Mission to Kosovo 2024
This year eight members of Wellcome church travelled out to Gjakova to stay at Victory Church. In the group was one person who had travelled out in 2002 and one person who was on their first visit, they were Bev and Harry (H), a married couple. Bev spoke at the ladies meeting on Thursday and H spoke at the Sunday meeting.

Andy, Bev, John, Kajmelina, Faton, Harry, Emma, Norma, Driton, Stuart, Jan
This year we were able to purchase 30 food parcels, 25 schoolbags and 3 refill packs, three new woodburning stoves and save a young girl’s life. We also did some renovation and repair work in one village. We ensured that the church had a good supply of fuel for the coming winter and supplies for the church coffee bar for after service refreshments.
Members of Wellcome church have been travelling out continuously for the last 16 years. They have seen major changes in the towns and villages over that period. From a war torn landscape to a city that is slowly building and recovering.
Victory Church has a thriving youth and children’s work and ladies that travel a good distance to come to the midweek meeting. Unfortunately Victory Church is dependent upon the people in churches that support it from the wealthier nations around it.
Each year each person takes out a 32 KG case of aid and sometimes tools to be used as Victory Church sees fit. Our own clothes and necessities have to fit into hand luggage.
One of the team leaders is an advanced paramedic and it was he who spotted the infection in four-year-old girl. In Kosovo doctor consultations are free but you have to pay for your own medicine. Our team leader was of the opinion unless this infection was treated it would lead to sepsis and the child would die. The leader of Victory Church ensured the child was taken to hospital. The cost of medication for the child was 2 euros which was completely beyond the means of the family.
To attend school in Kosovo every child must have a schoolbag with books, pencils, rulers, pens etcetera. If they don’t have the equipment they cannot attend school. If a teenager does not have a certificate stating, they have attended eight years of schooling they cannot get the most menial work. Providing schoolbag and refills gives these children a way out of poverty.
We came across reminders of the genocide that occurred, we visited the Field of Tears were over 300 men, women and children both Muslim and Christian were massacred. At the end of the road that Victory church is in there is a memorial to 23 women and children and 1 man who were massacred right there in the city. On the last day along with distributing more food parcels and school bags we visited a shop run by war widows who produced goods and the sale of these is their income.
Naturally there were opportunities to pray with and for people
as we visited the different locations.
It is a wonderful opportunity to help a church in another country grow and develop it ministry. We are fortunate to have been involved for some 16 years.