tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87865016349342088122024-03-14T07:11:29.074-06:00Jim and DebbyJimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-64934125624795629062016-10-17T21:03:00.001-06:002016-10-17T21:03:14.073-06:00Home Sweet Home!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-64338908432549965692012-06-20T11:58:00.000-06:002012-06-20T11:58:15.181-06:00A Race to the end....<br />
June just seemed to have slipped by us at an uncontrollable speed. We started the month with a wonderful celebration at the Adriatic coast city of Zadar. It was the 40th anniversary of the first baptism in the former Yugoslavia. We had an absolutely amazing time in Zadar, hearing about the history of the church here in this area and associating with many of the saints from all the missions countries….Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia were all represented by wonderful faithful saints. One of my favorite memories of the time we spent in Zadar was of course, being the social little person that I am, was after one of the day’s events we happened into the kitchen area and sat around the table eating left over melted ice-cream and visiting with the young elders and sister who were apparently exhausted from their clean up duties; another senior couple that we love, The Tanners, were there as well and we just relaxed for a little while and it ended up being a time of laughing and being silly, but after all was said and done I will always think fondly of that sweet few minutes when we were just able to enjoy each other’s company. It really is the little things that make me the most happy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim, Vanja, Viktorija, and Vicky on the ferry to the island just off the coast.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWybb55z_XC27c-4Sm9hyphenhyphenNND-gwei4jVijyKzCSHqaUSncznZkYQ_W9rs27AgERlnCxBdBIjPiTtejUuud1okMH9WAYvHlKWz7cG875CKwhXgD6185_2TYrYjGJxbi3WhDmt_4FxByWSw/s1600/Zadar+celebration+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWybb55z_XC27c-4Sm9hyphenhyphenNND-gwei4jVijyKzCSHqaUSncznZkYQ_W9rs27AgERlnCxBdBIjPiTtejUuud1okMH9WAYvHlKWz7cG875CKwhXgD6185_2TYrYjGJxbi3WhDmt_4FxByWSw/s400/Zadar+celebration+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fireside with members remembering the history of the church here in the Balkans.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first baptism was in the Adriatic, so the missionaries had several baptisms planned in commemeration of that event. It was an early morning service and a beautiful sight to see!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure how many attended the service, but it was pretty impressive!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The missionaries were not allowed to attend the celebration unless they had a baptism scheduled.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUc5h7ShjennuMpUO-Jz063yN5EcJ4hWVfTrqKbUiYyqXbRUCaEli13-xc9aQbWT_gp4zVCqRYyu6iGli7X_9C0cBenuo2MoiLhmdSEB5U9KPz2_GkJWCKxi6fscQbT_L6RylHAx6SdRc/s1600/Zadar+celebration+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUc5h7ShjennuMpUO-Jz063yN5EcJ4hWVfTrqKbUiYyqXbRUCaEli13-xc9aQbWT_gp4zVCqRYyu6iGli7X_9C0cBenuo2MoiLhmdSEB5U9KPz2_GkJWCKxi6fscQbT_L6RylHAx6SdRc/s400/Zadar+celebration+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our kitchen slaves. Elder Marks and Elder Mattson. Two of our favorites!</td></tr>
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One of our cute missionaries, Sister Clegg, she is the niece of our mission president.</td></tr>
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Sunday morning after the Zadar event we loaded the Tadic teenagers in our car and travelled to Zagreb where the celebration continued with a meeting of about 250 Saints. It was attended by all sorts of government and religious leaders from Croatia and also the Area President from Germany. It was a wonderful meeting, but my favorite part was when the members belted out “The Spirit of God” with all their might! It was beautiful! The spirit was so strong and if nothing else the important people representing the government of Croatia now know that the Mormons can really sing! It was a wonderful experience and made me so happy to think that we were able to attend. It was a great way to begin the RACE TO THE END…..<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPLwBzTe8cPAV9y0o6Ir1HZ3fIG6Ex688Ab_D8FqiDbLLp_kkfCBzuTzUYCiKYi-TvvhMm6_ni2BtzGs1B9yILFnj3HjSbeEYlTAHA4DWnUrreazT2Z-EB0T7Z1qeNdfWk4wXVzC9YaU/s1600/Zadar+celebration+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPLwBzTe8cPAV9y0o6Ir1HZ3fIG6Ex688Ab_D8FqiDbLLp_kkfCBzuTzUYCiKYi-TvvhMm6_ni2BtzGs1B9yILFnj3HjSbeEYlTAHA4DWnUrreazT2Z-EB0T7Z1qeNdfWk4wXVzC9YaU/s400/Zadar+celebration+6.jpg" width="381" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Kresmir Cosic's wife. She lives in Zagreb.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qjGNMU4iwsghrf72an0IDTNjT3x0eYG-kD3JBwOM-dy43nbKu41bgAXgJCgngrBJLrCuv73RIA1tcEtEuYj_mvWXeDzOkymhmvBHcnEhp4cfFiW-J6A5VHV4eMPgbrn8NlWkOG9BXrk/s1600/Zadar+celebration+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" rca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qjGNMU4iwsghrf72an0IDTNjT3x0eYG-kD3JBwOM-dy43nbKu41bgAXgJCgngrBJLrCuv73RIA1tcEtEuYj_mvWXeDzOkymhmvBHcnEhp4cfFiW-J6A5VHV4eMPgbrn8NlWkOG9BXrk/s400/Zadar+celebration+8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viktorija Tadic received a grant to go to school from the Kresmir Cosic foundation. She has chosen to go to a hair stylist academy in Belgrade, Serbia next year. Good-luck with your education, Viktorija!! You go girl! </td></tr>
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And that has been exactly what it has seemed like, a race. We moved out of our apartment in Croatia and into the Banja Luka, Bosnia house. Our humanitarian replacements arrived and we spent all last week introducing them to our partners in Croatia. On Saturday morning we brought them down here to Bosnia and this week has been introducing them to our Bosnian partners. They don’t really need much training because Elder Winters has worked for the church’s humanitarian/welfare department for most of his career. We did find out on Saturday however, that they will not be living in Varazdin, instead they will be opening up a new city in Bosnia, Tuzla. So they will be leaving our little apartment as well and be moving permanently to work more effectively in Bosnia. We are excited for that move, Bosnia will benefit by having humanitarian missionaries assigned to the whole country instead of dividing it up between the Croatian and Serbian senior couples. We aren’t quite sure what will happen to Croatia, but for the time being they will also monitor our major projects that we have going there, most likely cutting back on the smaller area projects. <br />
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Our land lord here in Bosnia had a wonderful bar-b-que on Saturday night. They went to so much effort and we loved just sitting around and visiting with our friends and neighbors. It was a great evening.<br />
Saying good-bye to our partners has been a ton harder than we had expected. We have made good friends with most of them and will miss their association. I will post a few pictures of our good-bye tour with the Winters in a later post,<br />
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Our daughter called me this morning and said that the Bishop of our ward has set July 8th as the day he wants us to speak in Sacrament meeting. It will begin at 1:00 and anyone who would like to come to it the address is: 2333 S 2700 W WEST HAVEN, UT 84401. <br />
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We would love to see you there if you can come. Although, I have to admit, if you have followed this blog there isn’t much more I can add…. Two years is a long time, it will be wonderful to be home!<br />
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<br />JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-10413366399872326952012-05-23T15:49:00.002-06:002012-05-23T15:59:42.796-06:00Happy Birthday to my friend Jan... <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Today is my friend's birthday. I've thought of her off and on all day and wondered if she was having a good day. Jan is one of those friends that even as far away as I am from her today, I know that if I called her up we could talk for an hour and still not cover every thing we needed to talk about. Every time I see this quote, I think of Jan.</span> <span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>"True friends are the ones who never leave your heart, even if they leave your life for a while. Even after years apart, you pick up with them right where you left off."<br /> </strong><span style="color: black;">I met my friend Jan years ago, when Jim and I moved to Illinois. She lived down the street from me and offered her friendship to my lonely, homesick, and out of place self. She had two little girls that my kids played with; hours of playing strawberry shortcakes, running through sprinklers, tea parties and super hero's. Those wonderful Illinois summer days gave my children great friends, but they gave their mother a gift beyond measure. A big person to talk to!!!! Over the years and over the miles we continued our friendship. Often not talking for months at a time, and then one or the other would call out of the blue and would spend an hour or so catching up. She would always ask what was the latest thing Isaac had done and then laugh uproariously when I would report that he was jumping off the roof onto the trampoline or that he had filled BOTH the neighbors window wells with water. She would always let me brag a little about how smart this kid or that kid was, or which kid had broken what bone or who was recuperating from the chicken pox. I got to hear how fast Missy and Sarah were growing up , or hear about the neighbors that we both knew. I always loved to hear how her mother and her sisters were doing and how her husband was doing at work. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> I moved from Illinois, back to Utah and really the six years that we spent in the same neighborhood pales in time compared to how many years we have spent NOT living in the same place. But she's still my friend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> We eventually both ended up in Las Vegas living not too far from each other. Her two daughters had decided to call Las Vegas home. Jan and Ken followed them to the desert and so once again her family filled a void in my life when I was away from my own family. They just gathered Jim and I into their family gatherings like we were really apart of the Stottler clan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> As I think of this friendship that has spanned about 30 years, hundred of miles and has endured sickness, (she is a breast cancer survivor), raising children, changing jobs, marriages of our children, divorce and just life in general...I realize how blessed I have been to know this extraordinary woman. Her sense of humor and the love that she so freely gives to everyone she comes in contact with makes her a unique and wonderful friend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> I remember when I was about 16 years old, as is a norm for our religion, I was given a patriarchal blessing by our Stake Patriarch. In this blessing, he told be that I would always have good friends. I don't think I really appreciated that blessing, or even understood what a great gift friends would be in my life. But today, when I remember my friend, Jan, I know that I have been blessed by our Heavenly Father. I have always been surrounded by good friends. Everywhere I go, when life takes me down this road or that road, The Lord has always put good friends on my path to help, to uplift, to laugh with me, or to cry with me. I am so grateful for this wonderful gift in my life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> As I prepare to leave this amazing part of the world, with all it's beautiful wooded forests and red tiled roofs, the one thing I will miss the most is the friends that I have made along the way. I will miss the sometimes less than perfect English. I will miss the great hugs and smiles on the street as I pass. I will miss all those who have given this old, worn out, American lady who can't wrap her head around the language a chance. Even if the only way we communicate is by sign language and a strange game of charades, I will miss the warmth and love of my Croatian/Bosnian friends. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I am truly grateful for all my friends and I'm looking forward to "Catching Up" when we get home. But for today, I'd like to say, "Happy Birthay, Jan, I love you" Debby</span>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-65965134019403136982012-05-20T06:39:00.000-06:002012-05-20T13:52:33.628-06:00We caught a weasel.....Continuing the attic saga from my last post, I believe the squirrels have been killed by Jim's rat poison. It really kind of saddens me, but at the same time, I wasn't really thrilled to be sharing my living quarters with a bunch of squirrels! Jim also bought a large trap, just to see if he could really identify what kind of squirrel was in the attic. To our surprise we caught a weasel! What other kind of species we might eventually identify living with us, I'm afraid to speculate! The trap is baited and set, the elders have taken over the quest and we were delighted to let them be the defenders of the home! Now if we can only get the land lord to take us seriously when we tell him it's a land lord problem, not ours. This might go on for a while, it took 3 months for us to get a new refrigerator when ours went out. Fortunately it was winter and we used the back balcony to keep things cold. Hopefully the roof will be fixed and holes plugged up before we leave so the new couple taking over our house will not have to deal with unwanted guests!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRV-iB3ajQDlNa_WeL44D7Y_yyGEyEqhKN6dU3XBxVpghMynCFJA8enkuIbF_uwi_SVzHu0Z4s8IRHb-IaypgY9TuxsKxUOvupRZFzpioU5GDg6v9F5iggqSOy17DXRY5Up83UDDUUj-Y/s1600/Weasel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRV-iB3ajQDlNa_WeL44D7Y_yyGEyEqhKN6dU3XBxVpghMynCFJA8enkuIbF_uwi_SVzHu0Z4s8IRHb-IaypgY9TuxsKxUOvupRZFzpioU5GDg6v9F5iggqSOy17DXRY5Up83UDDUUj-Y/s400/Weasel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our furry friend. Our translator said she thought it was a ferret, but Jim thought it looked more like a weasel or a Croatian Kuna, (mink) . The Tadic girls and Maja, our translator, took it far, far, away and let it go.</td></tr>
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We have been busy the last couple of weeks, getting projects closed and starting to pack up a few things. June will be a full month with our <strong>Humanitarian</strong> replacements going into the MTC next week and arriving in country on the 9th of June. Then we start a whirlwind of training and travelling to introduce them to all our ongoing projects and partners. We are sooooooo excited for them! I remember how excited and nervous we were, then exhaustion set in as we finished two weeks at the MTC and the long flight over here, The Winters come in on a Saturday, and of course we are in Bosnia for the week-end, so we are making arrangements for the assistants to take them to our apartment in Varazdin and let them sleep for a couple of days until we return on the 11th. By then, it won't really be OUR apartment, it will be theirs, we will be staying in a hotel in Croatia until we train them in Bosnia and then they will be in a hotel and we of course will be here at our house, along with our creatures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFQt3sNsXyzmE_XXpOX_hf_E8hbaHYtrJY4g4XMbXawHiLHzkl7ijm3gSxm4OChhQnMvqgWS6Jgwhp1DnSG5dlc5UxxUnEonKHz4MO65hSSB1SCmZb7ksXeGKsYvTMCzTiJhEL3iWQ-o/s1600/Gradiska+orphanage+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFQt3sNsXyzmE_XXpOX_hf_E8hbaHYtrJY4g4XMbXawHiLHzkl7ijm3gSxm4OChhQnMvqgWS6Jgwhp1DnSG5dlc5UxxUnEonKHz4MO65hSSB1SCmZb7ksXeGKsYvTMCzTiJhEL3iWQ-o/s400/Gradiska+orphanage+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They met us at the cars jumping up and down, so excited to see us! The beds had already been delivered and set up, but they pitched right in helping us unload the cars!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1DGSRqqk6k6709Z0CKse8usW_5xI2t5MOT8NLL80m8rYmp3W4UXQx1NRg7tgnX1Pp8XP5lZc1HbdFAzjYmXGVL0fzZL5Lvm8XJvl8JFUYhPPCGYK3IuwVRk5c8o-tRkR0QAechfYpeU/s1600/Gradiska+orphanage+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1DGSRqqk6k6709Z0CKse8usW_5xI2t5MOT8NLL80m8rYmp3W4UXQx1NRg7tgnX1Pp8XP5lZc1HbdFAzjYmXGVL0fzZL5Lvm8XJvl8JFUYhPPCGYK3IuwVRk5c8o-tRkR0QAechfYpeU/s400/Gradiska+orphanage+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each house got a computer, monitor, new keyboard and mouse. The computers were donated to us from church head quarters in Frankfort. They changed out all of their desk top computers and sent them to the various country humanitarian missionaries to give out. I guarantee they will be put to good use here! Predrag, one of our translators will help them with the set up if they need it. The computers also have real, true live, LEGAL, software. Something pretty rare over here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2nNoOOnnRKtZPvdz0nDgKu4uDvTPkWRSxDvKWly2W8FFLyR__Xn1IqCdIVftB_H51pIW7hoIXZ54gfA4ySoruP3IwQkr1020PV1mxcxkf9vC2fThqC28kOUBCensJJrYBCDWbuRZGpI/s1600/Gradiska+orphanage+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2nNoOOnnRKtZPvdz0nDgKu4uDvTPkWRSxDvKWly2W8FFLyR__Xn1IqCdIVftB_H51pIW7hoIXZ54gfA4ySoruP3IwQkr1020PV1mxcxkf9vC2fThqC28kOUBCensJJrYBCDWbuRZGpI/s400/Gradiska+orphanage+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the children got a new pillow and a new pillow case. Pretty cute, isn't she?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdOHEYtkEsoNf_bBRGOIO9LvNHdypiaw5-B6RQ50prA9I9MMWsANhdgas4KvSNdzAAeVnsaMu6hZ3dZzPv1_2GwiGsjEg6jKVOCTvcqteoSanpsiqLXdEBHyOyp4ektaWh476_3sEXUY/s1600/Gradiska+orphanage+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdOHEYtkEsoNf_bBRGOIO9LvNHdypiaw5-B6RQ50prA9I9MMWsANhdgas4KvSNdzAAeVnsaMu6hZ3dZzPv1_2GwiGsjEg6jKVOCTvcqteoSanpsiqLXdEBHyOyp4ektaWh476_3sEXUY/s400/Gradiska+orphanage+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each house got four new bunk beds with new mattresses. These cuties demonstrated how much they LOVE their new beds. This donation will increase the capacity of the orphanage, while also replacing 10year old, broken down beds and mattresses. This will be one of the last area project we do in Bosnia, so it was especially meaningful to us to have it be one that involved children. They just melted our hearts!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIP_QgMvFjAEz7N7GxZRYA0MHIL1CV3iRYyFYyeRb1EoWzSoCZVLatA7J8_UqjPCA1-_ICKCWqh4-K6TM7fhm7Kcqje9MeJw9MGAp1kYRpOmxPqTWfDTS9Gh4XDgsTiYfa0y4OEStlOLA/s1600/Dr.+and+Marcia+Bennett+3+drive+to+Sarijevo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIP_QgMvFjAEz7N7GxZRYA0MHIL1CV3iRYyFYyeRb1EoWzSoCZVLatA7J8_UqjPCA1-_ICKCWqh4-K6TM7fhm7Kcqje9MeJw9MGAp1kYRpOmxPqTWfDTS9Gh4XDgsTiYfa0y4OEStlOLA/s640/Dr.+and+Marcia+Bennett+3+drive+to+Sarijevo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are in the process of setting up another Neo Natal Resuscitation training here in Bosnia for November. This involved having Dr. Bennett and his wife Marcia come over from Utah to talk to the various doctors that will be hosting the NRT training. We met our Serbian counterparts half way between here and Sarajevo so we could have a hand off the good doctor and his wife that had spent time in that area of Bosnia as well. We saw some spectacular scenery on the way. This is just one of the little villages with a fortress on top of the hill, probably hundreds of years old.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAchUtKyO6YXRhiDIa2bFXCmDuGIRkh4pw89EIxjSPRp3Pn2PWeYkDwRvtouPbknwV3noFPg7VvhyphenhyphenbcLaVy9zEuk5bGiRebP6_M0WVDzD4GbHXiuEpfUkOtYrtH42iiJDCw60bSAZvDo/s1600/Dr.+and+Marcia+Bennett+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="506" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAchUtKyO6YXRhiDIa2bFXCmDuGIRkh4pw89EIxjSPRp3Pn2PWeYkDwRvtouPbknwV3noFPg7VvhyphenhyphenbcLaVy9zEuk5bGiRebP6_M0WVDzD4GbHXiuEpfUkOtYrtH42iiJDCw60bSAZvDo/s640/Dr.+and+Marcia+Bennett+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to stop and get a picture of this beautiful river, This horse shoe bend reminds me of the Mississippi turn in Nauvoo. Dr. and Marcia Bennett were so fun to be with for a few days, we enjoyed every minute of their stay!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1eQPYMCYulaGTSF6pI-lJ23jEPS-kCD07c9v8rp7ayqrt5aWt2LtiqQRFV01jnpfWTigyYAYbLv9Pd4s6C5vfNYIgHIvvjJJ12tqNpfVUbZfvOpPjeWhSHw5T5eOg9P1MSQmR-CGH6M/s1600/Dr.+and+Marcia+Bennett+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1eQPYMCYulaGTSF6pI-lJ23jEPS-kCD07c9v8rp7ayqrt5aWt2LtiqQRFV01jnpfWTigyYAYbLv9Pd4s6C5vfNYIgHIvvjJJ12tqNpfVUbZfvOpPjeWhSHw5T5eOg9P1MSQmR-CGH6M/s640/Dr.+and+Marcia+Bennett+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is out side on a balcony with Banja Luka in the back ground. The gentleman on the left is a doctor but also an administrator for the hospital, Dr. Bennett, The head neo-natologist for the hospital, Sister Bennett, Jim and I.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-_HIC8b70dDepuhoP4o2-W7V1wUmAb_8KN_K4P35qCYTbFFXaD4OFj3uGQQKxO1PJCPJ8XItWhVFyhFMUQea4HZYmvHMoKxD102ZNDBdOCFThfQtyhMqjdYZHCDedUT6IOuX_F2FWS4/s1600/Zone+conference+2012+may.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-_HIC8b70dDepuhoP4o2-W7V1wUmAb_8KN_K4P35qCYTbFFXaD4OFj3uGQQKxO1PJCPJ8XItWhVFyhFMUQea4HZYmvHMoKxD102ZNDBdOCFThfQtyhMqjdYZHCDedUT6IOuX_F2FWS4/s640/Zone+conference+2012+may.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This week we went to a zone conference in Slovenia, it was a great day and we realized how much we will miss being able to associate with this great army of young men and women. What an honor it is to be a missionary! It was a long day and stretching was in order!</td></tr>
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The <strong>Member, Leadership, Support</strong> couple that are taking our place in Bosnia will not be in country until the middle of July so we will not have any over lap with them. They will do fine with out our input, all we do here is love our members and our missionaries, that's a pretty easy gig. They will do an awesome job, I'm sure. We are a tad attached to these people here, and at this point I can't even think of leaving them. No one will ever love them the way we do, Jim was asked to bear his testimony at our zone conference this last week about how our mission had changed us, among other things he said, "when we came here we were grandparents to 20 grandchildren, we leave with 26 grandchildren.......those being the children here in our little branch" They have changed us, made us better, enlarged our hearts and enriched our lives. Grandma and Grandpa Erickson will always remember with great love the very first family to be baptized in Bosnia!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUxeWIaIwFL-vCfKMLLFK4eeETLRHzNvxCHctz8bNRpvg6Dbm0Z3_x-n5PxXH1E2OuHB95mHgKTFozD9FzQCugyKKyx_kcm6XrGkk7POtXIr0sH9rqSjgpWIZ9LTUdGGT6P9PD16t1LA/s1600/last+package+from+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUxeWIaIwFL-vCfKMLLFK4eeETLRHzNvxCHctz8bNRpvg6Dbm0Z3_x-n5PxXH1E2OuHB95mHgKTFozD9FzQCugyKKyx_kcm6XrGkk7POtXIr0sH9rqSjgpWIZ9LTUdGGT6P9PD16t1LA/s640/last+package+from+home.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About three weeks ago we were just hanging out in our apartment in Croatia and the door bell rang. Surprised us because no one but the Jehovah Witnesses ever come to our door. Guess What??? It was a package from home! We could have cried! It just symbolizes how much love and support we have gotten from our friends and family our whole mission! Right up until the bitter end we are still being thought of and loved! Thanks Isaac and Sara, you made our day! We sent the Tadic girls off to girls camp in Serbia this Friday with three bags full of Monster Cookies to enjoy with the girls at camp. (The first EVER girls camp in these Balkan countries) They are making history!</td></tr>
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JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-36712702817809039822012-05-04T14:14:00.000-06:002012-05-04T14:14:31.454-06:00Thanksgiving Squirrel... <br />
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The fall of 1999 found us in the middle of building a new house. It had been a hugh project and we were tired and a little discouraged with the progress. Although we had great aspirations of being in the house by Thanksgiving...it soon became apparent that our goal was not to be met. We were in a rental home, squished and not excited about the prospects of having Thanksgiving dinner there at that house. So it comes down to plan B. I sometimes don't know where I come up with these things, but I decided it would be great to rent a cabin up in the Unitas and have a little get away far from the issues that plagued us with building a house. You know one of those<strong> "Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmothers house we go"</strong> experiences. <br />
On the Weds. before Thanksgiving we packed up all the kids, grand kids, and food and drove up to the mountains. The weather was cold, a little snowy and absolutely perfect for our Thanksgiving weekend. <br />
The cabin had a steep staircase up to a loft room where we determined to put the younger kids. One of our grandchildren, was it Mason or Chase? I think it was Mason fell down the stairs and ended up in not so near by Evanston getting stitches. That should have been our first clue. Then we found out that the oven didn't work. Really? It was Thanksgiving after all, but we adapted and decided rolls could be done in dutch ovens and the turkey in the electric roaster oven that we brought up. I'm sure Thanksgiving that year was wonderful, I really can't remember how the food turned out, this week my old brain has tried as hard a I could to dredge up memories of that weekend. But only one memory really stands out. <br />
Crystal is our youngest daughter. She was in the sixth grade, so that would make her what? About eleven? She was relegated to the loft bedroom with the kids. Every morning we were there she said to me, "Mommy, I don't like that bed, it stinks and I can't sleep good". Several times I went up, looked around and pronounced no good reason for her not to sleep and shrugged it off. We stayed four nights in the cabin. On the last day there we had been asked to strip the beds and leave the bedding for someone to come take care of it. We loaded everything up, cleaned the kitchen, bathrooms and I went upstairs with Crystal to address the beds. Systematically we went from one bed to the other, taking off sheets, blankets and pillow cases. Again while we were doing our tasks, she complained about not sleeping well because of the stink. I couldn't smell a thing. She even said that she tried to get away from the smell by taking her pillow and going to the other end of the bed to sleep, but it did no good. She could still smell the smell. We were finally at the last bed, Crystal took one pillow and took off the case, I took the one she had been sleeping on and started to peel the case off the pillow, filling something hard, I thought she had put a hairbrush or a book, something in the case to keep it safe. But noooooo, out onto the bed it came, A VERY DEAD, FLAT AS A BOARD, DRIED UP, STINKY SQUIRREL! We both started screaming and I don't think I can ever remember Jim moving that fast before or since that fateful Thanksgiving holiday to save his hysterical women!<br />
