Croatia (MNN) — “Eva” was pregnant, alone, and depressed. Now, she works, cares for her child, and gives glory to God. This is just one example of life transformation from Choose Life Croatia, a LIFE International partner.
Anita Jovanovic is on the leadership team of LIFE International’s Europe hub, facilitating prayer across the network. She says Choose Life Croatia helps young women avoid abortions.
The nongovernment organization, or NGO, primarily works with “young women who don’t have support. They were forced, because of circumstances, to consider abortion,” Jovanovic says.
“Those we met didn’t want to abort.”
Approximately 49 percent of all pregnancies were unintended in Croatia between 2015 and 2019, and half of them ended in abortion. Abortion in Croatia is legal on request, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
(Photo courtesy of Muhamad Harun Rabiyudin/Unsplash)
Through biblical counseling, Choose Life Croatia introduces women in crisis pregnancies to God and the value He places on preborn life. Women who are pregnant yet cannot afford a third or fourth child also benefit from counseling and practical support.
Hear from women helped by Choose Life Croatia.
Meeting women at a point of crisis segues beautifully to conversations about Christ and His love.
“Sharing the Gospel is very easy for us right now,” Jovanovic says. “Because of the desperation [women face in crisis pregnancies,] you come to the spot where you don’t have anything to say except ‘okay, I know [someone] who can help. This is Jesus Christ.”
These conversations soften hardened hearts. “Those clients usually begin to pray or read the Bible; [they] begin to speak about Jesus as their Savior and Helper in their lives,” Jovanovic says.
Learn how LIFE International comes alongside local partners to protect preborn life.
Along with prevention, Choose Life Croatia offers support to women who have lost their babies through abortion or sexual trauma.
“One of our clients became the director of a secular safe house. She invited us to have [counseling] groups with wounded women who escaped for their lives,” Jovanovic says.
“There is a lot of abuse in our countries, in the Balkans. A man will often kill a woman because he’s jealous or something. This is terrible, but it’s still happening too much in our countries.”
Pray the Lord will provide Choose Life Croatia with the financial support it needs. Donating to support NGOs is not a common practice in Croatia. “People think that if you work for God, your payment is in heaven,” Jovanovic says.
Right now, “People are working in secular jobs to gain money for life, and then they are volunteering [at Choose Life Croatia.] It would be so much easier if we could, instead of working our secular jobs, work in ministry and have more time to serve.”
Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Tim Kraaijvanger/Unsplash.
