Slava na Boga = Praise God in Bulgarian. It’s a commonly used phrase when being greeted by every single person before/after a church service…or anytime really. Well, I am currently in Dobromirka, Bulgaria. Where is that you may ask? Um, somewhere in the central-ish region of Bulgaria, more or less.
This month my team is partnering with Mission Possible Bulgaria. The staff of this organization is so filled with passion and God’s love and vision; it’s so encouraging to be around them. They are involved with social outreaches, mainly through soup kitchens, they train Sunday School teachers, and they publish Christian literature in Bulgarian – including the only Christian women’s magazine in the country, Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost for His Highest,” and a modern version of the Bible. They also shared with us how God provided them with a building for very little cost that they have the vision of using as a women’s shelter for the Gypsy community and also as a training/conference center. God has provided them with literally everything they need, and these people are quick to give Him all the glory. They hope to open the center in October, so my team & I are privileged to be part of phase 1 in this project – fixing up the building. So far my days have been composed of complete kitchen cleaning & fence sanding/priming/painting.
The village, Dobromirka, means “Goodpeace.” I feel like this place is a refuge just as much for my team and I as it will be for so many people in the future. It’s a place where we can soak up so much of God and His Truth from those around us. We are definitely blessed to be spending our first month here, surrounded by so many people who speak life into us & exemplify a Christ-centered life. The man who translates for us (and also works for Mission Possible), always has a bit of wisdom to share. He is an inspirational example of the verse, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." Literally every conversation with him turns to Christ. It's incredible! The Bible has never been so exciting & alive to me before, the stars have never seemed so bright, and God’s peace has never felt so present. It’s a good place to be!
Tidbits about Bulgaria so far:
1) Watermelon is eaten in large quantities for lunch & dinner on a daily basis. It's wonderful.
2) People in churches around here are so grateful, even if they're crammed into a tiny, stuffy basement. They love to belt out praises to God!
3) NuCrema > Nutella. End of story.
4) Elderly folks are so cute around here. And the vast majority of them ride bikes. It's precious.
5) God's handiwork is so beautiful around here – mountains, rivers, waterfalls, caves, sunflower fields, etc… 
