Balkans Day 5

Today was our first service day which we got to spend with a group of young Bosnians. We met them at the office of a local charity - Together For Our City - Zajedno Za Naš Grad. 

From there we walked to the old town to Cafe de Alma for a coffee workshop led by the owner, Jaso. We got a tutorial in the experience that is Bosnian Coffee. 

It is all about taking time and following steps that generations of Bosnians have perfected. The kids got to make and serve and enjoy the coffee together.  

Jaso had some great stories, such as the one about his coffee roaster that survived the war by being smuggled to four locations to keep it safe, though it has shrapnel dents in it. 

We had some time before lunch so the kids split into groups and had an hour for their Mostari friends to show them around old town. 
We got an unexpected show as one of the local divers climbed up on the bridge railing and, after dramatic buildup and collecting donations, dove from the 100 foot bridge into the cold river - this doesn’t happen much in February. 

We had a lovely lunch together and restaurant Urban - a buffet of local cuisine served on long wooden platters. 

For the afternoon, our group got to go shopping with their Mostari friends at the local mall. These were kids who don’t have a lot, and the program gave them money to spend on clothes or other needs and our kids enjoyed shopping together. It was a typical teenage adventure, though not for these kids, and not for ours being in a different culture. And yet it is a culture that we feel more in tune with as each day passes. 

After saying goodbye and getting some time to relax, we ate in for dinner and then did some reflecting on the day. Tomorrow we will do more service with Together For Our City, preparing and delivering grocery staples for families in need.