Rising from the Ashes: Prayers for Restoration, Healing, and the Word of God to Penetrate War-Weary Kosovo

“The region, though largely peaceful, is still recovering from the war of 1999 which saw over 10,000 civilians killed, a million ethnic Albanians fled as refugees to surrounding countries, and extensive damage to property throughout the region …”[1]

Devastation, destruction and loss, scars and atrocities that have not been forgotten … even if the people in this small country largely have been.  Kosovo, being such a relatively “new” politically recognized country, seems on the backburners of everyone’s minds.  When we speak of missions, most people think of Africa.  When we think of gross poverty, most people think of Africa.  When we think of ethnic cleansing and genocide, we think of Africa and the problems in Darfur.  But we have forgotten; we have overlooked. How could we?

 http://www.paulmoran.org/assignments/kossovo/index.html

Kosovo is a small nation, slightly larger than the state of Delaware; a new nation, only declaring its independence officially in 2008; a hurting nation.  I cannot explain how God laid this country on my heart this weekend, cannot explain how, even now, my heart is aching for the people of Kosovo, aching to be at work among them as they try to rebuild … but perhaps, in introducing you to this nation of heartache, I can help you to understand.  More than 50% of the population is under the age of 25, nearly a fourth of them are between the ages of 15-25, which makes them primarily my age.  And yet, this nation of people my age, knows pains and horrors I can’t even imagine.  They know the agony of having the highest infant mortality rate in the Europe and high maternal mortality rates as well[2].  They know the uncertainty and frustration of having an unemployment rate that hovers around 70%.  They know the desperation that leads to a rise in juvenile crime, with a vast majority of young people carrying weapons because they do not feel safe, do not feel free.[3]  Inter-ethnic conflicts further riddle the area with violence and distrust, though young people from all ethnic backgrounds “rank security and hopelessness, or loss and uncertainty about the future as their top concerns … Each group faces serious challenges to getting an education and to accessing healthcare, and each is constrained by the destructive effects of gender inequality.”[4]  And what’s more, the refugee camps set up by the UN after the conflict in 1999 are polluted with vast amounts of lead, a mineral that is slowly poisoning the Kosovar children.  One article I read said that when the children from these camps underwent testing for lead levels, “the readings for 90 percent of the children went off the scale.  The levels were the highest they had ever recorded in any area, with many children poisoned by more than four times the amount that triggers brain damage.”[5] 

This small country – it needs us.  Brothers and sisters in Christ, I am begging you to intercede for them, to pray about ministry opportunities there, to do something that will make a difference in this small region of the world.  These are the “least of these” Jesus was talking about, the people God would send us to, the people without clothing and shelter and food, without medical attention and safety – these are the people Jesus would have walked among, reached out to, laid His hands on and blessed!  We have a responsibility to show them that kind of love!  The vast majority of these people do not know Christ, and they are perishing … and we have not cared, until now.  Now, I am asking you to stand in faith, to pray with me.  Specifically, I ask that you would be praying with me the following verses:

               

Lord, our hearts are breaking for the people of Kosovo, for them to know the truth and the glorious hope of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We pray that you would send workers to the harvest field to gather in the harvest there (Luke 10:2, GNB).  We pray that your Holy Spirit will be upon the workers you send, anointing them to preach good tidings to the people, to heal the brokenhearted that abound in the aftermath of war, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound in ever increasing numbers there, to proclaim the year of your favor and the day of your vengeance.  We pray that in Jesus Christ, the people of this small nation would be given a wreath of gladness instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the mantel of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness, so that they may be called oaks of righteousness planted by the Lord for His glory.  We pray that they would rebuild the ancient ruins, that you would empower them to raise up the former devastations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations (Isaiah 61:1-4, N. Berkeley).  We pray that, like Jerusalem, you would heal this nation and its people and restore them to health, that you would show them abundant peace and security, like they have only dreamed of (Jeremiah 33:6, GNB).   We pray that the children of Kosovo would be like healthy plants as they grow and mature, like corner pillars that decorate your palace with strength and praise (Psalm 144:12, Voice).  Yes, we pray that their work won’t be wasted, and that their children won’t die of dreadful diseases; rather we pray that you would bless their children and their grandchildren with vibrant health (Isaiah 65:23, CEV).  We pray that their storehouses would be full with abundant supplies of every crop (and job opportunities abounding to fill the storehouses of the poor as well!) … and that there would be no riots or protests in their streets (Psalm 144:13-14, Voice), but rather that unity would permeate their nation and unite even the various ethnic groups that have so long been in conflict with each other. We pray, Lord, that as you restore this nation to yourself, that as your Word spreads and you bring peace to this nation, it would once again be a safe place for old men and women to sit together in the city squares, and for the streets to be full of boys and girls playing without fear.  Though it may seem impossible to us now, we know it is not impossible for you (Zechariah 8:4-6, GNB), and we praise you, our faithful God for the work we believe you are doing there even now! 

                In Jesus’ Name, A-men 

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[1] “Make a Difference in Kosovo,” European Christian Mission website, http://ecmi.org/157269.ihtml, accessed February 25, 2011

[2] “Early Years,” UNICEF in Kosovo, http://www.unicef.org/kosovo/children_3427.html, accessed February 25, 2011.

[3] “Adolescents in Kosovo Today,” http://www.forcedmigration.org/psychosocial/inventory/pwg011/pwg011-sect1-4.htm, accessed February 25, 2011

[4] See above citation

[5] Flynn, Brian.  “UN Saved us from war … and left us to die of poisoning.”  The Sun, http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2771943/Un-left-hundreds-of-Kosovo-kids-to-die-of-lead-poisoning.html, accessed Feb. 25, 2011

Another great source of information and prayer material: http://www.operationworld.org/country/koso/owtext.html