War damage tour

Last week Elder and Sister Christensen were in Sarajevo with a film crew from Italy.  They are the Public Affairs couple for the mission.  They were filming some of the local church members bear testimony or tell their conversion stories.  Some of these will appear on Facebook or Mormon Newsroom in the near future.  Christensens stayed an extra day and invited us to take a tour they had found online.

Elder Perry and Sister Susan Christensen with us on Mount Trebević

Christensens live in Rijeka Croatia, where he serves as the Branch President.  She is the mission nurse in addition to their Public Affairs work.

The tour they found was supposed to show us areas of the city affected by the war that other tours won't go to.  It was not a good experience.  The guide was a piece of work - foul language, bad attitude, bitter opinions and full of hate.  All the places he took us were very common residential areas that John and I walk through frequently.  One is very near our apartment, which he described as the "worst neighborhood in the city."  We could very easily conduct the same tour for less money and much nicer descriptive words.  The guide was only 26, so was a baby during the war.  We can't figure how he became to bitter about something he cannot even have memories of.  Oh well, we took some good pictures of damage to the buildings.

Apartment building damaged from shelling

Same apartment building, close up

Apartment building located on the ethnic division road

This apartment building faces the street that was the dividing line between the Serbian area and the Bosniak areas.  Most of the damage was inflicted from directly across the street.

We see this sign on many buildings - it says the building is falling down

We see the sign on many apartment buildings that are occupied.  It basically says the building is falling down and is unsafe.

Damage surrounding a window

The window and window cover have obviously been replaced since the war.  How would you have felt if this were your bedroom window?

The afternoon tour was led by the young man's father.  We had reservations about continuing but felt like we needed to stick with the Christensens.  The father was much better - in attitude and language.  He didn't speak English as well as his son, so perhaps he just didn't know all those other nasty words.  He served in the war, on the front lines.  He was stationed on Mount Trebević, very close to his family home.  His job was to keep the telephone lines repaired in and service.  Mount Trebević is the same mountain where the gondola is located.  The Olympic bobsled and luge tracks are at the top.

There are still many bunkers on the mountain, from both sides of the war.  The Serbs prepared in advance and many of theirs are concrete.  The Bosnian army dug their bunkers into side of the mountain and used logs and other lumber for protection.

Remains of a Bosnian army bunker

Our afternoon tour guide

The afternoon guide told us many of his personal war stories of survival and close calls.  He took us to the spots where they occurred.  It was eye-opening to realize how close to the city and civilian life the war took place.

When we arrived in the city we were warned not to go hiking in the mountains if there weren't marked trails or paths.  We see land mine signs in different areas.  Deactivation of land mines is still underway in the mountains surrounding Sarajevo.

Close up of a land mine (not an active one)

Holding a land mine in my hand

I didn't realize the land mines were so small.  The mountainsides were covered with the mines.

We have a branch tradition on the fifth Sunday to have potluck during the second hour.  I made chicken and rice soup and a cake.  We had beef enchiladas and 7-layer dip with real Doritos.  Those obviously came from an embassy family that can get real food from Walmart whenever they want.  But I also like when the locals make their traditional foods.

Branch potluck - that's my yummy orange flavored cake on the end

Sarajevo Branch potluck

We love our tiny little branch, filled mostly with Americans at the moment.  We have been fasting and praying with the Elders to find a good, young local family that will anchor the branch and help it to grow.

We are looking forward to General Conference next weekend.  We will have our Fast Sunday here, as usual and watch a session of conference the following Sunday after it has been translated.

Moonshine next door

We awoke Saturday morning to the sounds of a still being put together in the neighbor's yard.  They started before 7:00 am and were at it all day.  All those barrels of plums that have been fermenting for two months are now a fine whiskey.  So we were told.  We were offered samples but declined.  They were still at it when we went to bed at 10:30.

