Light the World

The LDS Church campaign entitled, "Light the World" began December first with the tag line "in 25 ways, over 25 days." The initiative is explained in this simple statement, "Each Christmas, we celebrate the life of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. By following His teachings, we let His light shine—in our lives and in the lives of others." (If you want to learn more here's the official link with great ideas of ways you can #LightTheWorld https://www.mormon.org/)

Last year I posted the corresponding videos every day on social media, but this year I have failed miserably in that task. But it is not because I don't feel it is important or that people don't need to be reminded to be kind to one another. Now, maybe more than ever, I am keenly aware of how many other people have brought light to my life over the past 17 months. As humanitarian missionaries, it is our goal to bring aid to the poor and needy, but I had no idea how much our service would teach me about humility, gratitude and love. For my blog post today I just want to share some of the many ways others have lived the phrase "Light the World" without even knowing it. It would be a very long post if I addressed all 25 ways shared in the "Light the World" campaign, but I do want to touch on five that evoked emotions from me as I read through the calendar this year.

"I was thirsty and ye gave me drink" ~ Matthew 25:35

Zoran and Ranka are two of the most humble and friendly people we have met. Due to our travel schedule, we haven't been able to spend as much time with them as we would like, but the time we have had will always be remembered. We have always been welcomed with open arms and treated like family each time we have been together. 

Ranka literally has filled my cup. She makes all her own juice and we have yet to leave their home without a bottle of one kind or another. She makes typical juices from fruits, but she also makes a special "Rose" juice. It can only be made with a special kind of rose. She is an amazing woman and when I read Matthew 25:35 I will always smile as I think of Ranka and Zoran.

"Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself" ~ Matthew 23:39

Our apartment is in a neighborhood that is referred to as "Little America" because many US Embassy families live in our neighborhood. But those are not the neighbors I care to talk about. Honestly, after nearly a year and a half, I haven't even met any of them more than to say hello during the annual "Trick or Treat" night held each year. Sad to say, but I have not really reached out to them as I should have, nor have they reached out to us. No, the neighbors I want to talk about aren't actually neighbors in the true sense of the word. They don't live next door, but they have filled the role that any good neighbor does. I can not count the number of times we have called on the "neighbor" for his help. Emir is the attorney the church employs to handle all the legal affairs for the church in Bosnia. He helps with VISA applications, speeding tickets, selling vehicles, preparing contracts for humanitarian projects, securing leases for the missionary apartments and so much more. However, it is not in his job description to call the gas company for us because no one spoke English when we had a CO leak . He isn't obligated to escort us to get passport photos taken nor to tell us where to go when we have a medical need. And although we know he loves cars, I have no doubt he did not charge the church for washing the car before we had it evaluated for trading in. 

I'm pretty sure no one paid he or his wife, Dijana (who is a judge), to take us up to meet their family at the summer house and  go exploring the beautiful mountains. Although I think my husband may have paid Emir to take the scenic route off the side of the mountain! And we should have paid Dijana for the amazing lasagna and chocolate lava cake she made us for dinner at their home. They let us spoil their children since we can't spoil our own grandchildren and they have laughed with us as we have struggled to learn a few Bosnian phrases. They are so much better than any neighbor we could have picked ourselves, and we don't hear their dog barking at all hours of the night! We have grown to love them as more than "neighbors." They are part of our Bosnian family and we know they love us despite our many differences, they have shown us that over and over again. 

This was from the top of the mountain we hiked. We have been
so blessed to have such amazing people to share our time
in Bosnia with. These are two people we know we will see again!

Ema and Tarik enjoyed finding eggs and baskets and playing
with bubbles when they joined us for Easter last spring. They
are almost as cute as our own grand kids. :) 

"Suffer the little children to come unto me." ~ Mark 10:14

Oh, the children we have met throughout this journey have been a true light in our lives. I don't know all their names, but they have touched my heart just the same. As many of our humanitarian projects, as well as our volunteer service at Riders of Hope have involved children with disabilities, we have had many opportunities to spend time playing, laughing and loving these special children. I can see love shining brightly in the eyes of those who spend their days teaching and nurturing them, helping them reach their greatest potential. One of our main projects included about 40 educators/therapist and 80 children. One of our most memorable experiences was facilitating evaluations of the children involved in the project. We met children who knew their colors in English, children who were too shy to offer a smile to strangers and others who could not contain their excitement at seeing new faces. Some children sang happily as they performed the requested tasks, others had no voice to express their feelings. Riders who held tightly to a security blanket as they sat on the horse and those who squealed with joy. But one thing was very evident. God loves the little children, all of them! And so do we.

