{"id":18600,"date":"2025-07-30T08:08:22","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T13:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/?p=18600"},"modified":"2025-07-28T17:01:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T22:01:20","slug":"telling-stories-of-gods-wonders-estera-pogacnik-slovenia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/es\/telling-stories-of-gods-wonders-estera-pogacnik-slovenia\/","title":{"rendered":"Telling Stories of God\u2019s Wonders: Estera Poga\u010dnik, Slovenia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Estera Poga\u010dnik is the lead translator and coordinator of a team currently working on a contemporary Slovenian version of the Bible. After LittWorld in Singapore, she spent two years writing and publishing a compilation of testimonies by Slovenian Christians titled Look What God Is Doing. She shares her journey and snapshots of God\u2019s miraculous work in her life so far.<\/em><\/p>\n

A new life in Christ<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When I was 14, I didn\u2019t want to follow Christ anymore. I stopped going to church and reading the Bible. I spent some years without God\u2026I believed Satan\u2019s lie that I would be happy if I did what I wanted. I wasn\u2019t aware that I was doing what Satan wanted, not what I wanted.<\/p>\n

When I was 20, one of my school friends had an accident. She fell and died, and I thought, \u201cWhat would happen to me if I was in her place?\u201d It made me think. This is why I started to read the Bible again and talk to God. Several people prayed for me. I was so rebellious.<\/p>\n

When I started reading the Bible, God started talking to me in my heart. The Word of God became so real to me, I decided to follow Christ and surrender my life to Him when I was 23.<\/p>\n

For 3 years I was thinking and reading to decide. When I did, I thought, \u201cI really want to live for Christ, I want to enjoy His presence and do whatever He wants me to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thousands of books and the gospel in Slovenia<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I read many Christian books at the time\u2014I bought so many books and shared them with others, I wanted everyone to read Christian books and hear the gospel. I spent a lot of money on books. When I married, my husband joked I had 6 tons of books, of all the languages I know!<\/p>\n

One of my big passions is sharing the gospel with others. I took on a role with Eastern European Mission (EEM). Our team of translators and editors translated Christian books, and I helped distribute many free books in Slovenia. We still distribute in libraries, churches (including Catholic and Orthodox churches), as well as other Christian organizations and individuals.<\/p>\n

I share books everywhere! Several people have contacted me with their stories about the Christian books they found in public libraries or elsewhere, telling me, \u201cI read this book, I\u2019m so excited and I\u2019d like to know more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Short stories that proclaim God\u2019s work<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Lord put the idea of Look What God Is Doing<\/em> in my heart years ago. When I was at the MAI conference in Singapore in 2018, I got the confirmation that this is exactly what God wants me to do. When I came back, I asked people, \u201cWill you be willing to share your testimony\u2014not just conversion, but also how He helped, how He provided?\u201d<\/p>\n

I also wrote my story. I wrote about when my daughter was little, we were playing with a ball in our living room. The ball accidentally hit the light and it fell from the ceiling with my daughter standing directly below it! The light broke into pieces on her head and shoulders, but she wasn\u2019t cut at all, even though the floor was cut and there were pieces of glass everywhere\u2014the Lord put a supernatural protection on her body.<\/p>\n

I asked people at church, outside of church, everyone I knew. I also asked about those they knew. I helped give people ideas about what they might share about\u2014how they got free of addictions, how they recovered from abuse, how the Lord healed, how the Lord taught them how to deal with money, how the Lord supernaturally intervened during \u2018accidents.\u2019<\/p>\n

Some wrote, some had parts missing, some recorded their testimony, some were illiterate. I had a lot of building material. I needed to build it into stories then into an attractive book. The book is accepted very, very well because they\u2019re short stories, one to five pages for each. Each testimony includes Bible verses.<\/p>\n

One person shared how he had been mowing grass alone in a large field when he was swarmed by wasps. He felt excruciating pain all over his body from their bites. He trusted the Lord, fighting in prayer. He praised the Lord and shouted, singing to the Lord\u2014and he was healed! When he got home, his mum couldn\u2019t believe what had happened because there was not a trace of injury on his body.<\/p>\n

My goal was not only to share the gospel and the stories but to make the Bible real to them. To make them interested in the Bible and Jesus. There were so many people who said, \u201cThat\u2019s so good!\u201d They liked that the stories were short and that they didn\u2019t need the read them in order. They could read the titles and read whatever they found interesting in that moment.<\/p>\n

The Lord is doing such great things. The Bible tells us to proclaim His works. That\u2019s why the title is Look What God Is Doing<\/em>. With every testimony we exalt the Lord, His glory, power and goodness.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so attractive for non-Christians. They\u2019ll read the Bible too and see how God\u2019s Word is connected with life\u2014it\u2019s not just an old book, or an interesting book, but a book of life that is very relevant today.<\/p>\n

I worked for free for two years on this, and I believe the Lord has been repaying and blessing me. The book was published by EEM for free. This is how many people were able to read it.<\/p>\n

Writing in the future<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I have pieces of books on my computer. I have rhymes for kids, poetry, stories for kids and stories for adults. One of my stories is of the prodigal son in today\u2019s time: a person who hit the bottom whom the Lord helped.<\/p>\n

I have many ideas. I get so many ideas at MAI events too, such as Bulgaria (2023), and Montenegro (2024). At those events I wrote the titles and the topics, that the Lord was giving me. If only I had time I would write a lot!<\/p>\n

I believe after this first part of the Bible translation into contemporary Slovenian is finished, I\u2019ll continue writing. This is something I would really love to do. I feel the Lord gave me this gift, passion and ability to write, and I would like to use it for spreading God\u2019s kingdom.<\/p>\n

Opportunities for Christian publishing in Slovenia<\/strong><\/h4>\n

People want to read the Bible. Our team is currently translating the Bible into contemporary Slovenian to be published in partnership between EEM and Biblica, and have been working on this since 2022. Our goal is that the translation would be as theologically correct and understandable as possible. We\u2019re currently working on the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. If the budget is approved, we\u2019ll continue to translate the rest of the Old Testament and provide a free online version and printed Bibles of the whole translation.<\/p>\n

We also need books for children, evangelistic books, songs and poetry. I believe it is important for kids to learn about the truth of the gospel early. It\u2019s so important that children hear good things in the confusion of this world. When bad things are shown as good, it\u2019s so important that there is good Christian literature that is appealing for children: interesting, attractive and includes biblical truth.<\/p>\n

How you can pray<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Pray for unity and support within the church here regarding the translation project, so that the Word of God can be accessible to the general public as well as the church in Slovenia. Pray for the Lord\u2019s protection. Our team members have experienced health issues, attacks on our children, attacks on our marriages\u2026 It\u2019s sometimes really difficult. We really need to persevere and go on\u2014be bold and take strength and wisdom from the Lord and go on.<\/p>\n

Sometimes some of our team weren\u2019t able to work for a few months, so I\u2019ve tried to fill in the gap. I believe it\u2019s worth it. It\u2019s so important. So many more people will be interested in reading the Bible since they will understand it better. We still have a lot of work to do. Join us in prayer, so that the translation of every word and every sentence would be led by the Holy Spirit, and that the whole translation would be Spirit-inspired.<\/p>\n

Related resources<\/strong><\/h4>\n