Safety in Pristina, Kosovo What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?
People’s Opinions
We always felt safe in Pristina, whether walking around during the day or night. It was safe to be alone as a female.
We were with Fellowship of the Lord’s People, the international church in Pristina. We stayed at the YWAM apartment, a 45 minute walk away from the church. Pastor Artur told us to avoid certain streets on our walk, because there are some illegal, radicalized mosques in the area that make certain streets dangerous for women and Christians. We never had any safety issues while we were there, but we were advised to be aware of our surroundings.
If you listen to the set-up sheet and listen to the host it is a really safe area and there shouldn’t be any problems.
Ministry Summary
Ministry Summary in Pristina, Kosovo Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?
People’s Opinions
We were with BPZ church. They were amazing! They are a very busy church so we were always busy. Everyday was different and we got to be a part of a lot of different ministries. W got Sundays and Mondays off. Then everyday day we could be involved in children’s ministry, sorting clothes for their secondhand stores, organizing, cleaning, evangelizing, etc. We would also start off everyday with a prayer meeting with everyone and they would even translate for us all to understand.I highly recommend this ministry.
We worked with the Fellowship of the Lord’s People church, as well. We had an incredible time. We were there doing the slower season, which may be why our month was less stressful than when Molly’s team was there during the busy season. We worked normal hours starting at 9am until anywhere from 3-5pm. There was a variety of ministries including working at the kindergarten, helping with outreach (stamping flyers/passing them out, putting stickers on water bottles), serving other short term teams, and working in the clothing warehouse. We also spent a lot of time pouring into the church members. We had an incredible month – probably our favorite on the Race! Artur and Leonora were incredible. We’d have coffee together every morning, and they often surprised us with meals or dessert throughout the week.
This month was ATL for my team and we felt called to Kosovo. Our third week we stayed in Pristina. There were American missionaries in Peja that told us about a local Christian friend in Pristina who opened a bakery.So this week we have helped her because Agnesa and her husband just opened a bakery restaurant a month ago called Sonder. We have helped to watch their daughter Lidia who is 7 helped bake goods helped with other things so their bakery runs . We stayed in an apartment below their house.
With Fellowship of the Lord’s People, we split up as a team each day to do a variety of ministries. We sent two people to a kindergarten each day– those people were consistent so that they could give lessons and build relationships with the kids and the parents. The rest of the team rotated between doing tutoring/youth ministry/womens ministry at a Roma community center, kids/youth ministry at an NGO called House of Hope an hour away, working at the church’s second hand stores, working in the warehouses of the second hand stores, and doing outreach both on the street and at local apartment complexes. We never knew what we would be doing until we arrived at the church for morning devotion each day. The team generally gathered at the church around 5pm after a full day of ministry, and then prepared for night ministry, which was either kids, youth, home groups, or prayer meetings. We worked VERY long days. Leonora, our contact, started off our month by accusing us of being privileged Americans who were unwilling to serve and had our own agenda, so we did everything we could all month to show that we were willing to go above and beyond to serve.
Lodging
Lodging in Pristina, Kosovo Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.
People’s Opinions
We stayed at the church’s guesthouse/apartment located about a minute walk away. It was very nice! Three bedrooms with 7 beds total. AC, a very nice kitchen, washer, living room, even a TV for movie nights. Enjoy the luxury!
We stayed at a YWAM base a 45 minute walk from the church. The apartment had two small bedrooms with a total of 9 beds (all bunk beds except one). We had one bathroom with a nice shower, and a washing machine. The kitchen was very nice and included a dishwasher. There was a decent sized common room with several sofas. We think that teams only stay there when the church is looking for a place at the last minute, so our landlord was not really affiliated with the church. He was often out of town so sometimes we had to go a full day without power because he was not around to help us.
Artur had us staying a nice house with three bedrooms, bathroom w/shower, and full kitchen and there are beds for everyone.
Food / Meals
Food / Meals in Pristina, Kosovo What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).