The fire in the still created a lot of smoke all day

Dumping a bucket of plum mash into the still

It was kind of interesting to watch.  We googled how a still works so we could understand what was happening.  And kept thinking how this would never happen in our neighbor's yards at home!  I was taking the photos from our balcony, trying to be sneaky so they wouldn't think I was a voyeur.  When we went out to the market, we just went over to talk to them and to see it close up.  I asked if I could take some pictures.  I don't know who all the people were - we did meet their daughter Danjela, who speaks a little English.  She brought the bottle and a shot glass over to share with us.  Grandpa said "whiskey, dobro" (good).  Danjela said it should yield about 120-130 liters of whiskey.

Our neighbors with the still, brewing whiskey from plums

The little ditch to the left is where they empty the pits and pulp off the plums.  Grandpa dug a little ditch for it.  It will become part of the compost pile further to the left.

The vat where the condensation collects and out comes the whiskey

What a fascinating life we live in the Balkans.  Our neighbors are simple, hard working folks who make use of everything.

The drive to Bihać Sunday afternoon was uneventful.  We like to listen to books as we drive if we're going very far.  We checked into our hotel and found ourselves back at the same restaurant on the river - the one that offers seefood and wegetables.  It's the only one we know!  We'll have to get brave and find another one some day.

Looking up to the main restaurant - we are seated at the river's edge

The beautiful Una River at dusk in Bihać

We had a nice visit with one of our partners in Bihać.  We are helping them purchase foil emergency blankets for the refugees.  An interesting note about donating quilts - this partner had received 300 tied quilts from somewhere.  They will be given to refugees as well but he said the refugees don't want them.  They are bulky and heavy to carry when they are walking from place to place.  They also get wet and dirty and smelly after a time.  They are often discarded because they are too hard to manage.  I have thought that if I were a refugee, I would appreciate anything I was given.  But that is not the case.  They often toss items from the hygiene kits or sell them if they can.  They refuse to eat some foods - and I don't mean just pork that is taboo for some religions.  Another partner complains that he can't get the men to volunteer or help with unloading trucks, etc.  While we are trying to be charitable and help where we can, we are getting a different view of some refugees.

We met the van from Sarajevo bringing all the shoes, backpacks and hygiene kits we purchased.  They will be stored at the Red Cross warehouse and distributed as needed.  Another partner donated blankets (second-hand army blankets I fear won't be appreciated), tents and backpacks.

John helping unload the van

IOM oversees refugee activity; Pomozi.ba is one of our partners

We're standing by boxes of LDS Charities hygiene kits

The Red Cross warehouse is located on an army base close to the old dormitory where the refugees are housed.  That location seems to get worse each time we visit.  We were glad to learn that IOM is overseeing the repair or replacement of the roof and will install windows, hopefully before winter comes.

Camps outside the refugee dormitory

The Red Cross arrived with lunch while we were at the dormitory

On Friday we took the Elders to the Riders of Hope horse barn to meet the good people there and be trained for their service assignment there.  It is an equestrian therapy program for disabled children.  We did a service project there awhile ago.  These Elders will work with the children and walk along with the horses and children to be sure they stay on the horse.  Neither Elder has spent any time around horses and they were a little nervous at the beginning.

Elder Thompson learning to brush the horse

Elder Daines brushing the horse

Learning to walk with the horse

The Elders will go to the barn every Friday afternoon to work with the kids.  It's a good service for them and I hope they enjoy it.  The owners of the barn are wonderful friends of the church.  They have helped us personally with where to find things and what a Bosnian thing that we don't understand means.  Really good people.  Sarajevo is full of great people that treat us kindly and graciously.

Every day life

We've had a fairly routine week here in Sarajevo.  We did get the car registered, with the help of our local attorney.  It is quite the process here.  The insurance agent does most of the work, including a police check.  If there are any outstanding tickets or unpaid fines, you can't register your vehicle until they are resolved.  Since all the vehicles in Bosnia are registered in the Church's name, there can't be any violations on any vehicle, not just the one you are trying to register.  So all the missionaries must be obeying the law while driving - there were no violations and our car is registered for another year.

