So, we tried to plan some maintenance projects in August. That first year we were there, was probably the most epic. We had only been there 5 months, we were still there by ourselves - as Dave & Cindy were still in America, and our goal was to paint the exterior of the kindergarten building, all three stories of it.

The first part of the project was to acquire scaffolding and the goal was to ask a local construction company if they would donate the use of a section of their scaffolding for the duration of the project. Volunteering with a humanitarian-aid organization, especially that early after the war, it was common for Kosovar companies to be willing to donate services or equipment to help the different organizations who were helping the Kosovar people.

However, the bigger problem was how to actually, and effectively, communicate our need. Since it was August, and the kindergarten was closed, our translator was on ‘pushim’ (poo-shim) or vacation. So, we had to figure out how to explain what we were thinking of doing (painting a three-story building with one section of scaffolding all by ourselves) and what we were hoping they could do to help (donate the scaffolding free of charge) using our limited 5-month old grasp of the language. No big deal.

We felt a bit nervous because this was no ordinary conversation. This was talking with a large business owner and to say we felt out of place would be a gross understatement.

Oh, small spoiler alert: this is also the story of how Amber utilized the most serious cuss word repeatedly.

Somehow an appointment was scheduled, and we arrived at the home, and center of business, for the construction company. One of the beautiful things about Kosova is their hospitality. It is always, whether for business or social, so we were welcomed with light snacks, coffee, light juices, and offerings of more. Once we got through the formalities, we worked to start discussing the details. Amber had a little bit more of a grasp on the language than Dan did, and it was more common for men to work with men, and for women to be translators, so that is how we conducted the conversation. Amber would do her best to translate what the men said to Dan, and then work to translate what Dan was saying to the men. Translating can feel kind of like a talking head in a game of ping-pong.

They didn’t think that we could do it. They told us it was impossible. They told us we wouldn’t be able to do it. We persisted and asked them to just donate the equipment to make it possible. And they agreed.

Phew! Our first task was completed…and successful.

They still thought we were crazy, but they continued to host us properly and before we left, they offered us ‘Russian tea’ or chai Russi.

**One small note about myself, is that I am sometimes verbally dyslexic. I can mix the order of words in sentences, and the order of the beginning sounds of words. (example: let’s go tree the climb, merote=remote)

You can see how this could pose problems for someone trying to translate words in 2 different languages.

Business men to Dan (& Amber): “A doni chai?” Would you like tea? (chai = tea)

I must have been tired by this point of the conversation, because this is where it went sideways. As I translated to Dan: “Would you like tai?” Dan’s confusion was completely evident on his face, so I worked hard to try to correct my mistake.

“Would you like chee?” the confusion was still there. My verbal dyslexia had taken tea & chai and mixed them together the wrong way. And I just kept repeating the question until I got it right. “Tai chi, Chee-tai, Chai tea, would you like TEA?!?!?”

I still had no idea that there was any problem except for my funny ‘little’ mix-up, and I thought it would helpful for me to explain to the 2 business men what I had been saying, so I translated the conversation on their side. I proceeded to keep repeating that I had asked Dan if he wanted Chai tea over and over. This wouldn’t have been a problem except that, switched around, the second half of Tai Chi is pretty much the most offensive cuss word of them all.

I couldn’t understand why the men didn’t laugh.

But, in 2026: It is still common that in Kosova and many parts of the Balkans, many businesses take vacation. And, while families might leave town for vacation, this month often means that many Kosovars return to the country for their family vacation.

The streets are filled with European license plates backing up traffic on small roads for much longer than normal. Stores are filled with families shopping and restaurants and coffee shops are always busy, some even opening just for the summer months. Temporary parking areas are made out of spare space in yards, capitalizing on the need for more room and the opportunity to make some money. As I shared last week, it really does become a toss-up between walking or driving, and we have really started learning the smaller side roads. Even if the drive takes as long or longer, we are happy to not be sitting on the same piece of road for 30 minutes. And, the other night, I got double-parked into my parking spot by someone who needed to finish up some grocery shopping. The 10 minutes that Samuel & I sat listening to traditional Kosovar wedding music and dancing while in our car seats, was probably pretty entertaining for everyone else.

One of our favorite things to do has been to enjoy coffee and breakfast before the heat of the day has kicked in, or coffee and dessert, as the evening breeze cools off the air and the city comes out to enjoy the cooler air. Sitting at a coffee shop or restaurant people watching and simply enjoying the Kosovar pace of life is a vibe to be savored.

One detail that is reminiscent of our first August is that we are continuing to have meetings with businessmen. My language skills have vastly improved (thank goodness), and we are diligently doing our best to entertain any and every idea that would allow us to return to Kosovo more often. Our hope is to find a way to continue to build relationships and share our love for God and love for people as we walk out life with them. Real estate, property owners, resumes sent to historical rehabilitation & community event organizations, possible director roles, & possible company partnerships. Missed meetings, rescheduled meetings, cancelled meetings. We are going to do our best to make sure we have done our part in finding what is available and we believe that God is going to open up the door for us to return….we just don’t know how yet. As we prepare to fly back to the U.S. this week, it is somewhat bittersweet not knowing the clear and exact plan. But, no matter what, our lives have absolutely been changed by this summer.

