Beth's Story: Bosnia is a country that has
continued to teach me many important lessons every time I go there.
While living in the United States we can't imagine having to avoid fields of
land mines on the way to school, having to face discrimination because of our
religion, or living in a town where a concentration camp still stands. The
people whom I have met in Bosnia over the past few years have not only been
the strongest and most loving people, but they also have more faith then
anyone I have ever met. Their faith is not just the kind you experience
when in a church but also the kind that you have about the world around you.
They have faith that their children won't grow up in a world of hatred and
that they will be able to rebuild their country again with peace among all of
the religions.
For instance, I have walked through a concentration camp with
a lady who was forced to stay there with her family during the war.
She's committed to taking tourists through the concentration camp in order to
assure that something like this doesn't happen again. I have also talked
to some of my dearest friends over there about what their families went
through during the war, and I have to say these are the bravest and most
amazing people I think I will ever know. When you are in Bosnia it is
hard to not be taken back by the bullet holes, shelled buildings, and the
concentration camps that are still standing. Yet when you see flowers
growing where there was once only destruction, and when you see the children
smiling at you, you can't help but admire the natural beauty of this country
and its people. I will continue to help this ministry for as long as I
can because Bosnia has taken a huge place in my heart and I look forward to
watching this country rebuild itself year by year.
-- Beth Swanson
At camp in Jajce. Class in Sipovo. Team and interpreters at the cross in Rama.
In the Beginning...
As many of you already know, this June I will be returning to Bosnia for the third time to help run Friendship Camps for kids at schools and orphanages throughout the country. In particular, this year has been especially exciting for me, since I am one of the leaders in charge of running the camps! I've been attending meetings since the end of last summer helping decide which camps we'll be including, selecting our theme, and going through applications of volunteers. What I am most excited about, though, is that I will be in charge of the music portion of the camps in the northern part of the country.
The International Servant Camps help promote the peace and acceptance among the different Bosnian religious and ethnic groups, where tension is still a reality of daily life. The children that we will be helping this year were born during the war and have experienced many heart breaks; many have lost a family member or have become orphaned.
The country also still remains torn and in a state of ruin from the war. Fields of landmines ruins of concentration camps, and mass burial sites are commonplace reminders of the conflict.
While I am a part of the "travel team" that will be working in Bosnia, there is another team called the "home team” that includes the people of Zion who have helped support this important ministry by making clowns (see pattern below) and providing other donations that make these camps possible. For their special efforts to date, I would like to thank the Women of Zion for helping me with the clowns that will be this year's gifts to the children who attend the day-long camps. These gifts mean so much to the children, who are always very excited to receive the items that were made especially for them. I would like to thank Mrs. Beagle, Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. Barabas and my mom for helping get the clowns ready for the WOZ meeting. Also, special thanks to Mrs. Welsh who painted eyes on the clowns' faces.
Since I have been at college throughout the year, I haven't been able to do as much fundraising as I wish I could to help the New Jersey Synod support the Bosnian friendship camps, but some of my classmates and I have had a bake sale and a cake eating contest to raise money for the camps. This year we will be holding 16 camps at a cost of $2000 per camp. There are also other expenses, such as paying our wonderful bus drivers who transport us around the country and our interpreters who help us in so many ways. In addition, contributions help pay for the campers' lunches, crafts, and gym supplies that are donated to each school where the camps are held.
I hope that you can all look into your hearts and be moved by what this ministry does and consider becoming part of the “home team” by making a donation. None of the donations will be going toward my own costs, since my parents cover that. All checks and cash should be put in the manila envelopes with the Bosnia label which can be found in the pews and on the posters in the narthex and CEB. Checks need to have IST-Bosnia written in the memo section.
Slavimo Mir (Celebrate Peace)
Beth
As a footnote, the Women of Zion made 41 clowns at their April meeting, a great start toward our goal of 100 clowns.
