Međugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina...

Well, here I am in Međugorje! What an experience it is already. I have never been around so many people who feel so deeply about faith. It is inspiring, strange, a little daunting, but also a real example of the differences between tourists and pilgrims. These are pilgrims who have come here from all over the world to restrengthen their system of belief. Hundreds of years ago they would have come by foot, cart, and horse. Now it is by car, motor coach, and airplane. I feel somewhat out of place because I am not Catholic, but I think that will pass. As AA has taught me, one must keep an open mind and respect others. I feel nothing but respect for many of these folks, but at the same time, many are plagued by the troubles of society.

Fear is the most common. I was at a cafe the other night eavesdropping on a conversation between some people who were convinced that the Internet is the work of Satan, etc...Real medievalists at their worst. I imagine they would have been great fans of Torquemada and the Inquisition. They were so concerned with the lives of others that I think they missed out on checking their own spiritual conditions.

Anyway...The group that I am working for is fascinating. We are offering a variety of services to different families who are in different sates of need. Some require real medical and social work assistance, while others ask for only a leg up and an occasional helping hand. Some just need someone to speak to. Tomorrow I head off to Mostar, only about 25km from here to visit some of the Roma people that we have helped with housing along the Neretva River. the government wants to tear down their homes and build condos and there may be nothing we can do, but a caring smile and a shoulder to lean on is sometimes more help than one would think.

I have rented a small apartment here for a high price, but with it comes free Internet access, half-price on the laundry services, and great friendship with the Irish owner, Darren Mullan and his friend and assistant (he says 'lackey'), Shane. They are both from the North of Ireland (Armagh and Inniskillen, respectively) and run a great place.

To get an idea of Međugorje, imagine a tourist town (for whatever attraction), with all the trappings, shops, etc...that one would expect, including souvenirs, but transpose the RC Church and fill the shops with countless rosaries, statues of you-know-who in various postures (on and off the cross), and also of his mother. All for sale, of course. Very surreal. I mean really...How many rosaries does one person need? The only reason people come her is to go to church. So there are places to stay, places to eat (all pretty good), and, of course, a big building in the middle of town where they gather all the time. This is a cult in the truest sense of the word.

I'll be here for the next two months. I'd better not turn into a Catholic. My mother would kill me.

I have added some new pictures to my Picasa website...they are on the main page and are dated 'May, 2008'. I'll try to add more, but it can be difficult...big files, slow computers, etc...I'll try to shrink some of the pics down to a manageable size.

Johnnyboy