Biola senior Festim Gashi has a lot to smile about these days — his home, Kosovo, is officially an autonomous country.

As his Facebook status puts it, he is “full of joy because Kosova is independent!”

Announced on Sunday, Kosovo territory’s parliament declared independence from Serbia, according to the Associated Press. The province has been under U.N. administration and patrolled by NATO troops since a 1999 bombing campaign that halted a Serb-led campaign against Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority, according to CNN.com.

Gashi, who was born in Kosovo, called home two days prior to the declaration and was informed of the possibilities of his homeland being set free. Although he expected it, the feeling of his country being self-governing was surreal. He felt the payoff finally arrived, as he had lost family and friends during the course of the war.

“It was like this feeling that is mixed with joy, and joy that was built up by anticipation toward this day,” Gashi said. “It was also a little surreal because I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I was jumping and dancing.” For Kosovo this historic moment brought forth celebration.

Fireworks lit the skies and crowds filled the streets of Pristina, Kosovo on Sunday.

Revelers guns were fired and red-and-black Albanian flags waved in celebration, according to the Associated Press.

Gashi said his brother celebrated by going to Pristina, and his family went to celebratory concerts. They also celebrated at home by eating cakes and drinking.

Many Western governments supported Kosovo’s move of independence, including the United States, France and Britain, but Serbia and Russia bitterly opposed it, according to CNN.com. Serbia immediately denounced the declaration as illegal.

Thousands of Serbs chanted “Kosovo is Serbia” and marched Tuesday to a bridge dividing them from ethnic Albanians while others torched U.N. border checkpoints and cars to protest Kosovo’s declaration of independence, according to the Associated Press.

Despite protests and fears of turmoil between Russia and the United States, Gashi thinks the demonstrations are all political and normal. He does not think Kosovo’s independence will be reversed.

“When other countries, such as Russia, recognize Kosovo as a country, then things will start to settle down,” Gashi said.

Gashi does admit that with a new country comes new problems, and he asks the Biola community to pray for the country, as this may be a time individuals will be receptive to hearing the Gospel.

Kosovo has a majority population of Muslims, but Gashi refutes evangelicals who insinuate all Kosovors are terrorists. He said these conclusions may cause disturbance between the Muslims and the small minority of Christians in Kosovo.

“[The Christian’s] lives may be endangered,” Gashi said.

However, the independence of Kosovo has created new hope for the future of the country.

“[Independence] will create more stability,” Gashi said. “It will give hope to people, and that will also create opportunities for economic development. It will give Kosovo access to different finances. It will hopefully decrease the rate of the unemployment. These are things that will take a long time, but the major thing is political stability. Before the independence, a lot of people were afraid to invest in Kosovo.”

Gashi believes that one of the biggest blessings of the independence is that now the people of Kosovo have an identity.

“Up to this point it felt like we had no national identity,” Gashi said. “We had a national identity, but people didn’t recognize it.”

But that problem will no longer exist.

“I know the first thing they’re going to tell me [when I go home],” Gashi said. “They’re going to be saying, ‘Welcome to independent Kosovo.’”