Macedonia 2019: Day 1
We started our travel with a nice long stretch in Chicago due to a delay in our flight, which provided a good opportunity for us to get to know each other a bit more. Andy, Rob and Jeff got to see who the cribbage shark was, while Hannah and Jamie delved into Enneagrams. Stan spent some quiet time walking the airport in prayer.
Our delay made sure we would miss our connection in Vienna, but by the grace of God, we landed in Vienna and with just a few minutes, made it to our gate. Just a few hours later, we were greeted by the smiling faces of Susan, Don, Nancy, Von, Gregor and Fredy.
From there, we ventured to downtown Skopje and toured the old city hearing more the history of the Balkans and the strained relationship that still exists between the Albanians and Macedonians.
We drove about 30 minutes to the Shift Center located in Tetovo, which is primarily populated by Muslim Albanians. Walking into the Shift Center, we immediately noticed the difference in the atmosphere between the dark street and the bright, peaceful community center. We heard stories of how eager students’ faces light up when they enter.
We’re looking forward to the rest of the week to see how The Shift Center is serving the community, helping to build relationships in a way that allows them to share the love of Christ to a people group that knows a very different god.