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Now why might you ask, do I dredge up this wonderful tale of dead squirrel, thanksgiving and husband heroics this many years after the fact?</div>
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This week we have added another squirrel episode to our book, I think I hate the things! Can't they just stay where they belong? Out in the forests or better yet, up in a tree, out in the forest where I don't have to see them? Certainly not living in our attic, certainly not pooping in my bathtub and most certainly not interrupting my peace and security during the middle of the night!</div>
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The week started with us seeing droppings, we thought at first that it might be bats, but no, Jim determined that it wasn't bat droppings. So we got on the Internet, what did we ever do with out it, and matched up the scat with the pictures, (I will spare you the link) and that coupled with Vanja telling us she had seen those furry little things that eat nuts, (she couldn't quite find the vocabulary word in English) on our third story balcony. We have decided we have an infestation of what is called Attic Squirrels. Yesterday my hero, bought about a dozen little packets of rat poison and distributed them on the balcony, rain gutters, and in the attic. This morning they were all gone. Not nibbled at like a rodent would do, but GONE! I just hope they don't die in one of my pillow cases! Life in Bosnia....gotta love it!</div>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-28384600062066209882012-04-29T13:30:00.000-06:002012-04-29T13:30:12.895-06:00We have a release date!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We finally got travel plans and a release date! <strong>July 2nd we will be headed home!</strong> We have a few mixed emotions going on here, as the time is coming closer we realize how hard it's going to be to say good-bye, but then again...it's been almost two years and I have grandchildren to hug, mothering to do and quilting to be done! Probably I will be lost, not knowing what to do with my time, but just sleeping in our own bed sounds pretty good right now!<br />
The last two weeks we have been busy closing projects and doing a lot of paper work. Actually, Jim is doing the paper work. I am starting to clean out closets, drawers and cupboards. We need to get all our stuff moved to Bosnia by the first week of June in order for our humanitarian replacements to move in to our apartment. So we decided to take a little bit each week as we go back and forth. Good plan right? You would think so, but this business of living between two countries is just confusing. Last week I forgot my walking shoes. I didn't want to buy a new pair so George and I just didn't walk all week! George??? You're right, my husbands name is Jim, but I'm listening to a biography of George Washington on audio and so George and I have a date most every day when I don't forget my shoes!<br />
We had wonderful Sunday meetings today, I'm actually starting to understand the hymns a little better in Serbian. Just when we are getting ready to come home the light goes on a little. I think that is one thing I'm really looking forward to when we go home. Hearing the hymns being sung in English. That will be nice. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpc_npNlpB3yTPrfYwQT1k2Zv3GcbXIhRP-D_nrMDVsqv6eb6e43s2ccTRAcYPg9y2OKWBaetmiXUbc-1ladKUBIsJKqX955wh1NOFXaS-KZkXx0RAnNpb45JoKYpniL65q7gGEiz7gg/s1600/MuslimSoupKitchen10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpc_npNlpB3yTPrfYwQT1k2Zv3GcbXIhRP-D_nrMDVsqv6eb6e43s2ccTRAcYPg9y2OKWBaetmiXUbc-1ladKUBIsJKqX955wh1NOFXaS-KZkXx0RAnNpb45JoKYpniL65q7gGEiz7gg/s640/MuslimSoupKitchen10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the closing for a five rack commercial oven for the Muslim Soup Kitchen here in Banja Luka.<br />
They were so happy to get it, things will be so much better for the volunteers. Up to this point they have depended on a wood burning stove. The kitchen wasn't wired for the electricity they needed to run the oven so that had to be brought in. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way back and forth between countries we see storks, I love to see them nesting and by the middle or end of June we will see the babies poking their little heads up! The residents are very protective of these endangered birds and rightly so, they are beautiful and a sight to see! Our translator, Predrag, has started and environmental group that received grant money to help build "lifters" to get the nests away from power lines.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlnlNs2gDdhf1BvFWAisFAZqErnpC-Ulk0qyyINIcDQcbqnAGaFEH0nQ_lecqrBds-IhhoYInk496o1LbOJ7Mjc4Zv6rgMhA4EUFh-Xy2lBbtfuv0bo2flezOk_9K45rxWWh_K_2F-Rw/s1600/Storks+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlnlNs2gDdhf1BvFWAisFAZqErnpC-Ulk0qyyINIcDQcbqnAGaFEH0nQ_lecqrBds-IhhoYInk496o1LbOJ7Mjc4Zv6rgMhA4EUFh-Xy2lBbtfuv0bo2flezOk_9K45rxWWh_K_2F-Rw/s640/Storks+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "lifter" brings the nest up off of the power pole, the move can only be done while the birds have migrated to Africa, it's very heavy as you can imagine and has to be done with great care. I think that only one or two a year can be done. This one was done this winter and everyone is rejoicing that the birds didn't seem to care that their nest had been moved. Isn't it just amazing to see something that big on a power pole?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsM5pOvzXB3knjQamB2_gLhBv_81Dr2pr_x-JXXsfLN2gr2G-831ZgcuAxjmLP3cFQ8tUQXY87iCgPS04zaCwoRHHzXU0JtZKz0C-vd3Mm4fGpRdEem7eaMjVsEGz2A3zSurbEsbaZ2Y/s1600/Storks+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsM5pOvzXB3knjQamB2_gLhBv_81Dr2pr_x-JXXsfLN2gr2G-831ZgcuAxjmLP3cFQ8tUQXY87iCgPS04zaCwoRHHzXU0JtZKz0C-vd3Mm4fGpRdEem7eaMjVsEGz2A3zSurbEsbaZ2Y/s640/Storks+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is another storks nest down the road a bit. This is in Bosnia, but the storks come to Croatia as well. They tell us that in Croatia the government actually pays the home owner a yearly stipend to not destroy or move the nest. Can you imagine having something that big living on your roof??</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzsSrt_tay3xiE7UPMawLzLBwibgcvC3OJxUp-3SE0OyI3EIjlG3z_dFeFYv8juMDi0zcux-kZmoeCs4fJ1AwRnDoACIT4o71odL-Tb_mlLbH7cLV_qjQQWA3X6WowhHMZtcCBpnA4WY/s1600/Storks+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHzsSrt_tay3xiE7UPMawLzLBwibgcvC3OJxUp-3SE0OyI3EIjlG3z_dFeFYv8juMDi0zcux-kZmoeCs4fJ1AwRnDoACIT4o71odL-Tb_mlLbH7cLV_qjQQWA3X6WowhHMZtcCBpnA4WY/s640/Storks+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just a little closer look.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNY0GV357n-Br5_f-OVe_JMuUNR2lIEr2-YZe4wDCjMUNyHuWpTcz8mdVeJrcmwdxUyztZ_FYb24Kco_UFsaAe_pusYt8PEChENclTA1LeWDHs7abhopDXeImnGG5wEoOjiZvjRTCUN4I/s1600/Storks+5+with+swans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNY0GV357n-Br5_f-OVe_JMuUNR2lIEr2-YZe4wDCjMUNyHuWpTcz8mdVeJrcmwdxUyztZ_FYb24Kco_UFsaAe_pusYt8PEChENclTA1LeWDHs7abhopDXeImnGG5wEoOjiZvjRTCUN4I/s640/Storks+5+with+swans.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guy by the green boat lives in the above mentioned nest. I waited for him to fly up to it, but he was NOT cooperative and it started to rain. For some reason Jim thought my bird watching should be over. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeJGYfjvgtRp4MJsjtx392bxgxutP9MY7uDydMyUl4F2AeCjcWPLItRXevWesLCKeasp-gEZUAFCUaNyTjIqK0i0zsoUdyx0mPTG-esUdicO2eljP5EvUzrg-QvaOkN2FkOsVTZEFUQI/s1600/Storks+6+and+swans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeJGYfjvgtRp4MJsjtx392bxgxutP9MY7uDydMyUl4F2AeCjcWPLItRXevWesLCKeasp-gEZUAFCUaNyTjIqK0i0zsoUdyx0mPTG-esUdicO2eljP5EvUzrg-QvaOkN2FkOsVTZEFUQI/s640/Storks+6+and+swans.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was my last picture before I was led back to the car to get out of the rain....what did he think? I was going to melt? Really I think he was more worried about the camera getting wet than me melting. <br />
I wanted to count them before I quit, but didn't have time. George and I saw 62 swans the other day on our walk by the river in Croatia, I could easily become a bird watcher, they just fascinate me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD_5QJJY1hej1aVXc8FzgRA-iRk-tcmQRNAtndeuulLCjqvJ3DrUy8OyNUgAZ9nx_UeVw9L_Br2ayKfGxCN7JE7k92HEsqUJ-_i_Z_IJp4LRZZ8c0dWKuAPifc1oKBgs3XW1aw5eDiQM/s1600/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+1+Hansen+and+Rad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD_5QJJY1hej1aVXc8FzgRA-iRk-tcmQRNAtndeuulLCjqvJ3DrUy8OyNUgAZ9nx_UeVw9L_Br2ayKfGxCN7JE7k92HEsqUJ-_i_Z_IJp4LRZZ8c0dWKuAPifc1oKBgs3XW1aw5eDiQM/s640/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+1+Hansen+and+Rad.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our missionaries with our land lord doing yard work. Elder Hansen and Rad</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqD58MmVBgxwCFQocDeRVG5-zjLrx9PhwQsQuSVP4CiKI_XmCLwnBRI7jfx-xsuT-xg2O46GeDNWGx_97dJScDH4CGEsaFH_w_zarB-wHkDMH5QSLhDOyCEsy9-vwo1bkuMkdRm24iB6I/s1600/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+4+Rad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqD58MmVBgxwCFQocDeRVG5-zjLrx9PhwQsQuSVP4CiKI_XmCLwnBRI7jfx-xsuT-xg2O46GeDNWGx_97dJScDH4CGEsaFH_w_zarB-wHkDMH5QSLhDOyCEsy9-vwo1bkuMkdRm24iB6I/s640/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+4+Rad.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Rad digging up dandelions. His last name really isn't Rad, I just call him that because I can't say his name. I'm a mess, so he graciously told me to call him Rad. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8N1OHG_beV9LG8QfDxwTe4OfQBJuRxrefdOPjfwH1WtGg7jzcz4ksGarK42wRXpMpRkCB470HgxfelFSZ_yaozTGnG-q1wiSecRNVPXhfu7C5batKmEhGm_KbcPJ0SFxWfAjQYzXzL4/s1600/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+2+Hansen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8N1OHG_beV9LG8QfDxwTe4OfQBJuRxrefdOPjfwH1WtGg7jzcz4ksGarK42wRXpMpRkCB470HgxfelFSZ_yaozTGnG-q1wiSecRNVPXhfu7C5batKmEhGm_KbcPJ0SFxWfAjQYzXzL4/s640/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+2+Hansen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viktorija giving Elder Hansen a haircut in my kitchen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ImJKSX8jExoUjmA6hlLFN96EW4WtNXi1VvPs_LjYAOIxyE3KnSg_1fZ0_ZOb3HYGiD9E6Gxptb7T8hA0l7R0EN6rMvPXRiRptZ_7uEL-FO2v5pg_BHst4jcBabM9MoPPXgQx7y5LI7w/s1600/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+3+Rad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ImJKSX8jExoUjmA6hlLFN96EW4WtNXi1VvPs_LjYAOIxyE3KnSg_1fZ0_ZOb3HYGiD9E6Gxptb7T8hA0l7R0EN6rMvPXRiRptZ_7uEL-FO2v5pg_BHst4jcBabM9MoPPXgQx7y5LI7w/s640/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+3+Rad.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Rad cleaning up after his haircut. Okay his real name is, Radosavljevic.....I'm going to practice and say it right one of these days... Seeing in typed in Latin instead of Cyrillic makes it seem a little easier.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y7q3gdXMX1H2hYVE-BTYl0G4mOqR8SZO9HbbyJKa1CVVPUJJXdsSF1VZN8l1nWkNip8YWIx_6FwZ_M_QfNnBMazGaUG1LeON0vph6YmjF0w_TqcoaHxDrXCzpGVBP91exRE451rknlY/s1600/Water+project+closing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y7q3gdXMX1H2hYVE-BTYl0G4mOqR8SZO9HbbyJKa1CVVPUJJXdsSF1VZN8l1nWkNip8YWIx_6FwZ_M_QfNnBMazGaUG1LeON0vph6YmjF0w_TqcoaHxDrXCzpGVBP91exRE451rknlY/s640/Water+project+closing.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our water project closing this week. Jim did an interview on T.V. and as soon as we get it translated I will see if one of my kids can post it on face book. <br />
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I think I might turn into a pumpkin soon, so I'd best quit. I just want you to know how much we love the work we do here in Bosnia and Croatia. It's been such an amazing expierence, what a blessing it has been to us to be able to be here. Guess what? I just figured out that after all most two years blogger has finally fixed the spell checker! Yeah! It makes life so much easier!JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-42646284849168192262012-04-16T05:04:00.000-06:002012-04-16T05:04:50.793-06:00A fast trip to Zadar.... Zadar hates us... that's all I can say, it just hates us! Twice now we have visited this supposedly beautiful, idealic, costal town in Croatia only to be met with clouds, wind and rain. Is it our timing or just that the town hates us? I'm trying not to take it personally, but really I'm a little concerned. Zadar is the birthplace of the gospel here in this part of the world and this June the mission is planning a big celebration down there to commemorate the 40th anniversary of that event. We told the President that we really didn't think he wanted us to go, Zadar hates us, if they want good weather they need to leave us up north. I don't believe he bought it, but time will tell come June 1,2, and 3. We will be there and really are looking forward to taking our youth from Banja Luka to the youth activities and celebrations that are being planned. But I still maintain it's risky to allow the Erickson’s to attend! <br />
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Zadar may hate us, but our hearts were warmed by the gratitude that the rest home there felt for us when we gave them a 46 inch flat screen T.V. to go on the wall in their lunch/gathering room. They had one on a desk in the room but it had a mind of its own and would at intermittent times just start screeching. No funds for a new one were in their budget so they were especially appreciative of our efforts to help them get a new one! It will be a source of great pleasure for these old people who depend on it for entertainment, news and a link to the outside world. Needless to say, they do not have T.V's in their individual rooms so this is their only source of media. We have the best job in the world, don't we???<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBIfSF8DzYfozBZEKefaOK4u3z80J_asedO_w-ezVHBvcK_jafffrZNi3RcG9ux9jcFOQ8N1ZGmOqnzOKst7CpoIk5KqSP1BjIbfXLFRYhw0CNdFGZMz4vGetX4GMjuhDcphomrhbMw0/s1600/Zadar+Home+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBIfSF8DzYfozBZEKefaOK4u3z80J_asedO_w-ezVHBvcK_jafffrZNi3RcG9ux9jcFOQ8N1ZGmOqnzOKst7CpoIk5KqSP1BjIbfXLFRYhw0CNdFGZMz4vGetX4GMjuhDcphomrhbMw0/s400/Zadar+Home+1.jpg" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the cute little residents and a staff member. I think I will start the trend of wearing scarfs over my head. <br />
I think it's a great idea for a bad hair day. What do you think?</td></tr>
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We took time while we were there to go to lunch with our missionaries. There are a set of Sisters as well as a set of Elders down there. Soon, our friends, Elder and Sister Tanner from Brigham City will be assigned there as well and will be an amazing addition to the branch and missionary effort in the city that hates us! The Tanners have been working in the office temporarily until the permanent office couple arrived a week ago. As soon as they are done training the new couple, they will move to Zadar. We will miss them when we stop into the office, but will look forward to seeing them again in June.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Wk70P4mct5W4sz76xP9Cjg_RO20RUY_FISxUvjKjtYonuC3KGfRvAcAg9GAahvESQviiks8oDTVy0ozMD_10EMDiOeWof1_c2XZG-VomQItqX2OyNps0w4Gh0oHv9QfAueX4NDUokVE/s1600/Zadar+home+4+lunch+with+missionaries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Wk70P4mct5W4sz76xP9Cjg_RO20RUY_FISxUvjKjtYonuC3KGfRvAcAg9GAahvESQviiks8oDTVy0ozMD_10EMDiOeWof1_c2XZG-VomQItqX2OyNps0w4Gh0oHv9QfAueX4NDUokVE/s400/Zadar+home+4+lunch+with+missionaries.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Mattson and Elder Marks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVrTsXljB_zRCS_kKoh_MQqYg4l6FsbSsvPBUc8G1NCnU5PzPnp6FWatwyngAsxaqdPDXUn2hjhXKsyY4-wfVWC1bY-MG3n9b9hYGTk4TkOrDMtxwDNThHohs0FRP4Eoh7ExGTYgU9AI/s1600/Zadar+home+3+lunch+with+missionaries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVrTsXljB_zRCS_kKoh_MQqYg4l6FsbSsvPBUc8G1NCnU5PzPnp6FWatwyngAsxaqdPDXUn2hjhXKsyY4-wfVWC1bY-MG3n9b9hYGTk4TkOrDMtxwDNThHohs0FRP4Eoh7ExGTYgU9AI/s400/Zadar+home+3+lunch+with+missionaries.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister Clegg, Tihana (our translator) and Sister Craiger</td></tr>
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Zadar is a three and a half hour drive each way, so it was a long day on Tuesday. On Weds. we headed to Zagreb to visit the Red Cross and have a closing with a group called "Hope". It is the only organization in the Balkans that has been established to help those who suffer from Anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders. They wanted to set up a small counseling/ support group center so girls could come and just hang out with others that understood their difficulties and didn't judge them. We helped them buy some chairs, office furniture and a small refrigerator to get them started up. They have worked hard to paint and clean the space that they had donated to them by the city and it was really looking great when we arrived. We wish them well, they are good people trying to help a group of young people who are struggling with diseases that are still not fully recognized and understood by health, mental health and government officials here in these countries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxreqg4Zc9EXklpOxD9xnsJzVgKFyuAhwGQQnYZFS09phj6joOP_tEwZKb-MR91XLglC2ThDrSIJPjKDoeLoijNfzILWF7jO3PlPPNwfvmOC2t-Ng4YkJRP5tjc1MKsasTpgXE9l5IXk4/s1600/Zagreb+Hope+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxreqg4Zc9EXklpOxD9xnsJzVgKFyuAhwGQQnYZFS09phj6joOP_tEwZKb-MR91XLglC2ThDrSIJPjKDoeLoijNfzILWF7jO3PlPPNwfvmOC2t-Ng4YkJRP5tjc1MKsasTpgXE9l5IXk4/s400/Zagreb+Hope+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We gave the director a picture to hang on the wall, he was so pleased and invited us to come back and visit when we could.</td></tr>
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Anxiously we booted up the computer Thurs. night the first thing when we got home and realized that our orphanage project that we had written up and submitted had been approved! Yeah! So this week we are staying in Banja Luka all week to start working on that project and also to hopefully close a couple of others. We were nervous because there are not really enough recipients to fit into the parameters of most of our projects, but our people in Germany must have felt like it fell into the category of, "just the right thing to do". Indeed it is. We will be shopping for 4 sets of bunk beds, pillows, sheets and mattress covers this week. I am on a shopping mission, you know!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaFJ2wlR9wCzgMwtQ0re6nz3EKbO_1itANftclFJnTOUOHHmislNdfty1BSldE4aRuuOtiWGn8bYN7J8Ja6u4CLpCgwd1T7klEQkYtYktubeRr69Gi8kczFlFH-Fy93LCuVqRMYUtQzo/s1600/Elder+and+Sister+Taylor+last+visit+in+Banja+Luka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaFJ2wlR9wCzgMwtQ0re6nz3EKbO_1itANftclFJnTOUOHHmislNdfty1BSldE4aRuuOtiWGn8bYN7J8Ja6u4CLpCgwd1T7klEQkYtYktubeRr69Gi8kczFlFH-Fy93LCuVqRMYUtQzo/s400/Elder+and+Sister+Taylor+last+visit+in+Banja+Luka.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our good friends, Elder and Sister Taylor came to Banja Luka for the last time this weekend. They are going home in two weeks. And so this was their last visit to see the Tadic youth. They have done an amazing work with the youth here in Bosnia, Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia. They have not just run the institute and seminary programs but have orchestrated E.F.Y. attendance for the youth, temple trips and Young Single Adult conferences. Their travel has been extensive throughout these countries as they have spread their faith, testimonies but most of all their love to all the youth. They have touched many, young and old and we will feel a great loss at their departure. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZUDVzlgd724mbcU6UcE-ub8rs23N7sgLvLhR4PdLXeLxwMzPAfgB5v0U2-ZmI5cWbmLme2eK-Z-m9P9O-Ps9OYcMrSKXgH8Xjlrerko1sQMsKa2DhLAMVajDw7M3zHswzaZU6DfPOWI/s1600/DSC03726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZUDVzlgd724mbcU6UcE-ub8rs23N7sgLvLhR4PdLXeLxwMzPAfgB5v0U2-ZmI5cWbmLme2eK-Z-m9P9O-Ps9OYcMrSKXgH8Xjlrerko1sQMsKa2DhLAMVajDw7M3zHswzaZU6DfPOWI/s400/DSC03726.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last picture of the Taylors with our Tadic family. Our cute Elders are also in this one. Wow! Do we love having missionaries in Banja Luka! We are getting new people every week to church and it's just awsome!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJ2Zg6U0qF3g40jJWahI89awvp-8zTjti3iRimLm2sDia6f0kk6DABdBhyeEFwVdbmdbDcBFlzo6vELpzVkkViUt-3MvYYrPn_l6coTmFdq8UOpipNnzSjCAGjcXQSR5_fVzmfNtWjFM/s1600/DSC03727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJ2Zg6U0qF3g40jJWahI89awvp-8zTjti3iRimLm2sDia6f0kk6DABdBhyeEFwVdbmdbDcBFlzo6vELpzVkkViUt-3MvYYrPn_l6coTmFdq8UOpipNnzSjCAGjcXQSR5_fVzmfNtWjFM/s400/DSC03727.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Victoija. She is graduating this spring and we are just finishing up her application for a grant from the Cosic foundation to help her get into an academy in Serbia. This is the picture we took to put with the application. She's just beautiful, isn't she? </td></tr>
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It was Orthodox Easter this week end in Bosnia so we are in holiday mode today and tomorrow. It is an official time off work and school for everyone, but I think the stores are open so I'm going to go buy paint and start working on the stairways again. On Weds, we have a scheduled closing for a project with our "New Generation" project and later in the week we hope to have one for our Islamic soup kitchen.<br />
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You can tell that we are trying to wrap things up and starting to think about everything that needs to be done before we leave. Essentially, everything needs to be wrapped up by the end of May because June's calendar is looking pretty full at this point. The Zadar celebration is June 1, 2, 3. We need to clean and move out of our apartment in Varazdin from the 4-11th in anticipation of our humanitarian replacements coming in on the 9th and moving into the apartment. (We will be in a hotel in Croatia and in our Banja Luka house) We will train our replacements in Croatia the 11th through the 16th, take the Tadic family to Germany the week of the 17th, come home and train our humanitarian replacements in Bosnia the week of the 24th. That pretty much takes care of June, doesn't it? It all seems to be coming up on us soooo fast. Plane reservations are being made for us this week and then we will have an official release date. Wow! I just started getting all teary eyed! What a jumble of emotions I am, so excited to see my family again...it's been so long, I'm not even sure my grandchildren will remember me! But then again so sad to leave this wonderful place behind with all the amazing new friends and relationships we have forged. Time is ticking away and before you know it we will be back in Utah.JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-5430581540995464542012-04-05T14:02:00.000-06:002012-04-05T14:02:09.710-06:00Live as the doctrine demands....We had the amazing opportunity to visit an orphanage this week, and before my poor memory fades, I wanted to tell you about our encounter with our joyful new friends! We had heard from our translator for quite awhile that there was an orphanage close by, but with our travel to Germany and wheelchair training it just kind of got put off until this week. We met with the city officials that are in charge of the orphanage and heard a little about it before we went to visit it. It is a bit of a new twist from the traditional orphanage that we all think about in the U.S. It was built to give the children a feeling of "home" and "family". The city, understanding the importance of both security and love to the proper development of a child decided to attempt a new, more progressive approach. A humanitarian group from Switzerland came in ten years ago and built the buildings...there are two of them. Each house has a mother and father and up to 10 children that those parents are responsible for. We were so impressed with how loving and happy these children were. I wish every one of you could have been with us to see them run out to our car, greet us and give these strange old Americans their hearts! I can tell you they melted ours! Because they are on a rotating school schedule we didn't get to meet all of them, so next time we want to go out on a Saturday. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjdYF4gL2QJoyxFSVJD3_CzjCliAIkECktWFQWl-KSFlyYHeyUXfOqTWbAZzrha96J-NTPUnonquj51HyMvoWbchmk9Dp1kwvlGYuz1Ty6xa7Mc2cRJHXO_XC9GujnT-ar1g3GrQuq1Q/s1600/Gradiska+orphanage+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjdYF4gL2QJoyxFSVJD3_CzjCliAIkECktWFQWl-KSFlyYHeyUXfOqTWbAZzrha96J-NTPUnonquj51HyMvoWbchmk9Dp1kwvlGYuz1Ty6xa7Mc2cRJHXO_XC9GujnT-ar1g3GrQuq1Q/s400/Gradiska+orphanage+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new friends, aren't they a happy bunch?</td></tr>
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The city supplies them with food and expenses for everyday living, but any extras are just not in the already strained city budget. That means that the beds, sheets, pillows and blankets are ten years old now and in need of being replaced. The homes were not made for that many children and especially not any handicapped children, but they have both, too many children and some mentally disabled children as well. This has occurred because they accommodate sibling groups that the city feels like it's in the children’s best interest to keep together for obvious reasons. The parents in both homes are dedicated wonderful, care givers that really look at these children as "their own". You could tell by the interaction between them that the children were loved and cared for....so different from some of the other facilities that we have been in.<br />
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We came away with a desire to do a project for them, so we are now in the mists of developing something. To relieve the overcrowding a little bit, we would like to buy some bunks beds, and then perhaps see that each child, whether or not they are the lucky ones to get a new bed at least will get a new pillow and blanket. We are crunching numbers and seeing if we can get it into our budget parameters. <br />
