20 June 2025 | Brunskog, Sweden [Tor Tjeransen with tedNEWS]
Delfina Dupont could hardly wait to turn 18. Then, she would pack her bags and follow God’s calling—wherever that might lead. What she didn’t expect, however, was that her first missionary assignment would take her not to a distant village or a tropical island, but to secular, snowy Sweden. She began her service at LifeStyleTV, a faith-based media and hospitality ministry, embodying the spirit of a new generation of missionaries going from everywhere to everywhere.
A Church-Planting Family
Delfina was no stranger to mission, having grown up in a family that breathed mission. When she was about six, her parents took Bible studies with two Adventist families and decided to get baptised. As the Bible studies continued to attract more people, three families decided to plant a church in a small town in the vicinity of the Adventist university in Argentina—River Plate Adventist University.
After eight years, the plant had become a well-established church, and the three core families that led the project decided it was time to move on—to plant a second church, a nine-hour drive to the north.
No wonder Delfina wanted to become a missionary! To decide where to go, she visited Pastor Roy Peter, Argentina Union’s Adventist Volunteer Service Coordinator, who showed her links to various ministry opportunities around the world. She sent emails to three ministries. The only opportunity where everything fell into place was LifeStyleTV in Sweden.
Europe as a Mission Field
In June 2025, Delfina arrived in Sweden and immediately began work at LifeStyleTV, where her role, in addition to helping with TV production, includes assisting with the running of a hospitality ministry—LifeStyleSTAY—a retreat centre that welcomes guests and serves delicious vegetarian meals in its restaurant. The hospitality ministry provides opportunities to interact with guests who may be curious about faith, and helps generate essential income for the ministry.
Delfina embodies the spirit of a new generation of missionaries going from everywhere to everywhere. You might think Adventism in Scandinavia is strong—but it isn’t. In Sweden, where the population is 10.5 million, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has only 2,954 members. There are 3,576 people for every Adventist in the country, while the ratio in Argentina is one Adventist for every 384 people. Affluent and secular Sweden—and the other Scandinavian countries—are mission fields, even though people generally do not think of them that way.
“Back home, we think that the Church in Europe has even more members than we have, but it is different here,” Delfina shared. “When people heard I was going as a missionary to Sweden, they said that Europe didn’t need missionaries from South America—that Sweden should send missionaries to Argentina. But the fact is that Sweden needs missionaries.”
Cultural Differences
Every missionary must adjust to the culture of the place where they are serving. Delfina says she misses affectionate greetings—kisses on the cheek and hugs—which are customary in South American countries. “People here in Sweden are more reserved than we are in Argentina. That was a big difference to me,” Delfina shared.
However, she enjoys her service opportunity so much that she has encouraged other teenagers from South America to join her at LifeStyleTV. Now, there is a whole group of young people serving there, and Spanish is frequently heard in the corridors.
Happy Birthday, LifeStyleTV!
LifeStyleTV is a supporting ministry of the Church, working in close cooperation with Hope Channel Norway and the Norwegian Union Conference. This summer, LifeStyleTV is celebrating 20 years of service in Scandinavia. Over the years, the ministry has touched many lives and witnessed God’s hand leading in wonderful ways. Prayer, dedicated staff working for sacrificial wages, and generous donors have made this television ministry possible.
At present, the leadership of LifeStyleSTAY is praying for opportunities to expand their ministry and enhance the experience of retreat guests.
The original version of this story was published on the Norwegian Union Conference news site. [Photos: Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)].