We have wondered what our neighbor does with all their garden produce.  Even if they canned, dried, froze or preserved it some other way, they grow far more than those two old folks could possibly consume through the winter.  Today on our walk, we saw her selling vegetables in the middle of the huge apartment complexes across the road from us.  We see people selling all sorts of things over there, all through the year.  She recognized us and greeted us.  We sort of felt obligated to buy something so we bought lettuce, potatoes and carrots.  All for 2.50 marks ($1.57).  Then she gave us four apples for free.

Free apples from the neighbor's tree

I'm glad they were free; I sure wouldn't have paid for them!  But it was a thoughtful gift.  The apple orchard is somewhere up the hill behind the house.  We see him bringing buckets of apples down the road in his wheelbarrow.  We have a few apples John picked up off the ground in our backyard.  They aren't quite as rough looking.  Maybe between all of them we can salvage enough to make an apple crisp.

Fall seems to be burning season here.  They really burn year round but it is very bad right now.  They burn all the roots and plant refuse from the gardens.  It smells really bad and creates a lot of pollution.  This is the field behind us earlier in the summer.  He just lets it grow wild, then comes with a scythe to cut it down.  He leaves it in mini haystacks through the summer.

Neighbor mowing his lot with a scythe

 

You can't see the scythe very well but I didn't want him to know I was photographing him.  It gets fairly long before he cuts it down.  Yesterday he burned it.

The lot after burning the dead grass

We had done laundry and had the windows open when we smelled the burning grass.  We hurried to close the windows but our clean cloths probably smell like we have been camping in them.

Friday was Zone Conference, my favorite missionary event - NOT!  This time we had to leave the house at 5:45 am and drive four hours to Banja Luka for it.  Then after sitting in the meeting until 4:30 we had to drive back to Sarajevo.  The Elders had taken the train the day before and thought they would spend another night in Banja Luka but President didn't want them out of their area that long.  We waited until they finished their interviews with President, then brought the Elders back home with us.  We dropped the Elders at 9:25; that gave them five minutes to get inside their apartment so they met curfew.

Zone Leaders Elder McNeil and Elder Criddle teaching us about the restoration

AP's Elder Sharp and Elder Sorenson teaching us about the Gospel of Jesus Christ

We listened to President Nelson's talk from the new mission president's training seminar at the MTC.  He listed his five wishes for the new presidents:

1. Focus on your spouse and family.  There is no competition between the Church and your family, you can love and serve them both.
2. Focus the missionaries to be loyal disciples, now.  They should have at least one convert on their mission - themselves.
3. Focus on the local leaders and members - especially ward mission leaders and the temple and family history consultants.
4. Focus on the doctrine of Christ - and teach that.  Eternal life is the greatest gift from God. There are two unfulfilled promises yet to happen; scattered Israel will be gathered and the Lord Jesus Christ will come again.  The Book of Mormon will be the instrument through which this will happen.
5. Focus on the blessings of the priesthood.

I'm writing this Saturday night.  We will leave right after church tomorrow for Bihać.  We are delivering goods to the refugee settlement and getting contracts signed for the new vision screening project in that canton (county).

Sunday is day 10 of the Book of Mormon challenge. How can I stay on the good path?  Helaman 5:6-12 and David A Bednar Converted unto the Lord, October 2012.

Who you are with is who you are

I apologize for confusing everyone with the 21-day Book of Mormon Challenge last week.  I just assumed it was church wide but it is a Europe Area initiative.  But you are welcome to do it and start anytime.  Here's the link with the daily scriptures, conference talks and questions:

https://www.lds.org.uk/the-book-of-mormon

We have enjoyed listening to the talks every day and pondering the daily questions.

Today in Sunday School we were discussing the importance of surrounding ourselves with good friends.  We learned there is a saying in the Balkans "Who you are with is who you are."

