A sad day in Krushe

Lorraine writes- My heart wept today for the villagers of Krushe. Even as I write this entry now, my eyes are filling up from the memory of what I saw and felt today. As you enter the village a separate burial site is off to one side where the bodies of those men and boys identified and returned lay to rest. Eleven years on from that fateful day, 26 March 1999 so many loved ones are still missing and have not been identified. As one family buries their son, husband and father today, many are still hoping for the return of their beloveds. For the few who have their bodies buried in this grave site they have a place to go and weep and lay flowers. But for many where do they go?? I have never met such strong women as those here in Krushe. Every day they live with their memories; memories I can't even begin to imagine. Yet they go about their busy lives, caring and looking after the remaining members of their family. As I stood and witnessed these amazing women visit the graves I will never forget the sound of their crying and sheer grief. It pierced my heart, and all I wanted to do was give each one a hug.....But what I did do was pray; pray for these families, for their pain to lessen. Seeing some of the children from the village school lined up with their wreathes was a very striking image. May God's love and peace rest in this place; on the people of Krushe and on the people of Kosova. Thank you to those who were able to say a prayer for today........Kosova is very much in our hearts xx

A Villlage mourns

Chris writes: today, 11 years after the massacre here in Krushe e Vogel another body was returned to the village to its final resting place. A family and a village can now properly start to grieve and mourn the loss of another of their men. It is hard to imagine how it must feel as I watched one of the sons clutching a picture at the graveside of his father. I could not see tears....maybe the feeling was just so overwhelming that after 11 years, at last the body of his father will be at rest.

It was a real priviledge to stand with the people of our village today and comfort them as they mourn. I hope they will now be allowed to move on and look to a better future...a better future for the children...thus the investment of Humedica in this tiny village....which we have had the joy (mostly!) of being part of for the last fifteen months.

The saddest part for me though was one of the other families in the village who decided not to bury their lost one as they are hoping and praying that other bodies from the family will be found and then they will be buried together.

Thank you for supporting and praying for us as we support the people of this tiny village and help them look to the future. Pray that they can grieve and build a better future.

Lorraine writes- The last two weeks have been very full for me...one week was spent in the UK (was a whistle stop tour, on my own) attending a funeral of an amazing lady, Karena Mackay, from Reading Family Church and visiting my Brother & family and my Dad & his wife Jane. If you ever travel by train up and down the country, travel LIGHT!! I learnt the hard way. Three big bags, trains and undergrounds really don't mix. The second was a surprise trip to Macedonia. As soon as I walked off the plane I was whisked away by my wonderful husband....brownie points to him!!!!

It has been great to get back to the day care and be with the children and staff. Each morning I have a five minute meeting with the staff at the beginning of the day. This morning I read a quote from 'Family Matters' by David Pytches. It read like this......'The strength of the nation derives from the integrity of the home' (Confucius). I shared my thoughts about how I see Kosova being founded on the family; it draws strength from that family unit; how the day care is a family unit and how we try to impart family values that the children will grasp and take on board and share with others.

This week sees Krushe e Vogel's memorial day (26th). A day when families remember the pain and suffering; the loss of loved ones; that day, in 1999, which brought such change to family life and structure forever. We have one family in the village who after 11 years will see the body of their loved one returned and be able to have some closure as they get to say good bye. Please pray and remember the people of Krushe. We pray that the pain they feel will lessen; that comfort can come to their homes. You are in our hearts Krushe xx

Chris writes: had a great time in Skopje, Macedonia and now safely back in Krushe. Today is yet another beautiful day and it really feels like winter is behind us at last.
Yesterday it was so good at last being able to do some long awaited jobs outside which have been building up here in the Cerdhe over the winter months.

With a little under three months left here in Krushe it really does feel like we are on the 'home straight' now....hoping and praying that we can 'finish strong' and not be distracted by what we will be doing when in the UK or what we will do when we return here!

Chris writes: you know the saying just as you thought it was safe to go out?.....well just as I thought spring was finally here after our long slog this winter.......the weather got cold again and now we have more snow! Ah well! What to do as they say here! Just smile and keep on keeping on! Off to Macedonia on Wednesday for what i think is a well earned break with Lorraine.....regular power, bacon, sausages, Mc'ds! Happy days!! God Bless x