In 1968, a young man from Kočani, Macedonia, was attending college in Zagreb, where he became acquainted with the truth. On returning home, he shared the good news with his relatives and friends.

“That young man was my cousin,” recalls Stojan Bogatinov, the first to be baptized from Kočani. “I was working as a waiter, and sometimes my workmates and I talked about religion. After one of our discussions, a member of the Orthodox Church came in for a meal. While I was serving him, I asked whether I could obtain a Bible from his church, because I really wanted to learn about God. He told me that he would try to bring me one. Soon I had my very own copy of the ‘New Testament.’ I was so happy that after work I hurried home to start reading it.

“On the way, I was surprised to see my cousin, who had returned from Zagreb. He invited me over to his place, but I said I could not come because I was so excited about going home to read my Bible. ‘I have something that will interest you,’ my cousin replied. ‘At home I have books that will help you to understand the Bible.’ We went to his home, and I was pleased to see that he had the complete Bible, some brochures, and some Watchtower magazines in Croatian. He offered me the publications, and I started to read them right away. Immediately I realized I was reading something special. I did not know any of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but I wanted to get to know them.

“When my cousin traveled back to Zagreb, I accompanied him. There, a hospitable Witness, Ivica Pavlaković, invited me to his house, where I stayed for three days. During this time I asked many questions, and he always answered them using the Bible, which impressed me greatly. I attended a congregation meeting and was encouraged by the warm brotherhood.

“Ivica took me to Bethel in Zagreb, and I left with a happy heart and hands full of literature. After just a few unforgettable days, I returned to Kočani with the spiritual treasure I had found. There were no Witnesses living nearby, so I began corresponding with Ivica regularly. My letters were full of questions, and he wrote back with the answers. As I learned more, I shared what I learned, and my wife and children began to show an interest. We were soon a family united in the truth, and we learned a lot about the Bible. We were happy, and we zealously started to talk to our relatives and friends about the good news; and many listened to us. But with the preaching came persecution.”

[Picture on page 182]

Stojan Bogatinov