“I was sleeping on my bed in the cell, when they woke me up. ‘Sasko, you're going home.’” Sasko Bogeski had just told the Lord, “I give up. There is nothing I can do.” And then he went to sleep in his cell. And God answered his prayers, and the prayers of thousands around the world.
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Sasko, Ira, and Abigail Bogeski are reunited on the day of Sasko’s release from a Belgrade prison
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It operates in a country where the evangelical Christians number far less that 1%.
In the early morning hours of May 22, 2013, Sasko, his wife Ira, and their young daughter Abigail, were asleep in their Belgrade apartment when they heard a noise.
Someone was breaking into their flat. It had happened previously, just a month before. Sasko cautiously went to see what was happening, and confronted and intruder in their apartment. In order to protect his family and his home, Sasko grabbed a kitchen knife and used it to get the robber to leave. In doing so, Sasko inflicted knife wounds on the intruder.
Police were called, and the intruder was found a short distance away from their home. He had died. What happened next has shaken the sensibility of people in Belgrade, Serbia, and around the world. Sasko was taken by the police with charges of murder hanging over his head. He was placed in a prison cell, and there he remained, with little hope of being released until his case was settled, which could take many months. In the worst case...Sasko could be found guilty of murder and sentenced for as much as 30 years in prison.
Many around the world have prayed for Sasko’s release and a quick resolution to this ordeal. And God heard...and God answered.
On Friday night, June 21, 2013, a group of friends in Belgrade had gathered for a concert to raise money for the Bogeski family, and to pray for Sasko to be released. As the concert began, Sasko walked in unannounced, and was immediately greeted with hugs, tears, and praise to God for his release. The comparison to the story found in Acts 12 of Peter in prison, and the prayer meeting for Peter to be released, was clear to all. Yes…God had done another miracle.
Recently Sasko and Ira showed their deep appreciation for all who have prayed, helped, and contributed during this family's time of need.
They wrote, ....with this e-mail we would like to express our immense gratitude for all your support. Thank you so much for sharing the information with brothers and sisters around the world, and now we can all together say PRAISE GOD for answering our prayers! We want to say thank you to all of you who have helped us financially, because without you and your generosity we would definitely not be able to hire a lawyer.
Many throughout Serbia are seeing this miracle unfold before their eyes. Newspapers and television stations have followed the story, most of them citing the unfairness of the current laws that would allow someone like Sasko to be charged with murder for defending his family and home. And Sasko and Ira have been given incredible opportunities to give glory to God for answered prayer.
How incredible is this miracle? Again, the Bogeskis write:
The lawyer himself was very much surprised (although he was the one who wrote the appeal for Sasko to be released from detention) that he was actually released. He says that in his career of over 20 years as a prosecutor and now attorney, he has never witnessed something like this. But, we know that our God was the One who touched the hearts of judges to make this decision. Praise God!!!
And now, prayers are needed so all potential charges will be dropped...that the prosecutor and the judge in the case will not take the case to trial. The additional expense would be very difficult for this family, and the trauma of going through a trial should be avoided. We are being reminded again and again…God answers prayer.
What was it like for Sasko for those 30 days in prison? In a recent conversation via Skype, Sasko talked of his experiences. Of course, it was a shock to be incarcerated, especially after having to deal with the intruder and the break-in in the middle of the night. Yet Sasko soon saw God at work in the prison.
One man, being detained for what we would classify as “white collar crime” saw Sasko reading his Bible and devotional books early in the morning and through the day. It led to a discussion of spiritual matters. At one point the man asked Sasko to pray for him. Sasko's response: “I have been praying for you since the day we arrived.”
It became obvious that through the month in the prison, that the attitudes and spirit of the 8-10 men that shared the same cell with Sasko began to change. Several began asking questions, giving Sasko the opportunity to open his Bible and share scripture...including the incredible story of God's love, found in John 3:16.
The story is not finished in Belgrade, Serbia. God is using an act of evil to bring about good. And God is using a family that is fully committed to the Lord's ways to show an entire country about the grace and mercy of their God. As Sasko and Ira wrote:
The lesson that Sasko and we as a family have been learning over this time is God's unconditional grace and the fact that only God's grace can bring true changes in people's lives.
The Bogeskis would like to move from their current location. It holds too many traumatic memories, and is obviously not in the safest part of Belgrade. But the costs for another flat in a better part of Belgrade, Serbia, are very high. They know that if they are able to do so, it will be…another miracle.
In the US, donations for legal and other expenses for the Bogeski family can be made through MEDIAlliance International on their website, www.medialliance.cc.
Story by Dr. Ron Harris
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