The Bosnian countryside is stunning, yet evidence of the horrific war in the 1990's can't be covered. Plots of farmland everywhere have become cemeteries—white markers to men forced to be soldiers, civilians slain or starved. Towns where Christians and Muslims had live together peacefully for centuries still have the debris of bombed buildings. Homes that do stand are riddled with holes from bullets and bombs.

One of our group, a woman from Sweden, had served here with the United Nations peacekeeping forces. Her return to the area was difficult but brought layers of healing. Healing for us too, as she shared her stories.

We asked our local guides to tell us their stories of the war. Our bus driver’s family had a cow. "That saved our lives because we could trade her milk for some food.” Our guide, a young Muslim man, was just a child during the war. He remembered being hungry. His mother would tell him that it was still Ramadan—the time for fasting. He can joke now that Ramadan lasted a lot longer  than a month during the war.
Our organizer who was a teen-ager then said the war started while she was at a rock concert. Soldiers blocked off the street. Sarajevo was under siege. No food or supplies could get in. She was of a mixed family and was sent to stay with Serbian relatives during the war. Young men were taken from their beds to fight; told to follow orders or their families would be killed.

So many people died and those left are scarred, deeply wounded.  Yet they laugh, love and work to rebuild their home, their country’s economy and their peace. It's so clear to us, witnesses 25 years later, that war doesn't have good guys and bad guys. It only has victims.

On the underside of war there is the opportunity for healing, hope, rebuilding, forgiveness and compassion. Our job is to be light workers reminding ourselves and others that love and compassion are always the only response to suffering.

(CopyRight 2015 www.JonetteCrowley.com)

Jonette is a spiritual adventurer, and modern-day shaman who leads spiritual tours to power places around the globe. She is a gifted channel, oracle, and author of the internationally best-selling books “The Eagle and the Condor” and “Soul Body Fusion®.” She is founder of the Soul Body Fusion® method for healing and beyond. With her guide “Mark” she teaches people to reach multi-dimensional and quantum states of consciousness.  www.JonetteCrowley.com, www.SoulBodyFusion.com