Fulfilling Ministry out of a Guest Home

A steep, winding hill leads to a wood chalet surrounded by a breathtaking view of Lake Thun in the center of Switzerland. Inside, Monika Bubeck is cleaning the bathroom and writing a quick note to a guest while her husband goes to check if all the guest keys are in order. Klaus and Monika Bubeck have welcomed hundreds of guests into their vacation home.

In a chalet just a few steps from the home, there is a bedroom decorated with a gold-lace embroidered chair, and books are piled up on a corner shelf. A double window waits to be opened to display a better view across the lake.

The Bubecks believe that God has given them a unique mid-life mission. They serve their guests by providing them with a vacation home as a priority -- and with much more in store.

Monika and her husband have not always had the opportunity to welcome guests into their home. Only a few years ago they were in a very different situation.

About 4 years ago, on New Year's Eve, Monika lost her job at a local hotel. She woke up on New Year's Day without employment and with a new challenge to overcome. One of the first thoughts was to go back to her home country of Austria.

“God will have a solution for us,” Monika said. “We prayed. Since I had time on my hands I was able to look around for houses. The fifth home we viewed was the one that we believed that God wanted us to have.” They bought the house.

The couple knew that the home was just not only for them. Instead, they wanted it to be a place where they could invite people from all around the world to share in the gifts they were given.

For the last four years, the Bubecks have welcomed guests into their home from all over the globe.

“Monika and Klaus were very welcoming and generous,” wrote a guest in an online review. “They kindly invited us into a delicious dinner, we talked a lot, and when I left the host couple gave us a small gift, it was the happiest day of my life! I highly recommend staying at their house!

Sharing the message of hope through Jesus Christ is central to the idea of hospitality of the Bubecks. They want their visitors to focus on the Creator of the beautiful landscape of the surrounding area.

“When guests come into the kitchen they see us sitting out on the balcony,” Monika said. “Often they look out over Lake Thun and talk about how beautiful the view is. I reply by saying that God has made it so beautiful. I ask them directly if they believe there is a God.”

“I remember one time a woman from China was in our hut and she felt the Spirit of God,” Monika said. “She came out crying and spoke about how she knew that it was Jesus who brought her to the house -- to tell her that He is alive.”

Others do not receive the message in such a positive way. A couple from the Netherlands shared negative feedback with the hosts for having Bible verses scattered around the house. This is one of the only times the Bubecks received such critical feedback about their work.

While there are times that it is difficult with the finances to keep everything going, they rely on God to take care of them.

“At the beginning, I did not know how things work with taxes,” Monika said. “And then we got a high bill for the taxes. I did not know how we could pay for it. But we can pay it every month.”

While Monika thinks about moving back to her homeland of Austria one day, for now, she understands that this mission is part of what God wants her to do.

“We always trust God because you never know what next year will be like,” Monika said.

Instead of worrying about the future, this couple focuses on their mission of helping others through their vacation home. This includes writing personal letters to guests that include a gospel tract so they have something to think about after they leave.

Not all guests can be reached. Sometimes they leave too early or there is never an opportunity to talk. When a unique connection is made, the Bubecks bring out their guests and exchange contact information with their new friends.

One day, Klaus and Monika would like to go on a world tour to reconnect with those they have met over the years.

“God put it into my heart to be open to people from all over the world,” Monika said. “I like people, and it does not matter where they are from and what they look like. Rich or poor, young or old, I welcome them.”

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Monika feels that “God opens [her] heart for these people.”

Mark den Hollander is from Pittstown, New Jersey. He attended WJI Europe 2024.