If you have followed along this far….THANK YOU!

It is such fun getting to share this culture, and our adventures in it, with others. We would love to hear from you as we continue to share this. Let us know what you think, or what questions you might have. We would also appreciate your prayers for open doors and wisdom as to what doors to lean into. That probably sounds really simple, but it is truly the most effective thing you can do.

*And if you aren’t the praying or believing type, and you are just living vicariously to discover a new place to explore in the future, please stay with us. There will be many more adventures to come and adventures are more fun with friends.

One more small thing you could do before you go is to consider subscribing. This small investment goes directly to allowing us to come back here whenever the opportunity opens up. You can also share one of my articles and invite other friends to join the adventure. Really, the more the merrier, right?

As you may be starting to learn, our hearts for Kosovo are deep. When we had the opportunity to join a team from our church for a trip in November 2025, God reawakened our hearts to what he had called us to do 20 or so years ago - love this nation the way that He loves this nation. So, we are here, pursuing every and any opportunity that we can to be here more: business, collaboration, and work. We have had meetings with people, scheduled and rescheduled meetings, and still have more to do; and, there are some hopeful conversations happening, and some doors that seem to be opening….but I guess, maybe…I had hoped for more?

I am hoping (notice that present tense? Hope is never lost) for a solid answer/idea/project to point ourselves at before we leave to return to the states. And, while we continue to be faithful to step into the opportunities to connect with people and discover the possibilities while we are here, we are starting to feel a little bit like the traffic lately.

Late summer is when the ethnic Albanians who live in other countries come back en masse for vacation, visiting family, and….weddings (but we’ll get to that part later). Depending on what time of day you are trying to go out, the increased amount of traffic on the road can make your time to get 1 mile down the road go from 3 minutes to 15 minutes - and then you have to find parking. So, the other option is walking - because really the distances aren’t so bad. However, then you will deal with the heat, crossing said traffic, and possibly a longer travel time. Both options get you to where you want to be. Both require patience and/or work. Both have good and bad aspects to them, but neither of them changes the fact that you could have gotten there 10 minutes faster a month ago!

That’s where we seem to find ourselves figuratively as well. With those hopeful conversations and doors that are opening, we are still left simply waiting on God and trusting His plan. We clearly felt that God had asked us to come this summer, and He very obviously provided for it, but not having clear answers as we come up to our time to return to the states is hard. We very much feel as if we are sitting in traffic waiting to get to where He is leading us, or that we have chosen to walk and are going to take a little bit longer.

So, I keep reminding myself of this scripture, “…let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At the just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 And, earlier in that chapter of the Bible, it says, “you will always harvest waht you plant.”

So, we are continuing to pick: traffic or walk? and know that god will be faithful to get us to the destination.

*********(back to 2002)

Two months after we arrived, Dave & Cindy returned to the United States for some time with family, additional fund-raising, and some much-needed rest.

And, there we were, just us 2, in a very foreign country, with a heart to obey God and a to-do list.

That summer has some very memorable moments in it.

One of our first, large, traditional weddings will forever be a favorite memory. As a little bit of explanation to start with, you need to understand that Kosovar weddings are an event - A large, crazy, exciting, all-day event full of food, friends, traditional clothing, family, costume changes, caravan drives to get a bride, fancy ball gowns, and loud music.

We had prepared the best that we knew based on other people’s descriptions and stories and arrived right on time ready to go at about 11 AM. The first part of the day was to be celebrated in separate yards, men in one, women in the other. So, our host & friend greeted us and then escorted me to the yard where the women were celebrating. As he opened the gate to the yard and nudged me in, he yelled something to the effect of “Hey ladies, here’s an American. Come and get her.” Then shut the door behind me and went with Dan to wherever the men were. Then men’s yard normally consists of music, smoking, story-telling, and eventually lunch. The women’s yard doesn’t differ too much, except that day, I became the main attraction. After sitting for a while being served the obligatory coffee, light snacks, and then juice, the ladies decided that my sweet red dress (think prom gown style) wasn’t quite suited for this part of the day and that they were going to address that – or rather, dress that! (keep in mind that we had only been there for 2-3 months at this point, and our language skills were very rudimentary) The ladies directed me to follow them and proceeded to direct me to change into a full traditional outfit. These outfits are reminiscent of a giant marshmallow with some gold piping on them : ) There are massive amounts of yardage made into genie-pant/skirt things on the bottom. On top, there is a light chemise with hand-sewn, intricately detailed collars that accent a stiff, velvet, vest with hand sewn and formed scrolling, floral designs.

