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Kosovo Refugees in Macedonia

Kosovo Refugee

In May, while in Macedonia, we were able to feed approximately 2,000 Kosovar, Albanian refugees. We were also able to help over 1,180 children by giving them school supplies and personal hygiene products. We also placed Albanian Gospel tracts in all the food boxes and school bags.

Rev. Ken Holden's church in Burlington, Ontario raised a "miraculous" $25,000 in just one weekend. Pastor Holden said, "When I received your letter Slobodan, God told me to get involved and to raise $20,000. As I was reflecting on it, I thought I will share it on Sunday with my church and hope we will be able to raise the first $5,000 towards it. Little did I know that even though we first took an offering for our church's needs that I would have over $20,000 raised for the Kosovo refugees the very same day."

Pastor Ken was overwhelmed. He asked if he and Jim Fisher, a businessman from his congregation could go with me to Macedonia? My answer was a resounding "Yes." Dave Lostracco, a TV cameraman, also joined us. We travelled almost 40 hours by air and land to reach Skopje, Macedonia.

Albanian Christian Literature

While in Skopje Macedonia the Lord enabled us to strengthen the work of the local church. However, without volunteers from the local church we could not have accomplished the task of purchasing food, providing literature and distributing aid. We saw that refugee camps were well provided for by foreign government agencies, after visiting two of them in Blace and Stenkovec. So we focused our attention on private Albanian homes in four villages, Kondovo, Radche, Gorno Svilare and Dolno Svilare where approximately 60,000 Kosovo refugees have sought shelter. During that time I was able to personally pray for many, many refugees. As I prayed for them, their pain and tears spoke volumes.

Slobodan with Rev. Ken Holden

The following story about Minera Audiu an Albanian refugee is one of many stories.

It was interesting how I met Minere. We were distributing food to Kosovar Albanian refugees in four different villages in Macedonia. In Minere's village, Dolno Svilare, we were asked by a Muslim priest named Khoja to go and see Minere and hear her story. We were delighted that a Muslim priest felt that we, representing a Christian organization; could somehow help Minere.

Here is Minere's testimony in her own words:

"When the war in Kosovo started, it seemed to be mostly in the villages and we lived in the city. We put blankets on our windows and stayed inside, hoping no one would notice we were there. But telephones and electricity were cut in the city, and civilians began to be killed. One evening before an important Islam celebration everything changed and we had to flee to a nearby village, hoping to escape into Macedonia.

Minere Audiu, a Kosovo Albanian refugee woman

A while later we heard that the road was free. We left around midnight. It was a difficult journey on foot because we had to go through the mountains. We became disoriented so we divided into groups. There were mines on the road and it was dark, so we couldn't avoid them. Many were wounded or killed and because we were in such a hurry, we had to leave them. An older man stepped on a mine. He lost both legs and a 23-year old women died on the spot.

I was hit by parts of the mine in both my hand and knee. Four or five of my teeth were broken as well. I had to walk for twelve more hours wounded before my husband got a horse to carry me. My two sisters were also injured and the man who was carrying my son died. It was a miracle that my son lived. The most painful part of this journey was that my oldest daughter Zeneta was seriously wounded in the explosion. It was dark and she kept walking for another 12 kilometers, hoping to get to the hospital in Skopje, Macedonia. But she could not make it and she died. She was 12 years old."

Burlington businessman Jim Fisher came with us to help out with the Kosovo refugees aid.

As Minire spoke of the death of her daughter she cried and wiped her tears. I offered to pray for Minire, and she accepted. This is what I prayed:

"Dear Lord I thank you for Minere Audiu. Thank you for her life and her family. Lord, you see what difficulties she had to go through this war by losing her daughter and getting wounded herself. I pray, Lord, give her comfort and victory in life and give her ability to build her remaining children. Help them to be healthy, happy and godly by following you in their lives. Give to Minere peace that only you can give. Give her joy because in you alone there is real life. Lead her and her husband in their life. Be gracious to her. Bless her and make her a blessing to others. Please help her to get to know you as her personal Saviour and Lord. May she know Jesus that you love her! You care greatly for her and you did not forget her. You want to help her in her life in every difficulty. I ask you to be with her adding health and strength. Help her to live for you and to know that you are alive and that you are a gracious God. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen."

Ljiljana worships at a Kosovo benefit concert organized by Bernard Pears in Toronto

While I prayed for Minere, she nodded approvingly. As I finished praying Minere cried some more. It was a very touching moment for me to feel some of her pain and to also offer spiritual help through prayer. We did not only serve natural food to the refugees, but we offered them spiritual food with the words of hope that are in Jesus Christ and his Gospel. As a result of our efforts and the efforts of the local church in Skopje there have been numerous conversions to Christ.

I recalled that last year on the same mission field my entire family of six was in Macedonia with a team of four missionaries from Canada. We were ministering to a Muslim village, Ljubin, near Skopje. As we were reaching out to the hearts of several dozen Muslim children, a Muslim man came out of a mosque and threatened to kill us if we did not leave right away. It seems that the Kosovo crisis has opened the hearts of Muslims who are now willing to receive humanitarian aid and help from Christians, or people of other faith.

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