Twenty years ago this Christmas Day European Christian Missionary Stephen Bell received his most unusual present from a most unlikely source.
In December 1991 he was asked to drive a borrowed car 70 kilometres from the capital Tiurana to Elbasan, the Albanian industrial town where Berti Dosti had worked as a young man, to show the Jesus film at a believer's house.
But when he arrived at Anastas's home, that's when the problems started.
The person, who was supposed to bring the film from Greece, hadn't arrived. Then Stephen became violently sick, and due to his constant retching and toilet visits he neglected to guard the car.
As night fell at 5pm the unguarded car was robbed – of its windscreen!
The next day Stephen, pictured below, had no option but to drive back over the mountains in the freezing December weather in a car, minus its windscreen, thinking he would have to buy a replacement back in Tirana.
He never dreamt he would see the windscreen again, but two days later, Stephen had his most unusual Christmas present.
On Christmas Day 1991, Anastas, plus the car owner and a stranger arrived at his house, having driven the 70 kilometres from Elbasan to Tirana to see him.
Anastas had tracked down the thief and challenged him about the windscreen, which he said belonged to ‘God’s messenger’ and warned him about the consequences of his wrongdoing.
“Such was the thief’s conviction,” said Stephen, “that not only did he apologise, but he brought the windscreen to me in person, asked for my forgiveness, and said he wanted to become a Christian.
“I forgave him, hugged him and shared one of my Christmas presents from my parents in England with him, a Mars bar – an unknown delight in those early days in Albania.”
There’s more about Stephen’s story in God’s Secret Listener, published by Lion/Hudson/Monarch.
Signed copies for £6 including postage within the UK can be can be obtained by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com
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