NOT TOO LATE . .

OUR CHURCH  never seems to get tired of  wishing everyone a Very Happy Easter!  Because the Easter Season is more than just Easter Sunday.  We go and on singing Alleluia! Alleluia!  We are an Easter People, and Alleluia is our song.  We just can’t stop reminding ourselves that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Day and that He is still alive..  We continue with the Alleluias  for 50 more days before ending on Pentecost Sunday, (Whitsunday). Easter Eggs are such a beautiful reminder of our new life.

As always for us, the highlight of our time in Medjugorje is visiting our beloved refugees and meeting each one of them, as they show us how to live the Gospel and bring us Christ in Person.  We are called to them and are privileged to be among them in their dreadful poverty, not of their own making!  Before the war, they lived up in Central Bosnia with Fr. Svetz as their parish priest, and they had to flee for their lives to this refugee camp near Medjugorje.  You don’t hear about them here though they are so near the shrine and are wonderful catholics, part of our very own family in the faith.  They teach us so much about living faith!, and about making the best of life’s bad conditions.
We bought food from cash and carry in Capljina, for every family and the children distributed it to each dwelling in Tasovcici Refugee Camp, all done in 10 minutes with great love and dignity.  Everyone was happy!  The children are gorgeous!

Remember I told you before that this dreadful refugee camp is only 20 minutes by taxi from the shrine of Medjugorje.  Try to visit these wonderful ‘forgotten’ people to whom God sent us!  They are so hospitable, so generous having so little, spotlessly clean and tidy.  105 families, 69 children!   You will be blest!

HAPPY EASTER from MEDJUGORJE !

Sr Helen and I are spending Holy Week in Medjugorje partly with the Refugees and the  24 very elderly who are absolutely delighted with their brand new bungalows.

We used the opportunity of being in Medjugorje to spend time attending the beautiful ceremonies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and, wonderfully, Easter Sunday.

Just imagine  being at the very place where the children first saw the ‘Gospa’ (Our Lady and Blessed Mother) appear and even today some of them still have the Visions!

Just imagine!  Here I have prayed for you and your intentions before  her statue.

Many people have been  so generous in supporting our work for the Refugees in an attempt to free them from the awful prison of the Tasovcici Refugee Camp (only 8 miles from the Shrine of Our Lady in Medjugorje) and to provide as many as possible with a permanent house.

We have prayed for each and every one of our so generous benefactors. Helen and I hope that you actually feel the power and efficacy of our prayer.

None of you are forgotten.  We don’t leave the Shrine until you and yours have been remembered.

With hundreds of Easter Blessings,  Josephine and Helen. xx

THE DREAM REALLY CAME TRUE!

The  Dream came true as I told you last time, the week before Christmas, when we moved our 24 elderly people out of the refugee camp in

Capljina, into 12 beautiful little bungalows. What joy!  It still lingers!  Fifteen years in the camp without their own toilet!  Terrible having only common loos!  What would I have done if God asked that of my mom and dad?
The latest news is wonderful.  Jure and Vera Krtic and Ivica have been visiting the elderly and all are so happy, and doing so well in their little homes.  Gospa shines on them from the lovely shrine in the courtyard and she daily gives them her Motherly Blessing. ( Shrine)

Can’t wait to see them all in Holy Week !  Helen will certainly want her cuppa!  The highlight of her life!  Have you seen her gorgeous Church for the Refugees yet? Near the camp, and only 20 minutes from Medugorje.  Any taxi man will take you to it.

THE DREAM COME TRUE!

It’s a long time since I wrote to you BUT I might still make a go of it and write to you more often.

Greatest news for 2009 is that we moved 24 elderly people from the dreadful Tassovcici Refugee Camp, Capljina, Bosnia Hercegovina, to their new beautiful fully furnished Bungalows.  The best news is they now have their  very own toilet and hot and cold running water.  Many of our beloved old refugees have been 15 years in the camp without these facilities.

A great Day was the official Opening with a Mass of Thanksgiving, celebrated by the Bishop of Mostar, with his Vicar General, with the Mayor of Capljina and his councillor.  The Bungalows were blest, followed by a magnificent meal at the Astoria Restuarant in  Capljina, for  250 Refugees. Everyone was very happy except Fr. Gerald’s Pig, which he had been fattening for the occasion.

I’ll write to you again shortly with some more wonderful news.

Love and God Bless   Sr. Josephine x

New Hope For the Elderly at Tasovcici Camp 24th Feb-2nd March 2008

We were priveleged to visit Tasovcici Camp near Medogorje, again  2008, and were able to give much hope to the forgotten elderly people, our beloved friends!  Thanks to a beautiful anonymous donation into Housing Aid Bosnia Charity, we are able to build 12 small bungalows;  6 one bedroomed and 6 two bedroomed bungalows in a friendly quadrangle, 1600 square meters  in total, near the town of Capljina and only 2mins from the bus stop outside the new houses.  The old people are so excited about the possibility of living in a lovely little home, having spent 13 years in Tasovcici Refugee Camp.  They will never own these little houses but they will live in them until they die, and the houses will always be for the poor elderly people, especially the refugees, thus giving them comfort and dignity in their last few years of life.  Many many thanks to our generous and wonderful benefactor.  Exciting news!  At last, after all these years, I have succumbed and decided to move with the times and into the 21st century!  Another surprise!  If you wish to contact me on e-mail, my address is  jw13@live.co.uk  Another miracle!  We are in the process of setting up a website for our charity,  ’ housingaidbosnia.org’  which will give you up to date information on our amazing, miraculous charity for this refugee camp.  Bye for now. God bless you always. Our prayers for you daily.  Love   Sr. Josephine

First Ever Message!

Hello Everybody!For several years now I have said ” The E-mail is not for me”.  Now that I see the great possibilities for sharing The Good News, I view it in a very new way.  I receive many letters and phone calls from many people, often looking for prayer or a word of encouragement and at last I have changed my attitude to technology and am happy to tell you all that it is possible to change an attitude.  I have to thank Mark Mallet for his recent blog which introduced his readers to our wonderful miracle with the poor refugees in Bosnia Hercegovina, only 8 miles from the world famous shrine of Medgugorje. Please visit this shrine and don’t forget to visit our beloved refugees, just 20 mins away.  Any taxi man would take you to Tasovcici Camp Capljina. I call it Mother’s Second Village as She has a Village in Medgegorge, and many people are taken there but no-one is taken to This village but God sent us.  These are forgotten people! They love ground coffee, so that could be your first present to them.  Thank you!  Tell them Sr. Josephina from England sent you.  I have served them since 1995,  I love them them all, and of course look on them as my friends and extended Family. Will tell you more if you are interested. The whole project is a modern day miracle. I Know for sure God exists and loves His poor.  Bye for now! Love and prayers, Meet you later!