy. His love for them is radiant and makes my throat swell as I watch them.

One of the older girls teases her little brother, maybe age three, who cries. The father walks over, shaking his finger. The girl shrugs sheepishly and holds her fingers apart as if to say "It was only a little bit." After comforting the boy he takes his daughter's face in his hands... And pats it softly. He looks deep into her eyes, expression full of unspoken words. Words of love, encouragement, a gentle chide. "You can do better, I know you can, my dear one, please do not do that again." I am left with that impression as he pats their heads and they go back to laughing in the water.

I pondered this family and the quiet, gentle man who leads it as we bump home over dusty roads, children's Sunday school songs blaring.
Why is this man so different? I wondered. I thought about his disability. He is unable to hear. Unable to hear society scream about the "right way" to do things, perhaps he relies more on instinct. Possible too, I mused, that as a deaf child he would have been treated much gentler when he himself was young, It is a norm here to treat children with disabilities differently -with more understanding and gentleness. Perhaps he grew up with that kind of treatment and naturally it flows from him now, easier than having to train oneself to be compassionate and respectful when it was not the way you were treated. Maybe the fact that he cannot hear has left him with an enhanced appreciation for life and the joys in it and it is this which gives him pause to treat his children with such special care. Of course, this is mostly speculation on my part. But what I really wonder is if this man's "disability" isn't really one at all, if it isn't in fact quite the opposite, that something about it gives this father an upper hand -an upper hand in loving.

What I've come away with is a picture of God's fatherly love for us. The Bible says he is "slow to anger" and that true love -to be received and also demonstrated by us to everyone in our lives- is full of patience, gentleness, selflessness, kindness, sacrifice. (1 Corinthians 13)

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

And I think from now on whenever I think of God my Father, the image will flash into my mind of this tender father cradling his daughter's face in his hands.

Girl's Meeting

Over the past few months, each Saturday afternoon, some of the women in the Church have been meeting for a Bible Study. This has been a wonderful time and I always feel so refreshed after fellowship, prayer, and studying God's Word with my sisters in the Church. It has been a very sweet time.

Very recently we have decided to move the study to Friday afternoons, because it will mean that more of the girls will be able to come. Until now, most of the meetings have been attended by young women who identify as believers and regularly attend Sunday worship and other Church meetings here. However, this girl's study has taken on a new and exciting dynamic. One young girl, a local high school student who is connected with the Church here, has begun to bring her school friends to this Bible Study and all seem interested to learn more. These girls are not believers and have little to no knowledge of Christianity and the Gospel. It is VERY exciting that they have begun to come and to show an interest in what we are all about. We have just today begun to go through the gospel of Mark with them, carefully explaining the story as it unfolds and the saving message it holds. Over the next weeks and months we hope and pray that these young girls' hearts will be open to the message that we will continue to share with them. Please join us in prayer over these girls, that we can know how to minister to them, that they will continue to come. Most of all that God will be working in them, opening their hearts to His Word, pray that they will be sensitive to his call.

I believe that each one of these girls is very special to the Father and I believe that amazing things are going to happen with this ministry! Thank you for your prayers!
Blessings,
Jacquelyn

Things Missionaries Might Need or Want

I thought it might be a good idea to compile a list of things that missionaries need, want and miss that can be sent in care packages since this is a question I am frequently asked. It is soooo comforting to get a package in the mail filled with useful things and things that remind you of home and it is always encouraging to know that the folks back home have you in their thoughts and prayers. Of course for different families serving in different parts of the world, needs are going to differ a little. However, I hope this list serves as a springboard for ideas of what to send in care packages to missionaries that you may be wanting to bless in this way.

Prayer. Ok, prayer doesn't exactly come in a box, but a care package is a good reminder and encouragement as I said before, that there are people praying for and wanting to bless you. Bonus, prayer never gets lost in the mail!

Food items:

Reeses peanut butter cups. People, the Reeses situation over here is dire.

Spice mix packets. It is often difficult to find many spices -here, particularly Asian and Mexican food spices- and having those little spice packet mixes on hand is so, well, handy.

Sea salt and/or coarsely ground sea salt

Ranch dip mix packets and other dip mixes.

Hot chocolate/apple cider mixes

Instant oatmeal packets

Pop tarts

Fishy crackers, cheeze-its, party mix and the like. The kids miss those and there is nothing even close here(-in fact, I can't even get cheddar cheese here to try and make my own!)

Boxed macaroni and other boxed pasta/rice sides. We cook mostly from scratch and have been eating probably a lot healthier here, but sometimes ya just miss good ol' Kraft or Aunt Annie's Macaroni.

