THIS TRIP WAS CRAZY

Photo: Martha S. Weiss, Minela Pervanovic, Bonnie Ray, Adelina Beqiri-Minci and Mihaela Kovacs visiting the main mosque in Prizren, Kosovo.

Martha S. Weiss from Seattle WA, USA wrote this report covering her ROM 2012 Trial of Friendship Southeast Europe one day after a month long Balkan trip was over. Martha was a member of the traveling team of seven who visited Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro in July 2012.

It has been a long, excellent time away from home but just about this time on every trip I'm ready to be home.  Ready to see my family and friends, ready to sleep in my own bed and ready for the life I have in the Seattle area.  

Our ROM - Trail of Friendship journey is officially over. Our last day as a team was yesterday as half of the team headed back to their homes in the US, Serbia and Bosnia - Herzegovina. The four of us will have a debriefing day tomorrow and then I leave on Saturday.  

I have been without Internet or without time but tonight I'm in the ROM office of Hope House in Fuzine, Croatia with internet and time. This is the place where ROM has taken place the past 13 years. It is a very special place. A beautiful, quaint village with a beautiful lake to walk around or boat on. Hope House is a yellow, huge, concrete, renovated building built on a hill above the village. It doesn't sound charming but it is. It's very special being here because the building has been sold so we don't know if ROM will ever be here again, so it's a sentimental visit as well. 

The final part of our trip - following Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo - included Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro.  We went to the cities of Tetovo, Skopje, Ohrid, Tirana, Kotor, Niskisc, Podgorica and lastly Zagreb where our team said good bye. I have to say we had a great team. I was the oldest, of course, four were the same ages as my kids and the other two mid 30's and 50's. We all got along so well, a few little bumps but all in all a great group that complimented each one. We survived long van trips, the 12 hour trip across the Montenegrin mountains, arriving several times into cities way pass midnight and windy, scary roads all with out complaining.  

This trip was crazy.... nothing like I thought it was going to be. The cities, towns, villages were so much prettier than I ever thought. The hills, mountains, countrysides were breathtaking. Meeting with ROM mates was inspirational and encouraging. The stories of how ROM effected their lives, made them the persons they are today or changed them were enlightening and I'm so glad I could hear the stories, travel to nine countries and experience the difference ROM is making.  This trip was also crazy because people were so generous. We were treated to a quaint hotel in the center of Tirana, and a beautiful hotel in Tetovo. Had a special tour up to the hills of Macedonia to a sheep farm and ate homemade cheeses. We had coffee at the Mayors personal summer home on the top of the hill overlooking the city of Tirana. Met with the Mayor and other government officials in other cities along the way. Toured royal palaces. I never expected that and I definitely didn't bring the right clothes for all those meetings.   

Through it all our second to the last day I think was our most memorable. It was the saddest, most moving day for us all. I'm still not sure why were we there for this day nor am I sure what to do with it.  

The ROM mate we came to visit in Podgorica is Sinisa.  Sinisa went to ROM 2005, 2006 and a couple more. Today he is the one person who works with the refugees from Kosovo located in Podgorica, Montenegro.  I can't tell you how many hundreds of people live in these two camps but I can tell you the camps are nothing more than cardboard and wood rooms.  Every once in a while there will be a building or two built by other organizations but all in all it is pure poverty. The housing is something like I saw in the slums of Nairobi. 

The number could be in the thousands and there are two camps. The people who live here fled for their lives from Kosovo in 1992 and even though the Montenegrin government allowed them to come here they seem to have nothing to do with them. The people are Albanian and most of them are Albanian gypsies or Roma people.

The day we were to go to the camp was the day a fire started at 5:30 am. I remember hearing sirens but by the time the fire truck(s) came 90% of the largest of the two camps was burnt to the ground.  Clearly our day with Sinisa was changed.  At noon we drove to the camp. It was very uncomfortable to be there, not knowing what to do, if anything.  It was so sad, people, mostly children were going through the smoldering heaps. To make matters seemingly worse it began to rain and not Seattle rain, a downpour, the first rain in months.  

We eventually ended up at the other camp in a building with one room. This was a church building. Took off our shoes, sat on the furniture this room had while other refugees joined us in a special church service.  I couldn't understand 90% of it but I didn't have to understand I knew these people were pouring out their hearts to God. Sinisa and two other refugees led the singing while others prayed, sang and cried.  By the end of our time the room was packed with 30 - 40 people.  

There was some interpretation during the meeting. I know three of the people there were from the other camp and lost everything they had. One man will be housing in his one room an additional 8 people. It is his wife's uncle and family.  Already in his one room lives 6 people but he says he will do it because God loves him and he will show that love to others.  He doesn't know where the money will come to buy food but he is trusting God. Trusting God, loving God, serving God was what was on their hearts. Sadness, grief and sorrow too but not, "Why?" Not, "Where are you God?" Their faith was inspirational. 

Every trip is life changing, and this one especially.

Martha S. Weiss, Chairwoman, Forum for Leadership and Reconciliation