Once I was properly dressed, I was also posed and directed, as ‘new brides’ are required to act and present themselves in specific ways – mainly stand in the corner, or on the edge of the fun, and stand with your hands folded together with your eyes cast down. As you might imagine, my version of this was not as serious as the other Kosovar young brides. There was so much to enjoy, and laugh, and smile at, that I probably was a horrible ‘bride’, but I think they all forgave me.

After lunch, we then clambered into cars and formed a raucous, noisy caravan of cars to go to ‘take’ the newest bride. Each car had people hanging out of windows, pounding on the roofs of the car to the beat of the different traditional songs being blared from the different car speakers, and twirling handkerchiefs. If you have started to paint a picture in your mind, please be sure to add spontaneous dancing and plenty of whooping.

Then, the caravan drives – rather slowly – to wherever the bride’s family lives and another small celebration begins. This one has exchanging of gifts, pictures, hand holding of the new couple, and of course, food, music, and dancing. Then, the caravan loads up again, this time including the new bride and drives away from her family.

*quick little interruption: there is so much tradition and nuance to these celebrations that this small, rather succinct, telling is leaving out and I will delve into some of this later on.

Finally, after arriving back at the groom’s house that day, we ate and danced some more, only this time we were all together, men and women, in the same yard. I really can’t remember how long we stayed after that. We may have eaten again, we probably danced some more, and as the token American couple, we were posed with the new bride & groom for lots of pictures. We laughed, we struggled through the language, and we learned more about this new place we were starting to call home and these new people we were starting to share life with.

I don’t remember this detail, but I know we slept very soundly that night.

phew! How to tell what day to day looks like? That is an interesting question. Like most things in Kosovo, or probably in any culture other than your own, the reality (and answer) would be nuanced. But, in the day to day is definitely where some of the differences coming back this time can be so visible.

In 2002, our everyday life was very practical. We were affected by the infrastructure that remained – or didn’t remain – after the war. Internet, cell phones, and the technology that frames our lives in every way now, was just developing and wasn’t always available or reliable. It was part of the weekly schedule to drive to the city to sit in smoky internet cafes to communicate with our family and friends in America and we used our cell phones only for calling within the country and tapping out messages using the numbers (3 clicks on ‘5’, 3 clicks on ‘6’, 3 clicks on ‘5’). Other items that you would think normal also weren’t available, like electricity and water. For electricity, there was supposed to be somewhat of a schedule – 2 hours off, 2 hours on – but that was still sometimes sporadic, and the schedule could change on a whim. We adjusted to not really knowing what was going on and learning to go with the flow…when it was flowing.

Now

Since we are living in the city and not the village, our days can feel a little more full, just because of the hustle and bustle all around us. Our electricity is mostly consistent (maybe off for one hour a week-ish?), but the other morning, we were ‘encouraged’ to venture out and try breakfast at a local bakery because everything in our home runs off of electricity - and we had none. I cant sit at my own dining room table and enjoy internet and email in our apartment and we can access wi-fi most everywhere we go. And, we have mostly figured out how to call America directly from our phones, no thanks to the international calling plan we purchased before we left.

2002: The daily rhythm was simple. Wake up, help in the daycare, take care of tasks to run & maintain the daycare, and do our best to meet and get to know our new neighbors.

Helping in the daycare was the sweetest and least complicated. The organization employed 4 teachers, 1 cook, and 1 translator. The teachers and cook were all women from the village whose families had suffered because of the war, and the translator was a young man from a nearby city. As we began to learn their stories and get to know them, they patiently brought us into their culture. We learned so much from them as we sat drinking Turkish coffee in the mornings as the children arrived. New-to-us words in their language, the names of the different families in the village, cultural nuances and details, and friendship.

Running the daycare and taking care of the maintenance of the daycare was where we truly wrestled with the culture. Coming from our American, scheduled, & organized work culture to a place where ‘5 minutes’ meant anywhere from 5 minutes to never – depending on the situation – and coffee breaks were frequent and spontaneous, much of our frustration probably came from having to learn to be okay with things not going our way.

Now: It is honestly hard to say that we have a daily rhythm yet. Our goal for being in Kosovo for this summer is to try to create opportunities, explore possibilities, and make meetings happen - which truly has very little rhythm or schedule to it. I am also still working remotely and with a time change and real estate waits for no one : ) We truly felt that God asked us to step out in faith and do this, and he provided in so many ways to make it happen, but that doesn’t make the waiting - or doing - any less frustrating. We are still learning, daily, to be okay with things not going our way.

Shopping for weekly groceries is such a great example of navigating a different culture and adjusting to a rhythm.

In 2002: There were not grocery stores in the way that we knew in America. There were little markets where like kind things were sold, which meant we had to make a bunch of different stops to get all of the items that we needed. Milk was sold in boxes that were able to sit out on the pavement in the hot sun. Meat was sold at true butcher shops where skinned cow quarters and skinned sheep (heads still on) hung upside down while a water filtration system sprinkled the window so that the heat from the sun didn’t get ‘too’ intense. Refrigeration was limited in those shops and later on, when I was pregnant, I couldn’t go within 250 feet of them, because of the smell of the meat. Even if they had posted business hours of business (many places did not) It wasn’t uncommon for shop owners to throw signs in their windows saying they would be back later, so a task we had hoped to accomplish might have to wait until another day. On the flip side, it wasn’t uncommon for them to close their shop in order to help Dan & Dave, or to just to go and take them to coffee get to know them better, so it balanced out a little bit.

