A Time For Bridges
West Michigan Magazine

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The river Nereteva, a wide, almost tropical green turbulent river, flows through the city of Mostar. Prior to the Bosnian civil war, a majestic, 16th Century stone bridge, nicknamed "Stari Most," (a stone crescent moon) connected its east and west banks. Today, a metal structure has replaced this beautiful, historic and symbolic landmark, destroyed by military excursions and ethnic allegiances -- the current manifestation of centuries-old conflict between Mostar's Croatian and Muslim neighbors.

Thanks to the United Nations' peace agreement, these neighbors have been slowly trying to reconcile the events of war and rebuild some semblance of normalcy for themselves and their families.

Enter International Aid, a Spring Lake-based Christian relief agency that is deeply committed to rebuilding lives on both sides of Stari Most.

Emergency relief work is, by its very nature, born out of conflict, but as International Aid's president Ralph Plumb notes, "It is particularly challenging in a volatile city such as Mostar, where one eye must be kept on the stability of the regime while the other is trying to do the work."

Rebuilding the physical bridge is crucial to the volatile city of Mostar, but "bridges of reconciliation need to be constructed first," he adds.

For this devastated city, reconciliation takes the form of daily necessities, such as soap, shampoo and aspirin; medical and biomedical supplies; and the rebuilding of a three-story children's center in East Mostar. This center will serve as a multi-purpose hub for the displaced Croatian and Muslim families , providing both sides with spiritual counsel, supplies, trauma counseling and a playground and recreational area for the city's children.

"People have been traumatized by the atrocities they've lived through," says Plumb, "and the children need to get back to being children. Yes, beautiful land was destroyed here, but I have seen too many graves marked between 1992 and 1996."

One-third of this war's casualties have been children.

"Those still living have had their dreams and hopes for the future devastated by what they have seen," he said.

Sobering examples of the stark reality of war presented themselves during a trip to Mostar in February. "We visited a family with five children who were living in a sea container, a 10-foot by 20-fot metal vessel used to ship supplies," Plumb recalls. "Outside, they'd hand-dug a bomb shelter."

Plumb also heard of families living in their basements for months at a time, leaving only at night in search of food and water. "The shelling took place after dark, but during the day there were sniper everywhere."

One man told Plumb that when he went out to find bread for his family, he never knew whether he would come back alive. Another family told of boiling grass in water and pretending it was vegetable soup.

A sixteen-year-old organization, International Aid has provided $6.4 million in emergency aid and long-term development to Bosnia. It also has sent assistance to 166 countries on six continents, as well as providing disaster relief in the U.S.

Billy Teninty, director of REAP, an affiliate organization, proudly shows off the warehousing and staging operations where relief shipment preparations are constant. With natural disasters and persecution a daily occurrence worldwide -- resulting in huge numbers of dead, wounded and hungry people -- one might see International Aid as fighting a losing battle. But Plumb tells another story, one based on compassion accountability and faith. He explains that his organization is not responsible for eliminating war and poverty, but simply to help. The three-and-a-half year Bosnian war resulted from centuries of hatred between cultures. International Aid cannot resolve this conflict; however, what it can do, says Plumb, is teach people that being a citizen of the world knows no boundaries.

"Someone is hurting," he says, "and you help them. Period."

For more information, write to International Aid, 17011 W. Hickory, Spring Lake, MI 49456, or call (616) 846-7490. To contribute specifically to the efforts in Mostar, send your gift to the same address and designate is as "A Time For Bridges."