The Mafia and Miracles

This week I have 3 quick miracle stories. I'm finding these are the only stories worth reporting these days.

1) Elder Fausnaught and I walked out of our apartment at the end of Pday last week and were stopped by a man standing by his car who said 'Hoćete li me dati spasenje?' 'Will you give me salvation?'  We went over to him and he told us that he knew our brothers from Bulgaria, and that he was an Armenian formerly in the mafia. 'I was one of the bosses there, until Christ offered me a new life and saved me.' He then asked us if we wanted something to eat, told us to get in his car and we were off! Immediately he gets on the phone and in Serbian says to someone 'Where are you? I have these 2 Americans with me.' And Elder Fausnaught and I just look at each other and laugh a bit. So he pulls over (ironically at what Vladan told me was an old Yugoslavian mafia safe house) and picks up a friend and off we go to the best pizza I've had in the Balkans. It was paid for already apparently, and it seemed like the whole crew knew our guy. Then, after that we went to this sketchy car wash that everybody knew our guys at as well and had a lesson with them. They're Adventists, so I'm not sure if we are teaching 2 new investigators or if they are, but hey they are very cool and interested in learning more about us. I like them. Their names are Bata and Grant.

2) On exchange, we had almost no time until we had to be inside, and I was in an important conversation with an elder in our district who is struggling.  I felt like I was accomplishing what the Lord wanted me to by listening to this elder.  Then I saw a black guy sitting alone on a bench. We have about 10 minutes left, and we needed to be home. Plus I was really concerned and listening to this Elder. But the black guy piqued my interest, and I felt something. It was so, so small that I mistook it for my own pride of "Elder Hixon talks to all the black people." But the guy had headphones in. He was obviously busy. So I ignored it, I was too busy helping this elder to satisfy that pride. But the feeling returned. And I ignored it. Then, as we passed the man, he pulled a headphone out and looked at us. Who knows where he was in life? Was he hurting? Did he need something? Was he, right then, asking God a series of "why's"?  But I walked right past him, crossed the street and got on a bus. Then all those thoughts hit me hard. I felt something, and that guy needs something, he needs help and a hand.  So I stopped the other elder, pulled my phone out and whispered a prayer for forgiveness and a second chance. I called my companion (the black guy was sitting on a street by our apartment, and I was on a bus headed out to the other elders' apartment) and asked him if he was close to the apt. He said he was, so I told him where the black guy was and explained that he needed to go talk with him. And now we have his number, and it turns out he was looking for something and we are going to meet up with him hopefully today.

3) We also found a guy named Marko this week. We approached him and talked to him about English class. He told us that he already speaks English, but that he is interested in learning about our church. He came to an activity and had a good time and he'll be baptized in about 2.5.

That's pretty much it for this week. It was a fast one, Elder Fausnaught pinned me some thousand times this week so I am tired, but life is moving quickly and so is the work. I love being here and that is that.  Here's a picture. I can't wait to see this movie. Bad.

Love and miss you all! 

Elder Hixon