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Okay, so here is the rest of the story....... the next morning after we visited this orphanage the missionaries, (they live here now, remember?) Asked us if we would like to sit in on a lesson they were teaching to a young man. We said, "of course" and so at the appointed time we met with them and their investigator. In my efforts to get to know him, I asked him if he was from Banja Luka, he said yes, that he lived with his brother and his grandmother. His mother, he said, had died eight years ago of brain cancer and his father had hung himself 4 years ago. He said he had 5 other siblings that were in an orphanage near here......yep! You guessed it! I pulled out my camera, and he was so cute! "THAT'S MY BROTHER! THAT'S MY SISTER!" Do you think that it was just a coincidence?? I think not, The Lord is in control and sometimes it takes a little experience like this to really bring that into focus for us. <br />
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We are so grateful for all these little bits of learning we are gathering on this mission. What a great blessing it has been to us.<br />
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On a totally different subject, I read this statement the other day by Thomas Jefferson, <span style="color: #660000;"><strong>"What does it matter how strictly you proclaim your belief in various doctrines if you do not live as these doctrines demand?"</strong></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="img" height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s320x320/528116_2000813637421_1755978263_1001035_308611124_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Gotta love it!</td></tr>
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When I saw this quote I immediately thought of the above picture, but upon a more thoughtful introspection it came to me, how quick we are to judge. I loved conference and the timely message to "Stop it" and I now have a new motto: <span style="color: #660000;"><strong>"live as the doctrine demands" </strong></span><br />
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I can’t wait for Easter Sunday; the Tadic kids have been learning “Hosanna” to sing in church for sacrament meeting. They sound amazing; I will try to get it on video if I can figure out how to do that on my camera. That’s the goal for my next post.JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-88192152833744187272012-03-27T01:55:00.000-06:002012-03-27T01:55:23.202-06:00Humanitarian Conference in Germany..We spent this last week in Germany at an area Humanitarian Conference. It was a wonderful conference, and we were so grateful to have the opportunity to go to one more conference before we go home. We especially enjoyed being with our counterparts from Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Albania, Cape Verde and The Czech Republic. We felt so privileged to be in their mists and learn from them. Topics for the conference included: New wheelchair protocol, facing challenges of working in a new country and working with government officials, major initiatives, solving problems-not symptoms, working with public affairs and media, keeping good records, and doing humanitarian service the Lords way. We also got to meet the newer members of our humanitarian missionaries group. In between all of this we ate and ate and ate! I still haven't dared to get on the scales! That might be a week or two of eating properly and exercising before I go near them! Our humanitarian supervisors in Germany, Elder and Sister Leonard put together an amazing conference for all of us, they worked so hard to make everything just perfect and we are so grateful to them for all the service, good council and love that they so willingly share with us in the different countries. <br />
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I think that we just really got our batteries charged and it gave us a much needed lift to keep us going strong until we leave in a few months. Everything seems so bitter sweet to us at this point. WE WILL BE COMING HOME SOON.......but, we will be leaving so much behind. We'll never see most of our new friends again, we will be leaving this work that we love so much and who knows if we will ever get back to see the beautiful red roofs and old castles of Europe. It's just a jumble of emotions right now and as the time grows closer I know that we will add in so many more individual people that I don't have the energy to even go there right now. So every time I start thinking about it, I quickly replace that thought with something that I need to do before I leave. The list is never ending and I'm sure that as we are walking out the door I will still be thinking of stuff to do! You can tell by my writing that my mind is a jumble and I'm in a pretty ridiculous state of emotional turmoil. Does every missionary feel this way, or am I just an old lady that thinks too hard??? <br />
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This last Sunday was the first week in almost 20 months that we haven't been in Banja Luka for church. We left the missionaries in charge and I'm sure they did a great job. It was like leaving a new born baby with a baby sitter for the first time. It was a little hard for us. We are excited to get back and see how things went. Here are a few pictures of Germany.....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_vdkEoFgBacuieELuPvaFy6hqWshQDTb13tjpOlAYbKtekgMiWTnUsgUEzuOtcR332Kgtbpm7uiPfW8v3VbuZH5SYECxvml5OOOl-9v3Yamo-aWT6rwXCpzcejX-lPp1_tVe6DinRyI/s1600/Another+Great+Castle+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_vdkEoFgBacuieELuPvaFy6hqWshQDTb13tjpOlAYbKtekgMiWTnUsgUEzuOtcR332Kgtbpm7uiPfW8v3VbuZH5SYECxvml5OOOl-9v3Yamo-aWT6rwXCpzcejX-lPp1_tVe6DinRyI/s400/Another+Great+Castle+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday we went sightseeing a little and saw this wonderful, well preserved castle. There are people actually still living in a part of it, We took a tour, saw amazing art work and artifacts, but mostly realized how cold and drafty castles were. I was freezing by the time the tour was over and grateful to see the sun peeking through the trees and over the walls. We all immediately bee lined it for the sunny spots in the court yard!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCm-e3oXai6k78OT7pb7WETmWY-4rpBMEzph7gUoErWdgau6mKREcNqBgk3_VK92KJOZDrmaDY2k_hVnbejg1GBEiPgM7mVxYqetW-XgbKEYH4c_3zo1X2WEvNlkPG65Mub5ELgK9j8fc/s1600/Another+Great+Castle+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCm-e3oXai6k78OT7pb7WETmWY-4rpBMEzph7gUoErWdgau6mKREcNqBgk3_VK92KJOZDrmaDY2k_hVnbejg1GBEiPgM7mVxYqetW-XgbKEYH4c_3zo1X2WEvNlkPG65Mub5ELgK9j8fc/s400/Another+Great+Castle+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the same castle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-_YJGjWykupWmlUj6IVYPj46N9dW0IpR5_ZjIM5uhjiKc6ws1Re92unL6kbY-SXDMYd1hCB69Yp1rSPH2ZtVh_Q0GHu4Cz8AC0587ngQPbbEiUxyNiiMQhhrj_P96Ur-ZPoA0u5HeZs/s1600/Another+Great+Castle+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-_YJGjWykupWmlUj6IVYPj46N9dW0IpR5_ZjIM5uhjiKc6ws1Re92unL6kbY-SXDMYd1hCB69Yp1rSPH2ZtVh_Q0GHu4Cz8AC0587ngQPbbEiUxyNiiMQhhrj_P96Ur-ZPoA0u5HeZs/s400/Another+Great+Castle+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want to be Juliet and have my Romeo come visit me here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yFxJV-8rBl09Vtgx199ZnwgBr80JWohBKlUXoGXI71rdd-b1BzPicYMUs0rjuH-PAOAkoLCe4Kp8_VXltJpsXc8b4qMsq1iJgQT6-kjG6hqupFwysgF-4SvJge6ppVB6gRyheL2Y9U0/s1600/Another+Great+Castle+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yFxJV-8rBl09Vtgx199ZnwgBr80JWohBKlUXoGXI71rdd-b1BzPicYMUs0rjuH-PAOAkoLCe4Kp8_VXltJpsXc8b4qMsq1iJgQT6-kjG6hqupFwysgF-4SvJge6ppVB6gRyheL2Y9U0/s400/Another+Great+Castle+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The little town below the castle was beautiful! When I am old I shall wear PURPLE! What do you think?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfvlNBciMZGpTT7_PMHPk7zxnJdwLRAfK3qpUh8hC3M4tj1mrS2yCnIup83lI26c93Hya1Bvm3Y5_kp1zysCc3lyUI9o_YyeDQOPsOLhhqbtlVjKrM5ir9iArYA7aOaFaV1YaLRe46Zs/s1600/Humanitarian+Conference+8+Anne+Franks+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfvlNBciMZGpTT7_PMHPk7zxnJdwLRAfK3qpUh8hC3M4tj1mrS2yCnIup83lI26c93Hya1Bvm3Y5_kp1zysCc3lyUI9o_YyeDQOPsOLhhqbtlVjKrM5ir9iArYA7aOaFaV1YaLRe46Zs/s400/Humanitarian+Conference+8+Anne+Franks+home.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a drive by photo op....Anne Franks childhood home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1kmvAF2oHPyjmxLaec2-TdVtlJp20VlYjHM20PGDTY2mTYZy7fxCqQsk17XSxKa_XqVVGgZEmtL-eGKAVQmdVYsiJqq3c82vdoheZ16UFyFa9apjrFgdhcnszVQoAJk587HsHz1CYUc/s1600/Humanitarian+Conference+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1kmvAF2oHPyjmxLaec2-TdVtlJp20VlYjHM20PGDTY2mTYZy7fxCqQsk17XSxKa_XqVVGgZEmtL-eGKAVQmdVYsiJqq3c82vdoheZ16UFyFa9apjrFgdhcnszVQoAJk587HsHz1CYUc/s400/Humanitarian+Conference+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved this picture of Sister Leonard, she was working the projector while Elder Leonard was talking. They both did an amazing job putting the conference together. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_tIfbwMJVHxjnuifyiIRE_N0O_tybPY0D_ghymVxKogtItfye8Nq5LBE81m2GiocsjMiZNiH30ZH2AOucQbzU4YVZdvSVXxt1UyA_arut6LBf6m20QXmHxuUogTyLA3jAy2q9DFmVbI/s1600/Humanitarian+Conference+5+Ericksons+and+Junckers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_tIfbwMJVHxjnuifyiIRE_N0O_tybPY0D_ghymVxKogtItfye8Nq5LBE81m2GiocsjMiZNiH30ZH2AOucQbzU4YVZdvSVXxt1UyA_arut6LBf6m20QXmHxuUogTyLA3jAy2q9DFmVbI/s400/Humanitarian+Conference+5+Ericksons+and+Junckers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim and I with our friends from Macedonia, The Junkers, They came out with us and were in the MTC at the same time as us. They will be going home to Minnesota the same time as we will be coming home. </td></tr>
</tbody></table> JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-22470333678497986952012-03-20T09:22:00.001-06:002012-03-20T12:18:51.832-06:00Wheelchair Training...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUep5AhDZxsVoV-yaDCRFyh7gElhlMTiVAZA7PPIPLNT2A1c_PAY-M80SSpueUEVVQmmwXEdPADcx9SAPBS6FFoUMeLNmmCSpL82gAs06iFh2N7A-seXXUea5HNXLgMS2qJNkpBtFST0/s1600/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUep5AhDZxsVoV-yaDCRFyh7gElhlMTiVAZA7PPIPLNT2A1c_PAY-M80SSpueUEVVQmmwXEdPADcx9SAPBS6FFoUMeLNmmCSpL82gAs06iFh2N7A-seXXUea5HNXLgMS2qJNkpBtFST0/s400/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheelchair training in Banja Luka</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To come into compliance with the guidelines set out by the world health organization the church is now requiring our partnering organizations to be trained in how to fit and distribute wheelchairs properly. We have been planning a preparing for this training for some time now. We hosted our wheelchair specialists from Utah who were being sent here to do the training for both our partnering organizations, The Red Cross and the Banja Luka Rehabilitation Hospital in Bosnia and the Red Cross in Croatia. Here is a little back ground that I found on the World Health Organization web site. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>"The wheelchair is one of the most commonly used assistive devices for enhancing personal <br />
mobility, which is a precondition for enjoying human rights and living in dignity and assists people with disabilities to become more productive members of their communities. For many people, an appropriate, well-designed and well-fitted wheelchair can be the first step towards inclusion and participation in society.<br />
The United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and World Health Assembly resolution WHA58.23 all point to the importance of wheelchairs and other assistive devices for the developing world, where few of those who need wheelchairs have them, insufficient production facilities exist, and all too often wheelchairs are donated without the necessary related services.<br />
When the need is not met, people with disabilities are isolated and do not have access to the same opportunities as others within their own communities. Providing wheelchairs that are fit for the purpose not only enhances mobility but begins a process of opening up a world of education, work and social life. The development of national policies and increased training opportunities in the design, production and supply of wheelchairs are essential next steps."</strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Our Specialists were Elder and Sister Schnebley from Bountiful, Utah and Misti Timpson from Salt Lake City. Elder Schnebley and Misti are physical therapists and Sister Schnebley is a nurse so they are well qualified to teach these training seminars. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"> At first thought you might ask, “So how hard is it to give a wheelchair to someone, you sit them down, maybe adjust the feet rests and send them away”. Well, we learned that there is A LOT more to it than that. We learned things like, pressure sores, balance, diagnosis, core strength, and other health problems are a big part of determining a proper fit for a wheelchair. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">We spent a delightful week with our students and our specialists. Here are a few pictures that I thought you might enjoy seeing.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tLpVeI36i_K4tEyDw3OEpaogYuxApXNepXuD6nIlSYl3lFUcn32E7p4rDep55b_yvN-8DlOZxVzNLzf9OCODrR4Ho0Bv8_i1mJ1f3d6_yOfCe1ra-wSlxjp4o7uWuaSpRQIqhtghAe0/s1600/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tLpVeI36i_K4tEyDw3OEpaogYuxApXNepXuD6nIlSYl3lFUcn32E7p4rDep55b_yvN-8DlOZxVzNLzf9OCODrR4Ho0Bv8_i1mJ1f3d6_yOfCe1ra-wSlxjp4o7uWuaSpRQIqhtghAe0/s400/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our students in Banja Luka were for the most part professionals that worked at the hospital.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nhn2TLnz1UlnPHCpfasYO01QElGhw-30Wxx19oMnvJ1djOapp7C3es2DTrRl5lpzrXO44_Bs1OHJgTE8KN3UfN9a4qaDrFdNQmYVFWgobk6zwEKN2BSVcyioUC53ho7jT4iRQqt3QmI/s1600/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7nhn2TLnz1UlnPHCpfasYO01QElGhw-30Wxx19oMnvJ1djOapp7C3es2DTrRl5lpzrXO44_Bs1OHJgTE8KN3UfN9a4qaDrFdNQmYVFWgobk6zwEKN2BSVcyioUC53ho7jT4iRQqt3QmI/s400/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the newer wheelchairs that are now available from the church require some mechanical know how to put them together, but they can be adjusted better to fit the individual. This was all covered in the class and they got hands on experience at putting the chairs together.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd0NsXDuRsPOnC-K8bo11vZ1kh2oS74PJuavUL2smjG1J8YkrBir-aUEBRrw94DhHStbYqkuopABrbP_v1P4MhaGvGNZZMoBk_XzfyAYAjudLy6yemJBeKMrK2EuMoxlp7LkHOn_7ACw/s1600/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd0NsXDuRsPOnC-K8bo11vZ1kh2oS74PJuavUL2smjG1J8YkrBir-aUEBRrw94DhHStbYqkuopABrbP_v1P4MhaGvGNZZMoBk_XzfyAYAjudLy6yemJBeKMrK2EuMoxlp7LkHOn_7ACw/s400/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last day of the class the students had an opportunity to fit patients who needed wheelchairs. I found this man just standing out in the hall. I asked a translator to come help me and asked him if he was waiting for one of the patients and would he like to come in and sit down, he said, "No I am here for a wheelchair". Okaaaaay, I must have looked surprised because he at that point lifted up his pant leg and I realized that he had a prosthetic leg. Alrighty then, come on in. He was fitted for a new active wheelchair so that he could get to his dialysis center without getting so tired. He looked so good that I wondered if he really needed one, but with his declining health a chair will be a blessing.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccOcBSQfJ0G1imAXVCFSAAJwPT3C4rJftyYtXysLv88RuK2XZ-a-Qe9W00Z7v0UsP5VvdDl5vM_cRjfYXN4qrG0IkgJuikLjU3cb-LJEyC1llyEV3Jfntp8FX8amkX3SCnyr-N4zLXNo/s1600/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccOcBSQfJ0G1imAXVCFSAAJwPT3C4rJftyYtXysLv88RuK2XZ-a-Qe9W00Z7v0UsP5VvdDl5vM_cRjfYXN4qrG0IkgJuikLjU3cb-LJEyC1llyEV3Jfntp8FX8amkX3SCnyr-N4zLXNo/s400/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Stephon, not the first time Jim and I have met him. He lives at the hospital and goes to school there so we have seen him in the play room, (usually on the computer). His aides thought he needed a larger chair that he had grown out of his so they brought him to the class. As it turned out, he was in a chair that was too large for his skinny little behind. The hospital staff makes inserts to put in the chairs to make them appropriate for kids with CP. His old chair must have been one of the first ones brought into the country; it was looking pretty well used.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qKskW96WpYlwEDFl1mEwU2ZXC5VqusJU3gbVu4hgI-wCb4sdXjF8NIagGaLr4-Nljj1Mc4Ql234eWG0Ie_q8fkmLy629bXP26evNOBF5LA7fbCckHMHlaP2HDui9E-bIx4znnzK7_0c/s1600/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qKskW96WpYlwEDFl1mEwU2ZXC5VqusJU3gbVu4hgI-wCb4sdXjF8NIagGaLr4-Nljj1Mc4Ql234eWG0Ie_q8fkmLy629bXP26evNOBF5LA7fbCckHMHlaP2HDui9E-bIx4znnzK7_0c/s400/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I stick this one in just so my children still know they have a mother. I have two new granddaughters however. The young lady on the right was from the Red Cross. Vicky Tadic and I told her that I was Vicky's Grandma, We almost had her convinced, but the other translator started to giggle and I think she gave way to her supensions that we were pulling her leg. Later she told Vicky, "I understand that you and Maja were teasing me, but her???? She's an old lady!! I guess old people are not allowed to have a since of humor in Bosnia.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCKSNZNcAle77dYFrNqaw_3tTmgdL8thABdm7nue-SmuQxrzpe6TBzlI3z-FVMNfbE0_WU8rfY1aOopXY8ILDFX9OuudSSp40uqF47TYA5zfcJ1VKesY08-dsBTIRu3dW5dKLv9VRydk/s1600/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCKSNZNcAle77dYFrNqaw_3tTmgdL8thABdm7nue-SmuQxrzpe6TBzlI3z-FVMNfbE0_WU8rfY1aOopXY8ILDFX9OuudSSp40uqF47TYA5zfcJ1VKesY08-dsBTIRu3dW5dKLv9VRydk/s400/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+14.jpg" width="372" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister Schnebley and I escaped one afternoon and visited the play room at the hospital. We encountered these two precious faces. Yep! She's in a church wheelchair. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguclCtOlQF0XlJ7nl5hB9r0eL867fwbv58_XedNFU-WwcJCx2ieuolc0P7FgL_sBXh5sA_BfDf0RAgGtqAuHNGHThtNyukXOhxwnZGDFGJWXybdcv3euFCIsAAoJB6f8ot_7JcUBRRFGw/s1600/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguclCtOlQF0XlJ7nl5hB9r0eL867fwbv58_XedNFU-WwcJCx2ieuolc0P7FgL_sBXh5sA_BfDf0RAgGtqAuHNGHThtNyukXOhxwnZGDFGJWXybdcv3euFCIsAAoJB6f8ot_7JcUBRRFGw/s400/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is my favorite picture of all the ones I took this last week. It just shows all the love and emotion that these people feel when they get a wheelchair. I wasn't the one who fitted her or spent time with her to make sure she got the right chair, but I told her she was beautiful and asked her if I could take her picture. Somehow, I think because of my badge she connected me to the chair and I got this heartfelt kiss. Ohhhh... how I will cherish that memory.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4gj59R1ngID8455kxY9qKHTt5eosLRT3YHdjzB3lTI9JbGX4-l2ByqGI0bCo-z6BGeZAuyK-5cJn8qigdf_-I9uKo4Y0a8nTpHCCH6vnGXI2fT5Y2b8GrKyp0zNa6z-wp6v3CEI0pqE/s1600/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4gj59R1ngID8455kxY9qKHTt5eosLRT3YHdjzB3lTI9JbGX4-l2ByqGI0bCo-z6BGeZAuyK-5cJn8qigdf_-I9uKo4Y0a8nTpHCCH6vnGXI2fT5Y2b8GrKyp0zNa6z-wp6v3CEI0pqE/s400/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This man came in with his one leg almost up to his chest. His wheelchair was just not fitted for his long lanky leg. He went out with a much better fit and a happy camper!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4G4k5l92FRX-ihpgQjo0djPrVT0DCq7gfku8sBKJaNgS46bydPyMY64g4u58T6hEnhGuyHNBGfOYxSXk4MLPbKi92vnwqaONI7WUANYf4OGGvu0ZnHuQco-xJpa5nZHzbtsQ-rhKv0Y/s1600/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4G4k5l92FRX-ihpgQjo0djPrVT0DCq7gfku8sBKJaNgS46bydPyMY64g4u58T6hEnhGuyHNBGfOYxSXk4MLPbKi92vnwqaONI7WUANYf4OGGvu0ZnHuQco-xJpa5nZHzbtsQ-rhKv0Y/s400/BanjaLuka+wheelchair+training+15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This man had to give his wheelchair back....his diagnosis was that he need to get out and walk more!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVy1RndAZCsfj_mlC29DngjL4idE5AMfbBvmouKbIaML-Nkne03sx27f-w2zTq8asELhha4KtfOIy3Av623lEB1Jg0hG4dyNqqhGoA4ZaguK1mMNjUmeo2AyseoOlDECjOXE7zARtQ04/s1600/Croatia+Wheelchair+training+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKVy1RndAZCsfj_mlC29DngjL4idE5AMfbBvmouKbIaML-Nkne03sx27f-w2zTq8asELhha4KtfOIy3Av623lEB1Jg0hG4dyNqqhGoA4ZaguK1mMNjUmeo2AyseoOlDECjOXE7zARtQ04/s400/Croatia+Wheelchair+training+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On to Croatia and our training with The Red Cross. Misti taught me that my camera had a timer on it! Yeah! Who would have thought I had a such an amazing camera. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFx5gQ3EsjVMCAwsRqlvR4oPS9fWZk-6FpWMKTtZFWuY477ypLx-RgzJ9wOmK5Q3PxxhjjgtUSuSG5hNqdbkqOC8PC5eiqrGP10WGtY7S5HFmBCoDz-FmcBZs-Fc6DXzDCa8rh5Ej6PQc/s1600/Croatia+Wheelchair+training+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFx5gQ3EsjVMCAwsRqlvR4oPS9fWZk-6FpWMKTtZFWuY477ypLx-RgzJ9wOmK5Q3PxxhjjgtUSuSG5hNqdbkqOC8PC5eiqrGP10WGtY7S5HFmBCoDz-FmcBZs-Fc6DXzDCa8rh5Ej6PQc/s400/Croatia+Wheelchair+training+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They practiced on each other. Have you ever seen such a cute smile!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QYpIiloi4Mpgs0Hpt0Nwqn3PtjyWfqBi-LfOqY384rLX2y2RWBR4wJEsPAYRIpx88bAqMxO9alPwhC6bMqZnxFixGwg4hQys0Fij_qG8vuekuC6EVZyrH7wIS1Lh1G3GvwkTp6F2Y_A/s1600/Croatia+Wheelchair+training+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QYpIiloi4Mpgs0Hpt0Nwqn3PtjyWfqBi-LfOqY384rLX2y2RWBR4wJEsPAYRIpx88bAqMxO9alPwhC6bMqZnxFixGwg4hQys0Fij_qG8vuekuC6EVZyrH7wIS1Lh1G3GvwkTp6F2Y_A/s400/Croatia+Wheelchair+training+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Schnebley with our traslator, Ana.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xthLaoWXWK-ff1zqtJjrUdT2VXA2LikkWOsx4ICeAvpDSa2Rh0b70WgPpStCNIJVRHTgHtAEziRufflhUFLd-DvwfXjbPF6OJJ01_XP23XWVLcB6GuZOJ_4yTyisMR_P8MqZcv5NuLw/s1600/Croatia+Wheelchair+training+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xthLaoWXWK-ff1zqtJjrUdT2VXA2LikkWOsx4ICeAvpDSa2Rh0b70WgPpStCNIJVRHTgHtAEziRufflhUFLd-DvwfXjbPF6OJJ01_XP23XWVLcB6GuZOJ_4yTyisMR_P8MqZcv5NuLw/s400/Croatia+Wheelchair+training+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found a great Chineese place to eat in Zagreb.<br />
Sister Tanner from the office came to enjoy dinner with us, Elder and Sister Schnebley, Me, Jim.<br />
In front is Vicky Tadic, Tihana Rendic, (our translators) and Misti Timpson</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">Before I quit blogging for the day, I wanted to just remind you that without your donations, there would be no wheelchair projects. Our humanitarian funds come from YOU! Everytime you put something in that little gray envelope and mark that the funds inside go to humanitarian, that is where we get our money. Our budgets do not come from other church funds. We love you all and wish that everyone of you who have ever donated to the Church Humanitarian Fund could see the lives you touch. <br />
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<span style="background-color: black;"></span></span>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-34364852713265873142012-03-20T01:54:00.001-06:002012-03-20T02:02:33.840-06:00The Whites of their eyes!!!Last Wednesday was a milestone in Bosnia. WE GOT MISSIONARIES!!!! Wow it feels good to say that! We have waited, prayed and looked forward to them for our whole mission and it finally happened! We have not been disappointed. They are amazing young men and they will do a wonderful work in Banja Luka. Already they are out hitting the streets, learning the language, teaching investigators, interacting with our little branch members and loving their new assignment! And we LOVE them! Think about it. Banja Luka has never seen missionaries, never seen young men with name tags, dressed in white shirts and ties, never had the opportunity to accept or reject the message that they bring, never been amazed that someone would come so far, work so hard or learn their language and love the country like missionaries do. We are sooo excited for the country. Not only did we get missionaries but Sarajevo, (in Southern Bosnia) got two sets of missionaries as well. They got a set of sisters as well as elders. These missionaries are ground breakers and we invite you all to join us in praying for their success in opening up a new country to missionary work!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_KhMgFgMffV4-PyN7wfWxlNEU4cNuY4DSiTyYGI5sOVFCYwizGGD9ikwtied7yYBI8SQBsXa1-Q5Oixz6Qd5H4bVV1oWnGralHhpyGZFaX38incClmZSN5zUY_ims7RnRNhRo-_dKTs/s1600/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_KhMgFgMffV4-PyN7wfWxlNEU4cNuY4DSiTyYGI5sOVFCYwizGGD9ikwtied7yYBI8SQBsXa1-Q5Oixz6Qd5H4bVV1oWnGralHhpyGZFaX38incClmZSN5zUY_ims7RnRNhRo-_dKTs/s400/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Elders Radosavljevic and Hansen</span></strong><br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">Elder Rad (the name I call him because my tongue just cannot wrap around his name and spit it out) is of Serbian decent, thus the name, and is from Tasmania, Australia. His Grandfather migrated there 50 years ago, so he doesn't know the language of his ancestors but is excited to learn and really for just coming out of the MTC he is already doing very well. Elder Hansen is from Kaysville, Utah and has been serving in Serbia, so his language is great and he is an amazing young man with great leadership skills.</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWk49SIFtD3zJaUX5TzndeGhzvpogFFDpWEs5HzVRZztOqRKl7ywjecpLELj2Ava1-EC8nKSaI-fjY1bSGXKaD4ClPOM9p1DWWGfIXm8mCk2GX3NvNZhSgE9Ad1N1maXFoKrPyb3fgEgs/s1600/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWk49SIFtD3zJaUX5TzndeGhzvpogFFDpWEs5HzVRZztOqRKl7ywjecpLELj2Ava1-EC8nKSaI-fjY1bSGXKaD4ClPOM9p1DWWGfIXm8mCk2GX3NvNZhSgE9Ad1N1maXFoKrPyb3fgEgs/s400/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt;">This is a terrible picture, I hope it doesn't hurt your eyes, I should have looked at it and got a better one but I was hungry! We were in the middle of wheelchair training and had our Utah short term specialists with us so we invited the elders to come eat with us on their first night here. It was a great evening and a good chance to get to know them.</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg684WW4dA0KhDaKpyEo6oeqtR6YpBNAXER4l9oxpIoBHU89MeG3aKK7gKOMn1RZL5zQWjq6I0csvPcfwD-l2xC82QiHvfqTUe8bLCo2e-_CPFugyWn-fzeUitaoKdxh8h6JN6zjm0erkI/s1600/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg684WW4dA0KhDaKpyEo6oeqtR6YpBNAXER4l9oxpIoBHU89MeG3aKK7gKOMn1RZL5zQWjq6I0csvPcfwD-l2xC82QiHvfqTUe8bLCo2e-_CPFugyWn-fzeUitaoKdxh8h6JN6zjm0erkI/s400/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was their dinner, have I told you that meat is a big deal here. Our friends in Bosnia love their meat!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ji92oS7TvLmx2z4EfnHJPKNJgcre4QlOZz9AkQwN89GkLPWHyPnpS-cESjulwu-eSSylSgTTu__h6TorPR0QkPY0Vmw_I4qwnuofnmu4H3tJT_sf6yjlO36elf2KY_lKhbFpZVpAyJs/s1600/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ji92oS7TvLmx2z4EfnHJPKNJgcre4QlOZz9AkQwN89GkLPWHyPnpS-cESjulwu-eSSylSgTTu__h6TorPR0QkPY0Vmw_I4qwnuofnmu4H3tJT_sf6yjlO36elf2KY_lKhbFpZVpAyJs/s400/Missionaries+in+Banja+Luka+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was Jim’s dinner, another really bad picture, my camera was on some strange setting....good excuse for bad pics. Have I told you that I think I'm a partial vegetarian? I didn't order a meal at this restaurant, I know better. I ordered my favorite side salad and just played Helen Keller from other peoples plates. I left stuffed! <br />
