People in the church, many times,

don't understand what I am talking about.

This is the biggest challenge for me.

<i>How I can be part of the world as salt,
as Jesus said we should be salt,</i>

<i>and also be close with God.</i>

<i>This is the challenge 
for me and for my family.</i>

<i>To be very close with God</i>

<i>and to be close with the people outside.</i>

Mostly, I am working 
with non-Christian people.

<i>Pastor Jan lives in Košice, Slovakia.</i>

<i>His passion is working with people</i>

<i>who don't know about Jesus' love for them,</i>

<i>especially the Roma community.</i>

<i>Many people will not 
associate with the Roma</i>

<i>and find ways to keep their distance.</i>

<i>Years of cultural differences
have created a barrier</i>

<i>between the ethnic groups in the region,</i>

<i>but Jan feels called to reach out anyway.</i>

<i>He often organizes activities 
with the Pathfinder Club</i>

<i>and outings for underprivileged
children and youth.</i>

If you are working with children,
you can touch a parent's heart.

<i>If I am good for the children,
the parents are happy as well.</i>

<i>Pastor Jan works 
in the outskirts of Košice,</i>

<i>among the Roma community.</i>

<i>With each visit, he brings gifts.</i>

<i>These simple presents open the doors</i>

<i>and show them that he cares about them.</i>

<i>The Roma have challenging lives.</i>

<i>In this house, 
seven families live together.</i>

<i>One of the mothers 
is a Seventh-day Adventist,</i>

<i>and she teaches the children
stories from the Bible.</i>

<i>Pastor Jan stops here to greet his friends</i>

<i>and bring a word of encouragement.</i>

<i>Before leaving, the group 
takes a picture together</i>

<i>to remember this special moment.</i>

<i>Meet Monika.</i>

<i>From a young age,</i>

<i>she really wanted to participate 
in activities with the Pathfinders.</i>

<i>But she faced a lot 
of challenges with her family</i>

<i>because they believed the Adventists</i>

<i>would not be a good influence in her life.</i>

<i>Pastor Jan taught Monika 
important truths from the Bible.</i>

<i>He also helped her 
find strength to succeed,</i>

<i>despite her family's opposition</i>

<i>and the scare opportunities
in her community.</i>

<i>Today, Monika is an example 
to others in her village.</i>

<i>She is well educated, 
having graduated from University,</i>

<i>and serves as an educational coordinator
at her town's community center.</i>

<i>Monika was a very special person.</i>

<i>She was like a miracle.</i>

<i>She wanted to know everything about Jesus.</i>

She wanted to read the Bible properly,

and then she started 
to teach others the Bible.

I love to see the children coming
with joy in their eyes.

They can see that I've changed
because of Jesus.

I am so happy when they say
they want to be closer to Jesus

and have a story like mine.

<i>Monika and her husband</i>

<i>now lead three groups
of youth and children</i>

<i>at the local Adventist church.</i>

<i>They hope to disciple 
others in the community</i>

<i>and mend broken relationships
so God's church can grow.</i>

<i>Please pray for Pastor Jan's 
and Monika's outreach ministries.</i>

<i>This quarter, your 13th Sabbath offering
will support this work</i>

<i>among vulnerable children 
in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.</i>

<i>It will also build a church
with a children center in Bulgaria</i>

<i>and assist Adventist education
in Spain and Germany.</i>

<i>Thank you for your support
of the 13th Sabbath offering.</i>