Returning home is always uphill

Another thing we have discovered here is that no matter where we go, returning home is always uphill.  That can be symbolic for gospel related discussions, but for now we mean it literally.  We live mid way up a hill and the way home is always uphill.  Friday was a sunny day so we walked up the hill behind us to where it met with the steep road we see at the bottom of the hill by our road.  We see folks trekking up that hill every day and say how glad we are that we don't live up there.  It's a nice view, though.

View looking north from the hill behind us

Same hill view, looking a little more to the west

Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day so we took about a 3-mile walk.  We wandered around some of the shops along the main road that we haven't been to yet.  We happened to be walking right by the large mosque when the call to prayer started.  And then it was up the hill and back home again.

Laundry day at the apartments

We see laundry hanging out windows and from balconies almost every day.  This is one of the high rise buildings and it was a sunny day so almost every apartment was taking advantage of the good weather.

Today it has been raining all day and snow is predicted this week.  The sisters have taken our car to Zagreb for transfers.  They make the Elders ride the train or bus and the sisters use our car.  Elder King is flying home to California on Tuesday.  We have only known him a month but adore him.  He was a good district leader and taught us much in our short time together.  He spent a year at Southern Virginia but will transfer to BYU and hopes to walk on the football team.  Transfer announcements came on Thursday and the missionaries like to be together when they get the news.  They all came to our apartment  at 11:00 am to await the email.

The anticipation: Sister Heder, Sister Russell, Elder Corona, Elder King

They all seem happy with the news

Sister Russell is going to Croatia; Elder Corona will stay in Sarajevo and his new companion is also an Aussie.  Not sure we can take two of them at once!  Sister Heder also stays in Sarajevo as the trainer for a sister fresh from the MTC.  She is from Germany and no one knows yet if she speaks any English.

After they settled down, we had district meeting then treated them to pizza.  We consumed three family size pizzas, plus birthday cake.  No ketchup.  On the pizza or cake.

Sister Russell wanted the chicken mushroom pizza then picked all the mushrooms off

Smart man - takes a pizza to the other end of the table and goes for it

Elder Corona blew the candles out before we got the picture taken

Elder Corona's birthday was February 12 so we celebrated a little late.  It was his 20th birthday.

Today was a good day at church.  Four local members attended, plus three investigators.  We also had a visitor from Las Vegas passing through.  He is touring several of the countries in this part of Europe and happened to be in Sarajevo today.  Plus we have another long-term visitor.  He is an American assigned to the Bosnian defense ministry here.  His assignment is at least 18 months, possible longer.  He is an active member from Virginia and will be a great asset to the Branch.  His wife isn't with him - she is too attached to the grandchildren - but will visit from time to time.

We are truly loving it here.  We have much to learn and only 16 more months to learn it!  We know that Heavenly Father doesn't need us; he could do all the work on his own and do it much better than we can.  He has extended us this opportunity to participate in his work for our own growth.  It is about what we can become and help others to become.