On the Road Again...

My life seems to feel a bit like the line from an old Willie Nelson song, " on the road again, I just can't wait to get back on the road again..."  Don't know if the just can't wait part is true but I am back in that same faux Viennese cafe waiting for me next flight on the next leg of my journey to the UK this time.  My flight leaves in about 2 hours so I am killing time, writing to all of you and keeping you in the loop.  It hopefully will help you understand my work, better and better.  

Thank you to those of you who prayed for my time in Kosova.  2 positive outcomes of my trip were: 1) meeting with the assistant to the mayor of Peje, Lirim Kurtaj.  He seems to be a "can do" kind of guy and is very interested in keeping our plans for a business incubator alive in Peje.  He seems to understand an investment mentality and is looking beyond donations.  Lirim said all the right things over a lovely machiato (a mini latte) along the river on Saturday.  Now lets see if he can deliver the Mayor and the city council like he intimates.  2) was getting Aferdita Kastrati, a woman we have given a loan to in the past to become an agent for the real estate company we have set up in Peje.  She is a real fire ball and doing quite well with the shop we lent her money to start.  The shop is going so well, she is board now and needs a new challenge.  Well, I offered her one over the weekend.  Already she has loads of ideas and plans so I am hoping and praying she will breath new life into that venture.  The investors have set an autumn deadline for viability.  Join me in praying we see a some major sales in this  3 month period.  

I am off to the UK staying with supporters and Radstock meetings tomorrow.  Hope those of you all enjoy your holiday today.  Brad

A good day so far

Today has been a good day, weather not withstanding. I have enjoyed the company of friends old and new here in the relaxed cafe culture of Kosova. The day has been a mix of business and pleasure as I had the chance to meet with an official from the city government regarding our longstanding plans for investment here in Peje. The discussion was positive and the language encouraging. Now its up the Lord to bring it to fruition. I also met with Aferdita, some of you may know her from her jewelery business. She is very successful in it and today I invited her to consider becoming a sales agent for the real estate company we have started. She immediately offered ideas, contacts and energy to the position. Following these meetings I had the pleasure of meeting with a new friend and discussing the religious and political history of the Albanian and pre-Albanian people; the Illirians. Paul mentions them in Acts. I still have a few visits to make today and tomorrow but all in all a good day and a very profitable visit to Kosova so far. Thank you for your prayers and support that allows me to be here and see the gospel going further and further. Until next time...

Meeting a client

Part of my day yesterday was spent interviewing a perspective client for the micro finance company I sit on the board for. In the adjoining photo I am meeting with a client and the loan officer for the deal. The man to my left in the photo owns the restaurant we are sitting in and is asking for a loan to complete an upper floor of his building to be able to rent it for additional income. The man to my right is the loan office. I am the one in the middle looking decidedly grumpy. Actually I am just trying to get my head around speaking Albanian again and keep up with the conversation.

Back in Peje

It is great to be back in Peje, a place that has been so significant to our family for the last several years. I arrived late today (May 21st) and will be here through the 25th. The 1st portion of my time today was spent in Prishtina (Kosova's Capital City). I lead the devotions for BZMF, a micro finance firm I am on the board of. It went well, even though I nearly missed it as my alarm didn't go off and I was pretty tired and doped up on sinus meds. Following the devotion, the Director and I had some time before he had to run off to an other meeting. We met up again later for lunch and then went to see one of our loan clients. It was good to be back in it again and meeting with the people we are working to help. Then I was graciously driven to Peje (1.5 hrs) by a staff member of BZMF. He is a new believer and we had a very encouraging conversation about his faith, questions he is still trying to figure out and how his life has been TOTALLY transformed by the Lord. What a blessing that was here. I had better sign off now as I am still a bit jet lagged and the power could go off at any moment. More from Peje later...

Musings....

As I sit in a faux Viennese cafe decorated as if Schubert or Stauss could be at the next table (in the airport) with a mix of other travelers from around the world I am amazed at and reminded of the diversity the Lord has created in the creatures. All of us who He has made in his own image. There are the Business Men on the way to meet a client putting the finishing touches on their presentation; there are the International Aid Workers some returning from a time of R&R, others on their way for the first time to the hard places they work, a part of the world that has been just been destroyed by a natural disaster or where war and abuse continues to rage; there are the Holiday Makers and the Biker Guy with a Mohawk; there is a family of immigrants fleeing the poverty of their land looking for a better life in a new place full of shiny things and a strange language; and there is me. We are all the same and all very different. We are the same in our sin, in our need for a saviour. Prov. 21:2 says, that every way of a man is right in his own eyes. The author of that verse is not saying every way is correct but that each man thinks he is correct. It is the one who weighs the heart who can say what is truly right and that is the Lord. This cafe is filled with people thinking they are doing right, and many of them probably are, but its the ultimate right that God cares about, not what we think is right in our own, finite little minds. It is the right of Him who established the measure of rightness that He cares about. Am I doing that right thing? Is my life exemplefying His righteousness? I pray it is and I pray for those that sit here with me that they will come to know that truth as well. Well my flight has finally been called, I am off to one of those war torn places, thankfully now at peace, but far from being a land filled with the eternal peace. Perhaps one day...

Brad's Travel Diary

Travel Diary:
May 19th: Depart the house 7am for a 9:30am flight out of Springfield, IL for Frankfurt via Chicago
May 20th: Depart Frankfurt 8am for flight to Prishtina, Kosova, via Vienna, Austria with a 9 hour layover in Vienna.
May 21st: 9am Present devotions for BZMF, a micro enterprise company I am the board of. Pray for this time as the staff is a mix of followers of Jesus and followers of Allah(Muslims).
10am Meet with Director of BZMF regarding last week’s board meeting I was unable to attend
11am Head for Peje (1.5 hour drive west of Kosova’s capital Prishtina)
1pm Lunch with my staff of Krijesa e Re, the real estate company we started while in Kosova
2-3 staff meetings and generally catching up
May 22-25: Following up with friends, disciples and church leaders from our time in Kosova
May 26th: Fly to England for Radstock meetings to discuss how to develop a stronger financial support for us and others in the networks
May 27-30: Fly to France on personal business (we have a piece of real estate we are trying to sell)
May 31-June 2: Meetings with friends and supporters from our church in the UK, ChristChurch Harpenden.
June 2: Board a flight back to the US with the hope of seeing my family’s smiling faces as I return home

Check out our Blog for other periodic updates from my time in Kosova and the UK. For those of you in Europe I am looking forward to seeing you, for those of you in the US, I’ll be home in 2 weeks,
Brad

Maisy joins the flock!!

As if life wasn't busy enough we decided to take the plunge and give in to the cries of our children and we have now added a beagle puppy to our midst. Her name is Maisy. She is a great addition if you can get past the wet puddles on the floor and the even less savory presents she has been leaving. Apparently some dogs can be house broken in a few days but our Maisy doesn't seem to be catching on too quickly in that department. 3 weeks in and we still have puddles and worse!!!

Brad leaves for the Balkans and the UK tomorrow for 2 weeks so Abi is praying she catches on in the next 24 hours!!

The children adore her and she has a total Byrd personality - she cries so much when she is upset she makes herself throw up!! She is off the charts extrovert and wants to be with people all the time. She thrives on hustle and bustle in the house and the yard. Her favorite relaxation is to curl up with one of the children and go to sleep!!

We will post more photos soon!!