Some of us have dream jobs. I am one of those people.
As Heartbeat’s International Program Specialist, I have the privilege to interface with our 1,200-plus international affiliates over Zoom and WhatsApp, at conferences and summits, and sometimes on their home turf.
As someone who has the privilege to travel to different countries, one of the attendant responsibilities is learning to watch and process what I see in the context of this question:
What is God doing around the world and is there an invitation to participate?
[Click here to subscribe to Pregnancy Help News!]
Recently, I had the joy of attending the fifth Balkan Network for Life conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
This conference, themed Unity, was hosted by two affiliated centers located in the heart of Ljubljana, Zavod Zivim and Sara's Place, at a small retreat center in the mountains. Zavod Zivim is a Catholic-based center and Sara's Place is an evangelical center.
About 45 people were in attendance, representing 10 nations (Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia, Albania, Greece, Slovenia, Netherlands, Italy, and the U.S.) and nine life-affirming centers.
The Balkans includes 12 nations or parts of those nations: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Portions of Greece, and sometimes Turkey, are also within the Balkan Peninsula.
If you are at all familiar with the history of the Balkans, you will know that the region has historically been a hotbed of conflict, but also unity under duress, disbanding under more duress, and it has been impacted by the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great, the Austro-Hungarian empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the former Soviet influence.
The very term balkanization means “division of a place or country into several small political units, often unfriendly to one another. The term balkanization comes from the name of the Balkan Peninsula, which was divided into several small nations in the early twentieth century” (Dictionary.com, accessed 7/12/23).
Why the history lesson?
Because the life-affirming centers in the Balkans stand together in stark defiance of the region’s moniker and history.
The Balkan Network for Life stands for life and for unity and is an example of what can happen when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity - There (in the place of unity), the Lord commands a blessing (Psalm 133:1).
What is that blessing? More life.
Tweet This: The Balkan Network for Life stands for life & for unity & is an example of what can happen when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity
Even though the oldest Balkan pregnancy help organization we know of is less than 20 years old, the centers are praying for the next generation of centers and are actively seeking opportunities to birth the next generation of centers. Life begets life.
When I observe the ongoing work and the intentional efforts to unity among the Balkan centers I am overjoyed and challenged to consider what is the invitation of God to participate as Heartbeat International.
I believe it is to live out with joy and sometimes, through tears, sometimes with struggle, but always with prayer, the invitation to pursue unity across denominational lines, across ethnic and national lines.
This is to God’s glory-may we truly declare his glory among the nations as we hold out the word of life.
Editor's Note: Ellen Foell previously served as legal counsel for Heartbeat International and is now part of the Heartbeat Ministry Services team as International Program Specialist. Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