Now: There are larger grocery stores with mixed-kind items so we can (normally) get most of our groceries in one place. Deciphering the packaging can be interesting, though, so our taco seasoning was a little extra spicy this time. The mishtore (meat store, pronounced ‘meesh-store’) is still the best place to purchase your fresh meat, and while there are still whole hunks of meat and animal hanging in the window, there seems to be extra measures being applies toward cooling. There are also really friendly mascots inviting you into most of them. We are able to find peanut butter and salsa now - you have no idea how big of a deal that is, and their fresh veggies are always deliciuos. One thing, however, has not changed since we were here before, and I believe it is true throughout Europe, is that every wheel on the shopping cart can turn independently. This means that any male driving a grocery cart feels like he is in some new version of MarioCart as he ‘drifts’ his way through the grocery store, but any regular person just trying to push their cart through the store has to deftly direct the cart through the aisles - sometimes pushing, somethings pulling, sometimes going sideways.

The comparisons are so much fun, and somewhat never-ending. You can’t help but compare life now to what you knew before. But one thing that has never changed is God’s love for us and for this nation. Our prayer continues to be that we could simply be a part of showing God’s love to the people of Kosovo.

Here are some extra shots of every day moments and things we see here:

**If you would like to see more pictures, you can follow along on my instagram @joyoutloud.

Our route had taken us inland through the seemingly never-ending mountains of Montenegro, to then drop us down into Peje - via one of the windiest, smallest roads I have ever experienced. As we started climbing the mountains, it began to snow, and like all good horror stories, it is starting to get dark as well. Coming to the Montenegro/Kosovo border gave us an opportunity to use a bathroom; but also introduced us to some of the most terrifying border guards. I’m sure it sounds like exaggeration, but, It wasn’t entirely out of mind for them to threaten us and ask for money - or possibly make us disappear all together. When we found it, after stepping off the cement platform into knee-deep snow, the bathroom was a non-heated washcloset with a porcelain trough in the floor (squattie-pottie). Oh. small note. There was also no electricity, and if you closed the door you were in complete darkness, so Daniel guarded the door while I used the restroom. As I waited back in the van, I was treated to lewd gestures and laughter from the guards – it was probably a mercy that I didn’t understand anything they were saying. After all having used the restroom, we proceeded to pull away from the border station and proceed up the mountain….only to have to reverse back down the hill to the light from the border crossing to put chains on the van in order to make it through the still falling snow.

Finally, our little green van trudged up the mountains and down the mountain into Kosovo, where we eventually stopped to have pizza in the coldest, most forbidding looking pizza restaurant ever. The interior was being warmed by a glorified space heater, was full of a thick cloud of cigarette smoke and men dressed all in black (pretty much the color of choice in Europe). There may have been some serious misgivings of “what have we done?” as we sat eating a pizza made with ketchup – made with cinnamon - as the sauce and trying to figure out which time zone our body was in.

The next morning, we woke up in Krushe e Vogel, and our new home, for the next few months.

It was also the 3-year anniversary of the massacre that had happened that brought the humanitarian aid organization, and eventually us, to the village. There was to be a memorial that we would attend along with Dave & Cindy. The grey, overcast day seemed suitable to the pain and heartbreak that was still so evident in the people of the village. As we sat in the front row as honored guests, we felt completely out of place. We had done nothing but wake up that morning in a new country. The ones who were broken and mourning were the ones who deserved the honor and care. Not being able to understand the actual language of the poems and speeches and songs that were shared didn’t stop us from deeply understanding the sadness that was expressed.

As much as my memory has a hard time recalling details of my life through these years, I can vividly picture the moments of our first 24 hours in Kosova. The despair that permeated the everyday lives of the people around us was something that we sought to carry well.

From the beginning we fell into the habit of asking God for clarity and help - as we felt completely out of depth in this new place he had called us to.

The country was simple and beautiful. Like a place out of time. And, while the remnants of war were everywhere, so were the evidence of life lived in another time.

********

As you’ve already heard a bit, our road to Kosovo this time wasn’t without its own craziness. But, we arrived again, as whole family. And to say that you could need to pinch me would be a dramatic understatement. Even if I hadn’t have said it in words, I had dreamed of this trip being able to happen.

Our time in Kosovo, as a whole family, was filled with trying to immerse our big boys in all things Kosovar. Not the typical tourist things, but things more authentic to real life here - and we did our best to pack it in. Markets, and home visits, and hikes…. to way that we slept well every night, while still very much in the timeframe of being able to claim jetlag, is the best way to express how much we packed our days.

