This week's devotions are from our office in Slovakia and were written by Mihal Belanji, Lydia Durisova, Marta Kaluzna, Jan Paulik, Alena Paulikova, Anna Polckova and Eva Randova.

Mihal Belanji is a student at Evangelical Theological Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava. He comes from a Slovak community in Pivnica, Srbija, and is a member of the Lutheran Church. In the future, he wants to spread the Good News among people as a pastor, encourage Christians in everyday life, and help them in their spiritual growth.

Lydia Durisova is a student at Evangelical Theological Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava, which is her native city. She is a member of the Lutheran Church. In the future, she would like to work as a pastor in a hospital and minister to lonely people.

Marta Kaluzna is a lecturer in Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. She serves in the Lutheran Church where she is in the choir and is interested in diaconal service. She is married and has two adult sons.

Jan Paulik is an electro-technical teacher in Bratislava. He is married and has two adult daughters. Since 1993, he has worked with “New Hope” ecumenical organization helping youth and families, and was a missionary in the Ukraine with the organization “World for Christ”. He also worked on the committee of the Slovak branch ICEJ - International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (prayers for Jerusalem). He is a member of the Lutheran Church in Bratislava and is interested in Christian counseling. He is a volunteer in a hospital working mainly with cancer patients.

Alena Paulikova lives in Bratislava-Petrzalka, where in the Lutheran Church she delivered her life to Jesus Christ in 1995. She worked as an editor for magazine “Petržalský evanjelik” (Petrzalka evangelic) and in presence she is interested in Christian counseling and diaconal service. She is married. She has one daughter who studies at Evangelical Theological Faculty of Comenius University. She works as an information specialist in the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information.

Anna Polckova was born in Revuca (Central Slovakia). I studied at the secondary Medical School for Nurses in Poprad (East Slovakia). Seeing human suffering and death taught me to re-evaluate my own attitudes towards life. I started reading the Bible. The desire to know was stronger, however, than people and books that could satisfy me at that time. This led me to study theology.

After ordination, I worked in diaconia service of the congregation.

Today I pay more attention to young people.

I love my profession and I am happy to be able and allowed to work in a congregation that has always brought me new and original challenges. I am thankful for those who have come, as I am looking forward to knowing those who are still to come. If there is some spare time, the theatre, biking, hiking, and good books are my favorite activities.

Eva Randova lives in Bratislava with her son who studies at the Evangelical Theological Faculty of Comenius University. She works with economical computing systems. She serves in the Lutheran Church where she is a singer in a choir, takes part in preparing Bible studies, and is a volunteer with the Evangelical Media Program.

For more information on Lutheran Hour Ministries in Slovakia, visit www.lhmint.org/facts/slovakia.