Testimony of Loukas Georgiou (Retired Colonel, Salamis)
When I was serving in Cyprus, in 1989, the sergeant mentioned to me that, when he was studying at the Theological School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, he had a journalist friend from Thessaloniki who knew Elder Paisios the Athonite (1924-1994) very well.
So, this journalist told him that at one time (he didn't remember exactly when) he had to go to America, to meet a Greek-American for a business appointment.
So he went, met the Greek-American, finished the work he had, and then they visited some cities in America.
At one point, while the journalist was driving, they entered a narrow alley. Some people appeared on the side of the road with knives and wild dispositions. The Greek-American therefore said to him:
"Back up and let's go, because here they slaughter you for a dollar!"
He tried to reverse but they were blocked in the middle and they were in a bad situation.
The Greek-American suddenly told him:
"Do something to save us!"
"What should I do?" the journalist said him.
The Greek-American said to him in his despair:
"Think of something, since you go to Mount Athos, because they will slaughter us!"
The journalist, in that difficult moment he found himself in, invoked the help of the Elder and, suddenly, they found themselves in another district, without being able to understand what happened.
When he returned to Greece, he went straight to Mount Athos, to the Hut of Father Paisios.
As soon as the Holy Elder Paisios saw him, he patted him on the shoulder with a smile and said: "Don't tire me, my child, so that I am forced to come all the way to America!"
Source: Nikolaos A. Zournatzoglou (Squadron Leader, Anonymous Regiment), Μαρτυρίες Προσκυνητών –Γέροντας Παΐσιος ο Αγιορείτης– (1924–1994), Vol. 1, Ch. 10, pp. 385–386, Publisher «Αγιοτόκος Καππαδοκία», November 2016. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
