Elaine Beck: The Serbian people in Kosovo deserve more than what they currently have

Entrepreneur and motivational speaker Elaine Beck from Arizona (USA), Chief Operating Officer of Proverbs Media Group Justice Smith, and US citizen of Serbian origin Ranko Ristic visited Kosovo, where, during a multi-day visit, they toured Serbian churches and monasteries and learned about the lives of Serbs.

For Proverbs Media Group owner Elaine Beck, who shares her views and vision on current events through her podcast “It Is Not About Us,” while also giving a voice to conservatives across the United States, her visit to Kosovo was inspiring and helped her gain a broader perspective on what is happening.

"I am very impressed by this beautiful country, not only because of its beauty, since God created beauty all over the world, and I have seen so much, but because of its people, both visible and invisible. There are so many invisible people because they were expelled from their land. Their homes stand empty or destroyed. They have lost their identity. They were forced to go to other countries where they feel lost and alone. It's terrible that this is happening anywhere in the world. And we all know that since the beginning of time, there has been a battle between good and evil. But here, I feel the strength of people who are willing to rise up and fight for what is right. Not by fighting with guns or knives or anything like that, but fighting with their hearts and souls, through prayer, by reaching out to others, by believing in their hearts and loving their families through shared hardships,” she said.

She said it was particularly moving to hear and see how Serbs live in Kosovo.

“God said there would always be trials, and these are the trials you are now facing. I can only hope and pray that I and others can help you overcome them and enjoy life here again. The Serbian people deserve more than what they currently have,” Beck said.

Visiting different places across Kosovo and speaking with the people, as well as with Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo and Abbot Sava Janjic of the Visoki Decani Monastery, Beck concluded that churches and monasteries are "the only safe places for Christians in Kosovo."

"That is why I would just say that we all need to pray and believe in God. And if we do, I believe He will restore things here, hopefully sooner rather than later," she said.

Justice Smith, Chief Operating Officer of Proverbs Media Group, said he witnessed firsthand the conditions in which the Serbian people live in Kosovo.

"And I can testify to the fact that ethnic cleansing is happening here, that Albanians have expelled Serbs from their land, from their monasteries, and that they have done so unjustly. They have persecuted them, and Kosovo’s institutions have acted against them (the Serbs), so they cannot ask for help, they cannot seek help from the police, they cannot protect their churches. When these monasteries try to build something on their agricultural land, some buildings, they are told they can't get permits, because NATO is actually an ally of Albania, not of Serbia, and they are using Albania as cannon fodder in a war of ethnic cleansing to push out their allies. And that is an absolute tragedy, what I am saying,” Smith stated.

As a lover of the medieval period and architecture, he said he was amazed by the churches and monasteries he visited.

“I pray for the Serbian people and call for an end to the ethnic cleansing taking place here. And I hope the West will support Serbia in the future. God bless Serbia here, and I truly hope the West stands with Serbia,” Smith said.

Ranko Ristic, who lives in Chicago, emphasized that things are changing in the United States and said he hopes life will improve for the people of Kosovo.

This is his second visit to Kosovo, but the first time he toured some of the sites.

"It was my first time at Visoki Decani. And I had the honor of bringing my friends from America so they could see for themselves. I didn’t want to tell them too much, just enough to spark their interest to come. And now, after three days, I believe they are returning with a lot of information and a real picture of what is happening here, and not the one the media has shown for decades. So, things are definitely starting to change for the better in America, and we all hope life will improve here for the people, primarily for the Serbs, but also for everyone living here,” Ristic said.

Beck and Smith recorded a podcast in the courtyards of the Patriarchate of Pec and Visoki Decani Monastery with Bishop Ilarion and Abbot Sava Janjic, so that people in America could gain a broader and more accurate understanding of Kosovo, the Serbian people, and Serbian cultural heritage.