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</tbody></table>We had a great night out with our new Elders and our short term specialists. It seemed a little surreal for us to be sitting across the table from missionaries, after waiting so long for them, to have the blessing of seeing them actually be allowed into the country was something we had almost given up on. Our time is short here and we feel it a great blessing to see the whites of their eyes before we go home.JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-73971685743730540642012-03-08T03:34:00.001-07:002012-03-08T07:00:07.423-07:00Watch us Grow....<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib14ybjWOqYmIqHtiCpwg3NltxmMQRAfc-8mtjcMhI7-NzARIDWKnJEzPNuUgj_G6Ulusc5aw_voh3ZAxYdSEhVekxodhooqDAvXTm0O8UWpBCUHc7WLYmcaJtlxRuw6RZchUaFXDBPbs/s1600/Gorans+Baptism+4+Out+to+eat+before+baptism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib14ybjWOqYmIqHtiCpwg3NltxmMQRAfc-8mtjcMhI7-NzARIDWKnJEzPNuUgj_G6Ulusc5aw_voh3ZAxYdSEhVekxodhooqDAvXTm0O8UWpBCUHc7WLYmcaJtlxRuw6RZchUaFXDBPbs/s400/Gorans+Baptism+4+Out+to+eat+before+baptism.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See our little branch GROW!</td></tr>
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Meet our newest member in Bosnia…. His name is Goran, and Jim baptized and confirmed him this last Friday night. It was a wonderful occasion, one that left us once again marveling at how The Lords work continues to go on. Some months ago we had a conference in Sarajevo, Bosnia and we were reminded that the dedicatory prayer in Bosnia had said,<span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: #4c1130;"><strong>“Those individuals that have the blood of Israel are here in this country, waiting to be taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ."</strong></span></span> Goran is one of these people. He found us. We did not seek him out or find him. He was looking for truth, and when he found it he grabbed hold of it with all his strength and Friday was just the beginning of a new chapter in his life. We were so excited for him! He just couldn’t stop grinning all night and even the next day when Jim ordained him a Priest. I won’t soon forget when he went up to the front of our little meeting room and sat down in the chair that Jim had pulled forward for him. As he settled into the chair he had a smile as big as all outdoors just covering his whole face! What a sight it was! <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are so privileged to have had this amazing experience. </span>We have been told that it is rare for Senior Missionaries to be a part of the process from start to finish like we have been with Goran. He came to us as an internet referral, requesting a personal visit from representatives of the church and a Book of Mormon. Since we are the only missionaries in Banja Luka we were asked to respond. We brought Vicky, our translator with us when we went to his home, but soon realized that he spoke pretty good English so language was not a barrier as it so often is for us. </div><br />
Every week for several months, he would walk the 7kilometers (4 ½ miles) from his house to ours for missionary lessons and for church. He never missed a Sunday. We always do dinner after church and he stays for that and then Jim takes him home. We challenged him to baptism several weeks ago, but he felt he needed a little more time to finish reading the Book of Mormon. Then a the week before last, Jim was taking him home and he said, “So when can I get baptized?” We didn’t let grass grow under our feet and the very next Friday we had everything planned, guests invited, font borrowed from Croatia (we held our breath when we went through the border) and the baptismal program planned. Here are a few pictures of our evening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOnQXflMfOjAdsNPfyRnujdIuNS4fCuy8NypKljx2DscxuLynQ_oiasYzezsYzesADCaTG6Vtd078ITBCZ37N2X3pu_iAveUUyQfDkECuuGdtPJL5e1AN9O35pywmPH1kOes-9Hoequk/s1600/Gorans+Baptism+3+Jim+setting+up+the+font.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOnQXflMfOjAdsNPfyRnujdIuNS4fCuy8NypKljx2DscxuLynQ_oiasYzezsYzesADCaTG6Vtd078ITBCZ37N2X3pu_iAveUUyQfDkECuuGdtPJL5e1AN9O35pywmPH1kOes-9Hoequk/s400/Gorans+Baptism+3+Jim+setting+up+the+font.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #e0dfe3; border-left: #e0dfe3; border-right: #e0dfe3; border-top: #e0dfe3; padding-bottom: 4.5pt; padding-left: 4.5pt; padding-right: 4.5pt; padding-top: 3pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is a portable font, all I can say is that it's a good thing Jim's a mechanical engineer. We needed it to figure out how it went together. No furniture yet in the missionary apartment downstairs so the living room area was perfect to set it up.</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfrAVhZb4_8HD3DJmYY_8NSfrAjfylZeqlwYMnuagTHKRJ6g-Q2gL8JHhqS28fztuIQ8CD8om2BsBr_c2Ispum0f6JvjYtDzcFGTpAG6zgPYW1GcIp3AeHHE9eJi-s29iCyvhxjSLkZo/s1600/Gorans+Baptism+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfrAVhZb4_8HD3DJmYY_8NSfrAjfylZeqlwYMnuagTHKRJ6g-Q2gL8JHhqS28fztuIQ8CD8om2BsBr_c2Ispum0f6JvjYtDzcFGTpAG6zgPYW1GcIp3AeHHE9eJi-s29iCyvhxjSLkZo/s400/Gorans+Baptism+1.jpg" width="356" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goran and Jim</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4yATNweagP-WT2UMMgwes46mantxGTeGBUgK2WltxAZBuibEHRGASPDigDsmDlAD5C3czMAYtq15OJIYM7WhlIeIpJ94-V0SdDRPVGJzC4gD2a7qdOXtpZVdeM4rdPh3FaalqOTpp44/s1600/Gorans+Baptism+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4yATNweagP-WT2UMMgwes46mantxGTeGBUgK2WltxAZBuibEHRGASPDigDsmDlAD5C3czMAYtq15OJIYM7WhlIeIpJ94-V0SdDRPVGJzC4gD2a7qdOXtpZVdeM4rdPh3FaalqOTpp44/s400/Gorans+Baptism+7.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goran giving Jim a big hug after the confirmation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-z1QPCgyw7YJ0-tv-Tp87-wUpDNwUAsz2cnu4MIDupTC99sRKRZpGo3idvLfR2cy25zhAVbmWjHBYbOmIzTWDZh4fYXjJc5HEW2m4CIC_w1WO1f3CNM9Q4UTRE_eQ4Nz0y0Yu9SvN7FE/s1600/Gorans+Baptism+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-z1QPCgyw7YJ0-tv-Tp87-wUpDNwUAsz2cnu4MIDupTC99sRKRZpGo3idvLfR2cy25zhAVbmWjHBYbOmIzTWDZh4fYXjJc5HEW2m4CIC_w1WO1f3CNM9Q4UTRE_eQ4Nz0y0Yu9SvN7FE/s400/Gorans+Baptism+8.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the whole group minus our translator Maja who was taking the picture.<br />
We had two sets of missionaries there for the evening, the AP's from Croatia and a set from Serbia.<br />
This was the first time we have seen real missionaries in Bosnia so it was a pretty significant milestone for us and the country.<br />
President Rowe was there with his family, our friend Damjan, (in the back with the striped sweater) the Tadic family and Jamie, the Rowes niece/nanny. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfsZx-K41BkH5PyVc3N59q-v2_I6e-Zt8e8-C0c29AIBrrJzsnPoO3PnB7QzU_mHLtVtsa_vAI4vhxQwuEj22LRdKjWL33XpbZ9wXnQ-CNCH0Y07AiAqHmMMDYYJUUcSTtxgwFpxfg9Q/s1600/Gorans+Baptism+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfsZx-K41BkH5PyVc3N59q-v2_I6e-Zt8e8-C0c29AIBrrJzsnPoO3PnB7QzU_mHLtVtsa_vAI4vhxQwuEj22LRdKjWL33XpbZ9wXnQ-CNCH0Y07AiAqHmMMDYYJUUcSTtxgwFpxfg9Q/s400/Gorans+Baptism+9.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what Miss Tina was up to while we were in the meeting. I had a stack of plates, cups and forks on the table, thinking everyone could just get a plate and and go find some where to sit. But Tina, knowing that we sit at the table every Sunday decided to help set the table. She was so PROUD of herself! Everyone told her how beautiful it was and she just beamed! What a cutie! <br />
The other day one of her sisters called her "Miss Tina" and she said, "You aren't DEBBY!" <br />
I guess I'm the only one that gets to call her that!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Once again I end by saying how grateful we are to be here and to be a part of this great work!JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-77455254588717290882012-03-06T04:36:00.002-07:002012-03-07T23:33:43.330-07:00Super Saturday in ZagrebMonster Cookies made, drinks bought, permission slip signed by parents, van rented and picked up, kids ready to rock and roll and we were on our way to another great Seminary Super Saturday event. This time it was in Zagreb, Croatia. All of our youth came and also our translator, Maja. It’s only a 2 hour trip from Banja Luka to Zagreb but we were prepared with treats and music to make the time go fast. Our last Super Saturday was in Belgrade, Serbia and the kids remembered how fantastic that trip was so they had been looking forward to it ever since they had gotten the invitation to come. <br />
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We always worry a little about crossing the border with a van full of minor children, so we make sure we have a legal document saying that we have their parents’ permission to take them into another country. This time we got a border guard who was exceptionally nice, laughed a little and asked if we were a sports team! As we left we gave him a little packet of 4 monster cookies wrapped up in plastic wrap and tied with some of my left over yarn. He was soooo impressed! What is this? Cookies and a thank-you! And off we went, leaving a little sweetness behind!<br />
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I had gotten the wild hair to make monster cookies about 8:30 on Friday night. Our kids had sent us peanut butter, m&m's, and assorted chocolate chips for Christmas and I had been saving them for a special occacion. I ended up staying up pretty late to get them all baked, but I was so glad that I went to that extra effort. I put 4 cookies stacked on top of each other and wrapped them in some glad wrap that one of our American neighbors brought with him as a gift from his wife to us, (Thanks Kate) and tied them with yarn. I made enough for the kids to give to all the Croatian leaders and teachers who were doing the Super Saturday event. It was entirely planned and executed by local leadership. I also printed little note papers from a web site and gave each kids three empty note papers and asked them if they would during the day when they enjoyed something, or if something especially touched their hearts would they please write a quick thank-you to that person that was in charge of the activity or lesson. Anyway, it was my effort to teach the principle of gratitude, we talked a little about what a privileged it was for them to be invited to come join the Croatian youth and if they were EXTRA grateful that for sure they would be invited back. As we watched our youth during the day I was so impressed to see them hunting in their stuff every once in awhile to find their papers and writing their notes. At the end of the day, they delivered their little thank-you notes with a stack of monster cookies. It was pretty cool that absolutely every one of the people that helped got at least one thank-you note, they even remembered the lady that played the piano. I think they left with a great spirit of gratitude and love for those who had gone to all the effort to provide such a wonderful conference for them.<br />
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These activities are no little thing to these kids. They are the only members in their whole country so to get together with other LDS Youth is just really a big deal! Where our youth have weekly opportunities to see their friends at church, seminary or YM/YW activities our youth here have no such advantage. They are IT. It is such a joy to us as missionaries to see the love, acceptance and learning experiences that these opportunities provide for our kids. We asked two of our youth to report in Sacrament meeting the next day on our Super Saturday. Vanja reported that it was, “the best day of her life!” and our sweet Victorija bore her testimony about how she knew the gospel was true and how she couldn’t wait to go to the temple to be baptized for the dead. <br />
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As for us, well, we love our mission. We go to bed each night with such grateful hearts. Sometimes we are so tired that we just fall into bed exhausted. But it’s a good tired. We are worried about when we come home.<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span style="color: #990000;"><em><strong>What will we do that could ever compare to what we are doing here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How will growing vegetables in our garden ever compare to seeing these wonderful people growing in the gospel? I can’t think about it now, all I know is that a little piece of my heart will be in Bosnia/Croatia and I will come home not quite whole</strong></em></span>.</span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_leBB9iSy_6l7CWjhZ6vrZ69dANndONbh5vw-pPBeFrQW_EVdr02i_t-cBGuTEkrONoD171J0kxMD5ZXLmrMUbz6Xpi9xHxv5nbFT_No02ZdXmF2H4-NCsf-NCLhT5psf9AWWD2NwSzA/s1600/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+with+Youth.and+Elder+and+Sister+Taylor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_leBB9iSy_6l7CWjhZ6vrZ69dANndONbh5vw-pPBeFrQW_EVdr02i_t-cBGuTEkrONoD171J0kxMD5ZXLmrMUbz6Xpi9xHxv5nbFT_No02ZdXmF2H4-NCsf-NCLhT5psf9AWWD2NwSzA/s400/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+with+Youth.and+Elder+and+Sister+Taylor.jpg" uda="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are all the Youth from Croatia and Bosnia. Elder and Sister Taylor are CES Missionaries that are over Seminaries in our mission. They go home the 1st of May and will be sorely missed!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-F8BdEBuDF9svMwV8eDZHuiObW8fXCOyzuiIu9V_nxEdsznARtysspDKawWnOOM6ItBPhzBPbV_dgcwGwxI5v_cY769TX_5Xk8ZuEcHvhTM5_tDVbJ04co9dz0i4TU8Jt-rI_n3xz05o/s1600/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-F8BdEBuDF9svMwV8eDZHuiObW8fXCOyzuiIu9V_nxEdsznARtysspDKawWnOOM6ItBPhzBPbV_dgcwGwxI5v_cY769TX_5Xk8ZuEcHvhTM5_tDVbJ04co9dz0i4TU8Jt-rI_n3xz05o/s400/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+1.jpg" uda="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They divided up into small groups for one of the lessons.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZtgI4Qau5xkdmrGeLjLI9SDaSX-3lhtZwqVrp2-REbN_Xum8Iai6vBk4_iCIoo2DZ55Q2nwzbgwpztLXYiEyqnj8f8x2eSQKwHVnRy30_ksryZnPy_41gxZu7jBuPQooQSLLLC3KS5o/s1600/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZtgI4Qau5xkdmrGeLjLI9SDaSX-3lhtZwqVrp2-REbN_Xum8Iai6vBk4_iCIoo2DZ55Q2nwzbgwpztLXYiEyqnj8f8x2eSQKwHVnRy30_ksryZnPy_41gxZu7jBuPQooQSLLLC3KS5o/s400/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+3.jpg" uda="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maja on the left, Vicky on the right....they were playing a game where they divided up into teams, each team sent a player up to the front and then they were given a scripture story to mold with their clay while the others guessed what it was. Vicky's team won this round. It was Noah's Ark.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRsZHWVftPXZsF8PiKR2u3lVsf2wjT6FGa1XjQBucub8IeR2syjXNcTIgQlcbipr_ErIWhDrhV_HwRHNhZ5UGXDQnCktVsOCsdfoSKPBK1tywxQP2AYplnx6nYDWKQ2W0T4rau5MSp50/s1600/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRsZHWVftPXZsF8PiKR2u3lVsf2wjT6FGa1XjQBucub8IeR2syjXNcTIgQlcbipr_ErIWhDrhV_HwRHNhZ5UGXDQnCktVsOCsdfoSKPBK1tywxQP2AYplnx6nYDWKQ2W0T4rau5MSp50/s400/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+4.jpg" uda="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think our Vedran (on the left) had a real advantage over this young man from Croatia. We had just had the lesson in Seminary the Saturday before about Ammon. It was easy for his team mates to guess when he made a man with no arms. The young man on the right is going to be baptized this week. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sLulUhekW4aoR02yA-y7g0J4wTQ8t1WGilOuQbWIzVXGqH2IqW8vR68ivR6LoDLEtErvlXMOD-UrsFXo1kbH-DrQDKo3g6CA0MuqLg7g_rOZJr9BN0qn0ihnFKXj7EXbyO0Ktdy_IYA/s1600/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sLulUhekW4aoR02yA-y7g0J4wTQ8t1WGilOuQbWIzVXGqH2IqW8vR68ivR6LoDLEtErvlXMOD-UrsFXo1kbH-DrQDKo3g6CA0MuqLg7g_rOZJr9BN0qn0ihnFKXj7EXbyO0Ktdy_IYA/s400/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+8.jpg" uda="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They had a lesson about family history and how important it was. They also had a wonderful presentation on the temple with encouragement for them to prepare themselves to take a bus trip in August to the Frankfort Temple to do baptisms for the dead.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_4J1P-3oMjRxC-cj-9svKAHw0gixBk1zVcZWRt9JWUiwt1SFdQOUpm3Ldc3uQuV4aNKbbEZCBATVAmGO2SSQTDJtPm2OeAk89HasC9i-nr8T43oSgN1R3EJpjPIuqUkNW7_JUTwa3zM/s1600/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_4J1P-3oMjRxC-cj-9svKAHw0gixBk1zVcZWRt9JWUiwt1SFdQOUpm3Ldc3uQuV4aNKbbEZCBATVAmGO2SSQTDJtPm2OeAk89HasC9i-nr8T43oSgN1R3EJpjPIuqUkNW7_JUTwa3zM/s400/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+6.jpg" uda="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They got to go into the family history library and learn from Sister Lydija about how to use the computers for family history and other resources that were available to help do geneology.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjBYNJFIzE7Nkvu7rv0p6evE6_JSKxmXXhtlaIIIAJk5Xlq6QnCyJYFOEFlOP27lYIu1KEvr1ShUF6DMOF3kufWhL5KymuPNv5Yk8ECNpDrwdWdTqZ5ipF9zJnR2yJzdqT2YElKEEA9Y/s1600/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+with+Vicky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjBYNJFIzE7Nkvu7rv0p6evE6_JSKxmXXhtlaIIIAJk5Xlq6QnCyJYFOEFlOP27lYIu1KEvr1ShUF6DMOF3kufWhL5KymuPNv5Yk8ECNpDrwdWdTqZ5ipF9zJnR2yJzdqT2YElKEEA9Y/s400/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+with+Vicky.jpg" uda="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim and I with Vicky</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABhZkN5keGLlCyeVYW9w8xNxKWDPTyY6D-hyXX9wmV4seZYr_u5jlKGZu75I8VYkRuhVepGhkICaZBvge6TYtReRqXWEX3axJRC2RfvGuuDsq69jB8L9aHiG9hN8njB3aS6VoIikHgsM/s1600/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABhZkN5keGLlCyeVYW9w8xNxKWDPTyY6D-hyXX9wmV4seZYr_u5jlKGZu75I8VYkRuhVepGhkICaZBvge6TYtReRqXWEX3axJRC2RfvGuuDsq69jB8L9aHiG9hN8njB3aS6VoIikHgsM/s400/Super+Saturday+in+Zagreb+7.jpg" uda="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Time to load up and go home. Who rents a perfectly ugly yellow van? Car rentals in Bosnia are always an experience! I felt like I needed to be playing "Yellow Submarine" on the radio! We had a great day, wonderful lessons and fellowshipping with deeper meaning than we can comprehend!</span></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-49727799551510078942012-02-23T10:11:00.001-07:002012-02-23T10:15:16.428-07:00Leadership from Germany visits.... Every so often we get a visit from someone that really gives us pause to remember that we do have leadership in Germany that really cares about us and what we do here. Last week was one of those times. We had our supervisors, Elder and Sister Leonard come to meet us and spend some time getting to know not only us but our countries as well. The Leonards came into Germany in July and have had the enormous job of supervising 10 European countries. Sister Leonard said it has been a hugh learning curve and I believe it! I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been to learn all the computer programs, direct the financial affairs and keep track of 10 sets of senior couples roaming all over the European continent. They have spent the last 6 months traveling when they could, to individually meet or humanitarian counter parts in the different countries and getting to know their new "children", that would be us. We are one of the last countries that they needed to visit.<br />
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We took advantage of having them here by scheduling a closing ceremony for our water project and for our container of new born/hygiene kits and blankets. We had the ceremony in Varazdin which was nice for us because we didn't have any travel involved. We had a ton of press and then the Red Cross took us out to lunch. All in all it was a lovely day and a perfect ending to those projects. And we were so happy to be able to share it with the Leonards.<br />
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We left Croatia the next day and brought them to Bosnia, we met with both the Red Cross and The big Rehabilitation Hospital here in Banja Luka. Wheelchairs and wheelchair training was the topic of our conversations with them. We just got a container of wheelchairs into the country for these two organizations and in March we are going to have physical therapists come here to train those who are going to dispense the wheelchairs how to fit them properly. The church wants to make sure the chairs don't do more harm than good with an improper fit. Once the organization has been trained, we will be able to bring more wheelchairs into them as needed. The days of giving out a wheelchair without a proper fitting are hopefully in the past. <br />
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We had a wonderful weekend, introducing the Tadic family to the Leonards and showing off our amazing meeting room. They also graciously consented to speak in church, thereby giving our little family a break from Jim and I. They did a great job! Our Tadic family loved them. Monday, we took them back to Croatia to catch a plane back to Germany and said, "Good-bye" with a new appreciation for all that our wonderful leadership do for us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTDKPHqjMZgZY2cORmxSS68_9GeWFv0XQoLOIVS620psO8TFemIz_1trGbfl7pEWBnrhl5MD9MOgv3qqCGhht1xk21Ewa7gUSA_-hLB-xz-m1fRaYyEliWsfWDLZsiT89gAfyNmpc2Ho/s1600/Elder+and+Sister+Leonard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="367" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTDKPHqjMZgZY2cORmxSS68_9GeWFv0XQoLOIVS620psO8TFemIz_1trGbfl7pEWBnrhl5MD9MOgv3qqCGhht1xk21Ewa7gUSA_-hLB-xz-m1fRaYyEliWsfWDLZsiT89gAfyNmpc2Ho/s400/Elder+and+Sister+Leonard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If there was any doubt that I am on a picture taking mission, I hurriedly snapped this picture before we even said Hello!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Wdaoxq867rtdr6RK0EIP77B3Q2ftMZ_YUVxQhSTTiR_dOsnXgauiSUQDzKOyt-_1X_8esGQ6cYJkCeROSyO2C63oMiY1deXm3Xl_SvzVllx38rw9fyI0WVa1MN_9unZQBjkYUSp3cJs/s1600/Elder+and+Sister+Leonard.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Wdaoxq867rtdr6RK0EIP77B3Q2ftMZ_YUVxQhSTTiR_dOsnXgauiSUQDzKOyt-_1X_8esGQ6cYJkCeROSyO2C63oMiY1deXm3Xl_SvzVllx38rw9fyI0WVa1MN_9unZQBjkYUSp3cJs/s400/Elder+and+Sister+Leonard.2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Leonard officially giving the "letter of donation" to the head of the Red Cross, Tihana is our translator and really got a work out that day. We appreciate her soooo much!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aEWQuXEMa-OxlBMQ0QgmvEBKysRxGYQ6GMbbJtZ9rUW1J1RKNrx3XUiaxkn3pnB0QVZSZjDkCaAbeTdoD_18D8CVZyFDV-ME12F2GMyYjJuHYzVhT32ciY7NYsL57VRYSkHWuoLB3hY/s1600/RedCrossContainer1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="325" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aEWQuXEMa-OxlBMQ0QgmvEBKysRxGYQ6GMbbJtZ9rUW1J1RKNrx3XUiaxkn3pnB0QVZSZjDkCaAbeTdoD_18D8CVZyFDV-ME12F2GMyYjJuHYzVhT32ciY7NYsL57VRYSkHWuoLB3hY/s400/RedCrossContainer1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is after all the remarks. We presented a mother to be with a blanket and a new born kit. The Red Cross will distribute the container to those who need it the most. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3yLZDnZQ-54vTvcLcNjYYStwni25vovT8-YQ_TSO2x5D7IbQ8sYOpERnb-QVpjTGSCo96WUkLF8OFNDRWyIaQVFtg9EHeO6pjS9Inlq4RPBeKV24_VmtDzJzbDY3-YEzeUuyvc-5MgM/s1600/RedCrossContainer2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3yLZDnZQ-54vTvcLcNjYYStwni25vovT8-YQ_TSO2x5D7IbQ8sYOpERnb-QVpjTGSCo96WUkLF8OFNDRWyIaQVFtg9EHeO6pjS9Inlq4RPBeKV24_VmtDzJzbDY3-YEzeUuyvc-5MgM/s400/RedCrossContainer2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He is explaining to the press what was in the container. Elder Leonard and I both made remarks to the press.</td></tr>
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You might ask what it is that we say during a press conference, everytime it's something differernt, but this is a good example of what we try to express in our remarks. I usually do the press interviews, It's Jims effort to make me feel important I think and our partners are usually surprized that it's me that will speak. <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>"We are so excited to be here today to celebrate with our partners, The Red Cross, two humanitarian projects that we have been working on for some time. The first one is clean water. The World Health Organization estimates that around the world there are 884 million people without access to clean water for themselves or for their animals. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is committed to make a difference in that number. We have had a commitment to the people of Croatia to help them achieve that goal for clean water. I remember a story about a man on a beach hurriedly picking up star fish and throwing them back into the ocean after a high tide had left thousands on the beach to die. Someone asked him, “Why are you doing that? You cannot really make a difference and then, the man answered, “NO, But to this one, it matters, and he threw a starfish back into the ocean.” We are like that man on the beach, we cannot possibly fix the worlds clean water problems, but here in Croatia, one by one, the wells are being cleaned out by the brave men employed by the Red Cross. We appreciate and applaud their dedication to this project, their diligence in administering to the needs of the people here in Croatia. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>The second project we celebrate today is the bringing into country a container of new born kits, hygiene kits, and blankets. These will be distributed by The Red Cross in emergency situations and to parents in need all around Croatia. The scientist, Lousie Pasture said, ~When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments; tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become~ </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>We as members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints have those same feelings…Tenderness for the new born and for the miracle of new life…for what that child is, truly a child of God, we also respect what he may become…Your children here in Croatia are your greatest asset! They are your future and we are proud to be able to help supply them with needed items at the time of their birth. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>The humanitarian funds from our church do not come from rich Americans; they come from members 14 million strong, from all over the world. They donate time, money and supplies freely each month that they may follow the admonition of our Savior. “When ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>We are privileged and humbled to be here in your wonderful country and see that these sacred monies are spent with care, hopefully to make a difference to “The One”.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>And to not just be good, </strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><strong>Because good is not enough. We want to be good “for something”. Gordon B. Hinkley. We feel we must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for our presence. We again thank the Red Cross for helping us make this possible. Thank-You"</strong></span><br />
