Without a doubt, the greatest privilege of working for Langham Partnership is the opportunity to make friends all over the place, especially when one returns to specific places over time. This is certainly the case with a number in the Balkans, of whom Slavko has become the closest. He has been to stay with us in London on numerous occasions (including with his family), and I’ve been able to spend time with them over there.
We first met on a few occasions in Croatia (the first time in 2007 he sat in the front row, with his default setting Balkan scowl set firmly behind his beard, thus reducing me to a quivering wreck of Anglo-Saxon visiting speaker’s nerves); but the first time I saw him in his native Bosnia-Hercegovena, he was battling with severe cancer… for the second time.
An American friend in his Sarajevo congregation, Josh Irby, has written up his story on his blog, and it’s moving and deeply encouraging.
- Part 1 – Mafia slot-machine man
- Part 2 – the Balkans war, marriage and children
- Part 3 – Ministry in Bosnia and cancer
- Brief Interview
Not only is Slavko a minister with great pastoral experience, he is also someone we are excitedly using more and more in our Langham work in the region. It was a joy to be with him in Skopje, Macedonia back in December where we shared the teaching between us. Long may such partnerships continue.
