Thu 3/13/08 12:46 AM

Dear Family,
Attached is an email from Sister Poulsen. Sister and Elder Poulsen were the senior couple that flew out on the morning after the Embassy was attack and burned. They lived close by the Embassy which is also close to the church in Beograd. It was decided to conclude their mission alittle early because of health reasons. What a blessing to work with such missionaries and great members. The work will go on and success will eventually increase.
Love Dad (Doug)



Thank you for the email.

It was good to know the other part of the story. We were sorry that we were not able to tell all the people good bye that we had been so close to. We had one investigator come to our apartment and bring us fruit and visit our last day. It was a joy for us to share our testimony with her. Her name is Snezana. Nevena has written that she will be teaching her and a promise to stay with all the investigators.

The night before we left was when it all broke loose. We were never afraid until that night as the mob was burning the front entrance of the American Embassy there were over 20,000 people in the street on the main street. The police and swat teams were coming and going from the back at our street taking turns with the crowd control. They had 5 bus loads which held about 50 police, they were parked there for weeks, police sleeping in full gear in a bus 24 hrs a day, waiting to take there shift up in the front of the Embassy. We watched out our windows and balcony as the bus loads of swat teeams came and loaded and unloaded in front of our apartment. They were there to protect the American Embassy from "Hooligans" (Mostly college students age) who threw rocks and what ever else they wanted to do. The Embassy workers had evacuated and had only a few Marines inside guarding certain sensitive areas. We were on the phones to the Missionaries to let them know what was happening and stay in.

In the worse part of the riots, for some reason the ATV trucks came out and headed up the road, then the police left in buses and we figured there was something worse somewhere else, but as soon as they pulled away, the "hooligans" came to the back of the Embassy which was on our street and started to set the garbage cans on fire and throwing rocks into the windows of not only the Embassy but in all the shop windows of their own people. The garbage cans were then rolled over to the door of the American Embassy and tipped over to burn the back door down. I was out on the balcony taking pictures and Elder Poulsen was looking out the window. The smoke was strong, but I kept on taking pictures. Elder Poulsen was yelling for me to get in the house as there was tear gas being set off. My eye were burning and hard to breath, but I thought it was from the burning garbage, I now know what tear gas is like.

We watched most the night as they marched and yelled and destroyed and became a little more drunk. When the police finally came back, it was just smoke from the garbage's and tear gas. The tear gas drove off the rioters also. The police took there usual guard place and the only effort they made to stop the fire, was to roll the burning garbage can away from them as it was getting smoke in their eyes. It almost looked like they left the Embassy on purpose. They found a rioters body in the front office they burned, I suppose he got caught in his own flame.

We had our plane tickets for 6:00 am that morning, but with no sleep we called a friendly Serbian taxi driver who has helped the church many times and when it quieted down we left at 3:00 am and we were glad to be at the airport, it was nice and peaceful. We knew our luggage may be over weight, but they just sent it through and never said a word. What a blessing it was for us.

We walked out of the apartment, cupboards full of food, linens, bedding, pots and pan. and dishes, with not a thought but to get home. We are grateful for this country. The church is true and we are so blessed to be able to worship here as we please.

The members will keep the church together as they have great testimony's and know this is the true church. We are not tried like the members are in Serbia, but they love the Lord and are so faithful and the church will continue.

We have talked with Nikola and he joking said he and Elder Poulsen needs to have a meeting on "gismo" . He will do great and we love him dearly.

Nevena emailed and she is such a delightful person and faithful member. She told us she was going to give lessons to the investigators in the absence of the missionaries. She is going to keep classes going and teach them Spanish, and English . She said she was givining lessons to Snezana and not to worry about her. (Snezana feels that we knew each other in a life before. ) It is a feeling we had over several of the investigators there in our "Outreach" program.

We do feel a great accomplishment with the Outreach program there and many seeds were planted. We had a great 9 months with the YSA and they have thanked us many times for helping them. We know the Missionaries have planted many seeds and the English students loved them and respected them very much. The work will go forward in spite of the Adversery. He will not win. The Lord is in charge.

We will work here in the Ogden Temple now, they are in need of people, so this is where we will serve for now. We are doing well and with good clean air and a good family Dr. it really makes a difference. We are feeling better with each day.

Best wishes to the both of you, we remember you in our prayers.

Elder & Sister Poulsen