Cake mix, frosting, other cookie/brownie type mixes.

Chocolate chips for baking

Fruit snacks

Cream of wheat

Food coloring

Coconut oil

Garlic salt

Hot sauce (we don't particularly care for hot sauce, but you can't get it here, so find out if this is something your missionary friend wants!)

Candy canes, robin's eggs, candy corn, other seasonal candy at the appropriate times

Chai tea


Other:

Pictures of you, of your families. We miss your beautiful faces!

Notes letting us know what is going on in your lives and how we can pray for you.

Crayola crayons, colored pencils, chalk

Coloring books

Construction paper

Beads, stamps, other small craft/home-learning/Sunday school type supplies.

Children's books. Books quickly weigh a box down, but you can usually toss in a couple without it being too bad. We were only able to take a few of our beloved books with us and we miss reading in English! Little kid type books (think Perfect the Pig, A Birthday for Bear...) or chapter books to read to them (think Charlotte's Web, A Cricket in Times Square...)

Play-doh. We make our own sometimes, but miss the neon colors too :)

Empty spray bottles. You'd think you could find those here. Nope.

Duct/scotch/masking tape

Elmer's and tacky glue and glue sticks

Spray n'Wash, RLR or Sportsman's Wash for laundry

First aid type items, band-aids, medical tape, tiny scissors... Stuff like that

Prenatal vitamins (if your missionary is a pregnant or nursing mother)vitamin C, vitamin D3, probiotics, other supplements that your missionary can specify, if needed.

If your missionary has pets it might be nice to send them flea/tick treatments as those aren't available (here anyway) and little chew toys/bones, catnip, worming medication, even a collar...


These were the things I sat down and thought of today. Any friends are welcome to comment with other ideas!

Love

Happy New Years everyone! We hope that you are having a wonderful start to 2013 and that your Holiday season was very blessed.

I will admit that the start of the season saw me feeling rather discouraged. I was so very very homesick, struggling with jealousy of those who were "home" in the states and terribly missing my family and friends there. God is gracious and he cares. He held me and brought me through it and I am happy to say that we had a lovely Christmas here and we have so much to be thankful for with the start of this new year. I am grateful that his mercies are not new every year, but daily. Praise God!

But I'd like to talk about something else today.

You know, about a year ago, maybe a little more, I was reading through 1 Corinthians 13. I had begun reading it through every day, hoping that by doing so I would understand better how to incorporate the attributes found there into my own life. I had really been struggling. I was teaching my children love and gentleness, patience and kindness, but not following through myself. These were areas that I desperately needed to work on and I knew it. Our household verse was "Let your gentleness be evident to all" Yet I felt that my gentleness was evident to no one.
Around this time I read somewhere about a man who committed to reading through 1 Cor. 13 every day for a month and it "changed his life."
Perfect! I thought, a clear cut, easy recipe for how I can fix this in myself. And so I began.
But it seemed to me that the harder I tried to live with gentleness, patience and all that is wrapped up in that beautiful little word LOVE, the worse I became at it -the snappier, more irritable and impatient I grew. Oh I was so disheartened.

Life became busy with moving and all the big changes that came last summer, though always in the back of my mind I was giving a concerted -and often failing- effort to be more loving, more gentle.

Fast forward to a week or so ago at our newly begun women's Bible Study meeting. A small group of very special young women in our Church have committed to getting together once a week to study the Word together. It is a beautiful thing and has blessed and encouraged me in numerous ways already. On this day we were discussing the Love of God and taking about such verses as John 3:16. One girl read 1 Corinthians 13 out loud and another pointed out that this section was more about believers loving each other, not specifically about God's love.

Then it struck me.

"But-but it is about God's love!" I thought excitedly. It was like an epiphany. At that moment in my heart God re-taught me something that I had heard many times over the years about God's love lived out in us. For not only is living out our lives and loving others with the kind of love described in 1 Cor. 13 very difficult, it is, in fact, impossible. Utterly and completely impossible -apart from Christ. Only when we have God's love in our hearts -and are allowing Him to work, instead of trying to take care of things ourselves (something I DO need to re-learn just about daily)- only then can we love our families, or friends, our sisters and brothers in Christ, and anyone else we meet with the agape love described in Scripture.

I felt at that moment as though a weight had been lifted and a veil removed from my eyes -a veil I had likely put in place myself by trying to figure things out on my own, instead of relying solely on Him and being sensitive to His guidance. I feel a deep peace now, I remember that only through Him can I treat others with true grace and love.

