This is the second article that is a part of a series that chronicles both my educational and life journey during the 2010s. My last decade started with a high school graduate’s desire to become a pro-soccer player, and ended with a master’s degree from a prominent college in the USA and many wonderful opportunities. But above all, during this decade, I found a purpose and passion in life. I hope this article will inspire you to reflect on and record memories, lessons and principles that have marked your last decade. If you want to read the first article that covers years 2010 to 2012, you can find it here.
2013
I finished my first year of college and went to a book fair in Belgrade. This was my second time going to Serbia. My first time in Serbia was in 2008 when I went to preseason camp with my soccer team. We were in Donji Milanovac, a town on the border with Romania. I loved Belgrade, especially the Belgrade Fortress, with the old citadel and Kalemegdan Park. I could sit there for hours and watch the waters of Sava flow into the Danube.
I kept playing for NK Ilijaš, hoping that if I work hard enough, I would catch someone’s eye and move to a team in a higher division. Although I got good grades in college, soccer was still my priority.
In October, my cousin invited me to an English class. She told me that some volunteers from the USA are teaching it for free. I was excited because I wanted to improve my English. The class location was one tram stop from my college, just next to Veliki Park, so it was easy for me to get there after my classes. These volunteers from the US turned out to be missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, colloquially known as Mormons. Every lesson started with a prayer, and after the lesson’s missionaries would invite students to hear a spiritual message. I was the only one that stayed because I was curious to learn about other religions. They gave me the Book of Mormon.
I recalled that when I was living in Sweden, Mormon missionaries knocked at my door. I was willing to let them in, but the guy that I was living with told them to leave. A firm atheist, he later told me that they were just trying to sell me their religion.
Although I could never see myself joining the Church because of my religious convictions and traditions, I enjoyed reading the Book of Mormon and meeting with the missionaries. I especially liked meeting with Elder and Sister Croft, who were serving in Sarajevo. They were also teaching an advanced English class, which helped me significantly improve my English.
In November, I met with students of Comparative Literature from the University of Ljubljana who came to visit Sarajevo. Aljaž, Thea, Ajla and many others whose names I don’t remember. I liked these guys and stayed with them the whole night.
The New Year eve came, and I spent it with friends. I remember vodka, weed, and a sleepless night. Arthur Rimbaud style.
2014
I didn’t see the missionaries in a while. I was busy with exams in January, and I was hanging out a lot with my brother’s friends. I wrote a paper on existentialism in Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground. I wrote this about the Underground Man, who is the main character of this novel: “Through the battle to understand his humanity, existence and the world around him, the Underground Man truly sees himself.” As human beings, we are infinitely incomplete.
In February, one of the missionaries called me, and I went to see them. In the coming weeks, I saw them more often. In February, I got stuck in traffic because of government protests. People were burning government buildings after first breaking into them and taking anything of value. Very similar to what’s happening now with the George Floyd Protests. Missionaries had to spend a whole week in their apartment because of these protests, so they were going through their contact list and found me.
In March, I started feeling that my heart is changing and that this new religion is causing that. I decided to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover, so I took a break from my classes for two days, and I just ate, slept, and read the Book of Mormon. Two weeks later, Elder Croft baptized me. Since he had artificial knees, he had some trouble getting into the inflated swimming pool. That was the day that completely changed my life. People thought that I was crazy or brainwashed, which is what I expected. I knew I was taking the road less traveled, but nevertheless, a road of great spiritual growth that was taking me to a larger state of being.
Before my baptism, while I was trying to find a way to be baptized and not hurt my family’s feelings, I met with a man who at the time was a president of the Adriatic North Mission for the Church. The mission included all ex-Yugoslavia countries except Macedonia. This was not a man you meet every day. This was a man of incredible faith. When I told him about the concerns I was having about my family, he said to me that I’m at the crossroads and that I can choose not to be baptized and nothing will change, or I can choose the path of faith and experience all the blessings God has in store for me. He shared with me Elder Nelson’s prayer dedicated to Bosnia, when the country opened for the missionaries in September 2010.
I went to see the temple for the first time. Members of the Church from Adriatic North Mission went to either Bern or Frankfurt temple because those were the closest to Bosnia. I met people from Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia.
Bosnian national team qualified for the World Cup in Brazil! It was the first time Bosnia will ever play in a major soccer competition! However, my personal soccer goals have changed. I felt very strongly about pursuing additional education, and the gospel brought a new perspective on my purpose in life. I thought I could make a more significant difference through education than through soccer.
I visited Belgrade again. This time with my brother, Eldar. At that temple trip to Frankfurt, I meet an American family that was living in Belgrade. They invited us to come to visit them. Eldar and I took a bus, and Todd was waiting for us once we arrived in Belgrade. We went to Partizan’s stadium. I was also able to see Alynne, a first member of the Church I ever met. She was that missionary who talked to me when I came to the English class. I also met several members of the Church from Serbia. We are great friends to this day.