People’s Opinions
We always ate breakfast on our own and sometimes cooked our dinners. While we were working, lunch was provided every day. They often surprised us with coffee, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so we spent very little of our allotted food budget. There is a good grocery store located just up the hill, as well as a bakery/pizza place next to the church and a fast food restaurant called Aroma 2 right around the corner that served traditional food for cheap prices. We also loved Sonder (good coffee and food), Soma (good breakfast and coffee), and Matisse (for dessert).
We had very little time to cook while doing ministry with Fellowship of the Lord’s People. We got breakfast foods at small grocery stores near our apartment. For lunch, we either ate food provided at the church, or went out to eat. We could generally find a meal for 2 euros. For dinner, we grabbed pizza/ pastries at the bakery next to the international church, or we went to Meridian Express and got pre-made food.There are lots of great restaurants and cafes to try in Pristina on your off-days! We particularly loved Prince Coffee and Matisse.
There are a few stores that are 2 blocks away and have all the food you need. The house we were staying at had clean water that was fine to drink. There is also a restaurant across the street that was really good!
Transportation
Transportation in Pristina, Kosovo What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.
People’s Opinions
We took a bus from the international bus terminal in Tirana, Albania to Pristina, Kosovo. Tickets were 15 EU per person. We were picked up from the Pristina bus station by our host.
Medical
Medical in Pristina, Kosovo Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).
People’s Opinions
A teammate and I ended up going to a dentist that Artur recommended because we both thought we had cavities. I was able to get a cleaning done and cavity filled for about 50 euros! Would definitely recommend going.
We had 3 teammates go to the American Hospital (Spitali Amerikan) for various problems– it was very easy to go to the ER and get treatment. The doctors and nurses we met with did not speak much English, so take a translator if possible.There are several pharmacies near the international church, and the pharmacists are very helpful in figuring out what medicine would be best for your symptoms.
Communication
Communication in Pristina, Kosovo Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?
People’s Opinions
Fellowship of the Lord’s People (the international church) gave us a church cell phone to use for the month, with all of the contact information we would need pre-loaded into the phone. There are places near the church to refill your SIM cards– I would advise getting a the same provider as the church phone so that you can refill team phones and the church phone at the same time.
We had wifi everywhere– at the church, our apartment, and at all cafes.
Financial
Financial in Pristina, Kosovo Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.
People’s Opinions
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Translators
Translators in Pristina, Kosovo List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken
People’s Opinions
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Off Days / Fun Activities
Off Days / Fun Activities in Pristina, Kosovo What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?
People’s Opinions
One weekend we worked with a team that was visiting from Italy. They put on a show in the main downtown square that was part circus, part acting, part gospel presentation. It was cool to join them and serve them. Artur drove us around the area, took us to famous monuments, and explained a lot of the history. One weekend, some of our team went to a film festival and hiked up a castle in a town called Prizren. We spent most of our off days exploring the city.
This was an ATL month for my team so we got to be in three cities of Kosovo so I have a couple things that are fun.The first is if you save up some adventure days and what a relaxing weekend away with not many people around, Boge is gorgeous! We stayed in the Bora Villa for 30 euros a night. It was expensive getting up (45 euros for two taxis) but that man who owned the Vila called us a van for back down (25 euros). There are a couple restaurants around and 2 small markets, but you may want to bring some good with. We were also there for a week for our ATL month.There is also a free waterfall in Peja where you can swim and there are two restaurants close. Just look it up online. Also we weren’t able to see it but there were caves next to the waterfall and it was 2 euro to enter and 5 to go deeper in where there were lakes inside right near the waterfall.And there is a Christian bakery in Pristina called Sonder.
Our host did not like the idea of off days and adventure days, so we had to fight to get one off day each week. They counted Sunday as a day off for us, even though we were required to be at the church from 10am to almost 3pm. We spent most of our time off in coffee shops in the city, and one day Pastor Artur surprised us with a trip to Peja and Prizren.
Other Important Contacts
Other Important Contacts in Pristina, Kosovo Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions
People’s Opinions
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Tips
People’s Opinions
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Additional Info
Additional Info in Pristina, Kosovo Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?