Skopje, Macedonia

So here I am!

I have actually been here(Skopje) for a week now, which, a bit like my extended stay in Thun has been a wonderful little "interlude", of doing very little, resting much, enjoying friends and meeting some new ones!

Having said, "Goodbye!' to my Dad in Zagreb, where we had had two days of steady rain but still the opportunity to have a quick look at the city and where we were INCREDIBLY blessed by the generous hospitality and care shown us by Damir & Maja Mehanovic, I got put on the overnight bus to Skopje and began to head south!

View of Zagreb from where we stayed

My Dad and the lovely Mehanovics

Dad & I at the airport

The few days before I travelled, the Croatian borders had been shut between Serbia and Croatia, due to "difficulties" over the refugee situation, so at one point I wasn't sure if I would even be able to get to Skopje, but thankfully, the tensions were eased and the borders opened and so, aside from an hours wait at the border while they checked us all, I was able to arrive in Skopje at 6am, Sunday morning, after my 12hr journey!

Phil and Anna Evans kindly welcomed me into their home with the immediate offer of a nap-time, so I "kipped" for a couple hours before joining them for pancakes and meeting their rather adorable children, Oscar(4) and Grace(nearly 2), and a close friend of Phil's, Robin, who was also staying with them.

That first Sunday, Phil was driving down from Skopje to Gegelia, on the Greek/Macedonian border, to drop off some clothing donations with some friends in a local church there who have been helping the Red Cross at the local refugee encampment.  Robin and I both went down with Phil, hoping(for myself at least) to get a better understanding of the situation and "reality" versus much of what I've seen through the "news".  What I "learnt" from the guys down there is that, over the past several weeks, things have been becoming more organised and regulated, at least on the Macedonian side (apparently the Greek side is still a little chaotic).  In a slow way, a kind of "conveyor" belt is beginning to happen, where the Macedonians only allow a few thousand people across the border(on foot) each DAY, when they then report to the camp and stay for a day or two(depending on health, documents, etc) before being put on a bus to the northern border of Macedonia, where they then cross the Serbian border(on foot) and then get put on buses to the Croatian border(as the Hungarian border is currently razor wire......), where the same happens to enable them to then reach either the Austrian border through Slovenia or, another attempt at the Hungarian border farther north(but which is also being set-up with razor wire......).  I'm not sure what happens then, as I've rather lost track of the process from the EU side!

Either way, there are still 2-5000 people arriving into the camp, and another 2-5000 leaving the camp in Gegelia, every few days.  That being said, there does at least(?) seem to be a "rhythm" developing in trying to move and process people?  One of the biggest difficulties right now is for medical supplies within the camp and also, for warm clothes!  Many of these families left warm climates, in summer and/or lost their belongings along the way, and are now finding themselves in autumn/fall in central Europe with only worn out shoes or shorts or in other ways, completely inappropriate clothing.  Last week we had heavy rains in this area(while Dad & I were snug in Zagreb!) and the camps realised they don't have enough socks or sweaters or jackets.  For some reason, the lack of socks has really struck me.  When have I ever had to think of SOCKS as a necessary item??  But these families have been, or are still, walking great distances and socks are needed.  Crazy.

I haven't, actually, seen the so-called "hordes" of people along my way.  I'm assuming that this is mostly because I've been travelling a slightly different route and have been going in the opposite direction, but at the same time, many of the people I've stayed with have been either directly or indirectly involved.  Damir & Maja told of friends on the Croatian border who run a recovery house ministry, who at one time were seeing a couple thousand people coming through their town DAILY and whom they were simply trying to provide a hot meal, some shelter, some compassion and emotional support.  Same with the church in Gegelia.  When the numbers first began, they were able to allow people to sleep on their church floor, use the shower, have a coffee and some simple food, and some time to talk and be heard.  Now that the camp has been established, there's less "free-lancing"(at least in Macedonia), but people are continuing to try and work in partnership to provide support as needed.

The rest of my time here has been very relaxed, catching up with a few friends over coffee, wandering around Skopje exploring a bit, checking out a local wine festival with Phil & Robin, taking part in a "Drama Club" and "Kid's Craft" morning with Oscar and Anna, reading, skyping and then church yesterday!  All in all, a lovely week! (despite feeling slightly guilty about my relaxed schedule when once again living in a house with 2 young kids!!)

