New country adventures

We drove to Belgrade, Serbia after church last Sunday.  Serbia is much flatter than Bosnia and the landscape was pretty.  We saw field after field of corn and sunflowers from the border all the way into Belgrade.  Belgrade is a much larger city than Sarajevo; the population in 2015 was nearly 1.4 million.  All went well until we were getting close to our hotel and one of the major streets was blocked off for a giant beer fest.  It took us quite awhile to get the GPS rerouted without taking us back to the blocked street.  Then we unknowingly entered a section of a street only for buses and taxis and were stopped by the police.  We had no idea what was happening when they took John's passport and we waited a very long time.  We didn't feel too badly for not knowing about the street when many locals were also pulled over.  We never did see any signs or indication it was a restricted street.  The officer didn't speak much English and tried to communicate how much the fine was.  John said he had no money, no Serbian money anyway.  He finally asked John what he wanted him to do - John said he wanted his passport back and directions to the hotel.  The officer just laughed, gave him his passport and pointed the way to the hotel.  Tender mercy.

We checked into the hotel, gave the valet the car keys and didn't take the car out again until we left the city.  The had a fun two days with Elder and Sister Swendsen, who are humanitarian missionaries in Serbia.  They took us to see everything we could fit into two days.  It was miserably hot and humid both days.

Sister and Elder Swendsen standing at the spot where Elder Holland dedicated Serbia for missionary work

I have heard so much about the Danube River all my life and have always wanted to see it.  The Danube flows through the middle of Belgrade and is a beautiful river.

The Danube (left) and the Sava (right) rivers merge in Belgrade

We found a great bakery a couple blocks from the hotel.  We walked there both mornings to eat a pastry and juice or milk for our breakfast.  I had a pastry with an egg cooked on top - delish!

Breakfast at Lulu's Bakery the first morning

Breakfast at Lulu's Bakery on day 2

The second day I had a yummy raspberry filled crumbly pastry and John had a cream filled doughnut.  It was worth the drive to Belgrade just to eat Lulu's pastries!

John and Karen with the Danube River in the background

Prince Mihailo Monument in Republic Square

Republic Square was across the street from our hotel in the city center.  Prince Mihailo was the prince of Serbia from 1839 to 1842, then again from 1860 to 1868.  Apparently it was one of the first memorials in Serbia depicting a ruler on a horse.  If the horse's front left hoof is raised, that means the leader was victorious.

Skadarlija street in Belgrade

Skadarlija is a vintage street in old Belgrade.  It is one of the oldest and few remaining cobblestone streets in the city.  The neighborhood is quaint with lots of restaurants and shops.  It was kind of difficult to walk on for any distance.

The currency in Serbia is dinar.  We withdrew 5,000 dinar at the ATM the first day.  It sounds like such a large amount but it's only $50 US dollars.  It does make you pause when they tell you your hotel bill is 49,000.

Serbian dinar - looks like a lot but it's only $11.80 US dollars

We visited the House of Flowers, where Tito is buried.  Many of the people here still worship Tito and his years of dictatorship.

Tito's grave site at the House of Flowers

Saint Sava Temple in Beograd

The major religion in Serbia is Eastern Orthodox.  There are many churches and temples in the city.  We visited St Sava, that has been under construction for decades and still not completed inside the main chapel.

Crypt level of St Sava Temple

Looking at the "holy of holies" entrance in St Sava

On our last day in the city Swendsens took us to a restaurant right on the Danube.

View of the Danube River from the Toro Restoran in Belgrade

We had a surprise at transfer announcements on Thursday.  Elder Roberts and Sister Dunn go home tomorrow and the other two are being transferred.  We are losing all four at once and only getting two Elders back.  The reason is that 15 missionaries go home this transfer and we are only getting nine from the MTC.  A couple districts were closed until we get more missionaries in 9 weeks.  We are sad to only have two missionaries.  It will have an effect on the branch, on finding and teaching, on weekly FHE and English group the missionaries have been teaching twice a week.  We just have to trust that the mission president is inspired and knows what he is doing.

The Sarajevo District together one last day

The Rhees family has returned from the states.  Sommer is a beautiful baby and we are happy the family is all here again.  Camie's mom came with them and will stay three weeks.

Zlatko holding Sommer Rhees

Speaking of babies, I finished a quilt for one of our partner's daughters.  It isn't my finest work but it is the best I could do with what I had to work with.  I found a couple receiving blankets that were a stretchy kind of flannel fabric.  I removed the trim and put them together for the batting.

Baby quilt made with fabric bought in Bosnia

Our car left with the Sisters this afternoon so we are house-bound until Thursday.  Elder Roberts left for Zagreb on the bus at noon and Elder Evans is our companion until 5:00 am tomorrow when he will taxi to the bus station and go to Belgrade.  We love our missionary adventures!