Fun Visit: Nils and Keren

My good friends, Nils and Keren, finally made it to see me as Keren and her family were doing a Croatian cruise for her 50th and so they came afterwards to see me... And we had a fantastic time together! 

Firstly, I showed the sights of Banja Luka: Fortress Kastel: 

Gospodska Ulica (Gentlemen's street): spot the fancy decorations!

And also the rest of Banja Luka... We did go out for love gelato after that tour, but sadly I don't have a pic. However, we also finished the next day's tour with the best ice cream in Banja Luka: it is just vanilla with toppings, but it is yummy: 

This year has seen me hosting 3 different times so far - check out the posts on the other two here: Angela and Greg. 

I love to show my guests all the wonders of this area, but this year, I realised that I am my father's daughter!! He had a route he had worked out around Cape Town and would so enjoy showing people around that same route. And I realised that I also have out a route around this area and so took Nils and Keren around it as well! The first two times this year were snowy and/or cold, so it was interesting doing it in the heat! First stop Krupa na Vrbasu: 

Next stop in Jajce. There is a lovely waterfall there too, but I didn't get pics. Old town on the hill:

Jajce city wall: 

And then it was time for the 3rd river and waterfalls, the Pliva - I am debating about calling this tour the Three Rivers tour: Krupa, Vrbas and Pliva: 

One of the fun things was the fact that they had some "vouchers" which I give out as prizes at my Bosnian Evenings back in South Africa. One of them was for a "home cooked meal". And even though I was planning on ordering a meal, I said, "The only homecooked meal I could do is french toast as we have eggs and bread." and they decided that was enough. With all the toppings, including fresh berries it did turn into a feast! Here they are showing off their voucher and the meal! 

After that, as it was a Friday night (which is traditionally game night between them and other friends, which I join in when I go to SA), we ended up playing a game of Port Royal (aka the pirate game) which I introduced to them last time I was in SA...

 

They also got to enjoy some work stuff on the day they left. We had visitors from a Medical Organisation that works with Christian doctors and medical students around the world. Ljilja had reached out to them because of our International Medical Students (most of them are from India, but also Bangladesh and Turkey). So it was fun to introduce fellow Dr. Keren to them. We also shared with them all what our ministry here in Banja Luka looks like so they can see what we do. Then we had a chance to hang out with them (and some of the Christian medical students from India) at lunch: 

And then it was time to say a fare farewell. It was so fun having them visit and get a snapshot of my world here in Banja Luka. They have been saying for years that they want to visit, so it is great that it finally happened!! 

US InterVarsity Team

We had an incredible month hosting a team of 36 from the Rocky Mountain Region of InterVarsity! This was the fourth year in a row that they have been here in Banja Luka and the partnership keeps getting better! This time there were 4 returning students who act as student leaders, and 5 IV staff and then 27 new students who had never been before.

One of my main roles with the team is to help with their orientation:

We try to help them get a better understanding of the history and the culture of the area. Here I am going through their answers for the Scavenger Hunt that takes them around all the different landmarks in Banja Luka and they have a great time finding them all! 

After orientation, the American students spent time doing life with local and international students - sharing meals, having honest conversations, walking through doubts and faith, and forming deep friendships built on trust, compassion, and Christ-centered love. Learning about a different culture, while sharing about their own - a true cultural exchange. 

They hosted loads of fun events: from Quizzes to Dance parties!

And three afternoons a week we hosted anyone who wanted to come to our place at "Cafe Ihtus"

This was all a great way to hang out and grow in relationships in a neutral space. They also went on activities organised by the local and international students - like hiking up the hill with a lookout over Banja Luka: 

Our first event with the team was a Teen Sports Workshop which brought together teens, American students, and our wonderful local volunteers for a day full of fun, games, and shared joy.

The team also stepped into academic spaces across Banja Luka: We were honored to take part in the 30th-anniversary student conference at the Faculty of Philology, where we could interact with the students in between different presentations.

We were also warmly welcomed at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics—engaging with students from across the region and planting seeds of mutual respect, curiosity, and future collaboration.

We also hosted two sessions at the English Department led by two Christian psychologists from the U.S. on "The Nature of Trauma" and "Family of Origin", sparking important conversations around healing, identity, and hope from a Biblical perspective.

We also had two more serious events at the Church. One was by the two psychologists, based on "Emotional Awareness":

 The other was called "Art for the Soul". A highlight of that evening was the powerful monodrama “Writing Against the Silence,” written and performed by Jovana, one of our local volunteers. Her powerful performance shared the story of a soul seeking truth, freedom, and forgiveness through written words. Her honest, heartfelt story of finding voice, healing, and freedom deeply moved all who attended.

The month flashed by, and we had to say a sad farewell to these wonderful students. We had a little time of sharing at the end, and it was amazing to hear their stories of how the trip impacted them, and also all those students whom they met and encouraged. We look forward to their next team coming again in 2026!