Our first week in Croatia

Sunday morning we walked to the church with the Elders. There was a total 11 in attendance including us. The meeting was in Croatian, however, the Branch President's wife had written her talk in English so we would know what she was saying. She also taught the Sunday School lesson and again provided us an English translation. After church we walked home, only got lost once. We had the Elders over for dinner and set up our trip in the morning to the Police Station.
Monday we made our first trip to the Police Station to apply for our visa. You must apply for a visa every time you move from one city to another. We did not have the right forms, but we began the process. In the afternoon the couple we are replacing, the Erickson's returned from Banja Luka, Bosnia.

Our first trip to the "MUP"

Tuesday began our visits to humanitian project partners that the Erickson's have worked with in Croatia.  The main purpose of our visits was to introduce us to them.

CARTIAS (a part of Catholic Charities in Croatia). One of the projects was buying a stove and a industrial potato peeler for a soup kitchen in Varazdin. The soup kitchen feeds about 250 people a day.

RED CROSS in Varazdin.  This project is clean wells, many of which were damaged in the "homeland war" when Yugoslovia broke apart.

HIGH SCHOOL in Varazdin. This high school is more like a Tech Center. The school made some sheets, duvet covers, and cabinets for rehabilitation hospitals and care centers. The Church acted as the intermediary bringing both together.

VARAZDIN RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION FACILITY Several projects have been done here. This is where the sheets and duvets were donated as well as cabinets and shelves.

CENTAR FOR REHABILITATION VARAZDIN Here they have about 250 residents (ages ranging from 4 - 90). Again sheets and duvets have been donated. This facility really tugged at our heart strings.  The residents are very well taken care of here.  The place was immaculate and all the residents we meet were delighted to see us.  We liked how they made the decorations for the hospital. 

Making Decorations

Decorations hung

RED CROSS WELL PROJECT  We began the morning very early to visit a town called Daruvar.  We have partnered with the Red Cross to clean 1000 wells.  A two man crew comes in and cleans a well out.  They test for bacteria content and certify the well is safe for drinking.  The family helps with the labor in cleaning the well also. 

Members of family who well was being cleaned 

Another member of family

The red cross and cleaning crew

Upon returning to Varazdin about 5pm we received a call from President Rowe, our mission president.  He would like us to move to Tuzla, Bosnia.  This transfer will not take place immediately as there is not a place for us to live there yet.  However, in the not too far distance future, we will be moving to Bosnia.