(you cannot imagine the love and care that these ladies have for these boys, and I only wish I could fully express to them how grateful I am for it)

And, a little bit of a silly before and after HAD to be done.

But, one of the experiences that will probably stand out in our memories is the memorial futsal tournament in Krushe e Madhe.

Judah & Caleb were invited to a preliminary competition earlier in the week. When they came home late that night with stories of smoke bombs, and fireworks, and fast footwork, and a keeper names Panda, all we could do was grin and listen. After the game, they had the opportunity to enjoy coffee with the mayor of the village, who made a big deal about them being there.

You see, Krushe e Madhe had experienced a similar massacre to Krushe e Vogel 27 years ago (the 2 villages are separated by only 1 km).

A few days later, we decided to attend the finale tournament as a family.

I cannot explain how surreal this moment was for me.

We arrived early to an already packed crowd around a small futsal pitch in a school yard right in the middle of town. We were able to find seats on cardboard pieces seated on the dirt, with our feet tucked behind the bench seat in front of us, and realized that we were being treated to not only a game, but also a concert. As one of the most famous singers in the country entertained us and invited us to sing along (we didn’t, but everyone else did!), we were immersed in culture, cigarette smoke, and …hope.

This seemingly small, unknown tournament was a memorial tournament in honor or those who had been killed in the same catastrophe that I had sat memorializing 24 years prior. While our smaller village of Krushe e Vogel (small pear) had been massacred during the war, so had Krushe e Madhe (big pear) the following day.

Only now I was watching these villages remember an awful even with pride & yes, hope.

Futsal is a faster game than soccer, played on a much smaller pitch with less players. It is high energy and SO much fun. To think that this could be the way that something so heartbreaking could be remembered was breathtaking. There were loud horns, very loud horns, everywhere. With mostly men in attendance, we were surrounded by clouds of cigarette smoke. And smoke bombs had to be removed from the pitch so that the players could see to play.

My first coming to Kosova was to a heartbroken, sad land that didn’t quite know what was going to happen to them. They were under UN protection, being helped along by NGOs & Organizations.

But this night, As I stood with the crowd, a single female, dressed in traditional clothing, walked out and placed the Albanian flag in the center of the pitch, while fireworks were lit. Then the entire crowd stood and sang the Kosovar National Anthem with gusto. My words will not do justice to the pride & joy I felt for this people in that moment. Seeing them honoring their Albanian heritage but singing with pride as they step past the heartbreak into their future left me in tears.

I think this is part of what we sensed as we have started to see if there is a way that we can be here more. That hope. It is something that we prayed for, and will continue to pray for - but to be a part of it, to get to see it happen, is our continued prayer.

Time in Kosovo seems to move a little differently than other places. Even after 18 years, the people know us and remember us perfectly. We have heard many times that we look exactly the same…that we haven’t changed. While that is sweet - false, but sweet - it speaks to how this culture uses time.

In America, many of us live high stress, fast-paced lives. Our phones are a non-stop connection to our bodies that negatively impact our health, but without them, we wonder if we can live. We fill our days with never-ending appointments and obligations, and wonder why we don’t have time to see our friends or to enjoy family meals.

In Kosovo, it is different. Work is done mostly in order to live, not to conquer or succeed. There are certain days for market, and while you can go to the grocery store, you may not be able to find certain items when it is convenient for you. People stop in the road, absolutely blocking traffic, to pop into a store quickly, and while all the other cars can honk and be mad, this is so normal, that you know to judge for extra time and forgiven for being late. In the evening, as the sun sets and the breeze finally starts to break the heat of the day, the population goes out, en masse, for ‘shetitje’, or their evening walk. Five minutes is cute way of saying ‘someday’, and you could easily sit at a table in a restaurant and never see a server unless you find them yourself - even when they literally greeted you when you came in the door.

However, since we arrived, we have been actively attempting to get work done. We are trying to accomplish tasks, to check things off our lists, and to feel like we can see results. Our goal, while we are here, is to have a plan for starting a business, or have work….but, the more we push in to explore how we can accomplish this, the more our goal slides into the category of hope.

The first opportunity that we have stepped into is to rent an apartment for a year. Then while we are back in the United State, we will rent it out for short-term rentals. Sounds exciting, right? Wellll….It started out that way. Actually, it started out a little nerve-wracking, and then a little bit excited. But, as we have begun to furnish & decorate the apartment; to think through making it functional as a rental unit; to locate furniture & curtains & armoires and budget everything as you go - it has had many more moments of stress than excitement, and the employees of the furniture stores have started to recognize me.

I think as we have been struggling to get things done the way we think they need to be done - in our efficient, fast-paced American mindset - I am being reminded of something I have chased since I left here.

A pace of life that notices people more than work. I am remembering that it isn’t truly about what we do - It’s about how we do it.

The other day I offended a seller at the market. He absolutely refused to sell me dried cranberries, and he wouldn’t explain to me why; Just dumped what he had measured out to me back into the bag and told me to leave. Yelled at me to walk away. I was so confused, and very disappointed.

