In June 2001 there was a three-day conference in Gjakova, and that’s when I met Pastor Skender. This was the only time I met with him briefly.
Indeed, a long period of time passed and
Skender and I didn’t have
any contact. However, in 2004, we started having Pastors’ meetings and
it was during that time that I took charge of Besimi Biblik (Biblical Faith) church in Kosovo. It was then, that Skender
and I started having more meaningful and long conversations.
I liked his character and his words would match his actions. He was straightforward and would not talk behind anyone’s back.
So, our friendship started to get stronger. And we started to have more interactions with each other. I and the other leaders of Besimi Biblik (Biblical Faith) started inviting Pastor Skender to preach in our church and in other gatherings we had. From all the twelve leaders from other churches in the city of Gjakova,
the deepest connection remained with Skender.
Therefore, we started to collaborate together and I sent some youth from my church in his camp in Deqan (a city in Kosovo).
So we continued our collaboration and friendship till the moment God decided to separate us.
Now, the work that I do for the glory of God is that I have four to five services in the villages of Kosovo with Besimi Biblik (Biblical Faith) church. When Roger was alive, he also came with me to visit this church so that he can see the services. And now, these services are part of Mission Kosovo team. It all happened because of me
and Skender wanting to work together for the Kingdom of God.Now, Roger Primrose was a missionary who founded the work in Gjakova that became Mission Kosovo (Pastor Skender’s
Church Congregation).
Now, what I work extra is preaching every Sunday in Mission Kosovo church, prayer meetings, visiting families and evangelizing in these families.
I’m also helping Valbona and the kids with errands and things they need, especially looking for an apartment that is legal and affordable for them.
I would like to start youth ministry, children ministry, Bible studies but for now, we don’t have a building to gather properly and that’s the barrier. Please keep us in your prayers.
The past year has been marked with lots of events: Pastor Skender coming to America, his injury, his death, and burial. Starting January 8, 2017, life took a different shift for the church, especially for Valbona, Debora, Sara, and Sion. The timeline of life before and after Pastor Skender’s death was marked forever in Valbona’s and the kids’ life.God has been taking care of them always meeting every need. He also provided an apartment for them which Balkans Partners rents every month. Something we are praying to keep continuing to do through your support and your prayers. However, they are keeping their Sunday services over at Valbona’s apartment as well every week. In the beginning, they started having the services sometimes at Pastor Selman’s house and sometimes at Valbona’s house.Pastor Selman is the one leading the services. Meanwhile, the church is in need of a place to gather every Sunday and other days when needed. For now, there has been no place to rent yet. Please pray with us as we continue to search for an adequate and affordable place to rent for the church so that it can meet their needs. Valbona and the kids need money every month for rent, food, water, electricity and other expenses. Balkans Partners is also on a search for a new apartment to buy for Valbona and the kids so that they can call it home after everything that happened. For now, we are in need of raising support since the dollar exchange rate is changing every month. And unfortunately, the dollar rate to euros is growing weaker. The main issue right now is that the apartments in Kosovo need to be legalized. All the apartments that are being built have no legalization while in the process. After the building is all finished and people buy the apartment complex it is then that the building is legalized. This is also another huge reason we want to wait so that we can purchase one with legalized papers in our hand.
Please continue to keep the church in Gjakova in your prayers.
Requests:
For a place that the church can gather and worship our Savior
For an apartment for Valbona and the kids
For support with monthly expenses for Pastor Skender’s family
It has been almost 10 months since Pastor Skender was buried and went to be with Jesus.
Last year in October and November, Pastor Skender was visiting churches in America to raise support for his church in Kosovo. He always dreamed big – mostly for the people he mentored rather than for himself. He always wanted the people who were close to him to learn and succeed and that’s why he spent so much time acting as a father to his students.
On a very cold day on January 8th, almost everybody went to Pastor Skender’s funeral, to not only pay the respect but it almost seemed as we still wanted to believe that God was going to do a miracle right then. Unfortunately, for us, that did not become true.
The house where the family used to live is still burnt. Valbona and the kids are renting an apartment somewhere on the fifth floor with no elevator. Sarah and Deborah go to school every day and they’re doing a great job at studying. Valbona stays with Sion as she tries to figure out to find a place where they are going to call it home. Every single day when Valbona wakes up – it is hard for her to accept the reality. “I feel like he has gone somewhere and he will come back” – Valbona says.
Sundays are rough! There are times when no one shows up anymore: some of them are back to college, some work and some just haven’t made peace yet with the fact that our Pastor is gone.
Pastor Slemani tries to have Sunday service also with the church in Gjakova but there are times when it is difficult even for him since nobody wants to allow anyone to take Pastor Skender’s spot in their lives.
Meanwhile, the same applies to the English courses as well. No more students, no more English, no more Summer camps, no more visiting families and no more happily going out for coffee after Sunday service. As unfair as it seems this is the reality and we always trust that God is in control of everything. What we cannot comprehend He has already comprehended before we did exist.
Let us remind Pastor Skender’s family in our prayers. Also, continue praying for Debora as she gets to register for high school next Fall.
Please pray for Valbona and the kids to find comfort in Christ and for God to continually provide for them: financially and spiritually.
Please also keep praying as Balkans Partners is trying to get close to making a decision for a regular meeting place that is on the ground floor!
On December 28th, the church in Gjakova, Kosovo was engulfed in flames. Skender’s wife, Valbona and the kids are ok, but Skender had 3rd-degree burns in more than 70% of his body. He was in the hospital in Prishtina, treated with morphine but the hospital and the doctors are not equipped for this case. And since we didn’t have any qualifications in Kosovo for things like this, the best solution was for Skender to be transferred outside Kosovo to a hospital with burns unit. However, things took a shift a week after trying so hard to raise support. God had something else in plan for Pastor Skender, something our minds still cannot comprehend and agree too. Pastor Skender went to be with Jesus on January 8th 2017. The house/ the church and all their belongings are lost to the fire. The building is literally burned from basement to the rooftop.
Valbona and the kids are staying in an apartment which Balkans Partners rents for them. They also have the Sunday service at the apartment since they don’t have a specific gathering place. Please pray with us as we ask the Lord to continue to give Valbona strength so that she can be brave for her kids.
Supporting Christ's Church in Kosovo and the Balkans
This was the only time I met with him briefly.
