January 20, 2019

Enough already!  It has snowed every day for 3 weeks and I've had enough winter, shoveling and cold.  Last winter here was such a mild winter that we weren't expecting all this weather, but we understand this is normal for Sarajevo.

Our parking area gets smaller each time we shovel

This is how parking lots/areas are maintained - they aren't.  People just drive through the snow and it results in icy ruts that don't melt.  Don't even think about walking on a sidewalk without snowshoes.  Or maybe ice skates.

Parking lot by our insurance agent's office

The senior couple in Banja Luka came to Sarajevo this week to train the missionaries on the new self-reliance courses being offered.  Bosnia is one of 6 European countries trialing the revised course with young missionaries facilitating the classes.  We find it rather ironic that we're asking 19-year olds who cannot manage their monthly subsistence well enough to get to the end of a month with money for food, to teach the classes.  Perhaps they are hoping the missionaries will learn something also.

The Brewers came a day early so we could spend some time together.  They are able to buy pork in Srpska land and had made some Italian sausage for us.  It was pretty tasty and a nice treat.  We tried a new restaurant while they were in town.  Vapianos is a pasta restaurant, kind of self service.  They give you a card when you arrive, then you go to each station and order what you want to eat.  They scan the card each time you select an item and you pay as you leave.  They had soups, salads, pizza and pasta.  At the pasta stations, you select the type of pasta and which topping or sauce.  They prepare it while you watch, so it's all freshly made.  We really liked the food and would go back again.

We had some appointments cancel so we took an afternoon off to tour the old city hall and library.  The building is called Vijećnica and is the most extravagant building constructed during the Austro-Hungarian occupation.  It serves as a symbol of the meeting of world civilizations.

It was built in 1896 and has become one of the most important symbols of Sarajevo.  It is often featured in photographs of the city.  After World War II, Vijećnica became home of the National and University Library of BiH.

Renovated Sarajevo City Hall

On the nights of August 25-26, 1992 Vijećnica was hit by flammable artillery missiles.  The fire destroyed city hall, along with the huge library fund of the National-University Library and nearly 2 million books.  I love to read and the image of 2 million books being destroyed makes my heart sad.  It also housed the national archives but fortunately someone had the foresight to remove most of the treasured artifacts a few weeks prior to the fire.

Plaque outside the entrance of City Hall

Vijećnica's reconstruction got underway in 1996 with the help of USAID and other donors.  It officially reopened May 9, 2014, the same day that Europe Day and the Day of Victory over Fascism are observed.  Today it is used for festive and cultural events, art exhibits and regular sessions of the city council.

Photo taken in the atrium on ground level

Beautiful architectural details

Grand staircase - it continues on both sides to the upper level

On Saturday we went with the Sisters to find some branch members.  We visited with the mother of a member and found out she has moved into the city; we got her new address and phone number.  The Sisters have an appointment to visit with her next week.  We also visited a member whose wife does not know he is a member, just thinks they are friends of the church.  He has not been to church for a year and when the Elders contact him, he always is busy or away somewhere.  So we just dropped in and surprised him today.  The wife didn't seem too pleased but he let us in for a few minutes.

We pray each day for protection and safety as we do our work in a foreign land.  We can testify that prayers are heard and answered - ours and all of the daily prayers for missionaries around the world.  Yesterday while we were out with the Sisters we had a very close encounter with a vehicle that was about to broadside our car.  It came barreling through an intersection and there is no way it should have avoided us, directly in its path.  John swerved onto the sidewalk and I never did see where the other car went.  Thinking back on it, and talking with the Sisters this morning, it seems to all of us that the car was plucked out of our path and placed somewhere else.  When you are on the Lord's errand, amazing blessings come your way.