Our First Three Months in Sarajevo!

After arriving to Sarajevo the end of June, we immediately began learning our way around the city that we are now calling home. Since our entrance into the country, we have now received the shipment of our personal items that were in transit from Abu Dhabi and have also begun to meet new friends and contacts in the missionary and church communities.

With our current  inability to speak Bosnian, we have been in "survival mode," using our English or German for limited communication with locals.  But we have now enrolled in lessons and are enjoying learning this Slavic-based language.  Bog je dobar!

Pigeon Square in Old Town Sarajevo

With its centuries of history, Sarajevo is still recovering from the events and affects of the Balkan War in the 1990's that drove many of its people to seek refuge in other nations.

A mosque in front of one of many buildings in the city withmortar gashes and bullet holes, remnants of the Balkan war  Bosnian Factoids: The effects of the 1992-95 Balkan war are still prevalent as it is a frequent topic of conversation and  many still hurt from its devastation. The numerous bullet holes in the sides of many existing buildings are also visible reminders of the recent past. The majority of people in Bosnia-Herzegovina are  comprised of the Bosniak, Serb, and Croat ethnic people groups. Over 80% of Sarajevo's residents are Muslim. There are six independent churches in Sarajevo, each under 50 members. Bosnian Cuisine A favorite local food is a pita, a savory pie shaped in a round spiral.  It comes with different fillings, such as meat, potato, cheese and spinach. Also tasty cevapi, a fast food made from small sausages with a large side of diced onions and a flat bread, is a national dish.

LWM Missionary Retreat Every two years the missionary affiliates of Living Word Missions gather from around the world, coming together for a retreat in the Boston area. Gary was able to attend this year's week of refreshing meetings (we could not attend LWM's last retreat because of our move to Abu Dhabi). LWM missionaries gathered from around the globe to reconnect with each other, receive ministry and hear wonderful testimonies of what the Lord is doing in their respective nations. The Berlin Connection Bosnia is a "hop, skip and jump" away from Berlin (by air) and Gary has traveled there twice since arriving to Sarajevo. On his most recent trip, he was invited to speak for at the Berlin International Church where friends Steve and Karen Mack are pastors.  The Macks' hold their services in a cinema located in the heart of Berlin's modern and well known city center called Potsdamer Platz. They have an international congregation with over 50 nationalities represented.