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We are back to our regular routine, we came to Bosnia today and will take our seminary students to Zagreb on Saturday to a Seminary Super Saturday. We made calenders the other day and it's getting hard to think about going home. As much as we miss our families, leaving here will be bitter sweet.JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-80506084687147658492012-02-11T08:03:00.001-07:002012-02-11T08:06:33.435-07:00Walking Path in Croatia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We have a beautiful walking path near our apartment in Varazdin, Croatia. I've had a goal to get a picture of it for each one of the seasons so you can see how beautiful it is. I finally went out this week and obtained my "winter" picture. It was still pretty cold, but the trees had dropped their snow and I was a little disapointed in that, but you get the idea. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGvxrTh4uDkuRxF4wWxBbokW4IW7GJN8Ots62OOFdStLfU_0A-Alp_lciBTZaL96po0W83xmKK1-EzMRMdYZuK0eepNOM85OSjFaommX_IJlBxn9rTRJdy4-72akfwykrrNDeUpJeijs/s1600/Varazdin+Walking+Trail+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGvxrTh4uDkuRxF4wWxBbokW4IW7GJN8Ots62OOFdStLfU_0A-Alp_lciBTZaL96po0W83xmKK1-EzMRMdYZuK0eepNOM85OSjFaommX_IJlBxn9rTRJdy4-72akfwykrrNDeUpJeijs/s400/Varazdin+Walking+Trail+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCzQ_95GUSieJMfL_shyrquqe245jyO8RjROtdHgH7UP-BHa1dTBf8uaGyqdL2njG5TG7toX_-ttSpT5Vk8u119szg9PUH6OrRFxAMjcq_8NxaC9C0GB1puxdirD07xccgeuUgy9qCl4/s1600/Varazdin+Walking+Trail+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCzQ_95GUSieJMfL_shyrquqe245jyO8RjROtdHgH7UP-BHa1dTBf8uaGyqdL2njG5TG7toX_-ttSpT5Vk8u119szg9PUH6OrRFxAMjcq_8NxaC9C0GB1puxdirD07xccgeuUgy9qCl4/s400/Varazdin+Walking+Trail+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_ce5ro8MlS9tIeED9QeLp4w1qM3ExLgIiuczrSgBo1uq4LSBvZTuNAvc3oKMj7X0Pt1qskTZFvw2HeszE7HSNshO5fL2-MXR9Ig4D6P8BTJOgdxbQ_e-ZuIkyRJ1Zgm_KtG_mSnLZZQ/s1600/Varazdin+Walking+Trail++6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_ce5ro8MlS9tIeED9QeLp4w1qM3ExLgIiuczrSgBo1uq4LSBvZTuNAvc3oKMj7X0Pt1qskTZFvw2HeszE7HSNshO5fL2-MXR9Ig4D6P8BTJOgdxbQ_e-ZuIkyRJ1Zgm_KtG_mSnLZZQ/s400/Varazdin+Walking+Trail++6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-i9MK6eST6K8Ztapa2rC18UjEjbujUNwyfc_yeQHQ0G_ri5h4QIKZKlvN4EnfXn4Ud3dZE4lg9tYRRlWTqfo-XmKmT8a_IyI5C_eunUjezev3UuNq_7xoCUT6NmkljbtfII5BdK4G5Sw/s1600/Varadin+Walking+Path+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-i9MK6eST6K8Ztapa2rC18UjEjbujUNwyfc_yeQHQ0G_ri5h4QIKZKlvN4EnfXn4Ud3dZE4lg9tYRRlWTqfo-XmKmT8a_IyI5C_eunUjezev3UuNq_7xoCUT6NmkljbtfII5BdK4G5Sw/s400/Varadin+Walking+Path+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-4HTCWv8OE-jKTQH819NaOGWBvDyFptbbjziu5RxvqFpKJ5KabSYLcda53oHRsNnVhlVZj1AtjgusGPrBBpHN96Jtqrjcr0iRdHotySqOIsyOwtO1O8Y6ghyphenhyphengnutA7xSfpllcsjQdic/s1600/Varadin+Walking+Path+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-4HTCWv8OE-jKTQH819NaOGWBvDyFptbbjziu5RxvqFpKJ5KabSYLcda53oHRsNnVhlVZj1AtjgusGPrBBpHN96Jtqrjcr0iRdHotySqOIsyOwtO1O8Y6ghyphenhyphengnutA7xSfpllcsjQdic/s400/Varadin+Walking+Path+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These ball things just captivated us last winter, we asked everyone we knew what they were and no one knew until we had some short term specialists from the U.S. come over and told us that is was mistletoe. I guess it's a parasite to trees but it sure makes them look beautiful in the winter, it's usually the only green you see!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC4F54foiTkhR3ErlAQ1haRTszEFBgUTCFoq5yFI-1dBJVBfTKsjNb27hnhaaUYukS20u1WgR2ZkDO-k_5hsfNQQmKMSTHS9XxEgIMmizbcmwTozSsonfLHtxvjAA9AMCqrsoIlJd9E4/s1600/Varazdin+Walking+Trail+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC4F54foiTkhR3ErlAQ1haRTszEFBgUTCFoq5yFI-1dBJVBfTKsjNb27hnhaaUYukS20u1WgR2ZkDO-k_5hsfNQQmKMSTHS9XxEgIMmizbcmwTozSsonfLHtxvjAA9AMCqrsoIlJd9E4/s400/Varazdin+Walking+Trail+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friends </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwhzifPUtVkrhmJOfz_a2P-Qj8trKpG8J9zIZmqldr0SNl3Mqp0JEcncAg6GnW_votfWAhS1Q6UziHXiqEIVufqJBJb1e6tWmfjjReU3bfwYTMmvK7L6jWr2JyfvQB-IwnlQTUUG9Zo0/s1600/Varazdin+Walking+Trail+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwhzifPUtVkrhmJOfz_a2P-Qj8trKpG8J9zIZmqldr0SNl3Mqp0JEcncAg6GnW_votfWAhS1Q6UziHXiqEIVufqJBJb1e6tWmfjjReU3bfwYTMmvK7L6jWr2JyfvQB-IwnlQTUUG9Zo0/s400/Varazdin+Walking+Trail+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After we walk through the forest path for awhile it opens up to a walk way along a lovely river, I usually count the swans that are there and on this particular day in November I counted 23. So I decided in honor of my 23 swans I would count my blessings on the way home. One for each swan, I had a lovely walk the rest of the way, and counted way more than 23 blessings! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_izc66z0SKWbf-dHhfHNDm1L9BHdIoq9mgEJ0uJv_Ic41YIrETKcC5A3MgxlqLWpZjkmWlEaPZKcd21UEN72vM7qDcs_4l99IRfc5biO8uw2qUBmE7DUovr-6qUunOPUQ4eH6JjZMr8/s1600/Vedran+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_izc66z0SKWbf-dHhfHNDm1L9BHdIoq9mgEJ0uJv_Ic41YIrETKcC5A3MgxlqLWpZjkmWlEaPZKcd21UEN72vM7qDcs_4l99IRfc5biO8uw2qUBmE7DUovr-6qUunOPUQ4eH6JjZMr8/s400/Vedran+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Vedran, he is our 14 year old Aaronic Priesthood Young Man. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-j8s3IGhZHn5Bu-pN5YLa9CXk3K359SnZVkhXEeZmI_T3jVhGYMwOIiJ8PSNVjXXkedmQKr104b7Q-Lq-y18O8ieIMMw2AT1pXGH_Mpn_R2I8Hv9FftQiQCWATvX91d6tTi5dfJGYek/s1600/Vedran+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-j8s3IGhZHn5Bu-pN5YLa9CXk3K359SnZVkhXEeZmI_T3jVhGYMwOIiJ8PSNVjXXkedmQKr104b7Q-Lq-y18O8ieIMMw2AT1pXGH_Mpn_R2I8Hv9FftQiQCWATvX91d6tTi5dfJGYek/s400/Vedran+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He takes his responsibilities so seriously and does a tremendous job. He's kind-of like a one man show, does the job of the deacons, and teacher, never misses a beat! He's always early to set it up and stays to make sure it's cleaned up. Jim never has to worry about the sacrament. Vedran has 5 sisters and he's the only boy, he is the sparkle in all of his sisters’ lives. They absolutely adore him!<br />
<br />
<br />
Who wouldn’t? What's not to love?<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table> The mind numbing cold has been the story of the week here in Eastern Europe. Everyone is struggling with the terrible cold and snow. I think the low in Banja Luka this week was -25. We came from Croatia on Thursday and our house was almost impossible to get warm. We figured it out the next morning when we woke up. We had run out of heating oil! No kidding, I thought I would freeze to death! I decided to stay in bed wrapped up in my down comforter and heavy quilt while the hot water recovered after Jim's shower. About 2 hours later Jim came up and said, hey, we have to be out of here in 30 minutes. I ventured out, locked myself in the bathroom and turned the water on. The outside room temp. Was so cold that the hot water made a steam room! At least it was warm enough for me to get dressed and ready to go. We went to the Red Cross and made arrangement with them to receive church funds for emergency relief to the people stranded without food or heat in the small villages surrounding Banja Luka. They will make up food boxes and snow cat or air lift them into those who are so affected by this terrible weather. We also met with an Islamic group to see what we could do to help them serve the Islamic community here in Banja Luka. We are going to develop a project with them in the near future.<br />
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I came home and got back into my bed with the added layer of my winter coat. I fell asleep while reading and woke up an hour or so later with my feet like rocks of ice! Even under my covers they were freezing! They didn't have the extra layer of my coat on them. We finally got heating oil delivered and by bedtime the house was up to 56 degrees, so we slept toasty and warm with two pair of long underwear on, one down comforter, one heavy blanket, and heavy socks. Today I know I have heat enough in the house, but I still feel cold. Just a throwback to yesterday! <br />
<br />
Jim took me out to eat last night for my birthday and we sat by this huge fireplace that was so wonderful! The food was amazing and it was a very special outing, but the warmth will be my lasting memory of my evening out.<br />
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Don't worry about me, I'm just really a baby when it comes to cold, my friends in Las Vegas will tell you it's true. I think I'm the only person down there that carries a sweater or a sweat shirt with me all summer long just in case the air conditioning gets too cold!<br />
<br />
This next week we will finally get to meet our supervisors from Germany face to face. They are coming on Weds. and will be with us until the following Monday. We are really looking forward to spending some time getting to know them. We have Skyped with them, talked and e-mailed many times and feel like we know them, but it will be wonderful to have them here in Croatia and Bosnia with us for almost a week. I hope the weather improves a little for them!<br />
<br />
Another news flash is that we have officially been put into the Adriatic North Mission! Bosnia is no longer and orphan country without a mission! We believe that the process to open the country up to missionaries will soon be a reality! Assigning us to a mission is the first step! Ohhhh! Prayers are being answered and we are sooooo unbelievably happy! Over and out with all our love....<br />
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</div>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-66527414020198287752012-01-26T12:08:00.002-07:002012-01-26T15:05:15.319-07:00Replacements.....<strong>A few weeks ago we got this e-mail. </strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;">From: John Leonard </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Date: Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 12:57 PM</span></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Subject: RE: Your replacement</span></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;">To: Humanitarian Service of the Church of Jesus Christ of </span></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Dear E/S Erickson,</span></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;">The missionaries assigned to be your replacements for Croatia are Elder and Sister Winters. They live in Sandy, UT. The Winters would be excited if you could contact them, here is there contact info….</span></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #990000;">God bless you,</span></strong><br />
<br />
All along I’ve looked at the ticker on the right side of this blog and pretty much ignored it, thinking we had plenty of time…..REALLY??? It’s only a little over 5 months before we are coming home? Where has the last year gone? <br />
<br />
As the time will go quickly and before we know it we will be on a plane headed home my mind has been swirling with things yet undone. We haven’t done a project in this city, or we haven’t contacted these people in this organization, or we need to get another shipment of this on it’s way… It’s a little like cleaning a kitchen with ten people in the house. As soon as you get the sink clean and dishes put away from lunch, it’s time to start dinner or some kid comes in and asks for a toasted cheese sandwich! <br />
<br />
We Skyped with our replacements the other day, telling them to bring this or that and trying to be excited about them coming, we really are, but honestly I can’t even bring myself to think about saying good-bye to all those who we have grown to love so much, so true to my Pollyanna outlook on life, I won’t. There will be a time for that and as for the here and now, we will just try really hard not to be too trunkie over the next few months. <br />
<br />
We still have not heard about humanitarian replacements for Bosnia or for the member leadership support missionaries that we hope will be called to take care of our little Branch/Group here in Banja Luka . I will keep you all posted on any new developments. <br />
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One of the things that we have not done is develop any projects in Southern Croatia along the coast. We have neglected that part of the country for a couple of reasons. One, there has been so much need in Northern and Eastern Croatia that we have stayed pretty busy. Two, we didn’t really have any contacts down on the coast so it means cold calls to people who might or might not want to see us. And Three, we tried to avoid the tourist season at all costs; we have heard that it’s pretty crazy down there during the summer and not necessarily missionary approved beaches. So this week we took a road trip to the coast, we made three cold calls, one was very receptive and I think we have a potential project with them, the other two were very kind but projects with them are not likely. We went to a city, ZADAR, and just fell in love with it! No wonder their tourist season is so Hugh! The blue, blue Adriatic sea, the beautiful sunset, and the kind accommodating people we met made for a wonderful two day road trip for us. The only downer was that the wind was blowing like crazy and the wind chill was sooooo low that we almost froze to death! They also closed the freeway on our way home and sent us trough all these mountain passes with switchbacks and semis driving REALLY slowly. We found out later that the wind had caused the closure. I loved the ride because I saw so much of the country side, but Jim complained most of the way home….now what’s the matter with driving 30 mph on switchbacks for about 3 hours? Just slow down and smell the roses, right? He’s such a man!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTh1Ddlzfu-xmIxMk_66SLcvzQ6zvY0p-rcKb0wojpaWCAnf7m5X5L6dvTm479Vs2k91Ih9tarBk9Rw-VxvvMZeHMSoXwpwjDwAWTXVUADqbeRGmg-TuDrP1aFmpJ0fLSfGfz0MD-5pE/s1600/Zadar+1+Kresimir+Cosic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTh1Ddlzfu-xmIxMk_66SLcvzQ6zvY0p-rcKb0wojpaWCAnf7m5X5L6dvTm479Vs2k91Ih9tarBk9Rw-VxvvMZeHMSoXwpwjDwAWTXVUADqbeRGmg-TuDrP1aFmpJ0fLSfGfz0MD-5pE/s400/Zadar+1+Kresimir+Cosic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is in Zadar at the Kresimir Cosic Park. He was born in this city and they claim him as their local hero.<br />
Bigger than life, what do ya think? Tihana (our Croatian translator) and I look pretty small!<br />
Basketball is everything here in this city, For those of you who are too young to know this guy, he played for BYU and filled the Marriott Center every time! He also brought the church to Croatia and started the translation of the Book of Mormon. <br />
Our current mission office is in the space where that translation took place and was donated to the church by Kresimir.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jEg3Xf3EePNX-ypPDQL1byLcUiDSQE5TJ5a2dw3NPpDY3zcgycdTyu3Rb9wC00uMr_vFAS9OofV_6qbrv3vIcpA_knoX4F3EQNvKx3TUSkh8gy-8HmkA59ASGkQoIe1JipUmGTUbkEs/s1600/DSC03273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9jEg3Xf3EePNX-ypPDQL1byLcUiDSQE5TJ5a2dw3NPpDY3zcgycdTyu3Rb9wC00uMr_vFAS9OofV_6qbrv3vIcpA_knoX4F3EQNvKx3TUSkh8gy-8HmkA59ASGkQoIe1JipUmGTUbkEs/s400/DSC03273.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tihana and I ran for the car, but Jim braved the wind and got a picture of the arena and our hero's back side!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVa2SDdH-VGR3zvt53ftJWVTatv2vF34Oa-ZDeCYiSZQjSQOqDzeoABwU0UwBcJ-zDW_OSCmhUxBkBaDANTO2f7SantcAfkPOzyebeXncqPOby_0yscOLK6ta3T5ZsSOs-zH9PPm2054/s1600/Zadar+3+Sunset+from+hotel+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhVa2SDdH-VGR3zvt53ftJWVTatv2vF34Oa-ZDeCYiSZQjSQOqDzeoABwU0UwBcJ-zDW_OSCmhUxBkBaDANTO2f7SantcAfkPOzyebeXncqPOby_0yscOLK6ta3T5ZsSOs-zH9PPm2054/s400/Zadar+3+Sunset+from+hotel+room.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the sunset from our hotel room, it was just breath taking and a pretty great view to wake up to as well!<br />
There was a whole row of ambulances parked in the parking lot, we thought that was strange until the hotel manager told us that they were mine workers, we thought, "I wonder what they mine, coal, silver, gold???" and then it dawned on us. Oh ya, there's been a war here, they are still cleaning up LAND MINES!!!! Thus the ambulances, we felt pretty dumb!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaj9dzYCUlGjVwH7q7Ypd3-nYUw_AZrLotcqdKoKRD_m9YWWHjplZYKmAkpKej-7-k9otqT9tmJD4hgyLaz-pW3LHGwqcJDQBAuAxJEWrYXv_MQoywBnN2UIcioUGhgWwyOnCNNqRu0s/s1600/Zadar+4+street+in+old+city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaj9dzYCUlGjVwH7q7Ypd3-nYUw_AZrLotcqdKoKRD_m9YWWHjplZYKmAkpKej-7-k9otqT9tmJD4hgyLaz-pW3LHGwqcJDQBAuAxJEWrYXv_MQoywBnN2UIcioUGhgWwyOnCNNqRu0s/s400/Zadar+4+street+in+old+city.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the "Old City" in Zadar, we had time to walk around in between appointments, but it was soooo cold we took a quick look and ran back to the car! Maybe next time! It really looked fun and had a ton of great looking shops, but not today!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGJX0HosQU8YGc23CG33Xs2ygLnr13gbVFMxeQWlDynSFZTesfN3wXDB6qMHOm6EFyDwcMHAAHWTmczUQ9mxvJuUPLuZUX6eiPJMwyvaPkfzD2B5PJm_eRlTVgDQiQlrSD_GXCbYCXuw/s1600/Zadar+5+city+scape+from+dock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGJX0HosQU8YGc23CG33Xs2ygLnr13gbVFMxeQWlDynSFZTesfN3wXDB6qMHOm6EFyDwcMHAAHWTmczUQ9mxvJuUPLuZUX6eiPJMwyvaPkfzD2B5PJm_eRlTVgDQiQlrSD_GXCbYCXuw/s400/Zadar+5+city+scape+from+dock.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the city from the dock, It really is a beautiful city.</td></tr>
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Today we are back in Bosnia, we’re hoping to meet with the Red Cross tomorrow and then have the weekend to do seminary and church on Sunday, then back to Croatia on Monday. Last Saturday, our preparation day, we got the stairway about half way painted. Up to the 2nd floor of the house, this Saturday I hope we can get up to the third level. We are making progress with our house painting project! The missionary apartment is all done and ready to be occupied, but so far we haven’t any word on missionaries being allowed to come into the country. It is our constant prayer that it will happen sooner rather than later.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeHMA8neb1DJyyfFX6kXKY76NbVMse5WENhGAVYp03X9yWgcHiGeR67bzsAtexu8XxHec0gzBhb5B3nmzfs2GV8c7l3VAKHPxvHgexOL6UteT5e3EtA4vawaKAhyezKUHtoIzjY34zFQ/s1600/Vanja+and+her+Grandma+Debby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeHMA8neb1DJyyfFX6kXKY76NbVMse5WENhGAVYp03X9yWgcHiGeR67bzsAtexu8XxHec0gzBhb5B3nmzfs2GV8c7l3VAKHPxvHgexOL6UteT5e3EtA4vawaKAhyezKUHtoIzjY34zFQ/s400/Vanja+and+her+Grandma+Debby.jpg" width="388" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my Vanja, the kids all call me "Grandma Debby", none of this stuffy "Sister Erickson" stuff here! I can't remember when it started, but I love it, that's one thing that's been hard on a mission, not being Grandma, so it feels good!</td></tr>
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I know The Lord directs His work and in due time it will come about. He’s trying to teach Debby Erickson to be patient. All our love from your (trying not be trunkie) missionaries from Croatia and Bosnia.JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-88402219861540891422012-01-22T10:56:00.001-07:002012-01-25T12:45:09.914-07:00Orthodox Christmas in Banja Luka... On January 6th, Jim's Birthday, we came into Banja Luka and were again excited to see the Badnjak trees on every street corner. <a href="http://jimanddebby.blogspot.com/2011/01/christmas-in-bosnia.html">read here about Bosnia Christmas traditions</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6forfveh9Sv6A4xHS5Q5JHWX_qxlsjrFb5BOVMfNDO-Umr7pGU_7EsJTY-wYeoYgBaMR5s4OKucUoxhHrujHF0i2nSi00wrFKrqgZ64m_oUemoLWXzc3qYC2ZgwlM0mMDTve0FD9P7c/s1600/Serbian+Christmas+weekend+5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6forfveh9Sv6A4xHS5Q5JHWX_qxlsjrFb5BOVMfNDO-Umr7pGU_7EsJTY-wYeoYgBaMR5s4OKucUoxhHrujHF0i2nSi00wrFKrqgZ64m_oUemoLWXzc3qYC2ZgwlM0mMDTve0FD9P7c/s400/Serbian+Christmas+weekend+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLs2SgtbMVHZ-gboVs6ImK1WXAO2KEemyqipJR_1ayXUWDbdZ1XB5azlrAXtvlgpz1vc8XQKg4S1xbM0f_WzkLek77Z1lG72k1FFndGxE78NG7VigFCCWTp3-4NsfyF24NnqErIhKjd4s/s1600/Serbian+Christmas+weekend+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLs2SgtbMVHZ-gboVs6ImK1WXAO2KEemyqipJR_1ayXUWDbdZ1XB5azlrAXtvlgpz1vc8XQKg4S1xbM0f_WzkLek77Z1lG72k1FFndGxE78NG7VigFCCWTp3-4NsfyF24NnqErIhKjd4s/s400/Serbian+Christmas+weekend+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of their traditions is that after staw is spread out on the floor the oldest woman in the family comes in and clucks like a chicken and begins throwing candy into the straw. There is a scramble for the candy by the children, but they all ended up sharing what they had gathered. I had the honor of helping Nada, but they had to give me clucking lessons!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRb6MNsQiQ2Szq5H4nK0STOGqnLg74hMAYUfC-WbAMnsuuRy2ZZ8YloPpjt-lUlCGLJMuU32P03mniR0dg-6XlWdorSufnJ6ENQHm3yj1s-oTDMC2KP_beJ5Zo22Mm9W1ptyr4CKeCp2k/s1600/Serbian+Christmas+weekend+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRb6MNsQiQ2Szq5H4nK0STOGqnLg74hMAYUfC-WbAMnsuuRy2ZZ8YloPpjt-lUlCGLJMuU32P03mniR0dg-6XlWdorSufnJ6ENQHm3yj1s-oTDMC2KP_beJ5Zo22Mm9W1ptyr4CKeCp2k/s400/Serbian+Christmas+weekend+3.jpg" width="330" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish this was a better picture, this was Christmas Day, January 7th, We had Sarma, refried beans, pork from one of their pigs that they slaughtered, (I asked if that made them sad, they said, "no we feed it to eat it") corn bread, pickles and peppers that had been preseved earlier in the fall, goat cheese, and some wonderful cakes and home made coconut candies. I'm bringing home that recipe!<br />
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<br />
!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSfaOv7DY-Fb1ppcazn7ngaZF8LEHbc3lxtT2Omm2f-wFhfPgqOfIBGxuf2XflOJVHiAwVl3bdao5CN6mvQcMvTPzdCQ1sbOPXirWQMTckrtpryQaDr388DNAszAlV0a_5docU_wW6fw/s1600/Serbia+Super+Saturday+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSfaOv7DY-Fb1ppcazn7ngaZF8LEHbc3lxtT2Omm2f-wFhfPgqOfIBGxuf2XflOJVHiAwVl3bdao5CN6mvQcMvTPzdCQ1sbOPXirWQMTckrtpryQaDr388DNAszAlV0a_5docU_wW6fw/s400/Serbia+Super+Saturday+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is their traditional bread that has a coin baked in it. Whoever gets the coin has good luck for the whole year.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4u3BXfzW9PN06KEYienW-rZqxtAp8sYTgPmz3KwOsb4Z-jvS0s2Xu1lGoDJ8Cgf0oHy0_JUzeJAG_WeZMpoz8oYcR6eNezUR7Cv0z0TNKnoL-pnfL9UWZMqamiCanYCWinThtkGzi3CU/s1600/Serbian+Christmas+weekend+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4u3BXfzW9PN06KEYienW-rZqxtAp8sYTgPmz3KwOsb4Z-jvS0s2Xu1lGoDJ8Cgf0oHy0_JUzeJAG_WeZMpoz8oYcR6eNezUR7Cv0z0TNKnoL-pnfL9UWZMqamiCanYCWinThtkGzi3CU/s400/Serbian+Christmas+weekend+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mission Presidents niece and their nanny, Jamie, Sister Robinson, (they came to say good-bye as well because they went home to Utah last week) Grandma Nada, Tihana, our Croatian translator, Sister Tanner, the mission nurse and her companion, Sister Rowe.<br />
The Tadic family invited guests from Zagreb to eat Christmas dinner with them, they stayed at our house and attended church the next day. Grandma Nada brought all the women a pair of Bosnian slippers Sunday. Our guests were thrilled!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb9q_slGEahuAVPB8-ez7u6sAgj4YmpzQHWA-bRniezfoojBZaEX4Hx84vIIDyG0hd-N9WYXSpy9kGEgQ8euFf1DsXYJ8tpqj0VyijoXIrOILR2TLF-9OXdM702jvmOUWPpr3Q2OMJXE/s1600/Serbian+Christmas+weekend+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb9q_slGEahuAVPB8-ez7u6sAgj4YmpzQHWA-bRniezfoojBZaEX4Hx84vIIDyG0hd-N9WYXSpy9kGEgQ8euFf1DsXYJ8tpqj0VyijoXIrOILR2TLF-9OXdM702jvmOUWPpr3Q2OMJXE/s400/Serbian+Christmas+weekend+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty cute feet, don't you think?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We had a great Bosnian Christmas, New Years followed and now we are trying to get going again on humanitarian projects. We have several in the works, but January is pretty much a loss. Most offices have been closed all month or are just making due with a skeleton staff. The new year will bring us many opportunites to serve and hopefully we will see the Church becoming legal and the young missionaries arriving! Oh happy day! We really are praying that it will happen before we go home!JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-55140239677643636762012-01-10T03:10:00.002-07:002012-01-10T05:36:11.588-07:00Providing food for the poor.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Year End Projects..</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus5EiyBYea6hFcM0xBD6o6G5OMXq8uBfXuzJR8xQd5IwCRogB5ImsrQ6NIMTFWJ8KzwftuH7eer1fpSAOk9Ylvs7H4sIxYp3K9h4SEK5o9p-X8zZ5Hg3qKt8NWoiDOeEf9-kOvnUHtCI/s1600/Red+Cross+Dec+2011+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus5EiyBYea6hFcM0xBD6o6G5OMXq8uBfXuzJR8xQd5IwCRogB5ImsrQ6NIMTFWJ8KzwftuH7eer1fpSAOk9Ylvs7H4sIxYp3K9h4SEK5o9p-X8zZ5Hg3qKt8NWoiDOeEf9-kOvnUHtCI/s400/Red+Cross+Dec+2011+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L.D.S. Charities provided enough money for each family to receive a bag of staples for Christmas. <br />
