In June 2022 we decided to move the Oasis of Peace to Slovenia. Colorado was a great place for us to begin our ministry. We served nearly 30 families while in Montrose, and we learned much about how we want to go about this work. However, we really want to be more available to workers currently on the field. So we have drawn our Colorado chapter to a close in order to transition to our European chapter.
Why Slovenia? We primarily selected Slovenia as a result of God’s leading. It was the first country we considered when we started praying about this move back in the spring of 2021. After researching a dozen other countries, Slovenia filtered back to the top of our list in the spring of 2022. We made our final decision after being connected to some workers who have been in Slovenia for a long time. Our conversation with them and their answers to our questions slotted Slovenia firmly into place. We felt God confirming our inclination.
Practically, Slovenia has many advantages for our work. It has a good airport and is easy for ministry workers overseas to access. It is geared for tourism and is English language friendly, which will make it simpler for guests to navigate. Slovenia is green and beautiful, which we believe will be a balm both to those who work in hot, dry climates as well as those who labor in cities and refugee camps. And, Slovenia is affordable compared to western Europe or even Colorado.
What’s the plan? We moved to Slovenia in late February 2023. In our first year, we are focusing on studying the language to help us navigate daily life here. After a couple of semesters of language school, we’ll look for a house to rent that will be suitable for hosting guests in the area north of the capitol, a region called Gorenjska. God-willing, we will then begin hosting at the Oasis of Peace Slovenia.