Macedonia’s only pregnancy center has moved to a new location and is preparing to expand its service women in a new setting.
“Lydia– A Beating Heart,” has moved from one part of the nation’s capital of Skopje to another municipality within Skopje named Aerodrom. Macedonia is in southeastern Europe in what is known as the Balkan Region.
The need to move came as a surprise to founder and CEO Svetlana Jovanova and staff member and licensed psychotherapist Alexandra Petrovska, as word came suddenly earlier this year from their landlord that he could not renew their lease.
“Our landlord is a truly kind man,” Jovanova said in a ministry newsletter.
“We had been at that location for over seven years, and he was always fair to us,” she said. “He never raised the rent—even when we were late with payments, he was patient.”
“After COVID, when everything became more expensive and rents skyrocketed, he told us that because he believes in our mission, keeping the rent the same was his way of supporting us,” Jovanova continued. “It was such a huge blessing,”
She shared that it came down to the landlord selling his home and renovating the office/center space into an apartment for himself.
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Lydia– A Beating Heart has existed since 2012, first setting up an office in the village of Stip in eastern Macedonia. A second location was launched in 2015 in Skopje, the center that is now moving. The Stip location was forced to close entirely in 2020 due to Covid.
The women knew they needed to find a new location quickly when they got word from their landlord earlier in 2025. The landlord had allowed them five months to continue in their current space.
“We already knew the area of town where we wanted to move,” Jovanova said. “Still, we had a checklist to go through: ‘Is it easy to find? Does it have parking and transportation access, like being close to a bus stop?’ And of course, the rent had to be within our budget. Having a set price limit helped us sort through listings more quickly.”
The search for a space was grueling as they poured over possibilities for hours each day. Finally, they secured the location in Aerodrom.
“We were so excited about the place that Alexandra and I packed the entire office in just two days and started moving boxes during the hottest days of the summer—two determined women working through 40+°C (108°F) heat!” Jovanova said.
Jovanova said every decision made within the ministry is taken before God first. She said He guided the entire transition, from start to finish.
“This move was led by Him in every detail,” she said, “from providing finances ahead of time to cover the costs, to protecting our health during the extremely hot days of moving.”
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Skopje is an area with a lot of young adults, students, and families. The new building has extra space to expand Lydia’s programs, including two counseling rooms and an area for support groups.
The Macedonia pregnancy center functions much like many centers elsewhere in terms of offering pregnancy help resources, materials, and services. They cannot, however, offer ultrasounds as the law in Macedonia is that these procedures only occur in hospital settings with doctors performing the scans.
“We are similar in offering many of the same services as other pregnancy centers, but unique in that we are the only pregnancy center in the country,” said Jovanova. “This allows us to serve women in many different ways.”
“Our clients are not only women facing unplanned pregnancies,” she said. “In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in women coming to us after reproductive loss, especially miscarriages. In the last year, many women experiencing postpartum depression have also reached out for help. All of them have recognized ‘Lydia’ as a safe place, which fulfills our mission and vision 100 percent.”
The center’s name honors the Lydia of the Bible who was a businesswoman in Macedonia who followed Paul’s ministry.
It seemed like a perfect female role model for such a ministry, Jovanova said, adding, “For a woman to create change in a male-dominated society was remarkable. If Lydia could do it 2,000 years ago, then this “Lydia” can do the same today—changing society one woman at a time.”
Jovanova said the concern right now is the cost to continue in the new location.
The rent is higher in the Aerodrom location by 40 percent. This would amount to $350 more per month in United States money.
Jovanova made a plea in the most recent newsletter for supporters to prayerfully consider increasing their support, or sharing Lydia Ministries with their church, small group, or friends who may feel led to partner with the pregnancy help ministry.
A prayer gathering and dedication of Lydia’s new space is scheduled for September 23.
“We have invited local pastors, priests, and supporters to join us, spend time together, and pray over the center,” Jovanova said. “We’ll also announce our plans for the upcoming year and the fundraising micro-events we are preparing.”
September is also the anniversary month of the pregnancy help ministry.
“Thirteen years of Lydia changing lives,” Jovanova said.
“We know that God gave us this location for a purpose, and we are praying blessings over the entire community,” she said of the new center.
Supporters outside of Macedonia can support Lydia – A Beating Heart via the Heartbeat International website.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