We spent Thursday in Tuzla.  Our first stop was at the disabled women's organization.  We are helping them renovate a retail space in the town square.  After our business was completed, we gave her the baby quilt I made for her grandson.  She has one daughter and this baby will be her first grandchild.  He is due any day and she is so excited!

Our friend Enisa with the quilt for her grandson

That's the only picture this week; we took more but they are all of smelly, leaky bathrooms that we visited in a Children's Home.  They are asking for help to replace pipes and fixtures so they don't leak and will be usable.  It was not a pretty sight.

Our next stop was the rural town of Teoćak, about 45 minutes outside of Tuzla.  It is nestled in the mountains and very picturesque.  They need help equipping four kindergarten classrooms.  We were a little confused about kindergarten when they said children can start as early as six months and go until they are five.  Kindergarten here is more of an in-school day-care, then they go to pre-school at age five.

The senior couple in Banja Luka brought us a pork roast last week.  That was our dinner today with the Elders and a new couple in the Branch here doing an internship.  We haven't tasted pork for 9 months and it was a real treat.

Day 10 question: Why does God allow evil and suffering to happen?  2 Nephi 2:1-30.  Elder Oaks April 2016 talk "Opposition in All Things."

September already!

John broke a tooth on Sunday night so we called the dental clinic we had been to before and they fit him in on Tuesday.  He had a root canal and the new crown went on Friday.  We have one more visit tomorrow to check his bite to be sure it fits properly.  We have learned that several of the seniors have had dental work done while here. The medical care isn't much to brag about but they have some great dentists.  And it is about one-fourth the cost we would pay at home, even with dental insurance.

We were without a vehicle until Thursday so we rode the tram to the dentist.  John's dental work required three visits last week.  I chatted with the receptionist while waiting and discovered she loves to read, especially English language hard back books.  She orders them from Amazon - says the sight of a hard back book makes her heart go a-patter!  She speaks English very well and likes to discuss politics and other subjects with us.  She commented on how everyone in America has an opinion.  I agreed and said our challenge was learning to respect other's opinions and to get along with each other.  She said if one has an opinion here, they learn to keep it to themselves.

Our new Elders arrived in Sarajevo Late Wednesday evening.  We took them to their apartment and got them settled.  Neither have been in Sarajevo before.  We gave them instructions on how to get to the attorney's office the next morning so he could prepare the paperwork for getting a white card (basically registering with the authorities).  We were at the dentist when they called, saying they were lost.  I got them back to the right street to catch the tram.  They ended up walking a good distance.  When we finished at the dentist, we met them at the attorney's office and took them to the immigration office.  They are now registered and here legally while they work on getting visas issued.

Elder Daines and Elder Thompson

We took the Elders to lunch after the immigration office.  We showed them where the chapel is, a couple good places to eat and where a grocery store is.  They were basically on their own after that.  They have been busy teaching lessons the past two days and haven't had time to get lost again.

Today the Elders joined us for Sunday dinner.  It is a little strange having only one companionship in the city.  After dinner we listened to President Nelson's October 2016 conference talk about finding joy.  It is part of day 2 of the Book of Mormon challenge.  We hope you are all doing the 21-day challenge with us.  If you haven't started yet, it's not too late to start now.

Today in Sacrament meeting, two local Bosnian Aaronic Priesthood holders blessed the Sacrament.  It is the first time since we arrived in January that has happened.  We found Zajko a pair of slacks at the mission office.  I hemmed them for him yesterday.  The Elders gave him a tie.  He looked pretty sharp; even removed his earring.

Zajko blessed the Sacrament for the first time today

He bore his testimony and said he wasn't sure if he liked wearing a tie.  Zlatko has taken him under his wing and is teaching him how to do his priesthood duties.  It is really sweet to watch.

Zajko and Zlatko

Day 3 of the Book of Mormon challenge - Does God Answer prayers?  We would be interested in knowing what you all are thinking and learning as you go through each day of the challenge.