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.