The Red Cross chose what to put in the bags. Oil, rice, pasta, sugar, milk, hotdogs, and coffee. They made 400 packages like this and distributed them at two locations in the city.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fxaE2n0KX6XY6ZwhWm4FBOFvt-zwsw6GquwxfsSbCiU_Ky_b3JYz2oEhkJXrNDD2MhQsAas6AuiAyeBOnQd7lsYOeJjw3szNHsqZAMHxV1EljkeumB-5jnEdoDCrDdXgxe7SoF2joZw/s1600/Red+Cross+Dec+2011+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fxaE2n0KX6XY6ZwhWm4FBOFvt-zwsw6GquwxfsSbCiU_Ky_b3JYz2oEhkJXrNDD2MhQsAas6AuiAyeBOnQd7lsYOeJjw3szNHsqZAMHxV1EljkeumB-5jnEdoDCrDdXgxe7SoF2joZw/s400/Red+Cross+Dec+2011+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the director of the Red Cross. She told us that because the price of milk had gone up so high, many of the people haven't had milk for a long time. This is one reason we depend on local partners. They understand the needs of the people they serve. We never would have thought to put milk in the Christmas packages. Or coffee. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtU0_EtinGavPd-wllccpHNU2xYs7_r5rXm6fTXqDSLWD4Yxod_8mHq5UfG6mBS8tVx5aIMnJFsJZEL-Ro6DqJ_O-2IF96VLINPF0CI5DEVAZcHjZr7LrUv_US4wGUsxbK3lC71Akryk/s1600/Red+Cross+Dec+2011+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtU0_EtinGavPd-wllccpHNU2xYs7_r5rXm6fTXqDSLWD4Yxod_8mHq5UfG6mBS8tVx5aIMnJFsJZEL-Ro6DqJ_O-2IF96VLINPF0CI5DEVAZcHjZr7LrUv_US4wGUsxbK3lC71Akryk/s400/Red+Cross+Dec+2011+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a project that has been in the works for quite some time. We put in a wheelchair order in the fall for the Red Cross. 250 wheelchairs are on their way, but the Red Cross building is not handicap accessible. Soooo, we built into the cost of the project enough money to have a ramp built. If any building in the city should have a ramp, you would think access to the Red Cross would be a priority. Now they will be able to fit the wheelchairs to the recipients IN the building and not in the parking lot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1csMYrRJXv0ovCSIcs4Up2ULsGOrlM7uUpWJMdpH6bm25gWjjP4dM4pRRhB5M5fp3tOxuIWR9JBW03j7PM_tzqX8mfh28Y3wwuYXDDQyH_-8fsWDFiKtkA3f8YyRPq-JJIR-eLtzaNcU/s1600/Banja+Luka+Caritas+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1csMYrRJXv0ovCSIcs4Up2ULsGOrlM7uUpWJMdpH6bm25gWjjP4dM4pRRhB5M5fp3tOxuIWR9JBW03j7PM_tzqX8mfh28Y3wwuYXDDQyH_-8fsWDFiKtkA3f8YyRPq-JJIR-eLtzaNcU/s400/Banja+Luka+Caritas+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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This was a project that we did with the Caritas organization in Banja Luka.<br />
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Caritas is the Relief organization for the Catholic Church here in Europe.<br />
We went with the directors assistant to the grocery store and paid for the goods, the store manager was so pleased to meet us, evidently they don't get too many people that come in from <br />
America and buy such large quantities of food to give away. Delivery was free!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh884mtZhJj7r5tZ-6U2Tl1nCsi1kfS1iwQuo0spn3zFjkgHCeq3INll0ali-8IybGl0SoISqpJV4Z924ABXZNbFSj22ZvLzspv1NPCFrOGfAx85zBtgry39BAIpeY9Ix4-5FHtRQlYSXc/s1600/Banja+Luka+Caritas+Dec.+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh884mtZhJj7r5tZ-6U2Tl1nCsi1kfS1iwQuo0spn3zFjkgHCeq3INll0ali-8IybGl0SoISqpJV4Z924ABXZNbFSj22ZvLzspv1NPCFrOGfAx85zBtgry39BAIpeY9Ix4-5FHtRQlYSXc/s400/Banja+Luka+Caritas+Dec.+2011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This what we bought that day at the store. 3,000 kg of flour, 240 kg sugar, 240 liters of oil, 120 kg salt, 120 kg rice,<br />
and 144 kg pasta.. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJh4_FlevNdIvfyVMMMIKKgQ4GeEkbbdT2U7Yh_wxWHsRfv1DRmijl86cwOpPTXAI7dxit7_kPxoQEJE8a1Lcdds5IvDcU8KVC-ZkiRwyj9yh0pBCmgVwLT-OyU2VqYIHwN7TpmU3Tr1k/s1600/Banja+Luka+Caritas+Dec.+2011+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJh4_FlevNdIvfyVMMMIKKgQ4GeEkbbdT2U7Yh_wxWHsRfv1DRmijl86cwOpPTXAI7dxit7_kPxoQEJE8a1Lcdds5IvDcU8KVC-ZkiRwyj9yh0pBCmgVwLT-OyU2VqYIHwN7TpmU3Tr1k/s400/Banja+Luka+Caritas+Dec.+2011+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It made enough for 120 food boxes for the poor that come to the Caritas soup kitchen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LOzRnhAzp5NJPiMqvbqZo0AM79Q0zPEiqfmjND0ZNwuD7aLnwvwRFPTNkCSk3ZUr5uNRg3dHuXYVE6e8cQZrOs134b62YAcsu54avBndqoadudAqF6rUKoc6ZfYsRQHMG0HSxrghHj4/s1600/Banja+Luka+Caritas+Dec.+2011+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LOzRnhAzp5NJPiMqvbqZo0AM79Q0zPEiqfmjND0ZNwuD7aLnwvwRFPTNkCSk3ZUr5uNRg3dHuXYVE6e8cQZrOs134b62YAcsu54avBndqoadudAqF6rUKoc6ZfYsRQHMG0HSxrghHj4/s400/Banja+Luka+Caritas+Dec.+2011+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The Caritas organizations choose to put more into each gift box and do fewer boxes. It was so appreciated! They gave us a beautiful thank-you note that had been meticulously translated into English. We came home after visiting these two organizations and both expressed how humbled we felt, how blessed we were and how very grateful we are to be a part of this amazing work. To know that people had just a little extra in their pantries this Christmas, or that they might not go hungry on at least this one day, well, it certainly gave us a reason to quit being babies about being away from home this Christmas and to ponder a little more the true meaning and significance of that day.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCldJYDCws_TrhRr1Q-Z6OXmnZj7pNfZBDTHnWnkOWncI15MILTMoMugO7v7tT72eVwUxdyHHa8jLGp2Dx3v26Nc_TtMaA_u0VSKFP31Jk8JfObIgOSpwwDaOYx4WnhoFrqxU4UWIlAs/s1600/Caritus+soup+kitchen+1+buying+meat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCldJYDCws_TrhRr1Q-Z6OXmnZj7pNfZBDTHnWnkOWncI15MILTMoMugO7v7tT72eVwUxdyHHa8jLGp2Dx3v26Nc_TtMaA_u0VSKFP31Jk8JfObIgOSpwwDaOYx4WnhoFrqxU4UWIlAs/s400/Caritus+soup+kitchen+1+buying+meat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The third soup kitchen we worked with was the Caritas soup kitchen in Varazdin, Croatia. they chose to buy meat with the money we provided them to add a little more nutrition into their usually meatless soups. We went to the butcher, who gave us a great deal, and bought the meat. They serve over 300 meals a day to many who depend on them for their only meal of the day.<br />
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<div align="left"></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Christmas Eve, Saturday afternoon/evening, we had our Sacrament Meeting in Banja Luka with our little branch. I'm sorry to say that I didn't get very many pictures and the ones we did get were not great, but I will post what I have. It was an absolutely wonderful day. The Tadic girls came over and helped me cook, turkey from Slovenia, (Elder and Sister Taylor gave it to us), mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, salad, pies and boiled custard. Our landlord and his wife both came to our meeting and stayed for dinner, along with all of the Tadic family and our investigator, Goran. So including Jim and I we had 15 people in attendance. My favorite memory of the day was our meeting. We tried to plan something special, the kids all practiced and practiced their musical numbers and sang just like a choir of angels. "The Stars are Gleaming" and "Away in a Manger". Vedran our 14 year old boy sang the echo part in "Away in a Manger" and was just adorable! Our two translators sang, "Picture a Christmas, Vickie had worked hard to translate it into Serbian and it was also amazing. Vickie and Maja took turns translating the video "Joy to the World" and Mika gave a wonderful talk about how Mary must have felt becoming a mother of the Christ child. It was one of those meetings where we were just so proud of all of them because they really did it themselves. Someday they will be the leaders of this branch and they certainly showed their abilities on Christmas Eve. But most important was the spirit that they brought with them, they are truly amazing people. </span></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYo5YE3nu-tISJA8u88IY3Hc30zrf30vKvztA6bRaooceljh11BMzdaFzlVZR6EilYCFc3aQumLb9acepXZNdBd3ym0JIU5AtBoBXjkzuLzHZ-jTLjgsiOfhqtlH9_M5aBVU6hZ8QrQw/s1600/Christmas+Eve+2011+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguYo5YE3nu-tISJA8u88IY3Hc30zrf30vKvztA6bRaooceljh11BMzdaFzlVZR6EilYCFc3aQumLb9acepXZNdBd3ym0JIU5AtBoBXjkzuLzHZ-jTLjgsiOfhqtlH9_M5aBVU6hZ8QrQw/s640/Christmas+Eve+2011+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mika (the mother of the Tadic family) and our landlords. It was fun to have them come to our meetings and then stay for dinner.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgCB-aEV3vyylpyJOlpoNRHO-RqjzHUTU9KbQeMkKbwvIz030dlsXGkk49lm4POze3E3eostvohZ95o4-qjyEKI5faUxUQJeS06dbcf4hvzdKhiiBkSYEKIlo8fbF9De9NkxbJVotvYE/s1600/Christmas+Eve+2011+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="325" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgCB-aEV3vyylpyJOlpoNRHO-RqjzHUTU9KbQeMkKbwvIz030dlsXGkk49lm4POze3E3eostvohZ95o4-qjyEKI5faUxUQJeS06dbcf4hvzdKhiiBkSYEKIlo8fbF9De9NkxbJVotvYE/s400/Christmas+Eve+2011+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mika with her beautiful smile!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We don't usually wear our badges when we are in Bosnia, (because the church is not legal yet) but I had put mine on because as soon as we cleaned up we were out the door and on our way to Croatia and I was afraid I would leave it sitting on the counter. We had an interesting experience on our way back to Croatia that night. It was late before we got going, Christmas Eve and the border station was pretty dead. We zipped right through on the Bosnia side and only waited a couple of minutes on the Croatia side to check our passports. As we stopped at the customs booth the usual questions were asked, anything to declare? Cigarettes, Alcohol? Jim said no, we don't smoke or drink, I think the customs guard was a little bored because he asked us another question which they don't usually ask, "what are you doing here in Croatia?" I'm sure it was strange, having two American old people going into Croatia on Christmas Eve. Jim explained that we were humanitarian missionaries assigned as country directors to both Croatia and Northern Bosnia. We bring in wheelchairs, help supply clean water and do area projects in both countries. He got a little emotional and said, "Thank-you, thank-you for being here for our people! Have a Merry Christmas!" Then he leaned all the way out of his little booth so he could shake Jim’s hand. What a gift he gave us! We are so blessed. I will never forget this Christmas Eve and the grateful heart that touched ours. </span></strong><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedyVGU-BhOsL0a4JXR164SZpNaHfgOTFfGOnXKxTfi4QQuI5pm3ARQ29jfDMO6nbm6nd7ho1We6eQkT00nC5uGC-2HnrIAdQ_mTNPsBi3EJBrYShZoGEUvlvOa0uJIYZYNH0d2KgqZl0/s1600/Package+from+home+Jan.2012++4+Elder+Marks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedyVGU-BhOsL0a4JXR164SZpNaHfgOTFfGOnXKxTfi4QQuI5pm3ARQ29jfDMO6nbm6nd7ho1We6eQkT00nC5uGC-2HnrIAdQ_mTNPsBi3EJBrYShZoGEUvlvOa0uJIYZYNH0d2KgqZl0/s400/Package+from+home+Jan.2012++4+Elder+Marks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is why we made this trip back to Croatia on Christmas Eve. We spent the day with the Young Elders so they could Skype their parents on our computer and have a day with a little something that was familiar to them. Elder Marks was the only one of us that got a package through on time for Christmas, so we watched him open it . I also fixed another dinner so pretty much I spent the whole holiday cooking....hummmm sounds like home doesn't it?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWVCmiYqupkVeU9XUU2W0cNVkfIDeUP6R_1me07wB1hfq6zhdYUkjAIh7PBT7COtPGxht9MVtVuY8FCDWz8u3-zvqMxKfdyut3-iniS56c7ZiboJNMv41Y5tD7f1Sz8hJYR-M9fhmRuU/s1600/Package+from+home+Jan.2012++3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWVCmiYqupkVeU9XUU2W0cNVkfIDeUP6R_1me07wB1hfq6zhdYUkjAIh7PBT7COtPGxht9MVtVuY8FCDWz8u3-zvqMxKfdyut3-iniS56c7ZiboJNMv41Y5tD7f1Sz8hJYR-M9fhmRuU/s400/Package+from+home+Jan.2012++3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our package from home came on January 3rd, at first we thought that it hadn't been opened by customs because all of the papers on top hadn't been broken, but when I went to throw the box away I realized that it had been opened from the bottom and retaped with the blue customs tape. We didn't have any custom charges though, so that was good.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-KJEFkgr95kETDFCU9kTDjp-F3Cj6rb4ySOlHUruuuGUpurNnT3kYvHnZUOdKnqs8BndKK55IGtN8cLuSn8DcpBtmANKqiyZEnJGB58dy7H4dnTGGcT7yL7hmNvzpfmFmdIbZVAWVTI/s1600/Package+from+home+Jan.2012++1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-KJEFkgr95kETDFCU9kTDjp-F3Cj6rb4ySOlHUruuuGUpurNnT3kYvHnZUOdKnqs8BndKK55IGtN8cLuSn8DcpBtmANKqiyZEnJGB58dy7H4dnTGGcT7yL7hmNvzpfmFmdIbZVAWVTI/s640/Package+from+home+Jan.2012++1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I knew immediately what I had when I saw this mailing label! Hurry Jim! Let's get home!!!!<br />
Then I got a little sick when I saw how much it cost to mail the package, not to mention what was inside!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wZn1QHX1cwSJ5sO7rSUXe-rjRTfKhQ6FyD2c-yaLD-qrL0wb4-j7ICl3FhmUju0QPMYfzxcPhWgJtbS549dGdwNusLECETd12bmDfg28-3z3_q3kqBDIMZ3VO5dxbV636xy1XCPIZ0s/s1600/Package+from+home+Jan.2012++2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wZn1QHX1cwSJ5sO7rSUXe-rjRTfKhQ6FyD2c-yaLD-qrL0wb4-j7ICl3FhmUju0QPMYfzxcPhWgJtbS549dGdwNusLECETd12bmDfg28-3z3_q3kqBDIMZ3VO5dxbV636xy1XCPIZ0s/s400/Package+from+home+Jan.2012++2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhh! a Kindle! We are so excited to have an e-reader! It was soooo worth the wait ! We sure have great kids! They also sent See's chocolate, really did a number on my diet, peanut butter, sweaters and socks for Jim and tons of Splenda, diet pudding, sugar free jello, Crystal light along with ingredients to make more monster cookies for the Tadic kids! Does anyone see the irony in all this???? See's chocolate and Splenda in the same box? I have to wonder! A little note about my Kindle, my children have created a Kindle monster, I stayed up most the night last Sunday reading, I finished the book I was reading, but I think I broke a few missionary rules. Self control is the goal for the new year, diet and missionary rules! Sleep is good, but highly over rated. Thanks kids for a wonderful little bit of love from home!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span> </div>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-41663792113583289552012-01-09T07:21:00.002-07:002012-01-09T07:35:40.228-07:00Christmas in Croatia...I think I wrote this sometime in the last part of December, but never got it posted, so it's pretty late news but I thought I would go ahead and post it before I started a new post. Sorry for my late, "Merry Christmas" to all of you! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season!<br />
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It's true, Jim and I are officially homesick! I think there are two reasons for our official state of wishing we were home in the arms of our sweet family. The first is that it's Christmas, not just any Christmas, but our second one away from our family and we are just really feeling it more this year.<br />
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The second is that we ran out of humanitarian project money around the 1st of December for local area projects in both countries. This means that we have had a little more free time on our hands than we are used to and more time means more thinking and more thinking means more missing those little hugs around my neck and those sweet sloppy candy kisses that are so liberally shared. It means worrying from afar that Christmas will be wonderful for them all and somehow that silly song, "I'll be home for Christmas", keeps playing on the Mormon channel and every time it does I get a little teary eyed and remember "if only in my dreams..." Yep, it's official, we are homesick, but hopefully will abate in January.<br />
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Our new budget turns around the 1st of January. Jim has been doing all the year end budget reports, making sure our church card is balanced out to 0 and sending in completion histories on all of our finished up area projects. I have been painting. Still no word of when the church will be legal in Bosnia, but when it does, there sure is a nice little apartment waiting for missionaries to occupy! Jim says it's nicer than anything he ever stayed in when he was in Finland. I just wish there were a Michaels around,( I realize I'm not just writing to an American audience..Michaels is an amazing craft store in the U.S.) I could REALLY make it cute! Hummm, it's always good to have Jim around, he brings me down to earth, from my painting ladder, and reminds me that it's not my house. <br />
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We have a mission Christmas party tomorrow. The Elders are coming over this afternoon to make cinnamon rolls. They were assigned to bring something sweet and I told them I would help. I'm assigned to bring a crock pot of soup. It should be a fun party. We love to get together with all of the missionaries. I feel so bad for them this year. I'm not quite sure how things are working out this week at the mission office, but as of last Monday the post office was refusing to release Christmas packages for the missionaries. On Monday they were afraid that some of the packages that had come for missionaries had been sent back to the U.S. Others are just being held captive. I'll be careful not to wax political, but my heart goes out to these sweet young men and women. They are such wonderful servants of our Heavenly Father and it breaks my heart to think of them not getting their packages from home. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFIp8xWnEeoTErtYVO9Sr7ksM5G1-swZW_mkGhvTw53du_vA4FaHC6AJa13zJ2KWR38cqWIEWGPN9xSHKrTtVTCyE6HQb0D0yEUdO8r8YuYtb4SHxLKNKdZZonbgixsZrG4zt0VpTjVk/s1600/Dec.+zone+conference+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFIp8xWnEeoTErtYVO9Sr7ksM5G1-swZW_mkGhvTw53du_vA4FaHC6AJa13zJ2KWR38cqWIEWGPN9xSHKrTtVTCyE6HQb0D0yEUdO8r8YuYtb4SHxLKNKdZZonbgixsZrG4zt0VpTjVk/s400/Dec.+zone+conference+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our mission presidents twins and I taught the missionaries how to do the "Hokey Pokey".<br />
It was pretty fun to see all those missionaries "Shake it all about"!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtt8u-G79Ao3AWgMElfcW2FDFRGvdNrFPPteS5xhz0TVHaMJh6-2c9lGblKveykQJZBJb-br5MyNYXEjSr46XujMOnde-8PIGJ8MbUDCuBCO4DIOhUacyHR6ansQ8DNiKXYI4GSNpWwAI/s1600/Dec.+Zone+conference+2011+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtt8u-G79Ao3AWgMElfcW2FDFRGvdNrFPPteS5xhz0TVHaMJh6-2c9lGblKveykQJZBJb-br5MyNYXEjSr46XujMOnde-8PIGJ8MbUDCuBCO4DIOhUacyHR6ansQ8DNiKXYI4GSNpWwAI/s400/Dec.+Zone+conference+2011+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of our "Seniors" just chillin!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUiOO8D4gNlgP4W8imjgEk3OqunJigVptIxobDDnbygZowUW5wI2cTD0tlUOOqs5NYM2Dib_yfPsxdU1ghfME3qnCkarMdqprAEqjvrmDdhn3Ja9SCtDE2Uyn_sU4MHUcymwoR-4vLCs/s1600/Dec.+Zone+conference+2011+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUiOO8D4gNlgP4W8imjgEk3OqunJigVptIxobDDnbygZowUW5wI2cTD0tlUOOqs5NYM2Dib_yfPsxdU1ghfME3qnCkarMdqprAEqjvrmDdhn3Ja9SCtDE2Uyn_sU4MHUcymwoR-4vLCs/s400/Dec.+Zone+conference+2011+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had a really nice dinner, played games, exchanged white elephant gifts, had a spiritual testimony meeting, took tons of pictures and left with our hearts and spirits lifted!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1Ez0-bHt26Y8A5vVm0Wl0tKMTxNbN7gpmmXgomLYsYsMIFKnwKMjqZm00hlchuDOjInfxjKW-7k6iFCXHrzENopzas4OKy8fsFvz-bcsQDdZAqEunu36yVlFIw9ib06gzfZD1kMT65I/s1600/Dec.+Zone+conference+2011+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1Ez0-bHt26Y8A5vVm0Wl0tKMTxNbN7gpmmXgomLYsYsMIFKnwKMjqZm00hlchuDOjInfxjKW-7k6iFCXHrzENopzas4OKy8fsFvz-bcsQDdZAqEunu36yVlFIw9ib06gzfZD1kMT65I/s320/Dec.+Zone+conference+2011+7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Varazdin missionaries making cinnamon rolls in our apartment. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aKp8jrz67nA7-wzWStNAx5vgOXqnGN_uSVmNkbmTa2mmRddJZDUAO_papJ8EI3W5D6kDQwaxXQXlDZlwTJTDEpfbS_dBJDleyeskGn8ixHSOjBfJ29Ewf-g0OB-FLuorOWYWotjcWYI/s1600/Dec.+Zone+conference+2011+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aKp8jrz67nA7-wzWStNAx5vgOXqnGN_uSVmNkbmTa2mmRddJZDUAO_papJ8EI3W5D6kDQwaxXQXlDZlwTJTDEpfbS_dBJDleyeskGn8ixHSOjBfJ29Ewf-g0OB-FLuorOWYWotjcWYI/s400/Dec.+Zone+conference+2011+8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Bridge and Elder Marks were quick learners and did a great job!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXk_I5SFxCkZ2Ko1eabb9Y-nvmBerA-QZhe37RyHuZFPSi0EO_wBg6OmA0EmIi0zMgoygRoUbqZwJBqJV1x086Q2iTMofz5dAP1cb8VxtEfmFVmnT83ZusygPBF2E0izcCvvBBVgbgB4/s1600/Dec.+Zone+conference+2011+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXk_I5SFxCkZ2Ko1eabb9Y-nvmBerA-QZhe37RyHuZFPSi0EO_wBg6OmA0EmIi0zMgoygRoUbqZwJBqJV1x086Q2iTMofz5dAP1cb8VxtEfmFVmnT83ZusygPBF2E0izcCvvBBVgbgB4/s640/Dec.+Zone+conference+2011+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Our Mission"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-26409385235911494532011-12-13T08:03:00.000-07:002011-12-13T08:03:26.223-07:00The White Stocking..<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div align="justify" style="text-align: center;">I saw this on a blog today and loved the idea, A white stocking to hang with the others to remind us what is really important during the holiday season. </div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjschsCnB6RAHZPOpACsENg5GW_j3tHONLLRNPvoP_dLLND7ESYNdS-VgN5Txpc1Le7qpS1r4tHo_D7laM6XBt2r22YyDG-UkAh7p5jWqWDgsqh94PDio75A3CkuagqODypVGyKZmXQYZMc/s1600/IMG_9727.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" closure_uid_q80ih9="2" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685491430641740514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjschsCnB6RAHZPOpACsENg5GW_j3tHONLLRNPvoP_dLLND7ESYNdS-VgN5Txpc1Le7qpS1r4tHo_D7laM6XBt2r22YyDG-UkAh7p5jWqWDgsqh94PDio75A3CkuagqODypVGyKZmXQYZMc/s640/IMG_9727.JPG" style="height: 400px; width: 253px;" width="404" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">THE WHITE STOCKING</span></strong></td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat;</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was thirsty and ye gave me drink:</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was a stranger and; ye took me in:</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>naked and; ye clothed me:</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was sick and ye visited me:</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was in prison and; ye came to me.</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong><strong><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Then shall the righteous answer him,</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>saying, Lord, when saw we thee</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>an hungered, and fed thee?</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Or thirsty and; gave thee drink?</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<strong>Or when saw we thee sick,</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>or in prison, and came unto thee?</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong><strong>And the king shall answer and say unto them,</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Verily I say unto you,</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren,</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ye have done it unto me.”</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">{Matthew 25:35-40}<strong><br />
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</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was alone, and you sat by me.</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was discouraged, and you cheered me up.</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was feeling lost, and you showed me the way.</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was sad, and you cried with me.</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was overwhelmed, and you helped me.</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was grieving and you stayed with me.</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I didn't understand, and you tutored me.</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I was different and you didn't judge me.</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">just think...what gifts can I give the Savior this year?</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0FSQuHDIsVw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div align="justify">Thanks to Angie Dunn for her great blog....I always need inspiration and this just really helped me get into the Christmas Spirit. </div></div>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-11145455215059078122011-12-11T13:30:00.000-07:002011-12-11T13:30:10.936-07:00Youth Activities in Banja Luka, Bosnia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
One of our most enjoyable activites here in Bosnia is working with our darling youth...Any thing from service projects, parties, seminary or just hanging out. We love every minute that we are able to spend with them. Here are just a few pictures of some of our random activities over the last few months.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21LJv2RzoJ5OA8mZ3C95P1t-quTQeKIsl1pfsa9U8UeiNzVVHvRpX23i-4cvQ5oRtrKs6DpVjPAYmQHLgstorSWosxy4L18RCJzst3Cp-UE3fMFd2zryKMKnkhNn0_n3fQ0372yyOOvE/s1600/Palechinca+Party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21LJv2RzoJ5OA8mZ3C95P1t-quTQeKIsl1pfsa9U8UeiNzVVHvRpX23i-4cvQ5oRtrKs6DpVjPAYmQHLgstorSWosxy4L18RCJzst3Cp-UE3fMFd2zryKMKnkhNn0_n3fQ0372yyOOvE/s400/Palechinca+Party.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palachenka Party- I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong, but they are thin creaps or pancakes that they put jam, chocolate or cream in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhALI0Lbedwvh0a00p5x2AHkkb94Q-sdwGS8nxMxMPQ0eTwZuxSKTabga86_Mz4a8BhsKVzk-8jXUiJBTqZ-_XGO30acMrNvO2HezSdUwzhBjvcgKuYY25uAiwRXvgwM3yiWYSYEpOYA/s1600/Palechinca+Party.2+Vicky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhALI0Lbedwvh0a00p5x2AHkkb94Q-sdwGS8nxMxMPQ0eTwZuxSKTabga86_Mz4a8BhsKVzk-8jXUiJBTqZ-_XGO30acMrNvO2HezSdUwzhBjvcgKuYY25uAiwRXvgwM3yiWYSYEpOYA/s400/Palechinca+Party.2+Vicky.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vicky was the palachenka queen!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCu-g1PRD4mDlAGzFi80Id-As3yAkE01ZDvCKL455k_I2c2mZ7oRzTyQAmg1lzo-fE73OBv3Ht5Xhyphenhyphenh23GD0eccr-rz0GrqasRTZr_T8iTmuBP795frkPYcBodnS9uAgbjmrRtZt2zeY/s1600/Palechinca+Party+3+Victorija+and+Vedran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCu-g1PRD4mDlAGzFi80Id-As3yAkE01ZDvCKL455k_I2c2mZ7oRzTyQAmg1lzo-fE73OBv3Ht5Xhyphenhyphenh23GD0eccr-rz0GrqasRTZr_T8iTmuBP795frkPYcBodnS9uAgbjmrRtZt2zeY/s400/Palechinca+Party+3+Victorija+and+Vedran.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victorija and Vedran</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YaJW4M8lQN3oeCAUsWDLyK8ow3Jgpyf8lBeoPo8136a9ZC_gWvMB0znFCTe2bhi8-8_p_TLUH6e9n7gTczOMEUc66pAEqcQa2A1gsnz0oceTVCXzIHytsKPwNBVVMGQ4IyfFfUDaUCE/s1600/Palechinca+Party+4+Vanja+and+Tina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YaJW4M8lQN3oeCAUsWDLyK8ow3Jgpyf8lBeoPo8136a9ZC_gWvMB0znFCTe2bhi8-8_p_TLUH6e9n7gTczOMEUc66pAEqcQa2A1gsnz0oceTVCXzIHytsKPwNBVVMGQ4IyfFfUDaUCE/s400/Palechinca+Party+4+Vanja+and+Tina.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanja and Tina</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZF_JuUZ5yu6LsFU-qqEAuQR346hto1EL9Oxa8RwHCqTCulqYLUUYSn9nMPHxirQbUvhtWWEFTFo_eHemR_V9trThzen8Sgz8vwx7dCime-FUyYY3fIx-9b1ARtN9rzKdq8xzCP6-8Wc/s1600/Serbia+Super+Saturday+1+Monster+cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZF_JuUZ5yu6LsFU-qqEAuQR346hto1EL9Oxa8RwHCqTCulqYLUUYSn9nMPHxirQbUvhtWWEFTFo_eHemR_V9trThzen8Sgz8vwx7dCime-FUyYY3fIx-9b1ARtN9rzKdq8xzCP6-8Wc/s400/Serbia+Super+Saturday+1+Monster+cookies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Jan Stottler sent us all the ingredients to make "Monster Cookies" quite awhile ago. I've been hording them for a special occation and a trip to Serbia with our youth just seemed like the timing was right! Not particularly a glamorous shot of me, but boy did everyone love those cookies! Peanut butter is just not something these kids are used to and they just LOVED the taste of it in the cookies. We ate them all the way to Serbia and all the way home. What a fun way to spend time in a van, eating cookies and singing "Follow the Prophet" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes". IN ENGLISH!!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LdIiNCJNukCmxxM5iScRHqAVubhqiv6Fp31W8V9XLvmewrQ_4UT4lDGzW_-gQ-ow4DbKENFxLNIYsHnYKrGqVFdpOaktvnKPBnYXPw2kUT6ND7Aw2cc4LeBLf50SgF9O3_UiGgsTlNg/s1600/Serbia+Super+Saturday+2+Tadic+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6LdIiNCJNukCmxxM5iScRHqAVubhqiv6Fp31W8V9XLvmewrQ_4UT4lDGzW_-gQ-ow4DbKENFxLNIYsHnYKrGqVFdpOaktvnKPBnYXPw2kUT6ND7Aw2cc4LeBLf50SgF9O3_UiGgsTlNg/s400/Serbia+Super+Saturday+2+Tadic+kids.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you have read some of my older blogs, you read about us leaving Vedrana (our only primary child) at home when we went to Germany for EFY. I steadfastly refused to do this again when it came to a Super Saturday in Serbia. I asked and was graciously grated permission to bring her. What a happy girl! I was so glad that the CES couple in charge of the activity agreed with me so it wasn't a problem. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQLkUfZMTx-HbbG70vWVN2zCi5ON9eIFAoVG6fqDf46WWgMXy2aAX8YfSb19EUNgASHGbZ_mjkEvapw8F8pqD5RgT9Lgh9pR3Z_nIAUyqQofuiFtGcWYIyCB4ZYPVk2VJy3QIIRxPidA/s1600/Serbia+Super+Saturday+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQLkUfZMTx-HbbG70vWVN2zCi5ON9eIFAoVG6fqDf46WWgMXy2aAX8YfSb19EUNgASHGbZ_mjkEvapw8F8pqD5RgT9Lgh9pR3Z_nIAUyqQofuiFtGcWYIyCB4ZYPVk2VJy3QIIRxPidA/s400/Serbia+Super+Saturday+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a great activity, this is a game they were playing with their scriptures. Not sure who won, but I think it was the team with alot of the U.S. Embasy kids on it. Everyone ended up with a candy bar though, so that's all that counts, right?<br />