But, I have thought and thought about that moment. What did I do wrong? What did I not understand? And, you know what?

I wonder if I forgot to greet him.

Now, that seems pretty small….I get it. And, a sale is a sale, right? In America, I can just walk up to the register and ask how much something costs. Hopefully, for my own desire to show care, I do it with a nice tone, and maybe a smile on my face. But, here in Kosovo, I have noticed that if I don’t greet someone working in the service industry, as a genuine person, they are not quite as helpful.

In Kosovo, there is some pretense and procedure to starting out a conversation. Much of the Kosovar greetings are simply done to uphold tradition, but there is something valuable in taking the time to truly consider the person that I am working with.

And, Kosovars are SO good at considering the person they are interacting with! Time in Kosovo is spent valuing other people. When you go for a visit, you are greeted when you enter the room, but then also individually once everyone has sat down. You are asked about how you are, how your family is, how work is, & maybe how your health is. Then, you are to return the greeting and ask about them. This back and forth happens for every guest, every time - and then you are also served snacks & beverages, then offered coffee. Many times, more food will be served, more juice will be poured for you, and they will make black tea as well. (Yes, there is no shortage of caffeine in our lives!)

Valuing other people doesn’t just happen when you go for visits, though. Scheduling time to visit other people happens all the time. Whether it is for a macchiato in town, dinner together, or just a walk through the city in the evening. But, there is still more. I have seen a shop owner close his shop to hop in the car to personally direct us to the right location and then walk back. Those people stopping in the middle of the road are often greeting each other - and asking about the rest of their families.

Another way I have experienced this new value for time is “Can you meet now?” As I try to set up appointments with individuals, and businesses, and network - I will sit with my calendar open, looking ahead a few days - and they will simply ask if I am free - right in that moment. And, really? When you get to meet for coffee at some of the most beautiful locations, we really should be making time for that more!

THAT is a pace of life that I want to get to. Intentionally making time to visit other people. Being willing to drop what you are doing to go to coffee with someone. Setting aside work to care for others. Getting work done while showing value to others as you go.

So, here we sit, doing our best to work but more importantly, settle into a pace of life that gets work done but remembers it is about the people as we go.

On the history side, in the last few days of March 1999, attacks, massacres, ethnic cleansing, and guerilla warfare were happening in a small Balkans territory known as Kosovo. As NATO began to bomb Serbia, and Serbia began to exit the region, a small little village named Krusha e Vogel suffered unimaginable loss.

Less than 2 months later, a young man and woman – barely starting out in their adult lives - would stand before their families, friends, and church and say their wedding vows and promise to love each other for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.

We were a young, newly-wed couple serving in our church, working normal jobs, with hearts that were open to have God direct us. I’m not sure we had even cleared our 2-year anniversary when, a missionary couple connected with our church visited and shared about how they were serving in Kosovo. We could definitely feel something pulling on our hearts. We didn’t share our feelings with anyone, and our only answer was to dream about possibly taking vacation time from our jobs to go over and help them, with no real plans - or even any actual belief that it could ever actually happen.

Our lives seemed pretty full with full-time jobs and serving as youth leaders and worship leaders, but there was that small little willingness that had opened up in our hearts and minds.

Then, one Wednesday night before we started worship practice for our youth group meeting later that night, our pastor asked us to come up to his office for a few minutes. He had a question to ask us.

He wanted us to pray about an idea. We didn’t have to answer right now… but what would we think about going to Kosovo for maybe 6 months to cover the work that was being done and allow the missionary couple to come back to the states for medical care and rest?

In that moment, the small dream that we had spoken about to each other alone became a reality that we knew God had already asked us to step into. That we were being asked to consider going to Kosovo was confirmation that the nudging in our hearts was from truly from God. Because of that confirmation, we knew we would be going for longer than 6 months. So, we began to make arrangements to leave, doing our best to process all the emotions and plans that were entailed. We put our belongings in storage, sold off vehicles, gave notice at jobs, and starting saying good-byes.

In the late 90s, the news of the wars in the Balkans as Yugoslavia began to break apart, and the atrocities that were being perpetrated, were an entire world away. As internet was evolving from dial-up to broadband at that time, it wasn’t always our main source of news. What we learned about things happening outside of our immediate lives was mostly learned through newspaper, radio, and the nightly news. Information wasn’t readily available on small computers in our pockets like it is today and finding how to even get plane tickets to travel that far was not the simple task it would be today. To consider going to a war-torn country was daunting, and, truthfully, scary. And, while email and cell phone service was becoming available everywhere in the world, we didn’t fully know what would be available to us. We had to expect that going to a war-torn country inevitably would pose more practical problems like consistent sources of electricity, running water, and working to accomplish our day-to-day tasks.

And, truthfully, there was a lot that we simply couldn’t know or prepare for.

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The first time that we went to Kosovo, I didn’t email newsletters back like I did in the following years. The substance of the start of this project truly started when we returned to Kosovo in 2003. As I started getting ready to put together these articles, I had to work to remember what happened in those first 8 months and it has been wild to start remembering.

