About two years ago, my husband and I made a decision to teach abroad in Pristina, Kosovo which would try our faith more than we could have imagined. The decision came at the beginning of our marriage. We were both young, working as school teachers in America and we were not ready to settle down and think about children, so, we embarked on an adventure. Along the way we prayed and asked God to put us in a place that he would agree with but we never stopped to think about how hard this experience would be on our relationship with Him or how much we would miss being surrounded by an ecclesial family.
We agreed to move to Pristina for two years. The first year here I found it difficult to focus on God and make Him part of my every day decisions. I finished that first year of school feeling lost and without a direction. We went home over the summer to visit family and were very fortunate to attend a Bible School during this time and I realized what was missing in my life — God, every day, all day. Coming back to Kosovo at the end of the summer was very hard because I knew that I would be facing another year of having to fight the temptations of the world around me. So, I had to make a serious decision that this year would be all about dedicating myself to God. I knew it would be difficult because even by making this statement it did not make the temptations go away, and it has been a difficult commitment to keep. Some days I flat out fail but I do know that every sacrifice I make and through all of my seeking, I live with the hope of being part of the wonderful kingdom that is soon to come.
One of the hardest parts about our move has been the absence of godly friends, family, or any godly people in general. Kosovo is a Muslim country, though they are mostly secular Muslims. They also speak a different language to us, so it has been difficult to reach out to people. We have also found that most of the internationals that we have come in contact with are lacking any faith, which has made it difficult as well. We have been fortunate in that the CBM was making trips to Kosovo before we arrived and so they have done a regular job of dropping by, about three times a year. During these visits we are surrounded by Godly people and it gives us back our center that we so often lose. Through the CBM we have tried to reach out to the community to find interested people. This has not gone well and while we are constantly praying for God to show us opportunities, we do sometimes find it defeating.
My husband was raised in Christadelphia and so he had been surrounded by wonderful brothers and sisters all of his life. I, however, was newly baptized and hadn’t quite grasped the importance of needing an ecclesial family. I find that I may not have been strong enough in my faith to leave the comfort and support of an ecclesia. I often would love to have people to discuss Biblical ideas and thoughts and to spend time with fellow sisters with common goals and ideals. It is amazing how much having brothers and sisters close by helps keep your faith alive. The social scene here is very much of the world and without brothers and sisters nearby it is difficult not to be influenced by this.
As part of my commitment to God this year I have come up with ways to help with the feelings of separation. I started a weekly, Bible-based book club. Each week we Skype each other to analyze and discuss the book we are reading and how it is applicable to our faith journey. Another thing that we have done is to try to consistently travel 5-6 hours to visit our closest brothers and sisters in Macedonia. What I hope to learn from this bout of isolation is the importance of being a good sister and to apply this when we return to an ecclesia. I want to reach out and make sure no one feels left out and also play an active role in our future ecclesial family.
Another thing that I have found hard while living in isolation is holding myself accountable for having Godly actions. In America, every Sunday we had meeting, Wednesday night Bible readings, CYC activities and extra activities with our brothers and sisters but here there is no one to make sure that we attend meeting or read the Bible or even to keep our actions in check. As our lives become ever increasingly busy here in Kosovo, filling up with work and social activities, I sometimes find it easy to push my faithful duties to the next night and the next night — never to get done. This year my husband and I have set aside two times a day when we read the Bible or do Bible study. We also make it a point to have memorial every Sunday (thanks to the wonderful internet that is full of so many great talks!) We have also really tried to make the Bible mission more of a priority in our last year here. At night my husband and I do a prayer journal which also helps us focus on the mighty power of our God. All of these things have helped us stay on the faithful path but we do look forward to a time that we will be surrounded by an ecclesia to aid us on our way.
Though our time in isolation has been difficult because of the distance from our families and our ecclesial families, we have gained a lot from this experience. First, because of our nascent marriage, we were just learning how to live together, fully cooperate, and become a team. Kosovo gave us an opportunity to lean on each other for love and support. We often need strength from each other both in faith and emotional. Our marriage is stronger than ever and we have built a firm base that I cannot wait to build upon in our future together. We have also had the privilege of meeting many amazing Christadelphians and contacts all over Europe. We have met people from Macedonia, Russia, Bulgaria, Germany, and England. It is like we have a large network of family all over the world all working toward the common goal of the Kingdom. Isolation has also taught us to appreciate our ecclesia. We want to be the brother and sister that are encouraging people to come to events, meeting, and Bible studies because we want everyone to feel surrounded by family and faith. I have also learned a lot about myself and about my faith. I am never done being a Bible student and I need to make God a priority in my life. Being in isolation may have been the hardest thing in my life for many reasons, but I will also be walking away with a stronger faith than what I started with and I hope to take this into my next stages of life if the Lord stays away.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One