People in the church, many times,
don't understand what I am talking about.
This is the biggest challenge for me.
How I can be part of the world as salt, as Jesus said we should be salt,
and also be close with God.
This is the challenge for me and for my family.
To be very close with God
and to be close with the people outside.
Mostly, I am working with non-Christian people.
Pastor Jan lives in Košice, Slovakia.
His passion is working with people
who don't know about Jesus' love for them,
especially the Roma community.
Many people will not associate with the Roma
and find ways to keep their distance.
Years of cultural differences have created a barrier
between the ethnic groups in the region,
but Jan feels called to reach out anyway.
He often organizes activities with the Pathfinder Club
and outings for underprivileged children and youth.
If you are working with children, you can touch a parent's heart.
If I am good for the children, the parents are happy as well.
Pastor Jan works in the outskirts of Košice,
among the Roma community.
With each visit, he brings gifts.
These simple presents open the doors
and show them that he cares about them.
The Roma have challenging lives.
In this house, seven families live together.
One of the mothers is a Seventh-day Adventist,
and she teaches the children stories from the Bible.
Pastor Jan stops here to greet his friends
and bring a word of encouragement.
Before leaving, the group takes a picture together
to remember this special moment.
Meet Monika.
From a young age,
she really wanted to participate in activities with the Pathfinders.
But she faced a lot of challenges with her family
because they believed the Adventists
would not be a good influence in her life.
Pastor Jan taught Monika important truths from the Bible.
He also helped her find strength to succeed,
despite her family's opposition
and the scare opportunities in her community.
Today, Monika is an example to others in her village.
She is well educated, having graduated from University,
and serves as an educational coordinator at her town's community center.
Monika was a very special person.
She was like a miracle.
She wanted to know everything about Jesus.
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.
Monika and her husband
now lead three groups of youth and children
at the local Adventist church.
They hope to disciple others in the community
and mend broken relationships so God's church can grow.
Please pray for Pastor Jan's and Monika's outreach ministries.
This quarter, your 13th Sabbath offering will support this work
among vulnerable children in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
It will also build a church with a children center in Bulgaria
and assist Adventist education in Spain and Germany.
Thank you for your support of the 13th Sabbath offering.