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Wow! Who were we?! How did we do that?! What gave us the crazy idea to think that we could do those things?!

Looking back, I have been able to see how God so graciously equipped Daniel and I to jump into this adventure. You hear it in many different ways, how God has uniquely designed you for a calling. But, in the years that have passed, I have come to see that being human, and working through our faith, probably limits us in being able to fully grasp and live in that truth on a regular basis.

See, we didn’t feel like we were doing anything amazing. We always felt that anyone could have said yes if the same question had been asked of them. Maybe it was slightly simpler because we had the right timing in our lives for it to make sense (newly married, no huge loans, no kids, healthy) but anyone whose hearts are bent to find God’s will and be obedient to his word, could travel to a foreign country because God told them to…right?

After living just a ‘little bit’ of life since then, I can see now how God always requires complete obedience & massive trust that he will prove himself bigger than our humanity – meaning you will be asked to do things well beyond your comfort zone and He will always be faithful to show up - but He also designs people to be obedient right where he calls them, and places them where he wants them to be obedient. And, the manner that God asks you into obedience and trust will match up with how he has uniquely and beautifully equipped you.

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Okay, fast forward through many preparations, tears, worries, prayers and plans, and we were on our way to Kosovo. At that time, it wasn’t simple to find airline tickets, and we were able to find more affordable tickets by flying out of Spokane, WA. So we drove out of Great Falls loaded with 4 stuffed-to-the-seams hockey bags (bought specifically to carry as much as possible and pack down small once unpacked) and said goodbye to that season of our lives. We said goodbye to family and friends, jobs, cars, and our church family. From here on, everything would be different.

The main way that we were able to be in the region at the time was through a work partnership with a German Humanitarian Aid Organization. This organization would provide a place for us to live, a small budget toward food, and a vehicle in return for us operating a kindergarten/daycare that had been established after the massacre that had happened in Krusha e Vogel.

Along with another American couple that we lived with, we would take care of the day-to-day operations of the kindergarten daycare. This involved the employment of 5 women from the village whose families had been dramatically impacted by the massacre (2 were widows), and caring for 3-6 year olds who were starting their growing up in a post-war community, and in homes rocked by the personally experienced trauma and loss of war. We would take care of shopping for the daily lunches and snacks provided to the students, take care of ongoing maintenance and improvement of the facility, and keep detailed accounting of the expenses for the organization. We also hosted Medical teams from Germany that would travel into more remote villages to provide free medical care and medicine and evangelistic mission teams that would work on service projects and community events.

It was the perfect way for us to serve the country of Kosovo in both practical and spiritual ways.

And, because of this amazing opportunity, we decided to fly into Frankfurt, Germany. Again, the cost to purchase international tickets was already expensive and much more difficult at that time, so working out a less expensive work-around, by coming into more commonly flown cities, allowed us to work our agendas around our flight patterns.

We flew into Frankfurt and joined the couple that we were working and living with as they drove all around the German countryside to visit the Organization and other companies who were donating equipment, supplies, and funds to the people of Kosovo. I really cannot begin to tell you where all we drove. Truthfully, with the jetlag and long flight, I’m not even sure we were truly awake for much of it.

But, I do remember the awe of being in a foreign country, seeing new things, living new experiences, and anticipation for what was ahead.

While we were in Germany, the things that stand out to me were:

-eating an afternoon meal in a German businessman’s home and being struck with the idea that business could be done and still include the home.

-The beds! They were tiny. The duvet covers! I still could not begin to tell you how we were expected to keep warm with those little things on us. And, the sparceness of the apartment. I really hadn’t begun to lean into my design side yet, but I knew that I knew that I knew that it would take very little to make that apartment just a little bit more welcoming!

-Walking through a small German village and finding the sweetest little cake and coffee shop. I am convinced that Dan’s love for coffee and dessert started right there

From the whirlwind start of our time in Europe, we started off on a wild road trip through Austria, Slovenia, and along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. This trip was very much a blur in my memory, but the quaint hotels on the edge of the sea, what seemed like the craziest winding road (& the resulting car sickness), and the hours of taking in the absolutely foreign world around us, wrapped up with one of most memorable experiences ever: Our Border crossing into Kosova.

Oh, wait, sorry that’s me. Yes, literally right now.

As we have been preparing for this summer, I have had to wrestle with myself so many times.

On my own, I like seeing an end goal, clearly marked, so I know which direction I am going. I like maps. I like being the navigator, and I typically have a ‘gut instinct’ for how to find my way to where I need to be. The plans for this summer, to go to Kosovo and pursue business, have not exactly been clear. There really isn’t a specifically defined goal, so preparing has been hard. We did a lot to get ready, to get our house ready, and to set things up for us to explore more ideas once we get to Kosovo, but all of our work is still ultimately working towards an unclear goal.

The wrestle I have had is with faith. It is between control and trust.

