Where is it, really? We don't feel quite at home here or abroad. Each side of the ocean has its benefits, blessings, and difficulties. We packed in lots of coffee the last couple weeks, but had to say goodbye to Sarajevo for this year, many people left unseen. We miss them. Perhaps next year.
We were able to see Halima and two of her children, Edo and Hikana. I gave her homemade grape jelly and she gave me visnja/tresnja (a mixture of two kinds of cherries). We just can't seem to outgive those wonderful Bosnian friends. We heard a few stories about Hamo and how much he was loved and respected by so many.
We had a really wonderful evening with some of our former teammates, Sasa and Vanessa, with a short drop-in from Jack. They are doing well and the kids are growing up fast, and tall!
Bob taught a class on "Story" that we were able to attend, and we had a special dinner out at Druga Kuca with Bob and Helen, and took Mladen and Violeta there the following night, to have them to ourselves for a couple hours, which is very close to Luster so they can get back to work quickly. The prices in Bosnian marks were reasonable, almost half what you would pay in the States. Another evening was spent at Luster and hail, hail, the gang's all here! The last picture is cheerful Igor, who helped us with Asima's stone. I gave him a Bosnian Gospel of John and he requested an English Bible. One is being mailed to him.
Bosnia is such a quaint and beautiful place with mountains all around the city. The sky changes from early morning to mid-morning and I never tire of the mountains. Our former landlady, Bahra, said that Bosnia was so mountainous, if you ironed it out, it would be as big as Russia. Haha!
Azra cut my hair. She is such a blessing to us. She is so busy it is difficult to find much time with her. Then we walked around downtown a bit and had tea in a cute pot and delicious chocolate palacinkas.
Visiting with Alija and Refika always brings sweet treats, like rose rahat lokum and fresh clementines, jam from sweet dunja, and Bosnian coffee, of course. The view from their house is also beautiful.
We finished up the design for Asima's light grey gravestone and paid for everything, though we were $400 short. Please feel free to contribute to this special project. Email us.
Dejan's mother, Ljiljana, joyously welcomed us in as we picked up some things from Dejan. She had brain surgery last year and her life was transformed. She was so grateful to Jesus for healing, she decided to follow Him, reading the Bible regularly. I was so entranced by a TV show that was on, I had to snap a picture of "Grandma's Kitchen."
We went for a drive up the mountain one sunny day. It was a rough road but worth the view at a mountain restaurant with a view toward the city, far below, and delicious corba, gulas, and ustipci! Yum! On our way back, we went to the climbing rock where Merle formerly taught college-aged students to compare trusting God to leaning back on a rope to rappel down a cliff. Trusting can be scary, but experience brings peace and joy!
We finally connected with Aida, Hannah's buddy from elementary school who lived next door. She spent many days at our house, learning English and American ways. I had made a photo book for her with many special events represented. Her 4-year old son was counting and singing the ABC's in English for us, sorting and discarding the chocolate to get to the stickers or toys inside, and asking who it was in each picture. It was fun to spend time with them. They had made delicious apple juice from their own apples. No wonder food is better there - fresh and healthy.
We were thrilled to spend time with Vesna and Jean Jacques. They made a lovely dinner for us and we so enjoyed laughing with them as French, Bosnian, and English words flew around the room. When we finally took a family vacation back in August 2008, after 9 years on the field, Merle had designed the van in a way that we could all sleep in it, to keep expenses as low as possible. Vesna amd JJ were so generous as to offer to have us stay in their apartment in Paris while we were there! Who does that?! We will never forget.
On our last Sunday, we went to two services, to City Church, and to Dolac Malta in the evening. I also streamed our home church service in the afternoon, while Merle had the car washed and vacuumed to return to generous Mladen. We hung out for the last time at Luster Sunday night. Monday, we packed and cleaned and weighed suitcases, having our last delicious meal at Sutka's, dropping off any extra food or supplies for them. Sutka made really yummy chicken soup with lots of vegetables that she told me was my recipe. She said I made it for her when she was in the hospital having surgery for cancer in 2011. I didn't even remember, but she hadn't forgotten.
The new idea for recycling keeps the caps attached to the plastic bottle. Rather a pain, but does help in keeping the oceans cleaner and the whales healthier, I suppose. The sun was rising as we flew away from Sarajevo. The clouds were hanging in the low spots, just like the pollution does, especially in winter, making breathing very difficult, like the common cigarette smoke. Merle said he could taste the pollution, a kind of metalicy taste, in front of our apartment. The beautiful arbor covered in grape vines didn't provide a respite for reading or napping in a hammock like it had before, because of the loud traffic on the main street in and out of town, and the pollution. At least I was able to make grape jelly several times from those delicious and prolific grapes.
We had given out 5 Heart of the Problem books, met with many people, tried to encourage Believers in their walk with Jesus, and prayed for more to come to faith. We arranged Asima's gravestone, saw old friends and new, and enjoyed the food and beauty of the mountains. It brought tears to my eyes to think of leaving again so soon, but God knows, and we entrust everything into His capable and Almighty hands.
Like Samuel the Prophet, we seem to make a circuit to share with and encourage believers in different parts of the world. It can be exhausting and confusing at times, but we follow the Master and His plan for our life.
"Samuel judged Israel throughout his life. Every year he would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and would judge Israel at all these locations. Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, he judged Israel there, and he had built an altar to the Lord there." First Samuel 7:15-17.
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