Kosovo is an amazing place. My team has spent our entire time doing ministry in the second largest city, Prizren. It’s extremely close to where my team was doing ministry in a small village in Albania last month. We’re just on the other side of the mountain that we could see from the village. We’re only about an hour from there.
The people of Kosovo see themselves as entirely Albanian. They are native Albanian speakers and even more Muslim than Albania, about 96% of the population. But like Albania, it’s very cultural and not so religious. The people of Kosovo are heavily influenced by Turkish culture from the Ottoman Empire days. Most people here speak Turkish and a surprising amount of German.
The history of Kosovo especially in the 20th century has been a sad one. From being ruled by the Ottoman Empire at the start of the 20th century to becoming part of the country Yugoslavia after WW1, and communism being enforced after WW2, and finally the Yugoslav Wars in the early 90s and the Kosovo war in 98-99 with Kosovo officially declaring independence in 2008. Only about half of the countries in the United Nations recognize Kosovo as a country, the other half see it as still part of Serbia.
The people of Kosovo really love America, because the U.S. and its NATO allies helped Kosovo in the Kosovo war against Serbia. So in my time here I’ve been thanked multiple times for what my country did for Kosovo, even though I hadn’t even been born when that happened. It made it very easy to interact with the locals because they love Americans and like a lot of places, most of the young people speak English.
Kosovo is a weird country in that you’ll see just as many or more Albanian flags than Kosovo flags. Since the people here are mostly ethnic Albanians, whenever things die down enough with Serbia most people here want to join Albania.
The people of Kosovo don’t see Christians in the best light. This goes back to the Kosovo war. While Kosovo is almost entirely Muslim, Serbia is mostly Orthodox Christian. I was told multiple stories of Serbians killing the people of Kosovo and burning down mosques in the name of Christ. This was just in the late 90s so a lot of the people here still remember this. So in their head asking them to become Christian is the same as becoming a Serbian.
Becoming a Christian here is not just that but also means abandoning your family. The people here have been Muslim for generations, since Ottoman times. In the Qur’an, it is punishable by death to leave Islam. While they won’t really kill you here for leaving Islam your family would treat you as if you were.
I was told a story of a man who recently passed away from health issues. He became a Christian decades ago, I think. When he became a Christian his family disowned him. He lived on the floor above his brother for years but they never talked all the way until he died.
Stories like that are why so many people here who become Christian are closet Christians. They’re afraid of what their family and friends will say and do. It makes sense because unlike the U.S. it really costs them something to follow Christ.
What is following Christ costing you?
Wow! So interesting for you to hear first-hand what many have shared is the situation and mindset of Muslims who have encountered a Christian missionary. Many possible obstacles to their conversation, from personal experience with Christians, to their own curated religious dogma, to fear of conversion if you get over the other hurdles. Reminds me of the book SEEKING ALLAH, FINDING JESUS by Nabeel Qureshi.
Mark 10:27 – “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
I am so grateful to God, more every day, that he has placed you by his great favor to you, exactly where you are, exactly who you are with, and learning exactly what you are learning. Prayers for all of you!
Great lesson on the history and culture of Kosovo. It also relates so much as to how to effectively minister to these precious people. Thankful for you Reynaldo!