Sarah’s story
Sarah Deacon recently arrived in Slovenia. Visit her blog to find out what it is like to serve in another part of Europe.
I first visited Slovenia in 2016 and just fell in love with the country. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world but it is a tough place for the gospel and for gospel workers. In a country with a population of about 2 million, only roughly 1,800 people would call themselves evangelical Christians - that less than 0.1%! The country is nominally Catholic but it has been greatly affected by being part of the former Yugoslavia. Most people here today are likely to be atheists and protestant Christianity is seen as a cult.
Gospel work here is slow, there are no shortcuts. If you come here looking for quick results you're likely to be disappointed. It is a relational culture but people are slow to open up. Spending time with people and getting to know them is one of the most important aspects of my job.
I work as a ministry intern with the reformed church in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. I’ve been here since early May and will be serving for at least a year and possibly two.
Over the summer I have been getting involved with the youth work and the music. In the new academic year I will also start meeting one to one with some of the younger women in the church. A lot of my time is also spent in training - ministry, theology and language. Even if I am only here for a short time, learning the language is essential. Most people speak English and I can communicate easily but the language is the basis of their culture. If I want to reach people I need to understand them and their background. I want to meet them where they are, not expect them to adjust to me.
Slovenia is a very exciting country to be working in. There is so much to be done, many rural places have no access to the gospel and there are not enough workers to reach them. Despite this, God is at work and He is sovereign over it all. If you are interested in coming to serve in Slovenia, great! There are many areas that people can serve in BUT you need to be invited. Come visit Slovenia, meet the people, see what their needs are and ask how you can serve. Most importantly pray about it, see where God is leading you and if it is Slovenia then God will open the doors.
Sarah’s Blog (http://doberdanslovenia.blogspot.com)
