Worldwide Family Activity Report - Special Issue on Former Yugoslavia
FAR004 - GP
August 1994 by The Family, Zurich, Switzerland

The Family
Making a Difference!

Healing Hearts in the War-torn FORMER YUGOSLAVIA!
PART 4
(SPECIAL PHOTO EDITION)
Photos by B. Mihai

Photo 1: As we traveled down the Croatian coast, we stopped in Oncera to encourage 300 Bosnian Muslim refugees who have lived in dilapidated 40-year-old train wagons for the past three years. We distributed Family literature in their languages, and many warmly received us and our message of love. The family pictured here with Rebecca (far left) and Joseph (center) were formerly well-to-do, but lost their wealth overnight.

Photo 2: This 20-year-old Croatian soldier (left) said, "I joined the army three years ago to fight for my country, but I became a butcher." After several hours of counseling, he told Mike, "You have helped me to make peace with myself and God."

Photo 3: We spent several days in Karlovac, just two kilometers from the Serb lines, where we offered words of encouragement and comfort to Croatian and Bosnian Muslim refugees. This woman was eager to discover how God's peace can fill her heart.

Photo 4: We have spent much of our time at the rehabilitation center in Makarska, counseling ex-Croatian and Bosnian soldiers. Most of them are only 20 or 22 years old and permanently maimed. Extremely disheartened with life, many try to drink themselves to death or plunge headlong into drugs. But God is in the business of mending broken lives. We have seen wonderful transformations take place. "I have nothing to live for any more," this young man in a wheelchair said. When we told him that we love him and God loves him, he said "No one has ever told me that! That gives me new hope for living!"

Photo 5: This young Croatian refugee was eager to receive a gift that he can share with his friends--a stack of "What Everybody Needs Is Love" posters in Croatian.

Photo 6: Christina talks with a man outside a refugee camp in Dubrovnik. Formerly a beautiful tourist town, Dubrovnik suffered full-scale shelling and some sections lie in ruins. The Serb line is just 400 meters away. There are thousands of refugees in the area, and we visited different camps taking our message of love and hope to all we met.

Photo 7: Slovenian Christina talks with a Canadian U.N. soldier. This young man drives a convoy truck taking humanitarian aid to trouble spots. He told Christina, "What we see and experience out there, we can't tell our families. No one can understand what it's like! No one can relate to how we feel!" Like so many others, he was very thankful to have found a listening and sympathetic ear, and for our words of encouragement and support.

Photo 8: Sara sharing love and laughter with an elderly Bosnian refugee in Karlovac.

Photo 9: Finding a safe place to park for the night can be a major problem. This bullet-riddled sign reads, "Please do not camp here!"

Photo 10: Prayer, appreciation and a message of hope for U.N. soldiers.


Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family