One of the Catholic church buildings in Livno

Bosnia

On Wednesday the team got up early and packed into Kent’s van for the two-hour ride to Livno. This was one part of our trip where none of us really knew what to expect. When I was in Croatia in 2001, Kent and Cheri were back in the States. Therefore, Trent & Nikki (another couple who was working with them in Split) hosted our visit. Since then Trent & Nikki have moved to Livno, Bosnia and started some English language classes there.

The first part of the day we spent talking with Nikki about what’s been happening in Livno for the last seven or so years. They have done a wonderful job fitting into the local culture there and building trust with their neighbors. While we were there it was evident that the reason they are so good at establishing relationships is because they really do care about the people they live with.

After the orientation, we all went to an open-air market and out for lunch. Although there was snow everywhere, it wasn’t too cold. None of us were walking around in our t-shirt, but we weren’t uncomfortably cold at all. Lunch was at a great local restaurant and while there we got to know the local team a little better. It was a late meal (we didn’t start eating until well after 1pm) and we got back to the school around 4pm. Luckily, the local team gave a little time to rest up before classes started.

Much like in Trogir, we got to participate with the students of the school. In the early evening, we met with the beginner’s class. One thing was certain: their English was much better than our Serbo-Croat. The students were eager to learn, and very fun to be with. It was obvious the students were extending to us the trust that Trent & Nikki had built up with them. We really enjoyed ourselves.

Next was English club. The English club is a group of local Bosnians who get together for coffee and conversation in somewhat advanced English. The flavor of this group was much different than the earlier one. Because their English was much better, we were able to talk about more substantial subjects. The group JoAnn and I were with talked extensively about the Croatian/Serbian/Bosnian war. Earlier in the day, Nikki had told us a story about how she said to one of her neighbors that Americans just did not have the capacity to understand all the reasons for the wars that took place in this area in the 90′s. Her neighbor told Nikki that her lack of understanding was evidence of her sanity. The people in the conversation group also could not understand why so many will kill for what seemed like petty reasons.

The wars did so much damage in Bosnia it may take another thirty years for the country to get over it. The damage is so much deeper than just to buildings and political systems. It goes right down into the souls of these people. But because of the depth of our conversation, we were able to talk about the need for all Bosnians, Croatians, and Serbians to both give and receive forgiveness. It was awesome to have a real-world conversation turn into something we could all sink our teeth into. In a situation like the one in Livno, a short-term team cannot get to deep–to do so may risk what the local team is trying to do. But we do get opportunities to turn the ground over a bit and get it prepared for more significant work.

After a light dinner at Trent & Nikki’s house, we said our goodbyes and piled up into the van to go back to Split. I’d like to tell you more about the trip back, but I was dead asleep for most of the way. Every day one spends on a trip like this is intense, and sleep is SO scarce you get it when you can. We were all completely worn out–but in a good way.