There will still be -will always be- struggles, as long as I am in this world, but I know that I can persevere through Him. And that is the beautiful hope for all of us. A hope which has already been fulfilled in His eternal Love.

Thankful

It has been a rough couple of months. Many wonderful things going on for sure; the young people graduating from the Discipleship program, a new Bible Study started in the village, the radio broadcast opportunity, Hasan's brothers all becoming very interested in Church and in the Gospel, and much more. Whew!

But it's also been tough. I joked with Hasan that it felt like we are being "baptized with fire." Randy's sudden passing was so unexpected and has left a big ol' hole in our hearts :( We've been sick almost constantly since we got here, with just one thing after another, plus our three year old recently started having daily sob fests about wanting to go home to America (and I admit I've felt like joining her -although our five year old has several times told me that she "loves our life here in Kosovo,") plus downsizing from a house with a yard to a small apartment has made the adjustment even more difficult on the little ones, (ok, and me too) everyone wearing on each other's nerves rather quickly.

Over all they've done pretty well though, and I am proud of them. It is often the little daily blessings that God brings that keep me smiling... And sane :) so here are some of the little things I am thankful for today.


I am thankful for the cottonwood tree outside my window
Reminding me of home
And thankful for the wind, rattling its leaves, making them sparkle.
I am thankful for sunshine and cool air.
I am thankful for the recent rains,
Filling the reservoirs so we can have water
-Almost all day!
I am thankful for white-washed walls and potted plants
That make the room so cheerful in the afternoon light.
I am thankful for tadpoles
To watch and catch and learn about.
I am thankful for friends.
I am thankful for sisters playing ponies
In the living room.
I am thankful for good fruit
And the times I get to see it.
I am thankful for the baby,
Snuggled sleeping on my chest.
I am thankful for His mercies,
New with each sunrise.
I am thankful for this life,
Thank you.

Update

I haven't posted in a while. Between head-colds and programs, seminars and summer weddings, time just keeps flying past me! Tonight I happened to have some alone time at home with our youngest daughter (age one and a half). At one point she walked over to me and asked for a piece of bread, then did a happy little dance when I gave her some. I immediately had one of those parenting moments of awe, where it's like, "Oh my gosh, I'm not just "at home with the baby," I'm at home with my little girl, she's growing up! Aahh!" Haha, yep, the time is speeding by!

Anyhow, here is a quick update on us and what is going on here in Kosovo!

1) Firstly, many of you know that about a month and a half ago our dear friend, fellow missionary, and pastor of the Church here in Malisheve went to be with the Lord suddenly and unexpectedly. I have tried more than once to write about this, but it's so hard. I have too many words and not enough words and it's just so confusing. Life here kept moving forward, slow and constant, but I kept wanting to go back to that moment, that phone call and have time stop there because it felt like I needed a few years just to wrap my brain around it all. I know that God did indeed bring us here for "a time such as this" and I am so glad that we were able to be here with the church when this happened. My heart aches for Randy's family, his wife and his children and grandchildren, all of whom I am blessed to have as friends. His daughter Rachael and son Calvin are also working here in Kosovo in ministry with their families and his daughter Chelsea along with her husband and daughter will be visiting this fall ( -they reside currently in CA, but have both also lived in and worked with the church in Kosovo.) Jeff Harry, Randy's son-in-law, will be taking over the responsibilities of lead pastor here in Malisheve.

We miss Randy so much, but we also know that he is in heaven with Christ now and have assurance that we will all be together again one day! Randy was taken to be buried in California and his wife, Lycia, will be returning to Kosovo in October. We miss her lots and are excited to have her back with us! The body of believers here are strong and faithful, if anything this has brought everyone closer and it is amazing to watch God working through all of this. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." We have seen this displayed so clearly these last weeks and we praise him for it. God is good and he is true to His Word!

2) The discipleship program that was begun two weeks before Randy's passing was continued and brought to a close. All those who attended were able to finish and receive their certificates, praise the Lord! Hasan was blessed to teach one of the classes, The Attributes of God. About 12 young people attended this program which was held four days a week for four weeks and those who participated also received new Bibles at the completion of the course.

3) Only a few days ago we returned home after a week spent in Durres, Albania where Hasan participated in an inductive Bible Study seminar, taught by Jeff Harry. It was a great trip, despite me having a nasty head cold. Hasan learned a lot and we all got some much needed R&R and great family time during our down time there.