"I was a stranger and ye took me in." ~ Matthew 25:35

I haven't even put any words down for this one yet and already tears are threatening to come. I truly was a stranger. We had never met, never even had a conversation beyond a few emails before we arrived in Sarajevo, yet the minute we stepped foot on the property of Riders of Hope and met Senada for the first time, we were no longer strangers. One of our very first conversations had me in tears as Senada and I both acknowledged God's hand in bringing us together. Riders of Hope, especially Senada and her husband, Emin, have truly been an answer to many prayers. Not only have I been able to continue to teach therapeutic riding lessons, but they have opened their home and their hearts. Emin has connected us with suppliers for many of our humanitarian projects and offered advice in dealing with local affairs. Senada has referred me to great doctors, delicious restaurants and has offered never ending help with anything we have needed. I can't even begin to list everything they have done for us. Beyond Senada and Emin, we have been taken in by so many others. The riders I have worked with at Riders of Hope hold a special place in my heart. Esma's determination is unmatched and Aren has taught me about the solar system and US presidents, while his parents shower me with gifts every time they return from a vacation in Turkey.

"My" Pegasos girls who I have had the privileged of teaching dressage lessons to have made me feel like I belong. I'm greeted with smiles and hugs every time I'm there. They even arranged for a special birthday cake for me and a beautiful gift that I will always treasure. Their parents never fail to thank me for my time, which I wish I would have had more of to spend with their daughters. The staff are amazing! Tanja has made me feel like part of the team, but always understands my time limitations. Lamija and Merima always have a smile and kind word. Nejra inspires me with her ambition to become a certified therapeutic riding instructor. And Sofija is the best cook, sneaking me uštipci (kind of like scones) whenever I ventured into the kitchen. Tea indulges my crazy ideas for lesson plans and Iman P. is the best trail guide I know. And through this core we have met others who have helped us along our journey. John, who takes us to buy goodies at the American PX on the European Union campus where he works. Ilia has endured being grilled about his girlfriend, his religion and his hopes for the future during many hours with us filming videos for LDS Charities and other church productions. I know I will never lose contact with this loving family who took in a couple of strangers. 

I would have never believed if someone would have told me I
would be able to be part of this amazing program while serving
a church mission! Senada is my Bosnian hero! I'm so blessed
to be part of the Board of Directors now so I know we will keep
in touch. Also pictured are two of my main riders, Esma and Aren.

Iman K, Iman S, Naila and Asja have taken
dressage lessons from me for most of the year.
They are some of the most loving and kind young
ladies I have ever met. Always quick to help and
never bicker like typical teenager girls. I'm going
to miss their sweet smiles so much!

Emin keeping a close eye on riders
at the dressage show.  He's tough, but
he loves what he does and the riders he
works with love him too!

John always has a smile and is ready help!

Merima and Lamija, two of the young instructors
that I have grown to love over the past year.

Tea is always smiling! I have enjoyed getting to know her and
teaching her on her beautiful black Fresian, Epke has been so fun!

Iman P. has been a great friend from the start.
She's and her handsome horse, Giston, have worked hard in lessons
and she never says "no"when I ask her to be my trail guide.
I just wish wehad been able to ride together more often! 

Ilia has spent many hours with us filming for church videos.
He's a professional volunteer who has spent most of his
life giving service to others. He is going to make a "rejection"
video of his filming of the missionaries street contacting! 

"Ye shall meet together oft" ~ 3 Nephi 18:22

Church in Sarajevo is very different than church in Kansas. First, we usually only have about 15 people, including missionaries, in attendance each week unlike the 300ish in our home congregation. This allows us to get to know other people much better than we might in a traditional church setting. We have loved having a small, loving core group sprinkled with frequent visitors. When we arrived, the Pruess family with their five children welcomed us and made us feel at home in our new country. They have since moved to Greece for his job with the US Embassy. We currently have two more families, the Wood and Rhees families, who work for the US Embassy in our little congregation. We love meeting each week with them and their children (2 Woods and 5 Rhees), along with several others. There is no pretense, no cliques, no judgement. It is as it should be when we gather in the name of Jesus Christ. Full of unconditional love for all who enter. We also only hold church for two hours, as opposed to the typical three hour block of time in the US. I'm not quite sure how I will handle going back to church for a full three hours when we return home, but I suppose I'll manage somehow. We will truly miss our little church family. I definitely need to take a few pictures before we leave because I'm realizing I don't have pictures of everyone, but here's a few amazing people we've met with "oft". 

