This river flows down the center of the city Banja Luka in Bosnia. We got up on Sunday morning thinking Church started at 10am and so we drove to the church which is actually a home. The senior missionary couple and the Elders live there. So, when we got there we found out Church actually didn't start at 10am but 3:30pm so one person could attend after she finished work.
Bosnia just open to the church and is now officially recognize there, so we can do missionary work. There is not a Branch there, just a group of members that meet together, the senior missionary Elder is their Priesthood leader. This home they all live in and have church in was the home of our mission president and his family about three years ago. They were the only members there when they lived there, so they would hold church each Sunday with their family. Some children down the street began to play with their children and soon their families became friends and you known the rest of the story the Rowe family introduced them to the gospel and their whole family was baptized. So now they are the core membership there, with two other members and several nonmembers who come each week to Church and other activities. Everyone is so excited to have this country open to missionary work. All the missionaries want to go there to serve, but right now there are only five Elders there and two senior couples serving in Bosnia.
This is the front room of the house and off to the right is where we meet for church. The girl next to me is the interpreter for the senior couple, she is paid for her service, she is not member, but comes to everything and is attending the YSA Conference in Hungary in two weeks. The missionary on the left is our Mission President's wife, Sister Rowe, she is a really special lady and a wonderful Mom to her five children. Their family has lived all over the world and so have all their children.
This is their Sunday dinner they put on each week after Church, all the members sit together and eat and talk it is really very nice. There is a sweet Spirit of love and unity here among these people. We feel very blessed to have the opportunity to associate with people who love the gospel truth so much and are so thankful to be a part of a Church that blesses their lives each and every day.
With so few members it is hard for the young people to keep the standards set by the Church, so any association they have with each other is a joyful time for them and the young people love to be with the missionaries and use their English and we love to hear their stories and hear of their conversions. The young people here have many challenges with getting educations and jobs, it can be very discouraging for them and so being a part of the Church brings hope to them in many areas of their lives. We often will give a young person a ride home because none of them have cars, only to find out that it takes many of them up to an hour on the tram one way just to get to Church, we are so impressed that they make it each week faithfully. And most of the young people that come are the only members in their families, so no one is making them come, they come because they want to be there and be with the other members of the Church and feel the Spirit.
Their commitment to living the gospel is an inspiration to us all!
You look pretty. I love/miss you.
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