4) Just today we took our kids to a large park outside of the capitol city. While Hasan was helping one of our little ones in the bathroom a man approached me and began to ask questions about where I was from, why I would chose to live in Kosovo when I could be living in America, and so on and so forth. I shared the gospel with him very clearly and though he is a practicing Muslim, was very interested to talk with us (Hasan joined me after a bit) and then while I took the kids to play, he and Hasan had a great conversation. Please pray for this man, he could not accept that Jesus could be God, nor that God could have a son, but he was very open and interested in what we had to say and seeds were definitely planted. Pray that God will bring others into his life who will share the Truth with him, pray that God will water those seeds!

5) A few prayer requests~ Please pray for our health, I still haven't kicked this awful cold and the kids are feeling under the weather too now :( .
~Our days are busy with starting a new homeschool curriculum (Konos) and I would appreciate prayers for our schooling. The kids really like it so far and so do I. I love taking my children in my lap and teaching them, it is a wonderful feeling.
~Pray for Hasan, Urim, and Jeff, the leaders here in the church, as well as for all of the local believers as we continue through this transitional time.
~Lastly, I would like to share that an opportunity has opened up for Hasan to speak on the radio for 5 minutes each week on the Bible and Christianity. This is huge considering the large Muslim population here. The area that this will be broadcast to has around 54,000 people in it. Please pray for hearts to be touched!

Let us know how we can pray for YOU! We love you all! Your support and prayers bless and encourage us daily! We truly praise God for each and every one of you!

Love in Him,
The Bytyqi family

Here

The lights reflected from the street below swirl slowly across the ceiling like a great kaleidoscope.
Far away a dog barks and another answers it from almost directly under my window.
At three in the morning it is dark and relatively quiet, though the dogs who run wild in the streets can get loud and occasionally a car or truck rumbles past and I believe some of them lack mufflers.
The air is fresh each morning and smells somewhat exotic, like fields and trees that I do not know all the names of.




It is cool, but as the sun climbs the air becomes thick and warm. The scents of the country are quickly replaced with a heady mixture of smells that at times can be ignored and at times can overwhelm -eau de diesel fuel-garbage-cigarette smoke-frying meat-sewer water-dirty dog.




During the day things are lively on this busy corner of town. People shopping and walking, calling to each other, cars zooming by, kids laughing, horns honking, jackdaws chattering in the trees where they congregate in great flocks. And don't forget the roosters! There is a great deal of construction going on and there is the noise from that too and when the power is off there is the low grumble of generators behind every shop. At noon and five pm the call to prayer rings out from the mosque across the street, it's spire rising high above the trees and stony houses.





Despite all the recent growth and modern construction in the cities and despite the fact that trash often litters the streets and rivers, there is an ancient beauty about this place. The rocky walls and cobbled courtyards. The traditional garb of the older generations.




The jagged mountain peaks that tower in the hazy blue distance which make one feel that they just might be in Middle-earth and that possibly orcs really do exist.
These tall peaks border the country on all sides, like the rims of a great bowl, the inside of which contains rolling green hills, shrubby forests, and beautifully lush valleys. Red-roofed villages are tucked and folded into every nook and cranny, patch-work fields spread about each one. Red, yellow, white, purple, and blue wildflowers polka-dot the fields and brighten the roadside. Butterflies flutter and bees hum. Pigeons swoop over the town and ring-necked doves call from their perches on lamp-posts and balconies.



It has often seemed to me that Kosovo is a land of contrasts -perhaps all places are like that and I notice it more outside of my own culture? To me it seems Kosovo is quaint, yet bustling. Quiet, but loud. Dark, yet light. Harsh in ways, comforting in others. It is a land steeped in tradition, yet awash with the changes that westernization brings. A perfect example: You will see young boys herding their family's cattle in the hills, using sticks to prod them along and you will think, "This looks like a snapshot from a hundred years ago!" -Then one of the boys will pull out an iPod or a fancy cell phone and start clicking away on it.


(Goats stopping to drink from an ancient spring as they are herded back home for the day)


The people here are generous and hospitable nearly to a fault. The average Kosovar does not mince words though -they say what they mean and they mean what they say! Conversations to me often seem loud or boisterous, and if you did not know some of the language you might think that people here argue a lot. But this is just normal interaction and is (mostly) in good humor. They are a friendly people. Where else in the world would women that you just met (as happened to us this morning as we shopped for carpets) kiss your children and tell them how beautiful they are? Where else will near strangers usher you in and practically force feed you cookies and tea?


Aaaahhhh, munch munch, yep, it's good to be back in Kosovo!