Our little congregation, including the Pruess family,
Iris, the Wood family and Franz and Mera. 

This is Camie Rhees receiving Christmas goodies from the missionaries.
I'm sad I don't have a picture of her whole family! I'll be sure to
get one before we go home. Even though they have only been
here for a short time, we have already become great friends! 

Shay and Alexis Wood and their boys, Malcom and Ian, have been
such a wonderful part of our church experience here. They are so down to
earth and non-judgmental, true examples of Christlike people in every way.   

Iris was the first person baptized in Sarajevo. She always has a smile
on her face and genuinely loves the gospel. She's helped us with
several projects and done quite a bit of translation for us. We're
so happy she speaks fluent English so we've been able to truly get to  know her.

Fadil joined the church about a year ago.
We were there for his baptism and have spent
a lot of time with him. He, too, speaks enough
English that we have been able to share some
special moments. He's done several painting
jobs for us and we're happy we will be bringing
home a part of him through some artwork he's done for us. 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify our Father which is in heaven." ~ Matthew 5:16

This scripture has never been so exemplified for me as it has been during our mission. There are so many examples I could share about "good works" it could fill a year's worth of blog posts. We have seen that light shine in strangers, in project partners, in our new found friends. But it shines most brightly in the missionaries that we have had the joy to cross paths with on this amazing journey. I know I've bragged about many of them numerous times, but I just can't stop marveling at the light that shines forth whenever they are present. These young (and some old) people devote 18 months (young women) or 2 years (young men) of their lives, at their own expense, to serve others, to serve as Jesus Christ served, not for their own glory, but to glorify God through their good works. They forgo the simple pleasures most of the peers are enjoying. Attending university, dating, watching movies, listening to music, surfing the internet, wearing the latest fashions or their yoga pants and a baggy sweatshirt. The young missionaries even sacrifice talking to their families and friends. They only get two 45 minute calls a year, one on Mother's Day or Father's Day and one on Christmas. They truly are focused on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with all who will listen.

We have now served with over 30 different missionaries (not including other senior couples) between Sarajevo and Tuzla. Each and every one of them holds a special place in my heart. Several of them have gone home already and are moving forward with their lives but in their wake they have left a legacy of love in Bosnia. I look forward to watching them go out into the world on their various adventures after they complete their mission time. I know God only sends the best missionaries to Bosnia and they will continue to make a positive impact throughout their lives.

We have also had the pleasure to serve with other senior couples in the mission. The Bradfords are the only other other couple in Bosnia, four hours away in Banja Luka. We only get to spend time together every 6 weeks or so, but it's been nice to know there are others who struggle with hard beds, missing their grandchildren and how to balance mission life with their spouse 24/7. And we will never forget our two mission presidents and their wives, David and Judy Grant and Dave and Becky Melonakos. I know I don't have everyone in these pictures, but hopefully you will get the idea of how much we have enjoyed our time with these fantastic people, young and old alike! 

Bosnia Zone conference last spring.

Grape eating contest... Elder King, on the right, was champion!

Sarajevo and Tuzla missionaries at our apartment for the missionary
broadcast earlier this year. They were all excited about the change
in missionary schedules that was announced that day! 

Treasures from the American Store in Zagreb. No Reece's in Bosnia!

Such beautiful smiles!

While we were in Zagreb visiting a refugee project, we took the
missionaries out to dinner. Three of the five had served in Sarajevo
and one of them we actually met the night before he went to the MTC
so it was pretty much a "family" reunion that night! 

Our little group of missionaries in June. Another fun trip spent
with great people!

The missionaries have been great volunteers at Riders of Hope.
I especially love their sense of winter fashion!

Can't you just see the light radiating from
Sister Turner as she gives this little rider two
thumbs up? Sister Orchard is hiding behind the horse leader.

Road trips are always a blast! Our last trip we actually made it
to our destination and back without incident. That was a first for
us. Our track record with the party bus is not good.... LOL! 

Thanksgiving this year. All the missionaries from Bosnia were there!

Carolyn Bradford and her husband serve in Banja Luka, about four
hours away from Sarajevo. When they first arrived we found out
that we had both lived in Ashburn, VA. They arrived just as we were
leaving for Kansas, but we know many of the same people.
It truly is a small world!

David and Judy Grant, our first mission president and his wife
at a baptism in Tuzla. We loved serving with the Grants!