I started my final year of college, but I also decided to serve a full-time mission for the Church. When I first joined the Church, I didn’t want to go on a mission. I was already 22 when I joined, and with poor job/career prospects, I wanted to focus on my education and get a master’s degree and continue to play soccer. Furthermore, my family wasn’t fine even with my baptism, so I knew they would be upset about my decision to volunteer for two years. My family was already struggling financially, so this was a tough decision. But I knew what was revealed to me, and what was in my heart.
2015
I started preparing paperwork for the mission. Soon, I encountered some problems. I needed to get a medical exam and have a doctor sign it so I can give it to the Church. My local doctor didn’t want to sign anything when she heard that this is for my mission, so I called my cousin, who was a doctor in Sarajevo, and he signed the medical exam forms.
I submitted my papers, and a couple of weeks later, I received a letter with a mission call from the Church Office Building in Salt Lake. The apostles assigned me to serve in England Manchester Mission, which encompassed North-West England and North Wales. I was to report to the Missionary Training Center on June 11th, 2015. Going on a mission meant that I could only write my family once a week (in our mission that was Monday) and that I could call only twice a year. The Church has changed this rule since. Now, missionaries can call their family every week.
The mission call disrupted my graduation plans. Seniors in Bosnia typically take exams in June and then finish and defend their thesis in August. Since I had to leave for England in June, I had to complete all my exams earlier and write and defend my thesis. Fortunately, my professors agreed to help me finish all that work on time. Sometimes I couldn’t afford to sleep, but with the help of Red Bull and many prayers, I managed to complete my college work. I defended my thesis on June 10th, and the next morning I was on a plane to Manchester. The first full-time missionary from Bosnia. My thesis was on cognitive mapping in literature.
An employee of a Missionary Training Center in Chorley picked up from Manchester Airport. A few other missionaries got on a bus with me, and soon we were all in Chorley. After graduating from college, I was to spend the next 12 days learning the gospel and preparing to proselyte. My first companion was Elder Cocerez, a guy from the Bilbao region. He didn’t speak much English, but we were still able to communicate because I spent hundreds of hours watching Mexican telenovelas with my grandma and her two neighbors, Biba and Refka. Esmeralda was a pure classic and a great Spanish 101 course.
An hour of exercise was mandatory each day, except on Sundays. Sunday was a day of rest and ceremonial worship. My joy was full when teachers took us to a soccer field that belonged to the MTC’s campus. The grass was perfect, and I splendidly dribbled past an international team consisted of Americans, Austrians, Germans, Brazilians, Spaniards, and Africans. As a kid, I always dreamt of playing in England, the cradle of modern football — and my dream finally came through. Although mission rules ruined my prospects of going to football games, I found consolation in playing.
After 12 days in the MTC, the mission president assigned me to live and work in Bolton, a town northwest of Manchester. Luke McDowell was my companion and trainer. He was a great guitarist and a passionate soccer fan from South Africa. Luke was a fierce supporter of Manchester United, so on our free days, we went to Old Trafford, the majestic Theater of Dreams. We also visited Bolton’s, Manchester City’s, Rochdale’s stadiums, and the National Football Museum in Manchester.
I met President Ulrich, my mission president and one of the most enthusiastic people I’ve ever met. He instilled in us missionaries to always choose faith over fear. And with so many uncertainties in my life, I needed to learn and follow that principle. He’s also a man who saw great potential in everyone, and he tried to build us up. He required hard work and discipline but also showed great empathy and care for each missionary.
During the first few weeks, I struggled to understand the thick northwestern accent. I thought my English was good and that everyone in England spoke Queen’s English, but oh I was so wrong. People in Bolton put me to the test. I was like a tower of Babel, speaking in all different dialects of English: South African, Nigerian, Scouse, Northwestern, Scottish, Irish, and who knows how many more.
I also struggled to teach effectively and express my ideas and feelings. Soon I decided to not worry about my struggles, but to try to speak with everyone. Since I was never in a similar situation, talking to everyone was out of my comfort zone. But pushing myself outwardly energized me. I would awake every morning, ready to tackle the day.
Following this practice has also helped me increase my confidence as a teacher. I felt like I was in a constant state of flow, and each conversation was unique. The mission taught me to listen to people and not stress about coming up with the next thing to say. As I listened intently, I felt guided and able to hear not just people’s words, but also feelings.
Bolton was too windy and rainy for my Balkan skin. The area below my eyes was swollen and dry. Fortunately, some moisturizer helped. However, no moisturizer helped with itchy skin after showers. Maybe that’s the main reason why I wouldn’t be able to live permanently in England.
After three months with Luke, the mission president decided that I will stay in Bolton, while Luke would leave for Rochdale. My new companion was Joshua Plumb from Arizona. We became best friends. Despite our differences, Joshua and I clicked quickly, and we spent the next nine months serving together in Bolton (typically missionaries get split every 6 or 12 weeks). I liked Joshua because he was honest and not afraid to speak up his mind. When I got married, he gave me a rifle as a wedding gift.