Charles on the local news!

In all of Bosnia, there is just one small congregation of our Church a small branch led by Charles, who serves as the Branch President. While our members are spread throughout the country, most live in or near Sarajevo and  Banja Luka.

Once a month, we make the 7-hour round trip drive  to Banka Luka to gather with the members there. It's a special time to worship together and partake of the sacrament. 

This month, we made not one, but two trips to Banja Luka and both were well worth the miles! Our second visit we had  guests make the drive all the way from Belgrade, Serbia! Elder and Sister Parkinson (he’s in the Mission Presidency) came, along with Brother Savić from our District Presidency. Brother Savić has been a member for over 30 years, and as a native speaker, he gave a beautiful talk in the local language. 

We joined in with the Sarajevo group over Zoom for Sacrament meeting each week. Sister Schmidt gave a beautiful talk (which is why she’s sitting so close to the TV front-row

After Sacrament, each city does its own Sunday School, so we split off for that. With all our visitors in town, we had a really nice-sized group, definitely more chairs than usual.

I alway prepare a lunch so we can visit a little longer after church and we can have meal before we begin the 3 hour drive home. 

3 dedicated members and a friend...love them so much!

Charles and I had the privilege of attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Mala Sirena, a school for children with disabilities here in Bosnia. Since resources and support for children with special needs are limited in this country, two incredible moms, both with special needs children, took matters into their own hands and started the school themselves.

Over the years, the Church has been able to support Mala Sirena with donations like a new heater, AC unit, and therapy equipment. This time, we were celebrating something extra fun, a brand new rooftop patio and playground!

Over the years, the Church has been able to support Mala Sirena with donations like a new heater, AC unit, and therapy equipment. This time, we were celebrating something extra fun, a brand new rooftop patio and playground! The best part of day was seeing the kids who did a performance for us.

And in true Balkan tradition we had a HUGE delicious meal... all this amazing food continues to be a problem scale. 

 

One of our new members, Nedžad, has a cozy cabin up in the mountains. Last week, we joined the missionaries to help him stack firewood for the winter. Hard work, fresh air, and good company,  not a bad way to spend the day!

 

One of the bonus' of visiting with Nežnad is the feast he prepares for us. He is an amazing cook. And once again in true Balkan History it was a 5 course meal. So much good food!

 . 

These are mushrooms that he picked from his property. They were huge and almost looked like bread 

 He made a delicious pasta dish with them.

  

My friend Iris and I took the 4 hour bus ride to the coast. We had a wonderful day swimming in the sea. 

Over the past 11 years, our church has helped provide over 3,000 greenhouses to families in need across Bosnia. It’s been one of the most impactful humanitarian projects that we have had the privilege to do.Because of its success, we were asked to host a Greenhouse Summit! 

We invited participants from across Central Europe, NGOs, local municipalities, and missionaries to learn how the project works, why it’s been effective, and how to replicate it in their own countries.

The Church hopes this model can bless even more lives beyond Bosnia.

The summit lasted all day, with a lunch break to keep everyone fueled. We heard from several amazing partners including reps from Muslim Aid, city officials from greenhouse-recipient cities, and even some of the beneficiaries.

One of the most touching moments came from a family who shared that their greenhouse income allowed them to send their son to university. Stories like that are a powerful reminder of why this project matters.

We also heard from a third-party evaluator who shared a detailed report on the program’s impact. She reported a 99% success rate, meaning that even after several years, the greenhouses are still producing, helping families feed themselves and earn an income.

The summit was held over Zoom, with around 75 participants joining us. We're hoping to host a live, in-person summit this spring! 

These are our incredible friends from Muslim Aid. They work tirelessly to bless so many lives, and we couldn’t do projects like the greenhouses, beehives, and pregnant heifers without their partnership.