Dave and Becky Melonakos (sitting next to me in the white sweater) arrived
in the mission this summer to take over from the Grants.
They have been so fun to work with and truly are called to do this work.

Becky and I enjoyed a "birthday trail ride" in October. Our birthdays
are only a few days apart so it was a fun way to celebrate together.
You know anyone who wants to ride with me is a friend for life!

There are so many more people I want the world to know about, so many acts of kindness, so much light that has been shared with us during our time in the Adriatic North Mission. I only hope we've been able to offer a small spark of light to others as well. We wish everyone a wonderful Christmas full of the light and love of Jesus Christ, our Savior. May His light shine in your life and through your life this holiday season and throughout the year. Maybe next year we will actually send out Christmas cards again! All our love to everyone!

"I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink" Matthew 25:35

Thousands have lived without love, not one without WATER (W.H. Auden)

The ABCs of humanitarian service are food, shelter, medical care, and WATER. Dionne and I have began working on water projects the moment we arrived in Bosnia. We have cleaned drinking wells in Croatia, brought running water to school children in the village of Cikotska Rijeka, built septic tanks in Domaljevac, and fixed school bathrooms in Zinice and Sapna.

Bosnia was built around its beautiful and powerful rivers (rijeka). Every major city has a river flowing through it. Nearly every road either goes over a mountain or winds along a river. 

Ironically, as Day Two of the "Light the World" campaign highlighted the admonition "I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink," we were signing a contract to bring clean drinking water to the people who live in the village of Hrasno. LDS Charities initiated this project in 2013. The journey of this project is the subject of today's post.

Day Two - Light the World

The rain descended, and the floods came (Matthew 7:25)

In 2013 LDS Charities started a project with the municipality of Kalesija to bring drinking water to the village of Hrasno.

Unlike most rural communities in Bosnia which suffer from urban flight, Hrasno's population has increased dramatically in the past 30 years. Their water holding tank was originally designed to serve a community of 400 residents. But now there are over 2,000 residents. 

Half of the villages' residents have no running water; the other half sporadic. Those without water have to haul water to their homes from houses that have running water.

This street is the dividing line between the have's and the have not's. Houses to the left have water while houses to the right do not.

The basic deal was that the church would buy the pipe and materials for a new holding tank and the municipality of Kalesija (responsible for Hrasno) would do the installation. In 2013 plans were developed, materials purchased, contractors selected, and approvals were given.

The city engineer points out where the holding tank is to be built.

And then the heavens opened. In May of 2014, unprecedented rains caused severe flooding throughout Bosnia. Central Bosnia was particularly hard hit.

These are stock photos of the flooding damage across Bosnia. 

Maglaj

Near Visoko.

Aerial view of Doboj.

Kalesija and the surrounding communities were severely affected by the floods.

The main street of Kalesija.

The floods had a devastating effect on Hrasno. Despite being located on a slope, the existing holding tank flooded. This permanently contaminated the water in the holding tank and made it unsafe for drinking.

The location of the existing water tank. This is also where they were going to build the new holding tank.

Since 2014, Hrasno has not had safe drinking water. Boil or bottle has been the motto.

Love this vintage tractor in Hrasno.

The floods made all parties realize that the proposed location for the new holding tank was susceptible to future floods. So the municipality of Kalesija was tasked with drafting new plans and acquiring land-use permission.

The new location for the holding tank.

Unfortunately, the church had already paid a vendor for the materials to build the holding tank. The municipality asked that the vendor hold off on delivering these materials until after a new plan was drafted and approved.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy 

Martin Luther King

We can learn much about others (along with ourselves) during times of difficulty. In am reminded of the immortal poetic words of Judge Smell...

"It's easy to grin when your ship comes in, and you've got the stock market beat, but the man worthwhile, is the man who can smile, when his shorts are too tight in the seat." Caddyshack

You can also learn a lot about an institution (or a church) by how it stands during times of challenge. The real culture of an institution becomes readily apparent when problems arise. "When the shorts are too tight in the seat."

When we arrived in 2016, we were asked to find out what was happening with the Hrasno project. There had been no communication for over a year. An election had occurred and there was a new major in Kalesija. All the church knew was that the new holding tank had not been built.

Meeting with the new administration October 2016.

Fortunately we had partnered with the Federation Red Cross. They remained in regular contact with Kalesija during the year. When we met with the new administration, they told us that they wanted to finish this project. They had secured a new location and were ready to begin construction the following spring.

Our friend Ilma who translated for us on this trip. This was taken on the way back from Kalesija.

