Looking eye to eye

We thought today would be a good day for catching up  We only had "game night with members" on our calendar.  6:00 to 7:30 playing UNO with a bunch of folks who speak foreign - how hard can it be?  And it wasn't hard - it was good fun - but that's the end of the story.
  We started out deciding to go to the grocery store up the street within walking distance.  Google maps said it was an 8 minute walk.  So we did that.
  Walking along the street we met lots of people because most Croatians do not have cars.  So I did as I always do and said "Howdy!" or "How are you?" to each one.  The trouble is that I'm used to the open ways of Americans who look back at you and usually respond in some way.  Here they look at you from a distance, but won't make eye contact at all, and mostly look pointedly away except for a few who are curious of my badge.  When I say they don't make eye contact, it is an understatement.  STONY silence is more the thing.  When I say hello they do NOT respond at all.  It's the same if I greet them in Croatian,  "Bok" or "Dobro Jutro" brings the same response.  The poor souls HAVE lived under Nazi oppresion, followed by communistical rule for many years, after which they endured a horrible civil war, but that ended 20+ years ago.  But still they are suspicious of anybody they meet in the streets.  When you get them inside they loosen up.  I sat next to a jolly little guy at UNO who was a delightful, funny companion even though we had almost no words in common.
   OK, Mission goal Number 1:  Greet every Croatian in town with a big smile and friendly hello of some kind.  Objective:  Soften their hearts.
   While we were at the grocery store the Mission President's wife called Liz and arranged to meet us for lunch at 1:30.  Later it was moved to 2:30.  The junior missionaries were also there.  We ate at a local restaurant that specializes in fish and meat stew.  They brought it out in big kettles with ladles in them.  Stew and bread.  Yum!
  As we were leaving Liz and I waited while they boxed up the leftovers (which is going to the junior missionaries).  As we started out the group of four guys at the back asked us to join them.  They wanted to buy us a drink which we declined, but we did share a bit of their sausage and onions.  They were pretty drunk, but what they wanted to tell us was that Croatians don't have much, but they have a beautiful country and they really have everything.  And God bless America, which I happily seconded.  The group included an old, retired pro soccer player, a director of a big (for Croatia) oil company, and the owner of the restaurant.  We left them waving goodbye with big smiles on their faces.
  The young missionaries left early with the Mission President to go for interviews at the church, a short distance away.  But we had their food.   So we drove to the church (after getting lost and circling for a while).  We paid to park and took the food in, and by the time we got everything settled it was too late to go home.  We did a little arranging at the church and then met the members as they arrived for game night.
  So now the day is nearly done,  I'm pooped, and the dishes need to be done.