Basel, 13 Oct. 2006

Dear Friends of Eastern Europe Renewal:

The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

Here is a quick window of opportunity in the 20 hours I am at home between Slovenia and the YWAM base in Hurlach, Bavaria.

Thank you for praying for the time in Slovenia. The oral surgery stitches, swelling and bad cold were a bit bothersome, but everything got done and I am doing OK.

Slovenia is a surprisingly beautiful and varied country and quite wealthy, clean and orderly compared with other former socialist countries I've visited. The Brezhnev period apartment blocks were cute and charming compared with those I've seen elsewhere. The wealth is in family and social capitol. People's money is in real estate - the farm, the house, the owned apartment (or 2 in the family). Salaries are very low and only work if mortgage or rent is not paid. Married and professionally employed people typically live with their parents or in housing belonging to the family. Most people are Catholic or atheist/humanist with a few Protestants (16th. century reformer Primos Struba), and quite a few interested in Easter mysticism and the New Age.

The IFES is having a series of lectures in the "Why Not?" series: Why not Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Atheism. I gave the one on Buddhism, of course. We had the lecture 3 times: for the IFES staff and friends as a rehearsal/discussion, in a public library conference room in Murska Sobota near the Hungarian border ( a 2.5 hr. drive) and in a downtown Ljubljana cultural center. 25 people came in Murska Sobota and over 30 in Ljubljana. Please pray the IFES people will be able to have continued contact with the new people. About 75% were new faces at both public meetings.

Ljubljana has a healthy cultural life. The National Gallery was having a cultural exchange exhibit from Sienna, which was very well done, plus local and European art from the last 6 centuries in the permanent exhibit. The Philharmonic hall showed a list of very interesting concerts. The special surprise was an advertisement at the Opera for a combination of the Requiems of Mozart and PREISNER performed as an Operatic Ballet on 24 and 25 Oct. I am tempted to go back just for this.

IFES has been active in Slovenia for at least 10 years, working mostly in Ljubljana and a few other cities. They steer people to local Churches and hope to do some publishing in the future. My hosts were the Hribars, a lively Australian family with 3 children, who have been in Slovenia for 10 years and doing a lot of good work and service. Nenad Vitorovic, the General Secretary of IFES in Slovenia organized my trip and did some of the translating. We met at the European Leadership Forum (ELF) in Hungary, which helped finance my travel.

Our neighbor upstairs is a Christian professor of dentistry, who came to take my stitches out this evening. What a relief!

A surprising number of you have responded to the discussion about Self-referentialism. Some have contributed elements, some have been glad for new terms of polarity by which to measure various aspects of life. My thinking on this continues:

The devil is Self-referential (SR). God is other-referential (OR).
Much advertising works on our tendency toward SR.
Sin is basically SR.
Love is OR. Hate is SR.

This discussion shows why we should visit museums and galleries.
A painting, sculpting or a life can be SR or OR.

The humanist understanding of personality tends toward SR. The Biblical understanding is OR.

To be continued. Participation welcome...

So, I'm off to Germany tomorrow morning. God bless and keep. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Much love in Jesus Christ,

Ellis

Lutheran pastor in Murska Sobota, me, Lee Hribar from Australia and Nenad Vitorovic - General Secretary of IFES in Slovenia.

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Copyright © 2006 Ellis Potter.