Jim and I were in charge of a craft, we made magic wallets out of duct tape and cardboard. Our missionaries in Varazdin gave us a lesson how to make them and the kids loved them, even some of the Serbian missionaries that wandered in, made one. Sorry we didn't get any pictures of them, I guess I was a little busy cutting sticky duct tape and didn't think to get someone to take my camera over. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdEIiHdauT_Z1U3drQF9R1YDhxdirGswpEFC0p_Sb5yGd39SFOCv8JIkzOi5Dfs7e7ti1gNk4KI2pUwzmgXND89IqZ-64zOTR46G6i1Ub_d8qH52-C1KVq09FntOutx-O7wWXA7UUD94/s1600/Making+grape+juice+with+Tadic+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdEIiHdauT_Z1U3drQF9R1YDhxdirGswpEFC0p_Sb5yGd39SFOCv8JIkzOi5Dfs7e7ti1gNk4KI2pUwzmgXND89IqZ-64zOTR46G6i1Ub_d8qH52-C1KVq09FntOutx-O7wWXA7UUD94/s400/Making+grape+juice+with+Tadic+girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was another Saturday activity. For several weeks in Sept. we noticed that the grape harbor going over the Tadic family driveway was litterally dripping with ripe grapes. Each week we asked, "what are you going to do with the grapes?" Every week we got the same answer, "oh, we will pick them". Finally, they started falling off the vines, I grabed Vicky, the oldest daughter and said, "really, Vicky, what are you going to do with the grapes?" It was just killing me to see them falling on the ground. She explained, that usually they would make wine out of the grapes, but now they are members of the church. They didn't want to make wine, so they were just going to let them go to waste, not knowing what else to do with them. Sooooo, long story short, I taught the girls how to make grape juice. We had to buy a juicer for them, but if you teach a man to fish....well, they have to have a fishing pole, don't they? We had a great day, started with picking grapes with the whole family and ending with a great and mighty clean up of my kitchen. This was the end result. Next year they won't have so many grapes go to waste, and will get much more use out of their new juicer. They have loved having the juice, I think it's almost all gone! I was so humbled by their faithfullness and their desire to be obedient to the word of wisdom.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgIZ0mramwXSIUzAIyLU0MpuQ4-72FL6sbPKtEc8FXoHXCWoob64lT3UTrmoBKkTUQLS2jF4Zf_cKPFpBTfb8W4lodx658-npt5-PkHCAxnLM2aUfwg2blrJOP9GcO4BV3Cm9pGRhhMM/s1600/Making+bread+bowls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgIZ0mramwXSIUzAIyLU0MpuQ4-72FL6sbPKtEc8FXoHXCWoob64lT3UTrmoBKkTUQLS2jF4Zf_cKPFpBTfb8W4lodx658-npt5-PkHCAxnLM2aUfwg2blrJOP9GcO4BV3Cm9pGRhhMM/s400/Making+bread+bowls.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yet another activity in the kitchen..I taught them how to make monkey pods and bread bowls. We had soup the next day for Sunday dinner and monkey pods for a treat at seminary. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7F4yas8ptvsMhyphenhyphen_9eCT9f4TZRU98DWOtOF8tGCM5zF_EUn0hILUIrAFxY7rjhHw9ruvOK0Bk_nOWUnyVHUXRKF3ITaKxtdiboZD7EIZoAL5_43FgQuWADByFRjRsvfek7aahD7gVE77E/s1600/Seminary+with+Tadic+kids+and+Mija.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7F4yas8ptvsMhyphenhyphen_9eCT9f4TZRU98DWOtOF8tGCM5zF_EUn0hILUIrAFxY7rjhHw9ruvOK0Bk_nOWUnyVHUXRKF3ITaKxtdiboZD7EIZoAL5_43FgQuWADByFRjRsvfek7aahD7gVE77E/s640/Seminary+with+Tadic+kids+and+Mija.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of our seminary meetings, our friends Elder and Sister Taylor were there that night and took our picture with the kids. The cute girl sitting next to Vicky, who is next to Jim, is our translator. Her name is Mija and we really love having her at seminary. She's a great asset, has great questions. She has read the BofM to Third Nephi. She thought Alma was her favorite, but now has changed her mind!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg4xzv51Hu1GKaozrIkxKzCMPHPq1dQ1Uf_lRFtGfqycR1ArmKeieEJpM3lGKleQDA5_KZFL3JjVitU1CvbfYa8ZzAAlcwDivPwFjh3OaT95n7IXNi0rkETnx2OviLau0brkQYBFjU2I/s1600/Seminary+with+Tadic+kids+and+Mija+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWg4xzv51Hu1GKaozrIkxKzCMPHPq1dQ1Uf_lRFtGfqycR1ArmKeieEJpM3lGKleQDA5_KZFL3JjVitU1CvbfYa8ZzAAlcwDivPwFjh3OaT95n7IXNi0rkETnx2OviLau0brkQYBFjU2I/s640/Seminary+with+Tadic+kids+and+Mija+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
This was just this week. Our kids recieved a special gift from our friends in Las Vegas. The Elsworth family sent them scripture stickers!!! They were sooo excited to get them in their scriptures. I just loved how serious they were about getting them in just so! We can't thank you enough, Amy, they were a hit!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUEllrS67Jz-fPEZwJcQrhvOrTQEgtALjnsxUaDfnv0uj6PI5aAwf_nyLebp1lTZv8_61Akw7OP5QIANd3N0GLm9QXN0vNaaS02xTeSLXcofXPmRZ4LCafnHN-2C7q1PlWffY0m85CyE/s1600/Seminary+with+Tadic+kids+and+Mija+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUEllrS67Jz-fPEZwJcQrhvOrTQEgtALjnsxUaDfnv0uj6PI5aAwf_nyLebp1lTZv8_61Akw7OP5QIANd3N0GLm9QXN0vNaaS02xTeSLXcofXPmRZ4LCafnHN-2C7q1PlWffY0m85CyE/s400/Seminary+with+Tadic+kids+and+Mija+2.jpg" width="381" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Vedran putting his stickers in his Book of Mormon. Could he be any happier?? These kids are just so serious about learning every thing they can about the church. It is such an amazing opportunity to be with them in seminary once a week. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmU8Sv0M_cGpa_syarvupddRN7kCQzjliixOAeSgVQZotBXW_GMFkGdk-0MzHT0uqfBc9Sl6WPkBppZ_inFr9a7eAJIrNQ83jnD6Rt7xvyQ2LyESihRmNQAmU9Wn9T-3jJF7Xwd4120Go/s1600/Seminary+with+Tadic+kids+and+Mija+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmU8Sv0M_cGpa_syarvupddRN7kCQzjliixOAeSgVQZotBXW_GMFkGdk-0MzHT0uqfBc9Sl6WPkBppZ_inFr9a7eAJIrNQ83jnD6Rt7xvyQ2LyESihRmNQAmU9Wn9T-3jJF7Xwd4120Go/s400/Seminary+with+Tadic+kids+and+Mija+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vicky has English scriptures that were given to her by our mission president and his wife. She loves them! This last week we fasted for her to be able to pass the TOFEL test. She took it on Friday, Jim gave her a blessing Thrursday night to try to help her calm her nerves a little bit. The TOFEL is an English competency test that has to be passed if you want to be a student at any U.S. University. Her hearts desire is to go to BYU Idaho with possibly transfering to BYU later in her studies. Many obsticles will have to be hurdled for her to be able to do this, most having to do with financial aide, but the TOFEL is her first baby step. She won't know for two weeks if she passed. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>We love and appreciate all of you who think of us, remember us in your prayers and write. We love those e-mails! Some have asked for an updated address for snail mail. The mail going into the mission office in Zagreb has been a little difficult since the mission home/office has moved from Slovenia to Croatia. So we think any mail would be better just coming to our apartment in Varazdin, Croatia. Even if we are in Bosnia a notice will be waiting for us in the mail box and we just take it to the post office and collect it. Just like Up-town! Our Varazdin address is:<br />
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<strong>Jim and Debby Erickson</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
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</strong><br />
<strong>Stan 43, Kat 7</strong><br />
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</strong><br />
<strong>Ruđera Boškoviča 18</strong><br />
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<strong>Varaždin 42000, Croatia</strong>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-25251773721189044292011-12-07T07:27:00.002-07:002011-12-08T00:21:41.764-07:00Where did November go?Where did November go? It seems like it just flew by, I looked at my blog this morning and saw that it had been a month since I had updated it. Wow! How did that happen?<br />
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This morning we woke up early and actually got out of the house and on the road by 8:11. Bed made, check. Garbage taken out, check. Heat turned off, check. Bags packed, nothing forgotten we hope, check. Refrigerator contents that won’t keep until we get back either put into the freezer or our little cooler check. Hot water turned down, check. Prayers said, check. Drag everything out to the car, check. On the road, only 11 minutes late! We had a 9:00 appointment with our friend and translator Predrag, in Gradiska, the little border town on the way to Croatia. After we talked with him for awhile we got through both borders with little or no waiting and zipped on through to Zagreb. Stopping at the mission office to get reimbursements and mail for the elders then we are back on the road to Varazdin. Yep, that’s pretty much the routine. And then we do it all over again on Wed. or Thursday of each week. Before we came we bought these nice little roller take on luggage pieces. Never in a million years did we realize how important they would be to us, and I dare say they will be toast by the time we get home! Have any of you seen the pictures of two missionaries kneeling for prayers and their shoes are all worn through…..well, I think that’s how our carry on’s will look when we arrive home. <br />
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I have to admit, it’s a little hectic. But Sunday night when we went to bed, we both just looked at each other and said, “Wow, what an awesome week! How could it get any better?” For starters, we visited the Red Cross and just thrilled the director by giving her funds for supplemental food during the holiday season. We also made arrangements with the Banja Luka Caritas to do the same. We already had given the Varazdin Caritas organization supplemental funds along with a commercial potato peeler. Santa looks like two old people with name tags on here in Croatia. They were sooo happy, news media, hugs and handshakes all around! It was a good day! Usually the humanitarian department frowns on doing projects that are not sustainable, so giving money for food was just a onetime donation to help them get through the holiday season. For some that come to these soup kitchens, it is the only meal for the day. <br />
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We also spent time painting and repairing the apartment that is on the main floor of our house in Banja Luka. We got the kitchen all clean and the front entryway painted. I wanted to do it in a color, of course, but Jim insisted that it isn’t my house so it should be boring white. As mundane as that is, it does look vastly improved. We haven’t heard anything on getting the church registered and legal yet, but are going by the motto, “If you build it, they will come”! We are so looking forward to having the young missionaries opening up the country, with their language skills they will be such an asset to our little group/branch there. Our worry is that leadership will call one day and say, “Oh, by the way, we are sending missionaries down at the end of the week”. And then it will be a mad scramble to get the apartment ready for them. So we are trying to get ahead of the game a little bit. <br />
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We had visitors this week-end. Elder and Sister Taylor came to attend our seminary class on Saturday night and stayed for meetings on Sunday. It was so fun to have them! The Tadic’s love seeing other people beside us, they are senior missionaries that have a Church Education assignment over seminary and institutes. They are perfect for the job. More patient, kind and genuinely loving people you will never know! We can’t wait to get them to come back again!<br />
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We have a new investigator in Banja Luka. He is a 33 year old single guy that got on the internet and asked to be contacted. We went to his home and gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to our meetings. His car is down and he is waiting for parts for it, so he walks to church, about 5 miles every week. He comes an hour early for church so he can get the missionary lessons. This week, Jim challenged him to baptism and he accepted. He needs to get a firm testimony but says that when he does that defiantly would be baptized. He would be a great asset to the church here in Bosnia. I can see him as a branch president. “The dawning of a new day”; that is what is going on over here. The dreams and visions we have for the church here in Bosnia are nothing compared what The Lord’s vision is, but it’s a start. <br />
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We are blessed beyond measure to be here and be a part of this great work. Our gratitude to those who love and support us in this endeavor is overflowing. November, as busy as it was, left us humbled by all the blessings that constantly come our way. We feel your prayers and sincerely appreciate every one of them! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODsZz3iFYzS_hzuZNtK10C8Z-bVlDmKktsIBr_9v9zRHMGG7UcMXj2ez44PnArVyuJH8GjPLJG9lntF8JHhRJ9S71fta07FrhQu6WdbPxzrqgCqCKMMip5Ev7eGmCCB1F1wPbP3Opwpk/s1600/Brother+Savage+with+Tadic+family+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODsZz3iFYzS_hzuZNtK10C8Z-bVlDmKktsIBr_9v9zRHMGG7UcMXj2ez44PnArVyuJH8GjPLJG9lntF8JHhRJ9S71fta07FrhQu6WdbPxzrqgCqCKMMip5Ev7eGmCCB1F1wPbP3Opwpk/s400/Brother+Savage+with+Tadic+family+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We often have visitors at church, This is the Tadic Family with Elder and Sister Wondra. The gentleman on the far left is a native Banja Luka man who left Bosnia during the war and went to Canada with his family. His mother still lives here and he was visiting her. His desire is to come back someday and help the church grow here. He talked in our sacrament meeting and they all just loved hearing a native speaker talk to them about the church and his conversion story.<br />
(We had no idea what he said until a day or two later when Vicky told us his story)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-_cI3ZV31-czpLsjOtnwVx-zNdU8ALoefWVJUJPc3zN_w8KuhNB48JmsdYM_5vR6dU_TLQVD8pMxiLhLxRrYuPKR3-8RuCt86L6Z-9QmYHKjPaygE3mGaqClQSVKLlONPq2uuwyzE8o/s1600/OsijekSoupKitchen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="365" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-_cI3ZV31-czpLsjOtnwVx-zNdU8ALoefWVJUJPc3zN_w8KuhNB48JmsdYM_5vR6dU_TLQVD8pMxiLhLxRrYuPKR3-8RuCt86L6Z-9QmYHKjPaygE3mGaqClQSVKLlONPq2uuwyzE8o/s400/OsijekSoupKitchen1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We closed a project for a soup kitchen in Eastern Croatia, an area hit extreamly hard by the war and struggling to recover. We replaced a 35 year old fridge with this new beauty! They were so thrilled! This is the head cook and you just couldn't wipe the smile off her face! It took 5 men about an hour to get this into place. It was a pretty tight squeeze in this basment kitchen with overhead heat ducts and corners to turn. Hope they don't ever have to move!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8GFciivsfU61JNjTU-UQuvSoiHLAyuH9cDhIUPlmWMRPQXnt76GSuLiSg0tr5pm-Yo7AHnYD8DcU3vha137h2hzTm1RGRKkojP7TX-ROvFeAlBBD6aEQYViEh3rtIra8JjnwXMduqfU/s1600/OsijekSoupKitchen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8GFciivsfU61JNjTU-UQuvSoiHLAyuH9cDhIUPlmWMRPQXnt76GSuLiSg0tr5pm-Yo7AHnYD8DcU3vha137h2hzTm1RGRKkojP7TX-ROvFeAlBBD6aEQYViEh3rtIra8JjnwXMduqfU/s400/OsijekSoupKitchen2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We also replaced the burners on the soup kettle on the right. They had not been able to use it for quite awhile because of lack of funds to get the repairs done. This kitchen feeds about 250 people a day with 50 meals being delivered to shut-in's. If you do the math and calculate that this equipment will last for a minimum of 5 years. Well....that's a lot of meals for the people in Croatia! I so wish you all could be here to see where your humanitarian dollars are going!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiPYmPzyfkCjCzI6qG9k_8eDDzlN1KsfB-H073qUFzZehbftgf1DfdO9g7_auylsH-0OgKjme0wGmHuXWeDcj0BWS0RYBvCVyPWpecNNCUAwDJ3FjryvfV-Gcfi9aQAJss5CBxSlJ6jU/s1600/Caritus+soup+kitchen+3+Varasdin+potato+peeler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="397" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiPYmPzyfkCjCzI6qG9k_8eDDzlN1KsfB-H073qUFzZehbftgf1DfdO9g7_auylsH-0OgKjme0wGmHuXWeDcj0BWS0RYBvCVyPWpecNNCUAwDJ3FjryvfV-Gcfi9aQAJss5CBxSlJ6jU/s400/Caritus+soup+kitchen+3+Varasdin+potato+peeler.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We bought the Caritas Organization a new potato peeler for their soup kitchen. One of the cooks gave us a demonstration. The potatoes go in....and about three minutes later. ....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwrFD2yUv7JDpT0aXyE97y8qFS_c_GkjDieaWfG08rrHvUWRgZ1cG5eaInV8k1Tx7B6cBW_FLdlBsUYlaY6sPbaYqyiBsCU9xqxLY2J5RH3JqtHFj6cvfmIVFyJskGYOZuLGAIyh01WE/s1600/Caritus+soup+kitchen+2+Varasdin+potato+peeler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwrFD2yUv7JDpT0aXyE97y8qFS_c_GkjDieaWfG08rrHvUWRgZ1cG5eaInV8k1Tx7B6cBW_FLdlBsUYlaY6sPbaYqyiBsCU9xqxLY2J5RH3JqtHFj6cvfmIVFyJskGYOZuLGAIyh01WE/s400/Caritus+soup+kitchen+2+Varasdin+potato+peeler.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here they come...all peeled and ready for soup! Potatoes are a big crop here and the soup kitchen gets a lot of donations from the local population to use in the kitchen. You can imagin how long it took the cooks to peel them, even with the ancient potato peeler that this replaced they where coming in at the wee hours of the morning to get the job done. Now they will have things a little easier. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You didn't know that peeled potatoes were that exciting, did you?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxqq4EfOo8YxDjekDd2GCMgY-_Eiv9KbA_-XQqJ6VQM2pm3Bhv7OP08qaIlXK7IU9wGNgATUbyJyVT-8lkPM7qxaesxtUep5pjRCRvjwXsKYMQZeME3r3EI25JLAVsobrz_mqTICqvFM/s1600/Caritus+soup+kitchen+1+buying+meat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxqq4EfOo8YxDjekDd2GCMgY-_Eiv9KbA_-XQqJ6VQM2pm3Bhv7OP08qaIlXK7IU9wGNgATUbyJyVT-8lkPM7qxaesxtUep5pjRCRvjwXsKYMQZeME3r3EI25JLAVsobrz_mqTICqvFM/s400/Caritus+soup+kitchen+1+buying+meat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We also bought meat for the soup kitchen to give them a little something extra for holiday meals. The butcher gave us a good deal. I always love deals!<br />
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</div>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-17883617550552429392011-11-06T13:27:00.000-07:002011-11-06T13:27:07.236-07:00Our new meeting room... I can't believe that's it been a year since we attended a humanitarian conference in Frankfurt, Germany. WOW! Where did that year go? While attending the conference we were asked if we would agree to travel once a week to Banja Luka, Bosnia and hold church with an investigating family every Sunday. Since the northern half of Bosnia is part of our humanitarian area it was an easy jump for us to arrange for our travel to accommodate this new assignment. We were asked to help teach the Tadic family and help get them to baptism and after they were baptized our goal has been to nurture them and prepare them for the temple. <br />
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We have our apartment in Varazdin, Croatia and the church provides us with a house here in Banja Luka. Our visa's are in Croatia where we declare our stable place of living. The church has not been officially recognized in Bosnia so getting a visa here would not be possible. So every Monday morning we pack up and go across the border to Croatia. Then on Thursday we do it all over again, but going the opposite direction toward Bosnia. We do our humanitarian work around travel days, fitting it in and juggling schedules as best we can to keep all our balls in the air at the same time.<br />
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It has been a great year; we have loved our ecclesiastic responsibilities here in Banja Luka. We look forward each week to meeting with the youth on Saturday nights for seminary. And church on Sunday with the whole family. Jim is the Group Leader, (we aren't a branch yet) and he teaches seminary and Gospel Essentials lessons. I teach the youth class in Sunday school. We are using the Primary manual lessons on the New Testament. I love the class; no discipline problems to speak of, just four little sponges that absolutely love the stories of Jesus and really actively think, ask great questions and participate in each lesson. <br />
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We have two translators so that we can separate into an adult and a youth classes. It's pretty amazing how well our kids are doing at English though. It won't be too long before they won't need a translator. Getting the country opened and young missionaries in here that speak the language will be a great blessing to our little seed family here in Bosnia.<br />
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We have been holding church in our living room, I don't know when, or why, but a few months ago I got a bee in my bonnet to have a real meeting room. You know, one that looked like the church was really something that was a little bit official. So I petitioned the land lord for permission to paint. I drove Jim crazy until he agreed that it was a great idea, and then we went to town! Here are a few pictures of our new room!<br />