Oh! you should hear the questions that have been and are still rolling around in my head: Are we really doing this? Are we really supposed to be doing this? What are we actually supposed to be doing? What needs to happen in order for this to happen? What can I make happen right now? Is there anything I can make happen? Am I supposed to make it happen? Am I supposed to trust that it will happen through someone else?

And, our travel to get there has just seemed to reinforce this.

Our first flight got delayed so much that we missed the connecting one, and any chance to get on any others the first day. We were forced to stay overnight before we really got anywhere.

Now the questions in my head get louder, and more intense, with a few more added in: What in the world are we doing? We thought we were going in the right direction, but maybe we’re not if it is this hard. Why is this happening? Is there anything I can do to make it easier? To change the outcome?

And, of course, for my real-world object lesson, the questions are running through my head at the same time my feet are running through an airport, where we were unable to get on a flight when we got to the end. Our hurry up and wait was so REAL.

And the only thing we could do was to get comfortable with the in-between. We couldn’t change the weather that delayed us. We couldn’t change our tickets to change our flights in a timely manner. We couldn’t make anything happen other than working to find a (literal) comfortable place for us to rest.

Honestly, the overnight was probably good for us. It reminded us that we aren’t the ones that started this, and while we have work to do and things that we will be able to accomplish, there are so many parts of it that aren’t ours to control. There are so many parts of it that we have to leave to faith and trust that it will happen through someone else, or that it will happen at another time. And, just you case you start to think that we got to any point of totally being okay with the delay, sorry, we aren’t that good.

The only things we could do were to ask for help from others and make sure we had a way to rest comfortably until we could move forward again. All we could do was trust that the outcome would be different the next time we started to move forward. All we could do was try to make sure we were nice to others who we bumped into in our in-between (and I’m not entirely sure how well we did this, unfortunately).

If you have ever traveled before, I’m sure you have felt this wrestle with things out of your control and trying your best to make things happen.

But, let’s be honest - if you have lived, you have felt it.

You’ve pushed through hard stuff to make things happen and still found yourself in a place of waiting. An in-between - where you can’t go back, but you can’t go forward yet either. I hope that if you are in that place now, that my experience can help remind you (oh, so gently - because this reminder doesn’t always feel good) that the in-between is where the deepest heart work happens. That deep heart work is faith work that deepens your convictions that you are moving in the right direction and reinforces why you are doing it. It helps you clarify that what you are working towards really matters. The heart work that happens while you wait for your next chance to actually do something to move forward is where you dig deep to trust others for support AND give grace to others as you grow and learn.

Oh, wait, sorry. then again, maybe that’s just me.

When we left Kosovo in 2008, to return to America, archives of the newletters that I would write weekly returned on some laptop hard drive; or maybe – since that was much more the time then, on a thumb drive. Actually, it might have been that they traveled back saved on a CD, but I have slept a few times since then, so I’m not entirely sure. Also, It is totally wild to think of how much technology has changed since 2008.

But, that (hard drive, thumb drive, or CD) is where the letters stayed. Over time, I transferred them to other hard drives, to ensure I still had them. I knew I wanted them saved, but reading them didn’t seem important at the time. My personality tends to always move on to the next exciting adventure and forget or avoid things that are the least bit painful or difficult. And, there was life still needing to be lived that didn’t allow much space for looking back.

We did have the opportunity to take the boys back in 2015 for our dear friends wedding - which was amazing - and social media has been a huge part of being able to still stay in contact. Since then, our church has continued to be connected and supporting of the same kindergarten daycare, and has planted a growing church there. We were able to return in November 2025 for a brief visit.

It is because of that trip that we have begun to feel like we are supposed to somehow return to Kosovo to explore the possibility of doing more of our lives there. This summer, our whole family is going to Kosovo – even the big boys will join for a little bit of time at the beginning of the trip. We will be renting an apartment there, renting out our home here, renting a vehicle, and living summer life in Kosovo! We don’t fully know what that looks like yet, but we are excited to pursue opportunities that will allow us to build on our time there with the abilities & knowledge we have gained in business & life. We already have meetings getting set up, ideas being thought through, and emails going out.

My mind is blown away that we are going to return to the place where our little family first started figuring itself out – and see what He will do with that.

In the time we have been away from Kosovo, I have obviously grown up, lived through much more life, and grown and learned skills & experience as a mom, wife, leader, & entrepreneur. I have also learned more and more about who I am, how I am made, and who I want to be. It is pretty cool to see how our time in Kosovo before could be paired with our experience and timing of life now. Rom. 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Reading through my old newsletters has inspired me, so I have decided to start up blogging again – the 2026 version. *Fun fact, the mainstream explosion of blogs happened in 2002-2004 (while I was in Kosovo) and my tagline of Joyoutloud started with my first little blog. That tag has stuck with me, in different ways, ever since – moving to instagram, and now, substack. I will be sharing our adventures over this summer, ideas & opportunities, but also my old newsletters. As our current experience and abilities carry us into possible business, I’m excited for the comparison between then and now that I will get to share.