“It’s been the best year yet!” is my answer when people ask me how it’s been. 

I’ve been in Slovenia now for 5 years and, although at times growth seems painfully slow, I have seen fruit. Step by small step we are coming closer to one of the goals I had when I first came: having a self-sustaining national student movement in Slovenia, where students lead the mission to the university supported by national staff.

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When I came to Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, the work was very small. Although Zveš (IFES in Slovenia) has existed for a while, there were no students or groups involved and it had a poor reputation in the churches. For the first 2 years we struggled on, with division within the team and hardly any visible fruit. Slovenes are private people who take a long time to get to know and gain their trust. Although there are several Christian students around, the thought of living and speaking for Jesus at university was, and still is, alien. Church and state, religion and education are very much separated, and it’s illegal to do any religious activities on campus.

The first breakthrough came in my 3rd year where we started working with international students.
All of a sudden, a whole new ministry emerged as every semester a new batch of international students came to Ljubljana desperate for friendships and community. They’re much more open to our events and to read and discuss the Bible. It’s amazing how every semester God keeps bringing the right people to us from all over the world. Though it’s hard to start from scratch every semester, it’s a real privilege to encourage and challenge them for the short time they’re here. Also, God has used them to reach Slovene students, encouraging Slovenes to step out of their comfort zone and modelling what a Christian Students’ group can look like. Though the international work is blooming the Slovene  work in Ljubljana is small and disconnected and it’s very difficult to get the interested students to meet together regularly.

For Slovenes getting to know and trust each other is really important, and it takes time

There’s been more success in the second largest city, Maribor, because of the part-time staff worker there, who is also a pastor of a church, and his Slovene group is probably the most stable with around 10 students. They have been meeting to read the Bible and, during the last year, various students from the group have led a meeting about their passion and hobbies and how that connects with their faith.

Last year it has been a real joy for me to help start a group in Koper, a coastal university town. I travel there each week to meet 3 female, Christian students. Over the year, we have come to know each other and I’ve been trying to encourage them to be more courageous in sharing their faith. I was frustrated that this didn’t happen straight away, but I realized that for Slovenes getting to know and trust each other is really important, and it takes time. But it was great to hear one say, after coming back from a student conference, that she no longer wants to hide that she’s a Christian. Since then, she’s had many opportunities to share her testimony and is looking forward to inviting 2 friends to the group. I’m so excited!

One of the ways that I feel God is using me in Slovenia is through personal relationships and discipling people one-to-one. Whether they are volunteers, who come to help for a year, encouraging students in their walk with the Lord, or those further away from God showing you don’t have to be stupid to be a Christian. Over the years in Slovenia I have encountered many sins and brokenness in my life, and the greatest evidence of God at work has been in me.

In a culture where people are suspicious and afraid to talk about their weaknesses for fear of gossip, I have found that being honest about my own brokenness is one of the most powerful tools for explaining the Gospel to believers as well as unbelievers. It’s amazing how God cares both for me, as the worker, and for the work at the same time!

– Lydia Adams