Skopje is a bit of a strange mix of a city with its ancient history as an important "transit town" in Roman and Ottoman times, situated as it is at one of the crossroads between north and south through the Balkan region, then with 400 years or so of Ottoman rule which was primarily Muslim based, but which still allowed the orthodox Christian heritage to continue, then you had Austrian Hapsburg rule/influence, then an attempt at "Slavic Nation" under the kingdom of Serbia and then 40-50 years of communist rule under Tito, culminating in the last 20-25 years of post-communist attempts at re-establishing and redeveloping themselves into an "EU Country".....oh, and not forgetting that they also have one of the largest Roma populations, you end up with a nearly equal 3 way split between ethnicity, culture, language and religion.......

The city itself reflects a bit of that mix'n'match type feeling.  The economy is definitely not a terribly strong one, the average income would be at least half(if not a third) of what most of western europeans earn and unfortunately corruption can still be "assumed" in many areas of political office.  That being said, the "Government" is hoping to make Skopje into a bit of a "destination" for tourists and so has spent millions on building supposedly impressive "Historical Monuments" throughout the city, which are definitely big, and some are quite nice, but many are almost too big and they all seem to be in quite a small area of town which can seem a bit overwhelming, and unfortunately I doubt many people know the significance of any of them!  Also, there's something weird about seeing all this "municipal" building of big, impressive facades(I'm not sure what half of them are for!) against a backdrop of what looks like poorly maintained, falling down or else unfinished apartment blocks, and a kind of general state of economic struggle....it's weird, because some of the new stuff IS lovely and looks really nice(a few spruced up park areas, and the centre looks wonderful at night with all the impressive buildings lit up), but there's just some kind of "disconnect" happening, too.  And in the midst of that you still have the other kind of disconnect between "Islamic Albanian" and "Christian Slav" populations......which, although its not actively violent and for the most part they just seem to ignore each other and co-exist, but which still creates/enables/allows this lack of cohesion throughout the city......hm......just my thoughts really, and probably with very little understanding!

The Clock on the old Train Station 

Night shot of the Stone Bridge

View from the top of the Skopje Fortress(Kale) 

Construction along the river

Shot of some of the Improvements in town

The Millenium Cross on top of nearby Vodno

Macedonian Triumphal Arch(not sure which triumph!)

Alexander the Great statue(it also has 4 large lions and a water display with lights at its base!)

Another large lion.....

The Glasnost "crew", on another hand, are a lovely bunch of people, with a small "core" community but quite a few in the wider groupings, nowadays made up of many young marrieds and young families with loads of toddlers running around and a few "singles" which make up quite a nice, diverse little community daily figuring out what it means to be "non-orthodox" christians(anything "protestant" or "evangelical" is still often seen as a cult and highly distrusted) in quite a highly religious but minimally "active faith" region.  In the midst of all that Glasnost continues to try to love each other well, support one another as they can and reach out and help those around them!  They are still connected and involved with supporting the daycare for Roma kids in Shutka, they're linking in friendship with this church in Gegelia doing the refugee stuff, they host kid's craft mornings, a drama club and a "mum & tots" morning throughout the month, and continue to love the people next to them wherever they happen to be/work!

Friends catching up!

Kid's craft morning at the church

Sunday morning communion at Glasnost

One of the things I think I love most(and also am frustrated for myself by) about the "Macedonians" is that it feels like they are a very "deep" people.  Definitely not easily known, but incredibly generous.  They have incredible depth to them, their thoughts, ideas, feelings, woundings, and every time I'm here I always realise that this is a community that one cannot "get to know" in just a week or two!  I think even a year or two would still only be a beginning, but wow, what treasure there is when its shared with you! :)

This afternoon I head off to Thessaloniki in northern Greece to stay for two days with Tommie & Gunilla Neumann, both "legends" in their own right, and hopefully being able to get a "glimpse" of what their church community is like there, before heading on to visit Richard & Katy Smith in Izmir, Turkey.  I am slowly beginning to register that the Vienna Gathering is in barely three weeks, which I am getting SO excited about while at the same time dreading a little, as it also signifies the official "end" of my travels!  God is still being VERY quiet about what happens next,  so I am also just trying to stay "quiet" and continue with where I am NOW, and trusting Him that thoughts, ideas and "nudges" will happen when they need to over the next while to allow me to be where I need to be!

This post feels a bit more like a letter than a blog, so I will wish everyone my love and greetings, and say "Farewell!" :)