Get to know the young missionaries who are heading to North Macedonia this fall.
It’s the end of August, and all around Uppsala, new students are busy with orientation activities and their first classes. At Word of Life, some of last year’s second-year students from LOBC have gathered to prepare for heading out to the mission field. Three of them — Ester Webiörn, Joakim Johansson, and Nenny Lazarova — are leaving already this fall, while others are spending the autumn working so they can go out next term. It’s wonderful to see young people choosing to invest their time and money in missions — but what is it that drives them?
When I ask the three who are leaving now, they talk about how the mission trips during Bible school have been important to them. There, they got to see the spiritual and human need with their own eyes and experience how God placed nations and people on their hearts. Ester shares that ever since she went to North Macedonia for the first time in November 2024, she has carried a heart for the people there:
“Both times I left the country, my heart kept beating for the nation, and I could feel in my spirit that the work there was not yet finished — that my mission there was not yet complete.”
Nenny Lazarova, 26
Nationality: Bulgarian
Favorite Bible verse: Matt 28:18-20
Favorite cuisine: Bulgarian
Fun fact: Lives off Ayran
Joakim Johansson, 23
Nationality: Polish, Swedish
Favorite Bible verse: Matthew 22:34–40
Favorite cuisine: Polish
Fun fact: Can do backflips
Ester Webiörn, 23
Nationality: Swedish
Favorite Bible verse: John 15
Favorite cuisine: Indian
Fun fact: Has folded an origami infinity machine
Joakim shares how he longs to see people step into true discipleship. He emphasizes that the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 calls us to make disciples of all nations — not just believers:
“I’ve seen too many people give their lives to Jesus through evangelism, but never take the next step into discipleship or become part of a church.”
He longs to make disciples who endure over time and who, in turn, make new disciples. Nenny agrees that discipleship training is important and also wants to see people healed and set free. Ever since she was 14 years old, she has felt a calling to missions, and today she wants to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and be part of building God’s kingdom:
“God needs co-workers here on earth, and my response is, ‘Lord, here I am, send me!’”
By the time you read this, the three young missionaries have already traveled to North Macedonia, where they will be supporting two previously sent missionaries — Samuel Thoor and Jenda Marek. During the fall, they will be evangelizing, visiting and serving various churches, and teaching a short version of the Bible school with eight different subjects, which we call BTC, in several locations across the country.
Please keep these young people, as well as the people and churches in North Macedonia, in your prayers. You can follow their journey on Instagram via @livetsordmission and their personal account @disciples4macedonia.
Thea Hamre
Redaktör Missions Report
