Naum remembers well the day he learned that there would be a Seventh-day Adventist secondary school and college in his own country.

“A brother from the Yugoslavian Union came to visit my church and told us about an Adventist school that was going to be opening. We were delighted!”

The school in Maruševec opened in 1969 with 45 students.

“It was like a miracle to have this school!” exclaims Naum. “We were the first generation, the experimental generation. The staff read the book, Education, by Ellen G. White, and the education we received was the best!”

Since the school was not then accredited, the students had to pass all 17 subject exams given by the government at the end of every school year.

“It was a severe drill,” Naum recalls, “but at the end of the fourth year, we were scoring higher than the students from the State schools! We were considered to be the best school in what was then Yugoslavia.”

After graduating, Naum attended university in the city of Zagreb where he studied French and Latin. Upon completion, Naum had two job offers— one from the communist government, offering him a highly desired political position with many benefits; the other a teaching position at the Adventist school in Maruševec.

In speaking with the government officials, Naum said, “You know I’m an Adventist. I’ll go to church every Sabbath. Why are you inviting me for this position?”

“Because we need honest people in politics; they are rare!” came the surprising response. “We need people with principles!”

“Thank you,” Naum replied, “but I’ve accepted a job at the school in Maruševec.”

For many years Naum faithfully served the students at Maruševec, not only by teaching them French and Latin, but eternal values.

“God and salvation—these were the first things I wanted my students to learn,” said Naum. “After that comes knowledge, and accepting the obligations in life—to take life seriously. We’re not playing at life; times are serious.”

In 2017, your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering helped build a much needed dormitory at the Maruševec Adventist Secondary School in Croatia. This quarter, your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help construct a new Seventh-day Adventist church in the capital city of Zagreb, replacing one of the largest and oldest Adventist church in Zagreb that was destroyed by a series of severe earthquakes in 2020.  This new church building will enable members to meet for worship and other church activities and become a center of influence for the citizens of Zagreb. Along with the new church hall on the ground floor, rooms on the first and second floors will provide space for missionary, social, cultural, and other activities. A classroom for the “Prilaz School” will be included, along with a kitchen and large dining room. The center will open their doors to visitors via various projects that fulfill the needs of the surrounding community.