Back From Croatia

We got back Saturday from the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia. I don't even know where to begin on describing that place, we went there because it is close and inexpensive. But I was hesitant to upload pictures from it because it was the most beautiful place I had ever been, I don't want people thinking I am in Europe on vacation. The few days away were very beneficial, without any internet or t.v. we really got to know each other. Especially on the rainy days when we could not go to the beach. We met each day to learn more about Islam and living in a Muslim country. We also had some night sessions to get a better idea about how Adventure Camp and English Camp will be run this summer. Jo and Amanda designated positions for each of us. I will be in charge of Adventure Camp on some nights and also be a "team captain" for English Camp. Adventure Camp starts tomorrow and I am excited to see how many kids show up. Tim and I are in charge tomorrow so we spent time yesterday and today planning games and activities that we think will be fun. The kids here do not get out of school for another two weeks though so we will be doing it in the evening. I think we will have more kids when summer officially starts. The weather in Bosnia is starting to get very hot, I hope the kids don't mind getting sweaty.
I heard an interesting comment this week about Islam, the person mentioned that the religion itself was only 1,400 years old and then went on to explain what Christianity was doing when it was 1,400 years old. It was about to start its first crusade, which would eventually lead to the murder of thousands of innocent people in the name of Christ. Pope Urban's speech before the first crusade stated that anyone who died while fighting would be granted access into Heaven. A message that sounds extremely similar to that of the terrorists who crashed the planes on September 11th. So while it is easy for me to say now all the things that are wrong with Islam, it is humbling to think that Christianity was not much different when it was 1,400 years old.
In Bosnia I notice mosques in most towns, for example I can see two from bedroom window. And I have yet to see any buildings that look like churches. But as soon as we crossed over into Croatia I did not see any mosques but rather noticed Orthodox and Catholic churches everywhere. The house we stayed in had one in front of it across the street and two more behind it in walking distance. Then when we went into the city of Dubrovnik, inside the wall, they were everywhere. Some were extremely old like the one from the 11th century, but most were newer because the old one were destroyed by fire, earthquake, or war. While admiring all the history in Croatia it was somewhat sad to think that Bosnia has had almost all of theirs destroyed.
I have language class today at 3:30, it is only my third class but I already know I am going to have trouble pronouncing some words. They have some letters that make noises I have never made before. I am also trying to remember that just because the letter looks like English, does not mean it is said the same way. For example "c" is a "ts" sound, and "j" is a "y" sound. What is helpful though is that each letter only makes one sound, it doesn't change from word to word. After class I am going over to the park to play basketball with Michal and some of the locals.
I have been having an amazing time here so far and am truly blessed that I have not gotten sick or had any serious problems. I am also loving the food and finding something new each week. For example today I ate Burek, it is a pastry stuffed with what tastes like hamburger meat, very good. The bread here that they use for sandwiches and pizza is extremely fresh, and that will be one thing I will miss when I get back to the states. I also noticed here that all the restaurants serve pizza, and it is all really good. America has all the pizza places like Dominoes and Pizza Hut, but if you went to a restaurant like TGI Fridays or Applebee's, you could not get a pizza. There are few places here that serve only pizza. I also noticed the intersections here are different, they have red - yellow - and green lights, but the light turns yellow right before it turns green, as opposed to turning yellow before red. With gas prices at a little over 6 dollars per gallon, many people resort to walking or taking public transportation.