healing and hoping in Bosnia

Spring is arriving in Bosnia. The air is fresh and clean, the soil has soaked up the rains and the rivers and streams are bulging, full and flowing. The hillsides are green and houses are scattered about, many of them empty and brand new or under construction, waiting for their owners' return from abroad.

Other houses are alive with smoke puffing out their chimneys and chickens or sheep roaming around. Every now and then you'll see what's left of a home from the war, a few walls of crumbled brick still standing with vines and weeds growing out the doors and windows.

We visited Vahidin's village today, and upon entry we stopped for a few minutes at the graveyard. A sign with English translation reads, "Beware of evil from someone you did good to! ".

As I look at the 200 or so gravestones I notice they all end in the same year, 1992. All of them look the same, brand new and white with the islamic star and moon engraved in the top left corner. As Vahidin walks past them he tells the stories of these people who were his neighbors, family, and friends. "This was my cousin, this was my best friend, this one was just 2 years old..."

It is a sad place. There are several green colored grave markers beside freshly covered graves, which Vahidin explains are bodies that were recently identified in mass graves elsewhere and reburied here. He tells me that still today, more than 10 years after the war, bodies are being discovered and identified by their DNA so they can be reburied. Families can feel at rest knowing their loved ones rest in peace.

His mother still finds it too painful to visit the graveyard. When we visit Vahidin's home he says that every morning she looks out over the hills to check for tanks or soldiers. She is a cute little old woman with no teeth and lots of smiles.

Even though only around 200 families currently live in the village (before the war there were 2000), there is hope for the future as new homes are built and signs of growth are evident. Vahidin says that over 20 new babies will be born in the village this year, and one of them will be his. He and his wife Timka are expecting a baby daughter.

Well, there are many stories I could share and I hope this one gives you an idea of what I experienced during my week in Bosnia.