Plum lucky

The plums just keep coming.  More barrels have been added and on Saturday a couple wheelbarrows full of plums were dumped into the new barrels.  They built a fire in the corner and were stirring a dark liquid in a big pot for hours but no idea what that was.  They were at it again this morning as we were leaving for church.  It looks like they are making jam, maybe.

Our friend took this photo of plums on a tree in Tuzla

The gardens are still producing but not looking quite so pretty.  Potatoes, onions and beans have been harvested, leaving bare spots in the gardens.  Some corn is ready and tomatoes, cucumbers and squashes are plentiful.  And plums, plums, plums!

All the Bosnia zone came into Sarajevo Sunday evening.  The new senior couple in Banja Luka stayed at our apartment for 2 nights.  They are still figuring out what being a senior missionary is all about - we grin because we all go through that phase when we first arrive.  We're glad we're past that stage now!  This was their first road trip anywhere in Bosnia.

Sister Jennifer and Elder Everett Brewer from Taylor, AZ

A road trip to Mostar and area was the super P-day activity.  We have decided that one of these super P-days just might do us in.  It was a 2-hour drive.  Our first stop was Blagaj (Blah-guy).  There is an impressive cliff face with a scenic house that marks the source of the Buna River.  The building is named Tekija and is a former Turkish monastery.  Fun fact:  the order of the monastery was called the dervishes.  The order emphasized poverty and humility and were famous for the way they whirled in a worshipful trance.  Hence the whirling dervish.

Tekija and the Buna River

It is quite a beautiful setting.  The house was built in the 15th century and was recently restored.  We had to remove our shoes, the women had to cover our heads with scarves and anyone in shorts had to wear a wrap-around skirt, men included.  It reminded us of the cliff side monasteries in Meteora Greece but not nearly as impressive.

Window inside monastery looking out to the cliff

Us with Tekija in the background

We were supposed to take a boat ride through a cave and down the Buna River for a distance but the boat never came to pick us up so we finally gave up and moved on.  It was starting to get very warm and a ride on the river looked kind of refreshing.

Tunnel over the Buna River

We drove into Mostar to see the old bridge.  I've written about the bridge on previous blogs so won't repeat it, but it's always an awesome sight.  This time we walked over the bridge and then down below to the river bank.  By this time it was very hot - 99 F - and all I wanted to do was jump into the river and lie down.  Most of the young missionaries had never been to Mostar so we had to be patient while they explored everything and waited for the divers to go off the bridge.

Tourists on the bridge waiting for the divers to jump

About once an hour, a diver goes into the water.  They make a big deal of it and collect money from the tourists.  They tease and tease until they think they have collected enough, then jump into the river and swim to shore.

It's a long way down to the river

We finally left the bridge and found some lunch.  After lunch we took our Sisters with us to visit a branch member that lives in Mostar.  She wasn't home again this time so we have yet to meet her.  We drove back to Sarajevo and all four sisters in the zone came to our apartment to do their emailing.  They stayed from 5:00 until almost 9:00 when they should be in their apartment.  The Brewers were with us and we were all ready for them to be gone long before they actually left.  We finally went out on the deck and played Uno while they emailed.

Tuesday was zone conference - my least favorite missionary activity.  I'm sure I've mentioned that before.  I feel like I'm in Seminary for 8 hours at a stretch.  We went to dinner with Brewers and Swendsens, who were visiting our conference from Serbia.  They are humanitarian missionaries like us and Elder Swendsen is also a counselor in the mission presidency.  Brewers wanted to spend one night in a hotel while they were in the city so we dropped them off before going home.

Wednesday morning we showed Brewers around Old Town and had lunch together before they returned to Banja Luka.  We also went to one museum - Museum of Crimes Against Humanity.  It was pretty sobering.  I cannot comprehend how humans can be so unfeeling and cruel to other humans.  The sad thing today is that some of those same feelings of superiority and hate still exist in Bosnia.  We even had an episode at church last week.  Until his outburst I had no idea he was Serbian.  And that is the way it should be; we are all children of our Heavenly Father and he loves all of us the same.  I also think he expects us to love each other the same and treat each other kindly.

Set up your own café anywhere

I had to include this picture - it is so typical Bosnia.  This is the wall surrounding the big mosque in Old Town.  The guy just brought chairs and the little table over into the shade and set up his own little coffee café.  He though I was taking photos of the mosque.

Our week ended with an excellent event.  We had a baptism in Sarajevo!  And he asked John to baptize him.  I think the Elders were a little hurt, but what are you going to do?

Zajko and John

John practiced the baptismal prayer in Bosnian all day.  He was very nervous and struggled with the pronunciation a little, but he did a good job and Zajko was baptized.

Sarajevo district missionaries with Zajko

Baptismal service program

Rhett Rhees is back from America and joined us for dinner this evening.  Their baby girl was born July 17 and is doing well.  The rest of the Rhees family will return to Bosnia in two weeks, just in time for the kids to go back to school.

Be good to each other this week.