We were simply waiting for the municipality to call us and tell us that the holding tank had been installed at the new site. The spring came and went with no call. The Red Cross kept checking. The municipality asked about the supplies. We sent the invoice and told them to retrieve them from the supplier.

Reviewing the new plans.

This summer we started to get indications that there was a problem. The municipality was not exactly forthcoming about the issue. But as we pressured, they finally asked us to come and meet with them.

In the main boardroom at Kalesija's mayor's offices.

The vendor that we had paid for the supplies had gone bankrupt 3 years earlier. Nobody had told us this. So there were no supplies for the project. No pipe. No cement. No metal cover. Nothing. We sat with the leadership of the municipality and the Red Cross and tried to figure out what to do. I reached out to our legal counsel and asked about the likelihood of bankruptcy recovery. We talked about trying to pressure the owner (a well-known Tuzla official who has money reserves) into "making this right." We discussed having high level officials from each of our organizations meet with him. Even to the point of threatening to meet with his current boss. It was actually quite fascinating to see how Bosnian politics really work.

But when I brought back the problem to the leaders of LDS Charities, I was heartened and encouraged by their response. First, they realized that we had made a critical error in judgment by paying for the supplies and not requiring immediate delivery. (We also should never have used this vendor in the first place either...a local friend has told me that his reputation is questionable). So the church immediately took ownership of their mistakes without trying to ascribe blame on others. And while we did pursue the bankruptcy court option, we had no interest in the "shaming" or "job pressure" strategy which the team had discussed.

Second, the church also realized that the need was still there. We were dispatched to visit Hrasno again, access the current water conditions, and to make recommendations on moving forward.

Touring the new holding tank site with local Hrasno leadership and my Red Cross friend, Davor. The head of the local town council has graciously offered part of his land as the site for the new holding tank. The main village is in the background.

Third, as much as possible, the church worked hard to make everything right again. Despite the dubious history of this project, more money was allotted to finish this project. Better controls have been put in place.

Signing day with the new major of Kalesija.

What a joy to work with an organization that can smile even when the "shorts are too tight in the seat." There was never any sense of anger, bitterness, distrust, or spite. Just a desire to do the right thing by everybody.

Signed contracts...now time to get to work!

Be the reason someone smiles today

With regards to our service here in Bosnia, Dionne and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We only have a handful of project remaining to finish. I was talking to Nermin, a Bosnian who has worked as a translator for LDS Charities since 2009. He said that his favorite project was bringing water to Novo Bila. At the closing ceremony, he met an 80-year old man who came up and shook his hand, thanking him profusely. The man said he had lived in this village all of his life and this is the first time he had had running water in his home.

This is the local leadership of Hrasno. They came for the contract signing ceremony. In my limited Bosnia I was able to tell them that my goal was "voda za Hrasno." It was an honor to sit on their porch and tell them that we were going to finish what we started.

My original goal was to see those same smiles in Hrasno. But I realize that it will not happen before I leave. So I may have to return in May and drink fresh water from the taps of Hrasno.

A bucket of hauled water next to a pipe that has not worked in years.

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like...Groundhog Day!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.... the sweet missionaries put up our Christmas tree last week while I finished making lunch for them and we have been blanketed with over a foot of snow this weekend. It is a gentle reminder that time is passing and while we are not counting down the days until Christmas, we might be counting our time left in Sarajevo which is now down to 50 days! It is passing very quickly and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it... as I've probably said 100 times this week alone, it's very bittersweet.

This is out our back window.... and it was still snowing!

I love the evergreen trees when they are covered
in a blanket of fresh snow! 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with many special people. We were blessed to have all 14 of the Bosnia missionaries gather in Sarajevo for feast and fun. One of the families that work for the American Embassy, Rhett and Camie Rhees, have a large home and gave us the key while they traveled to Budapest for the holiday. We were sad they didn't get to spend the day with us, but grateful for their willingness to open their home. It would have been a tight squeeze to fit everyone into our little apartment but because of their gracious offer, we had two ovens and tons of space to accommodate everyone for the feast followed by lots of game playing! We were also joined by the other embassy family, the Woods, and our good friend Emir and his darling family. It was so good to hear little voices laughing and little feet running in circles around the house from the four little kids. It was a very traditional Thanksgiving meal with a huge Butterball turkey (thanks once again to the Rhees family) and all the trimmings. As much as I dislike cooking for just Denny and I, I love cooking for a crowd and really enjoyed my time spent in a real kitchen. hahaha!

