Farewell, for now, Pogredec

Well, we’ve been in Kyiv for almost a week now. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to write a final blog on Pogredec. Internet is very limited here, to the point of sitting in a restaurant for their free wi-fi if you order something…but that also means you need a computer, which for me this is not so. I hope to still be able to blog once a week but it may not be so scheduled as before.

We had an amazing final week in Pogredec. All the seminars went really well, even though attendance was small, I believe those that came were very impacted. I sat in on the one for the Roma girls and it was a very emotional time for one of the girls. At first she held it in, uncomfortable with some of what was being said, as these are not things you talk about out-loud or with others. It was so important for us to speak utmost love into this beautiful child of God. To be honest that we realize that her life is not easy, that some of her deepest hurt has come from some of the closest people in her life, but God will never hurt her, he will never leave or forsake her and though we may not be with her physically, she will always be with us in our heart and we will always be praying for her.

The Roma boys seminar went very well too. Three of the older boys we have come to know were in attendance and were apparently very alert to what was being spoken, clinging onto every word. One of the things our guys spoke on was the warped view of how men understand love to be. Often growing up hearing their fathers say they love their wives and in the next incident seeing them beat up the same women they just said they loved. On our final day, as we got ready to leave, two of these boys ended up hanging out with us for a large part of the day. Helping us move and joining us for our final dinner at our contacts house along with two of our translators. It was incredibly hard to say goodbye to these guys. It is just so amazing and so hopefull, to know what they have gone through and yet see how they do still have such compassionate hearts and love for those around them. We pray that this will continue in their lives and into their family lives.

That same final day, we walked one last time throughout a number of the neighbourhoods of our children to say final farewells and give one more hug.

That evening we talked about the fact that there are a number in the group that feel a lasting connection to Pogredec and though at this time we don’t know what that means or how that looks, it will be a continued conversation amongst us, of figuring it out.