No Black Friday Shopping

We had a very busy and exciting week.  Tuesday morning we went with the Red Cross to a school in Gnojnica (Ganoy-neeca) about 30 minutes from Tuzla.  Here we were able to distribute some of the school kits which we were able to purchase to help some of the most needy children.  The children's families are required to provide these supplies but some are not able to.  The children still come to school, but they do not have the supplies as do most of the children.  The kits cost about $14.00 each.  The expressions on their faces tell it all.

 1st Graders

 



 Distributing School Supplies

 4 recipients

 Everyone loves their supplies

A typical kit

 

When we finished with the school, we left for Banja Luka (2 1/2 hr drive).  Here we were able to purchase some sofa beds and kitchen cabinets for a safe house for abused women and their children.  Most places you are unable to use a credit card so everything is purchased with cash.  We were able to arrange for the sofa beds and cabinets to be delivered and installed.  The safe house recently replaced the furnace with a new one energy efficient one.  They did not have the funds to purchase the pellets needed to fuel the furnace, we were able through the Church humanitarian program to help purchase fuel pellets as well.  We feel we need to clarify that anytime we say "we purchased" we are referring to the humanitarian program.  None of this would be possible without the generous donations which have been made to the humanitarian program of the church.  We are just servants of The Lord helping those in need.

 

Upon returning home we met our new missionary, Elder Kroff.  Elder DeFreitas was transferred to Zagreb (Za-greb) and Elder Kroff came to Tuzla(Twos-la) from Zagreb.  He is from Montana and has lots of musical talent. 

Thursday we did not have our Thanksgiving. The Elders had scheduled English sign up for Thursday evening from 6 to 8 so we decided to postpone our feast till Friday. Thursday morning we went to the local office supply store to purchase additional chairs for our building.  Until now we have had 10 folding chairs and the four chairs which came with the table which we use for the sacrament.   Remember our car is not very big, so we managed to get 10 chairs into the car with our two Elders squished in.  But these new chairs are much more comfortable and look great.  

Elder Kroff

 

Elder West

 

Elders Kroff and West

 

The Elders put out fliers and hung signs all over and we hoped for a good turn-out.  We arrived at the building early and so did the people.  By 5:30 we already had over 20 people sign up.  By the time we were done that evening they had over 90 people.  More continued to call, but when we reached 100 we had to tell them "next time".  There will be two beginner classes, two intermediate classes, and one advanced class.  

Standing room only

 

Friday we went to the Tuzla Soup Kitchen.  The soup kitchen provides meals each day to over 3,400 people regardless of race or religion.  When we visited with the people who run the soup kitchen they told us they would like a refrigerator and got quotes for a used one.  Our translator was able to find a new one for less than used one, so we got the new one.  They were delighted with it.  Merhamet (a Muslim organization) runs the soup kitchen. They have a wonderful organization with values similar to those of the Church. We had a closing ceremony; the local TV station came to interview us.  We think we were on TV, but we don't have a TV nor would we be able to understand what they said.  The great part is that people are getting to know us and what we do, which in turn creates a desire to learn more about us and the Church. 

 



Elder West, Adil , Susan, Gary and Elder Kroff

 

After the ceremony we returned to our apartment where we cooked two chickens instead of our turkey.  We found a recipe online to make cranberry sauce from dried cranberries.  We had mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade rolls, vegetables and a rectangle pumpkin pie made from a real pumpkin with our own pumpkin pie spice.  It was a wonderful meal and a lot less clean up than when we have dinner at home. 

 

 Cranberry Sauce

 



Pumpkin Pie

 

We have so much to be thankful for.  Our family, friends, health, a comfortable place to live, a building to hold church in, and modern technology that helps us stayed connect to all of you. We hope each of you had a wonderful holiday. 

 

Another thing Gary is thankful for - no "Black Friday Shopping".