The young missionaries came over the day before and helped
with the preparations. The sisters made delicious pumpkin pies!

Elder Corona (white shirt), who is from Tasmania, asked if I would make a
Banoffee Pie. I asked his mom for the recipe via Facebook. Well...
I got the ingredients and let him make it instead with a little
help from Elder Leach! He said it turned out pretty good! I didn't try
it because I don't do bananas unless you can't tell they are bananas.

It was so fun to have so many people gathered
around for the table for the holiday!

I especially loved having the kids there! This is the Wood family.
Shay works for the American Embassy and his wife, Alexis, is a
speech therapist and helped us with our iPad project. They are
awesome people with a couple of super cute little boys!

Carolyn Bradford and her husband are senior missionaries serving
in Banja Luka. Coincidentally, the Bradfords lived in Ashburn, VA
the same place we lived in. They moved into the area just as we
moved out, but we know many of the same people. It's a small world!

Emir and his wife, Dijana, have become like a second family to us.
Emir does legal work like visas, selling cars, writing humanitarian
project contracts and telling us how to stay out of jail here in Bosnia.
The mission would really struggle in Bosnia without his assistance.
They are two of the people we will miss tremendously when we leave!
(Somehow I didn't manage a picture of their two cute kids, Ema and Tarik)

There was lots of game playing following dinner!

Elder Leach (white t-shirt) had fun teaching others how to play
Seven Wonders...not quite sure he had fun losing to Denny
earlier that week though. And Denny refused a rematch!

More fun and games...

This week felt a bit like "Groundhog Day" for us. It was a week for "Part 2" of a couple of our projects. The first "Part 2" was for the Women's Health gynecological exams. Unfortunately, we weren't able to attend the clinic this time because it conflicted with our iPad training, but an additional 75 women received free exams on Saturday! That's a total of 150 women who received free screenings to help detect and hopefully prevent health issues. We also had an extension to this project approved to provide funding to offer exams in an additional city for another 70 women. Muslim Aid is a fantastic partner here and has handled everything, making our load much lighter.

After spending nearly three weeks programming iPads everyday , downloading software and fighting with App Store issues (talk about "Groundhog Day!"), we had our second iPad training held in Banja Luka this weekend with a total of 21 participants from 8 different centers attending. It was fun to watch their eyes light up as they realized the positive impact using the iPads will have on their students. I had several tell me they couldn't wait to get back to their centers and start working with the children using their new iPads and some of the ideas they learned at the workshop. It has opened new possibilities for them as educators and therapists and will in turn hopefully open up a new world of learning for their students. It gives us another reason to want to come back! To see how they are using the iPads AND incorporating them into the EDUS training they will have received. ("Part 2" of EDUS training is the week we leave in Jan.)

We haven't started looking at plane tickets yet, but we're definitely thinking about a return trip in May, just before school gets out. It also happens to be the same month as the annual horse show for Riders of Hope (and Pegasos) as well as the annual mission Kresmir Cosic basketball tournament. Denny is scheming how he can bring Bryan and Brennen out too so he can create a team to play in the tournament.

Alexis Wood put together an informative presentation on why
and how to use iPads effectively. Unfortunately, she wasn't able
to attend this training so, as the understudy, I got to do it. I
was very happy she had a great PowerPoint already done for me!

Participants testing out some of the applications

Another key part of this project is that we now have
local educators and therapist who are able to train others so
this project can continue to have an impact after we leave. Here
Edita, from Mala Sirena, explains how to customize
an AAC app into the local language.

Jasminka, also from Mala Sirena, also did a wonderful job
working with participants to  help them be successful in programing
and customizing applications to use with students. 

Participants programmed iPads into their preferred language.
Some into Croatian, some Serbian and one who wanted to
leave hers in English!

This is one amazing group of ladies (we did have some men
participate in the last training in Mostar) who are moving
in the right direction to change their world for good!

As we are wrapping up our various projects, we hope and pray that we have heeded the counsel we received in the Missionary Training Center to go "deep" with our impact. Our focus on improving life for those with disabilities has been rewarding. Mostly because of the people we have met on the journey. In addition to the children and adults with special needs, we've met parents, educators and therapist who truly want to make a difference, to change the way people with disabilities are educated and treated in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They are the ones who have sacrificed to create havens for children and adults to feel loved and valued. They are the ones who have instigated change, who have spent countless hours working towards a greater cause. They are the true champions who are bringing hope for a brighter future. Their eagerness to learn and grow on behalf of those they love is why our mission has been so fulfilling.