The Djurin family moved to Ames on Sept. 9, and since they’ve been here, life has definitely been looking up.

Gooran Djurin, his wife Brankica, their son Igor, 8, and their daughter Tamara, 4, are the first Bosnian refugees brought to Ames by the International Group For Humanity.

The Djurins, originally from Banja Luka, Bosnia, left the region because their marriage crossed cultural lines.

They were denied citizenship in both Croatia, the native home of Orthodox-born Brankica Djurin, and Yugoslavia, where Gooran was brought up in a Catholic home.

“It was very difficult to live there,” Gooran Djurin said, “because I was one group and she was from another.”

From Banja Luka, they went to Stuttgart, Germany, where Gooran was a butcher shop manager for eight years.

After repeated requests, the U.S. government finally agreed to extend refugee status to them.

They were placed in the care of Ames’ International Group For Humanity, said Gus Lartius, president of the organization.

Once they got here, Gooran was given a job at the West Ames Hy-Vee, 3800 West Lincoln Way, by Tom Gard, manager of the store.

Djurin currently is working as a stocker, but when his English improves, he will be moved to the meat department to work as a butcher, Gard said.

“We needed him and we talked to him, and he impressed us as a hard-worker, and we don’t pass up great workers,” he said. “I would do this again in the future.”

Gard also helped the Djurin family by supplying them with groceries for their first two weeks before Gooran received his first paycheck.

So far, the Djurins’ American experience has had few problems, Gooran said.

They like the fact that, for once, they are not moving around a lot.

Gooran Djurin said he was so tired of moving that he thought he would eventually have to “send his children to Mars in order to find peace.”

Now not only do his children have peace, they are learning the English language.

Igor and Tamara are all enrolled in English classes at the First Evangelical Free Church in Ames, 2008 24th Street.

The Djurins haven’t taken for granted the freedom and generosity that has been shown to them here in Ames, Lartius said.

Above the door to the apartment that was supplied to them by the International Group For Humanity, Lartius hung an American flag.

“I put the flag there because I want the Djurins to know that this flag gave them sanctuary and protection so their children can live in peace,” he said.

Gard also agreed that patriotism was one of his reasons he was so generous to the Djurin family.

“It is amazing the things we take for granted,” he said.

Gard proved that patriotism even before the Djurins got to the United States.

He allowed the International Group For Humanity to sell tickets in his store for a July fund raiser to support the Djurins.

In the future, the International Group For Humanity plans to support another Bosnian family coming to Ames toward the end of October.

“It is very exciting for us to do something for someone in need. Refugees are refugees, and they all need help.

“We will be happy to help anyone,” Lartius said.