Think of the many pilgrimage sites around the world, and let's say Medjugorje is like Lourdes but a lot smaller. The church and shrine almost shrink in comparison with the main street selling identical souvenir religious items. Depending on your level of belief, you can return home very well protected against anything bad that could ever happen to you. Medjugorge is just far enough away from Mostar to deter all but the most sincere people from going. We have an older friend in Malaysia who told us it had been his dream to visit this shrine, and so we willingly did it for him. Our account of the visit for him will be kind and reverential, and of course we bought a few of those souvenirs to pass along.