From Refugee Roots to Nashville Ministry: Ivor’s Incredible Testimony
From the front lines of a civil war to finding true hope and healing in Christ: a journey of radical redemption.
About this episode
In Episode 35 of the Kingdom Chaos Podcast, Troy sits down with Ivor, the director of communications and digital strategy for a Nashville church, to unpack a deeply moving, unconventional, and inspiring testimony.
Born in Bosnia during a mixed-heritage marriage (with a Croatian father and a Serbian mother), Ivor's early childhood was suddenly upended when a brutal civil war broke out right at their front door. Facing a critical choice, his family had to flee their home as refugees, migrating first to Croatia and eventually settling in a small farming community in Germany.
Growing up in a home without practicing religious traditions, young Ivor felt a distinct and powerful spiritual pull. However, his early steps toward faith were met with profound heartbreak when a local church priest cruelly rejected his desire for baptism, labeling him "too old". That painful rejection planted deep seeds of cynicism, leading him to lean into mockery and isolation as he navigated the mental and emotional trauma of displacement, a language barrier, and early separation from his mother. Years later, a return trip to post-war Bosnia left him grappling with heavy survivor's guilt, depression, and dark questions about why a loving God allows suffering.
Yet, God pursued Ivor relentlessly through unexpected places. From the faithful, sacrificial love of a Catholic nun named Sister Regina—who fought to care for refugee families despite the local church's resistance—to an impactful mentor in Cleveland who handed him his very first Bible, the groundwork was laid. The true turning point came in the dead of winter during a desperate midnight prayer for his father's failing health, when Ivor experienced an unmistakable, vivid vision of the face of Jesus shining through a window.
Tune in as Troy and Ivor explore how God transformed those ashes into beauty, leading Ivor to eventually return to Bosnia as an adult to hand-deliver Bibles, share his testimony, and extend radical forgiveness and hospitality to former adversaries. It is a powerful reminder that God wastes nothing, and that His grace can reach across any border.
Read more about this topic: Blog coming soon.
Key Scriptures
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
Revelation 12:11
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Psalm 90:1–2
What’s in this episode
Fleeing the Front Lines: Ivor shares what it was like growing up in 1990s Yugoslavia, navigating a mixed Croatian-Serbian family, and fleeing a civil war as a refugee.
The Sting of Church Rejection: How a local priest turning away a curious young refugee seeking baptism planted seeds of cynicism, and how God used compassionate people to break through that hurt.
Survivor’s Guilt and the Search for Meaning: Wrestling with the heavy questions of pain, suffering, and why he survived a war-torn country while others didn't.
A Midnight Encounter: The incredible true story of a desperate prayer for his father's failing health and a miraculous, vivid encounter with the face of Jesus in the middle of the night.
Returning to Bosnia with the Gospel: Ivor's powerful journey returning to his homeland as an adult to hand-deliver Bibles, share his testimony, and extend forgiveness and the love of Christ even to former adversaries.
Reflection questions
When you look back at the difficult, painful seasons or "deserts" of your own life, where can you trace God's quiet protection and guidance?
Have you ever experienced rejection or hurt from people in the church that caused you to close your heart toward God? How can you begin to separate man's failures from Christ's character?
In what ways has God called you to use your personal story, hospitality, or unique background to plant seeds of faith in the lives of those around you?
KEY TAKEAWAY
God doesn't waste our deepest pains, displacements, or heartbreaks. Through every closed door, valley of doubt, and season of suffering, He is writing a redemption story—using ordinary, surrendered lives to make His grace and truth accessible to a broken world.Quote from the episode
"I remember praying to God and I said, 'God, if you heal my dad, I won't doubt... I'm ready to hope. I'm ready to believe that what you have for us is good.'... I woke up in the middle of the night... and I turned around and I saw the face of Jesus through the leaves and the branches... And I said, 'Jesus, that's you.' And that was the moment where I was like, oh man, I can't deny that God, you're real." — Ivor
About Ivor Karabatkovic
Ivor serves as the Director of Communications and Digital Strategy for a church in Nashville, Tennessee. Born in Bosnia during a mixed-heritage family, his early life was upended when civil war forced his family to flee as refugees to Croatia and Germany. After walking through heavy valleys of church rejection, displacement, and survivor’s guilt, Ivor experienced an unmistakable midnight sign of Jesus that changed his life forever. Today, he uses his story, creativity, and a heart for hospitality to help make the hope of Christ accessible to a broken world.
