Kingdom Proclaimers Report

Former Enemies United in Serving Jehovah

“THE first time I heard anything about Jehovah’s Witnesses was while I was serving as an armed guard in Bosnia,” explains Branko.a

Branko was on guard duty at a hospital where the wounded were being treated. One of the doctors was studying the Bible with the Witnesses, and during a night shift, he explained to Branko much of what he had learned about the Bible.

What Branko heard that night moved him so much that he immediately laid down his weapons. He got in touch with the Witnesses, wanting to learn more. Some time later, after moving to another European country, Branko sought out a Kingdom Hall and attended a meeting of the Yugoslavian congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. That is where Branko met Slobodan.

Slobodan also came from Bosnia and had served as a volunteer in the same war as Branko—but in the opposite camp. Slobodan had fought for the Serbs against the Croats. By the time the two met, Slobodan had become a baptized Witness of Jehovah. He offered to study the Bible with Branko, his former enemy. As the study progressed, Branko learned more about Jehovah, and his love for God grew. This moved Branko to dedicate his life to the Creator. In October 1993 he symbolized his dedication by water baptism.

How did Slobodan become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses? He had left the war zone in Bosnia some time earlier. He had read some publications by the Witnesses, but it was not until two Witnesses called at his home in early 1992 that his interest in the Word of God grew. Who called on Slobodan, offering to study the Bible with him? It was Mujo, who also came from Bosnia but who was brought up as a Muslim. As the Bible study progressed, Mujo and Slobodan, once enemies, spent some time together every day to strengthen each other’s faith.

The war in the former Yugoslavia has taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. But Branko, Slobodan, and Mujo now serve as full-time preachers of the good news in the same congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They have overcome ethnic and racial strife, and now they seek peace while submitting to the Creator, Jehovah.

But what brought about such changes? It was their love for Jehovah, their respect for the Bible, and their eagerness to apply Bible truth in their lives. As the Holy Scriptures say, “the word of God is alive and exerts power . . . and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.”—Hebrews 4:12.

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