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Our members love it! And we can really feel a wonderful spirit when we meet every Sunday. Last week we had Elder and Sister Wondra come from Austria to visit and we also had a native Bosnian who left the country during the war and moved to Canada. His mother still lives here and he was here visiting her. We asked him to speak in our meeting. It was so fun to have our room finished for our guests! We felt so official! And it was wonderful to have a guest speaker that spoke their language actually be able to participate in a Sunday meeting that was not in our living room! It was just a little fore shadowing of what the church will be like here in Bosnia in the future! Here are a few pictures of our new meeting room! We love visitors, so feel free to come visit anytime! Church starts at 3:30 P.M. and we usually do dinner when we are finished! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKVC6zy6f5UeEYuPSo1NDHr3XvAr8CK3A779_yLp4GI9Dq3SD4H46eF_UHyUG6WeAxHZPKHx5xt2TdPjDRrbpnbjehSv1IYnoIaH7EBQrY0J2oYpjs5uJG-GWW2ydrDJH8hfrTyDmNNM/s1600/NewMeetingRoom.2+last+SS+lesson+in+the+old+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKVC6zy6f5UeEYuPSo1NDHr3XvAr8CK3A779_yLp4GI9Dq3SD4H46eF_UHyUG6WeAxHZPKHx5xt2TdPjDRrbpnbjehSv1IYnoIaH7EBQrY0J2oYpjs5uJG-GWW2ydrDJH8hfrTyDmNNM/s400/NewMeetingRoom.2+last+SS+lesson+in+the+old+room.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was where we used to hold Sacrament Meeting. Jim still teaches the Gospel Essentials Class here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkIi1HIoyBPMZJt1Kvwwxf4nqfjfZP06jHyg-Ac3qiJS7f_EHCfI07BaK0RZsCvfeTqchvQYdFGRmj5yukVJo6fZxwN9XOaIbjyFhI8CHaq7wwN-0AcS-LxjC524zGzaYhIqNTd2gxvc/s1600/NewMeetingRoom.5+Debby+painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkIi1HIoyBPMZJt1Kvwwxf4nqfjfZP06jHyg-Ac3qiJS7f_EHCfI07BaK0RZsCvfeTqchvQYdFGRmj5yukVJo6fZxwN9XOaIbjyFhI8CHaq7wwN-0AcS-LxjC524zGzaYhIqNTd2gxvc/s400/NewMeetingRoom.5+Debby+painting.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It took us three Preparation days to get it finished. Ceiling coat 1 the first week. Ummmm terrible paint. Ceiling coat 2 the next Saturday (better paint), Tape off ceiling and paint walls the third prep day. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbs2LRSRI9gthhMFtHfQtPHsOAnaRYfCj39VOr3d48OUwNcTVvb1xPg0mUUOBMeh7wJUJQxdnn64bow8dYlK178IyO0xVC_6GGOe6pjmXYDIlpfb87KPUaJ0BoX4dP1Jvn-Cqa0YHWBGA/s1600/NewMeetingRoom.3+Jim+hiding+internet+wires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbs2LRSRI9gthhMFtHfQtPHsOAnaRYfCj39VOr3d48OUwNcTVvb1xPg0mUUOBMeh7wJUJQxdnn64bow8dYlK178IyO0xVC_6GGOe6pjmXYDIlpfb87KPUaJ0BoX4dP1Jvn-Cqa0YHWBGA/s400/NewMeetingRoom.3+Jim+hiding+internet+wires.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The internet wires were just laying along the walls, taped down with old yucky plasic tape. We bought some plastic, paintable casings to run the wire through. One BIG problem, the walls are cement, so installing them was no easy task. It took Jim forever on his hands and knees to drill through the cement to get it done, but it really looks wonderful! Well worth the effort!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKtgzp4LNZ5J9g8zVtJ_eSn3zA5xiaqTpDs_i7U1rAVK3CMvHGzX8oTLLBzjiXR4h9TD_k3UdowyTANl5fKtVUnYntAs_a0FiFQ78hGOi76cW18hGeHNB2L2jjBBw0si2sUPv-1b052A/s1600/NewMeetingRoom.4+Jim+hiding+internet+wires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKtgzp4LNZ5J9g8zVtJ_eSn3zA5xiaqTpDs_i7U1rAVK3CMvHGzX8oTLLBzjiXR4h9TD_k3UdowyTANl5fKtVUnYntAs_a0FiFQ78hGOi76cW18hGeHNB2L2jjBBw0si2sUPv-1b052A/s400/NewMeetingRoom.4+Jim+hiding+internet+wires.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty cute don't you agree??</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ezXgdrR-i89FuAJz-zD8eFzQ20BmHugV5jfgIg2C0rx7Up8Ry29xPi7Jqb97CLosctpN5v2G1Ba1ZPBDBTIeRW2RSNWyjwiCXcd9NlrgVWXuTKfo21GmD6GRHXsp-kWTUj4O5NPpZDE/s1600/New+Meeting+room+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ezXgdrR-i89FuAJz-zD8eFzQ20BmHugV5jfgIg2C0rx7Up8Ry29xPi7Jqb97CLosctpN5v2G1Ba1ZPBDBTIeRW2RSNWyjwiCXcd9NlrgVWXuTKfo21GmD6GRHXsp-kWTUj4O5NPpZDE/s400/New+Meeting+room+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We begged the Mission President for some art work, I think he was afraid I would cry if he said "No" so were given permission to pick what ever two pieces of art we wanted from the Varazdin Branch building. I would have felt guilty about doing that but this one in particular was always hidden behind a white board and it looks so wonderful in our new room that I can't really muster any guilt about it at all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGzlZi1ZNgGfvDNYFStu6Yc919dqiw2vfIRlEuKs42rp_yCiUs1GYY6b8Rq4xncWThx54k54YMv_gJolxoGf6MZDLj9YcpxbU_LLzzOCeEV8nZ66EcMLHgO4kzdpEI-pRD743vsPwnlQ/s1600/New+Meeting+room+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGzlZi1ZNgGfvDNYFStu6Yc919dqiw2vfIRlEuKs42rp_yCiUs1GYY6b8Rq4xncWThx54k54YMv_gJolxoGf6MZDLj9YcpxbU_LLzzOCeEV8nZ66EcMLHgO4kzdpEI-pRD743vsPwnlQ/s400/New+Meeting+room+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the humanitarian signature piece of art. The church owns this and it is on display at the art museum on the B.Y.U campus. We give a framed copy of it to all our partners when we do a closing for a humanitarian project. It has a special place in my heart so I guess that's why I chose this one. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8V4_mD1rjM5xu5_coWJpEorBdL4DsTT5CfFBYxw4Vcy25rXRkeMQHnXz7lRImEDOyIc-9MYeybMjZIc2gbUPHwiZNvli7qsKO55GbYedCrp3MTXs_xx_AQ_EBtiHh-nJjoCm1Ej2Nks/s1600/New+Meeting+room+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8V4_mD1rjM5xu5_coWJpEorBdL4DsTT5CfFBYxw4Vcy25rXRkeMQHnXz7lRImEDOyIc-9MYeybMjZIc2gbUPHwiZNvli7qsKO55GbYedCrp3MTXs_xx_AQ_EBtiHh-nJjoCm1Ej2Nks/s400/New+Meeting+room+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not only is he cute and VERY handy to have around, but he cleans up after himself too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE57wx1D07vS4pyiGupkIZvtLR8iEIT6typx2eBe32LzcdF6A_B2gSV9-fKFJSViIgm69mzC4WbS3K2quHCXfjmEoo9x95-iNGso2rac5QCxtLRlLFX6Zs4TFuWJfppk-NrJbFw3r3N8/s1600/New+Meeting+room+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE57wx1D07vS4pyiGupkIZvtLR8iEIT6typx2eBe32LzcdF6A_B2gSV9-fKFJSViIgm69mzC4WbS3K2quHCXfjmEoo9x95-iNGso2rac5QCxtLRlLFX6Zs4TFuWJfppk-NrJbFw3r3N8/s400/New+Meeting+room+8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So this is the finished room! We had an old glass case sitting in the corner of the living room. I made a cover for it and it makes a perfect podium. Actually the mission storage room has a podium in it and at some point we will probably bring it down here, but this does nicely for the time being. On the right hand side of the room we have a litte sacrament table that you can't see in this picture. The area paid for us to get new chairs, so we were most grateful for that help. Pretty official, what do ya think?? I'm now a happy camper!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-7053644506659852392011-11-04T13:15:00.000-06:002011-11-04T13:15:56.933-06:00Vedrana's Book...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJRgM5PZiz_awyq7Cfca_zLA169TiJ5Xqt3GaNQJHSm9FYvGkS7sJ4pxHQidUn3OKPH-xVJd3FVFFjs93JeD0gY-I0tiuX1NSsn8R05jBU5XefIDmchMASrpQ14TEhLNMYVsL8dmvgKc/s1600/VedranasBook+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJRgM5PZiz_awyq7Cfca_zLA169TiJ5Xqt3GaNQJHSm9FYvGkS7sJ4pxHQidUn3OKPH-xVJd3FVFFjs93JeD0gY-I0tiuX1NSsn8R05jBU5XefIDmchMASrpQ14TEhLNMYVsL8dmvgKc/s400/VedranasBook+11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Special Gift for the only Primary Girl in Bosnia...</td></tr>
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July 2011 found us in high expectations for a trip to Germany with our newly baptized youth from the Tadic family! What a wonderful experience we were going to have at the first ever English speaking E.F.Y. in Europe! Many preparations had gone into this trip. First of all, it was out of our mission area and not necessarily humanitarian focus, so special permission was acquired by the mission president and our file leaders in Germany. A van was rented, teen-agers were taken to the market to pick out their treats, permission papers were signed and notarized by the proper authorities so we could get them across borders without being charged with human trafficking and finally the kids were in the van, luggage stowed in the back, kisses administered to family staying behind and the doors were being shut......but wait, I caught out of the corner of my eye one of the most pitiful sights I think I have ever seen. Even this many months after the event, it was a sight so sad, so utterly desolate that I think it will forever be seared in my mind as a memory of my mission never to be forgotten.<br />
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There was Vedrana, our 10 year old little primary girl, standing against the corner of the Tadic family small brick home. She was sobbing, holding her head in her hands as if her little heart was breaking! It was. Never had all her siblings left her alone with just her little 2year old sister for company. Never before had her siblings had such an amazing opportunity to go on a road trip to Germany! Never before had she been so utterly and totally left out of an adventure of a lifetime! <br />
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I stopped all progress of going forward, hopped out of the van and as I did she fell into my arms. Crying a new, as if somehow her tears would soon run dry and she would feel better. I asked her big sister to come translate for me and as I tried my best to comfort her, but my promises that her time would come and she too would have amazing opportunities seemed to be falling on deaf ears. She perked up however when I promised her a present from Germany. Ahhh, I had figured it out, I would bring her a present, she seemed to cheer up a bit and off we went!<br />
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Now, I had a new problem! What to bring her that wouldn't cost a fortune would mean something to her and would last a little longer than a 15 minute toy? I decided to go on the hunt for a charm bracelet and a couple of charms from Germany. I remembered our youngest daughter had one when she was about that age and Jim brought her charms from where ever he traveled. So I found a bracelet and brought it back to her. She loved it, wears it often. I wrote a blog about Vedrana and her bracelet...this is the rest of the story.<br />
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Our office missionaries, Elder and Sister Robinson, have a daughter that lives in Logan, Utah. After hearing the story of our little Vedrana, Ashlee decided to turn her compassion for Bosnia's only little primary girl into action. A few weeks ago we went into the office and a package had arrived there for us. Of course Elder and Sister Robinson knew what it was, but only after a little discussion did we decide to open it and peek inside. OH MY!!!!! What a treasure we found inside! Ashlee has a daughter that is Primary Activity Age. She asked and received permission to do a project with the girls. They all wrote absolutely adorable letters to our little Vedrana, as we read through them there in the mission office I have to admit that I turned into a puddle of emotion right then and there. They were little letters of introduction, encouragement and love. So tender and so delightful that I could hardly wait to get to Banja Luka and give the package, (we taped it all up again) to Vedrana. <br />
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We kind-of made a big deal about it, taking the opportunity in Sacrament Meeting to talk to the Tadic family about how our church is world-wide church. How each one of them are part of something bigger than church in our little living room. They have brothers and sisters that love them, pray for them and are concerned about each and every one of them. We have Relief Society for the sisters, Priesthood brethren for the men, Young Men and Young Women’s for the teenagers and Primary for the younger ones. Then we gave the package to Vedrana and let her open it in front of us all! She felt so special!! All the letters were in a beautiful book with pictures of the girls and also she was given CHARMS!!! Beautiful, wonderful charms for her bracelet! She got two pieces of Utah truffle chocolate, (which I noticed was being passed around and shared during the rest of Sacrament Meeting) and another darling little bracelet. Even though language is a problem and she had to wait until her older sister translated the letters for her, Vedrana felt their love and felt like she really mattered to someone other than just those that she sees all the time. <br />
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How could I ever adequately thank those little girls for their wonderful gift? The activity day leaders and the Robinsons daughter that went to so much effort and expense will never know the wonderful spirit of love and appreciation that was present as Vedrana opened her book! I saw her mother and grandma watch with tears of gratitude in their eyes and my own heart was again turned to the Savior<strong><span style="color: #990000;">..."Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me".</span></strong> Thank-you achievement day girls from Logan, Utah! We love you!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyDwd3kk6JgikXaH5a3WVXdNRkZg7lyV1qrzl4-xNn03XuGxrC449fpIJFQw-_l_GcDQjzEalRE3RW8z_GiZr1aIwuSDuorTZTS42Zl0LjdMuNiBF4EUoTKNQv8fXsfnM6g_xXbjQvlA/s1600/VedranasBook+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyDwd3kk6JgikXaH5a3WVXdNRkZg7lyV1qrzl4-xNn03XuGxrC449fpIJFQw-_l_GcDQjzEalRE3RW8z_GiZr1aIwuSDuorTZTS42Zl0LjdMuNiBF4EUoTKNQv8fXsfnM6g_xXbjQvlA/s400/VedranasBook+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vedrana opening her package, with the help of her little sister.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1srB4kuEeSsa6mha5Yhccwn1VUxQ4Uu3Xr0mJC5qH_qjwoXb_pDF7-JhJXZ_YTosxagvQF5gEK5kqnoyHT1y_XNpIZ3u5e38rl7Ny8WRLxc4nBurQ0ooAxVc4PecMQzIXycfMbqg9PI/s1600/VedranasBook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1srB4kuEeSsa6mha5Yhccwn1VUxQ4Uu3Xr0mJC5qH_qjwoXb_pDF7-JhJXZ_YTosxagvQF5gEK5kqnoyHT1y_XNpIZ3u5e38rl7Ny8WRLxc4nBurQ0ooAxVc4PecMQzIXycfMbqg9PI/s400/VedranasBook.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was soooo excited to read all the letters!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUa6ETFy1B0uwHP-wt5YSUoghyefHVjIW4S5wy5Ch18cOaJjmDuvtgVTYurOlIaiHwVcMHRUUmsTQcTkaCJAdN2gCrvjQ_y5V2UFgy1o6fg0QbwtEEVmsMq7DfZaCOCL7CoMjqfvG5jE/s1600/VedranasBook+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUa6ETFy1B0uwHP-wt5YSUoghyefHVjIW4S5wy5Ch18cOaJjmDuvtgVTYurOlIaiHwVcMHRUUmsTQcTkaCJAdN2gCrvjQ_y5V2UFgy1o6fg0QbwtEEVmsMq7DfZaCOCL7CoMjqfvG5jE/s640/VedranasBook+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the darling achievement day girls from Logan, Utah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSr7QLZ6u5Jsr6XoKN6rRFrkoy_a3DJ7hUH492qFcq_-VcouMoT2Ug8A1ynv3eJ3_ET_CfnxkRCG59jR6hMnCrxWxjMMbNc-HQ8EQi-BnFKSbqefKZeLVqqpUHI0gpySZlcBtxpC-uQKU/s1600/VedranasBook+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSr7QLZ6u5Jsr6XoKN6rRFrkoy_a3DJ7hUH492qFcq_-VcouMoT2Ug8A1ynv3eJ3_ET_CfnxkRCG59jR6hMnCrxWxjMMbNc-HQ8EQi-BnFKSbqefKZeLVqqpUHI0gpySZlcBtxpC-uQKU/s640/VedranasBook+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letters from the adults....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Tp_d2CqP9eGxLXmprLu6EJztg0DnyyKIL4yhdCPIosRdJIhCnJcGPW9mr-mfLhpbR2YOm8338fNw4Ts41lqAopZNIN8ee8NjIoCCdyoUaNTNCvMeKOW9_NV0mpwCfVdz18-ZbpRZFkU/s1600/VedranasBook+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Tp_d2CqP9eGxLXmprLu6EJztg0DnyyKIL4yhdCPIosRdJIhCnJcGPW9mr-mfLhpbR2YOm8338fNw4Ts41lqAopZNIN8ee8NjIoCCdyoUaNTNCvMeKOW9_NV0mpwCfVdz18-ZbpRZFkU/s640/VedranasBook+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just an example of the cute letters...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAT1vHUL53l9uMWTkNebb5SPJEYyXn4nsZ-Y8dFbzkZsengPOYd41hHVOxR9C6cMl38ErowYzB0WBDs50JZot7tRsC-IJWx3c-51ECpmM72ReOVFPYQYeWimYHGKmvOrL7ze4aekQKs0/s1600/VedranasBook+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAT1vHUL53l9uMWTkNebb5SPJEYyXn4nsZ-Y8dFbzkZsengPOYd41hHVOxR9C6cMl38ErowYzB0WBDs50JZot7tRsC-IJWx3c-51ECpmM72ReOVFPYQYeWimYHGKmvOrL7ze4aekQKs0/s640/VedranasBook+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuS4Om0loYuBom4xADqV5tbwv9Lc-eWM97W0E9yEaak9aVknAyofGNnEUI2oqsWMP6TGSBZdF8JV0jR5tRHOqWokYcOSLVeOn84sk-sRdXVU3D-LLL-EXg5BxEmeqPS-98gZJzvTT8coY/s1600/VedranasBook+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuS4Om0loYuBom4xADqV5tbwv9Lc-eWM97W0E9yEaak9aVknAyofGNnEUI2oqsWMP6TGSBZdF8JV0jR5tRHOqWokYcOSLVeOn84sk-sRdXVU3D-LLL-EXg5BxEmeqPS-98gZJzvTT8coY/s640/VedranasBook+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJftugmqhlCWarjv9GGU6e2DDSWyjiIefaVJZehaICZ6ypfs9YgLju_5hPYeNL2M1MvG8zhrnecYtrMpnx5f7Bto-78_YAh_ka93JFdjX1xVV5DCyQ640AwqlQa59NKFOblhLbE_KdkM/s1600/VedranasBook+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJftugmqhlCWarjv9GGU6e2DDSWyjiIefaVJZehaICZ6ypfs9YgLju_5hPYeNL2M1MvG8zhrnecYtrMpnx5f7Bto-78_YAh_ka93JFdjX1xVV5DCyQ640AwqlQa59NKFOblhLbE_KdkM/s640/VedranasBook+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8786501634934208812.post-29837464650616892602011-10-25T12:27:00.000-06:002011-10-25T12:27:09.939-06:00Books, Toys, Refrigerators, Potato Peeler and Gardens...It’s been awhile since I posted a blog…so today it’s been a priority. However it is 5:30 P.M. and between getting snow tires on the car, grocery shopping, laundry, and taking the missionaries to lunch and then to a teaching appointment…..hummm here I am toward the end of our preparation day and just starting to think about a blog. We have been pretty busy the last couple of weeks, having closed several projects and opened up about 4 new ones. <br />
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I will start with our closing projects. <br />
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1. Our little library project in Donji Zabaru in Bosnia. This little village is squeezed in between the Croatian and Serbian borders. So you can imagine how hard they were hit by the homeland war. The little school there was bombed and had to be rebuilt. Which it has, but books have been in short supply and not on a priority list. We were contacted by one of the teachers who invited us to go up to the school; it’s a four hour drive from Banja Luka, and visit. We accepted her invitation and were touched by their need. The students have been sharing curriculum books for their Serbian/Literature classes. We wrote up the project and submitted it to our supervisors in Germany who approved it. We purchased the book s from a vendor in Banja Luka who delivered them to the school. Our closing ceremony was just wonderful! We arrived late because they were clearing land mines along one of the roads we were on and we had to wait for about an hour until the crews were finished or went to take a break. Understandably we were a little rattled. Especially me, I HATE TO BE LATE!!! But the school took it all in stride and what a treat it was for us! They called all the children down from their class rooms to thank us. The teachers, pricnciple and children just made our day! They were all so gratefull! What more could we ask for? Maybe not driving home in a terrible rain storm, but oh well that comes with the territory. Here are a few of the pictures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ7rpEO4dGWEwBgEuQeG9XAR5XXX3O0wMvrCbNc1vTuuunTuBCree1jSXA3hcy1wtDElgfQMln_TnwQYlWk8Yv6wbXfL0Bppa3ydCBWKkCeP4EsGLiNAmLHO4NHdCC-Q3LnWJKXsdZnQ/s1600/Library+Project+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ7rpEO4dGWEwBgEuQeG9XAR5XXX3O0wMvrCbNc1vTuuunTuBCree1jSXA3hcy1wtDElgfQMln_TnwQYlWk8Yv6wbXfL0Bppa3ydCBWKkCeP4EsGLiNAmLHO4NHdCC-Q3LnWJKXsdZnQ/s400/Library+Project+9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the darling students that are going to enjoy the new books!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZMPjzk6JyaN6d1MTMwgF-817tJ04CIKv8RgGn7mqv7tj_6DrOKIgIgeUGa8zDk8vuny-fkM96xo6yFKtIO_ORZOfKvfp7o3wnJoBJQDaoHRMNZkSIFTYzBM2USA5szPxS9yOhtLjISE/s1600/Library+Project+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZMPjzk6JyaN6d1MTMwgF-817tJ04CIKv8RgGn7mqv7tj_6DrOKIgIgeUGa8zDk8vuny-fkM96xo6yFKtIO_ORZOfKvfp7o3wnJoBJQDaoHRMNZkSIFTYzBM2USA5szPxS9yOhtLjISE/s400/Library+Project+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each box has about 6 books in them and each color is a different grade. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWS9X_wvny9SrjymKgWGb9QWAVAAKmV-Xz81Sw0qUMMWF2lN8ZogRqxpNTVRA8nrAeRJS3_ULhzD_Nzd94H_6OLJa1-KGaTAkrQtJxiDEl9V9j2iOipBuLxY1yrBbsQHQxhyphenhyphenP68FKJAM/s1600/Library+Project+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWS9X_wvny9SrjymKgWGb9QWAVAAKmV-Xz81Sw0qUMMWF2lN8ZogRqxpNTVRA8nrAeRJS3_ULhzD_Nzd94H_6OLJa1-KGaTAkrQtJxiDEl9V9j2iOipBuLxY1yrBbsQHQxhyphenhyphenP68FKJAM/s400/Library+Project+8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the smiles on these kids!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> 2. The rehabilitation hospital in Banja Luka is a huge facility that does a great and wonderful work. We have just put in another order for the hospital and Banja Luka Red Cross to share a container of wheelchairs. They have both partnered with us before to bring in wheelchairs so this is not a new partnership. As we were arranging for the wheelchair shipment one day they proudly showed us a beautiful space they had created for a waiting/play/occupational therapy room for children. They had received a grant to build the room from a local business, but money had run out and they had not enough funds to fill it with furniture and toys. We wrote up a project to help them complete the room. Waiting rooms for therapy, doctors’ visits, and even emergency trips are just about non-existent in some of the facilities like this one. People just wait in the overcrowded halls until their children are called in. I remember the cozy little rooms with books, toys and even fish tanks that we always waited in when I had children. What a stark difference! It’s to the hospitals credit that they worked so long and hard to turn that standard around! Here are a few pictures of this project. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5vAuFALhBcUT_U7jrorHGGZNiE1W3AYMoqtUxTgwp2MEmkrd3f4or96W1wukyy5_qH24x1obQ_pK_E9dCWNyabintYLz1nucMQ5i0o420v8HJcWAGMKlky87iAQIJ8xUL_ZteFXBC24/s1600/Rehabilitation+Hospital+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5vAuFALhBcUT_U7jrorHGGZNiE1W3AYMoqtUxTgwp2MEmkrd3f4or96W1wukyy5_qH24x1obQ_pK_E9dCWNyabintYLz1nucMQ5i0o420v8HJcWAGMKlky87iAQIJ8xUL_ZteFXBC24/s400/Rehabilitation+Hospital+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We gave them this rug and some cars from the "Happy Factory" in Cedar City, Utah. They were a hit!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim25D3N-kod5pLqiS70-Jv6vdh7NJO1XSUfdnYvoRfEGWeULCZbFZUu2f0tzmgBDQn_CUpR2O5zyS7WlQcZQIeTf4bOXmOkPCzxGv9dOB1AmpLBo1W1KWN2BQb84-1QRbfh0xG9lsog90/s1600/Rehabilitation+Hospital+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim25D3N-kod5pLqiS70-Jv6vdh7NJO1XSUfdnYvoRfEGWeULCZbFZUu2f0tzmgBDQn_CUpR2O5zyS7WlQcZQIeTf4bOXmOkPCzxGv9dOB1AmpLBo1W1KWN2BQb84-1QRbfh0xG9lsog90/s400/Rehabilitation+Hospital+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A play kitchen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuYwCtztz7QW4rpW7nUGsuVGvN8t4uzEhj3w1FAv9eRGZ1PkRWlS68HASBtn73aBgInzKdygBFBj3gbwVw_NpTz0Txr9xhYoWGaDhdP0uPFfnsp58HJKPFw1x3hnEFwLDYcPtzWiWBe8/s1600/Rehabilitation+Hospital+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuYwCtztz7QW4rpW7nUGsuVGvN8t4uzEhj3w1FAv9eRGZ1PkRWlS68HASBtn73aBgInzKdygBFBj3gbwVw_NpTz0Txr9xhYoWGaDhdP0uPFfnsp58HJKPFw1x3hnEFwLDYcPtzWiWBe8/s400/Rehabilitation+Hospital+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They have a full time person to over see the play area, even though parents are present. She plays with the kids and helps keep order. These chairs are soft and no sharp corners that prevents any accidents. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gH5xW-sF3INLidfXWIjERcrwaySyB_0FyQFMd1mj0Ip7a7ornplp9a82iCGw6c84JjySOJbX8pSQn0JuWzLnadv3n9Qv-WQyZh0g7QHA59-Qax7Kz20BwKYra41mlQMjG0gUEngOc_Q/s1600/Rehabilitation+Hospital+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gH5xW-sF3INLidfXWIjERcrwaySyB_0FyQFMd1mj0Ip7a7ornplp9a82iCGw6c84JjySOJbX8pSQn0JuWzLnadv3n9Qv-WQyZh0g7QHA59-Qax7Kz20BwKYra41mlQMjG0gUEngOc_Q/s400/Rehabilitation+Hospital+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closing ceremony. Jim and I with two of the doctors at the hospital. </td></tr>
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3. We have had an end of the year evaluation for our Karlovac Garden project. It was a project that involved members in a little branch just south of our capital city, Zagreb, here in Croatia. It was designed to be ran and implemented by local leadership. So other than going regularly to provide the necessary funds and see the progress, we stood back and let it happen. Here are a few notes of the evaluation meeting that the branch had.<br />
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A. 2 families got about 150 kilos of potato<br />
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B. Planted and has grown: beans, cucumbers, tomato, onion, hot peppers, watermelon, strawberries, French beans, beets, melon, and carrots<br />
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C. Not successful: broccoli, cauliflower, carrot (some), lettuce, corn /lettuce, parsley<br />
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Problems: red potato and worms, yellow potato had some black dots; assessed as a potato they eat but would not give to someone<br />
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D. Different for the next year: to plant a little earlier than this year (or in the season of planting certain plants), to fill the whole parcel, to save ash gathered during this winter for the spring and planting, to do a little reorganizing of individual garden places - elderly people (2 members) would be right next to the water, first to divide the land among the members and then ask non-members to participate, to do something with the water and pumping so there would always be water there<br />
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E. Nothing was stolen or missing (besides few rabbits ;) )<br />
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F. Some think of starting their own starting plants, while some plan to buy those<br />
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G. Sometime at the end of October 2011 they plan to plow the garden<br />
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This is a first of its kind of project in Croatia. We got started pretty late with it this year because the approval process took such a long time. It is a major initiative of the churches humanitarian department, similar to wheelchairs and water projects, so they often take some time to get going. But it’s a three year project and we are excited to see it happen next year. They learned a ton this year and might do a few things differently, but all in all we felt it went pretty well. A few pictures of our last visit to the garden. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNQjPj_86Medq-yuk7mwZNE_HykZekU9bXw48N38g-I34VqLUGWy32SPvKDkinEHzSKiVVupC45vjB3TqpMpogUUJU7sPKPiRs2wXewXF9Z5kHmn78GXQk5yHU7h5nnVbCJdlzkHVrOA/s1600/Karlovac+farm+july.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNQjPj_86Medq-yuk7mwZNE_HykZekU9bXw48N38g-I34VqLUGWy32SPvKDkinEHzSKiVVupC45vjB3TqpMpogUUJU7sPKPiRs2wXewXF9Z5kHmn78GXQk5yHU7h5nnVbCJdlzkHVrOA/s400/Karlovac+farm+july.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF08aQ8SqBp7RXOSIzPda1w4VCqQSRaxRqVBM_EI-XmN6M2CoskgSP-FdzZ5Re_73kFz3sNcpQNKDIaRsBBwHE9JlPCqv9gfX-P2YVje-t56fay7_tszzGJOGcQRwXq2T_krd4_mk-zOo/s1600/Karlovac+farm+july+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF08aQ8SqBp7RXOSIzPda1w4VCqQSRaxRqVBM_EI-XmN6M2CoskgSP-FdzZ5Re_73kFz3sNcpQNKDIaRsBBwHE9JlPCqv9gfX-P2YVje-t56fay7_tszzGJOGcQRwXq2T_krd4_mk-zOo/s400/Karlovac+farm+july+5.jpg" width="400" /></a> </>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8urBa92H6y0-awATMeDCdj5wgnIwnWesyxfV8MhrdCHygJBJLb5iEP2luDb-FmEm2Vr57oDFT1nD_bvTIelbvww8JZeiib1yVSq70L65rHmrn6mMkjm0vFABQOvmksmBVaQkU9glGCj0/s1600/K+Garden+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8urBa92H6y0-awATMeDCdj5wgnIwnWesyxfV8MhrdCHygJBJLb5iEP2luDb-FmEm2Vr57oDFT1nD_bvTIelbvww8JZeiib1yVSq70L65rHmrn6mMkjm0vFABQOvmksmBVaQkU9glGCj0/s400/K+Garden+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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4. We have a closing ceremony in Osijek, Croatia tomorrow for a commercial refrigerator that we purchased for them to replace their 30 year old worn out model that gobbles electricity. We bought a beautiful, energy efficient model that will not only give them years of service, but hopefully will save operating costs so that more of their budget can go towards buying the necessary food to distribute to their ever increasing numbers. <br />
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5. Here in Varazdin, where we live, we bought a commercial potato peeler for the Caritas (Catholic Relief) Organization. They run a soup kitchen that serves about 350 people a day. We haven’t had a closing ceremony for this one yet, but I think we might wait and do it after we buy the supplemental food that we got approval for today. The church doesn’t usually buy disposable items for our partners, but the need is so great that we asked for a one time allotment of monies to do this for the Red Cross soup kitchen in Banja Luka, Caritas in Banja Luka and the Varazdin Caritas. Shhhhhh..we haven’t told them yet that we got approval. They will be so excited. Telling our partners that a project has been approved is one of the best parts of our Mission. We hope this will help supplement them over the winter months. <br />
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We are glad to see the hot weather ease up a bit, but it seems that we went right from hot summer to the cold of winter! We've broken out the coats, boots, gloves and windshield scraper. They are forcasting a VERY cold winter,,,but our hearts are warm and spirits are up! Love to you all....JimandDebbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460072035674427791noreply@blogger.com3