wfn.org | Refugee Adventist Pastor Returns to Her Home in Kosovo

["Christian B. Schäffler" <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

August 13, 1999
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

Refugee Adventist Pastor Returns to Her Home in Kosovo

Djakovica, Kosovo/APD    Seventh-day Adventist pastor Dijana Daka 
has returned to her home in Kosovo from Albania to find all the 
members and friends of her church in Djakovica alive and well.  

"We have all returned to our place," says Daka, "and although we 
found our houses destroyed we are happy that we found Jesus who 
keeps us together and gives us hope for the future." 

Now she says that the church members are ready to continue 
worshipping and giving praise to their God and Saviour who was 
with them during a very difficult time.

Daka lost all communication with the Church leaders for almost four 
weeks during the military conflict in Kosovo until, on the evening of 
May 4, 1999, she was seen among a group of refugees in Kukes, 
Albania on a news broadcast in England.  While staying in Albania, 
Daka worked in the Flore church as an assistant pastor.

Daka is now back in Djakovica where she was instrumental in 
establishing a new church last year.  After several evangelistic 
campaigns and various seminars, Daka had the joy of ministering to 
35 adults and about 20 children who attended worships and special 
meetings. Daka was very successful in ministering to the mainly 
Muslim community.  A number of evangelists and visiting lecturers, 
including Dr Radisa Antic, president of the Seventh-day Adventist 
Church in Yugoslavia, and Pastor Martin Anthony, personal 
ministries director at the Trans-European Division, helped her to 
establish this group.

Unfortunately, with the onset of the war in the Balkans, her ministry 
in Djakovica was put on hold, but not for long. Despite the 
hardships encountered fleeing Kosovo, she maintained her 
commitment to return and carry on with her ministry.

Sadly the violence has affected many. Daka reports that as a result 
of this war, an 18-year-old man, whose mother is a member of the 
Djakovica Seventh-day Adventist Church, became mentally ill.

"I was also shocked when I heard that my sister in Christ, Mileva 
Vujosevic from Pec, was brutally killed," added Daka, and 
continued, "During this time of hatred, our role is to talk to the 
people about the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation."

Daka is extremely thankful to Church leaders and members around 
the region who helped them through this time of trouble. Her plea is 
for materials to aid her ministry in this damaged community. 

"We need Bibles, literature and a baptistry to continue our work in 
Kosovo," she concludes.  [98/12/03]