Month one of the Race has flown by and I can’t believe that we’ll be packing for Romania in a few short days. I’ve been meaning to blog and update, but just haven’t been able to find the words. This month has been wonderful and I feel like so much and so little has happened all at the same time.
This month my team partnered with a group called Mission Possible. The mission of the ministry is to support the local churches, society, and the individual through skills training, publishing, and social work. The publishing department issues a Christian women’s magazine called Leah, one of the only Christian publications in Bulgaria. They have a heart to bring the good news to the people of Eastern Europe.
The view from the rooftop of headquarters in German.
We spent our first week in a little village called German, right outside the capital city of Sofia. This is where Mission Possible’s headquarters are located. We went sight-seeing in Sofia and got to tour their beautiful cathedrals and downtown area. It was a much needed restful week. We got to spend some time getting to know the Mission Possible staff and they graciously showed us their country.
My team on afternoon sightseeing in Sofia.
Bulgaria has a very tumultuous history. They have been ruled over and oppressed by one power after another. Communist rule ended here in 1990, but its effects can still be seen today. Bulgaria has been left a poor country with weak infrastructure. There are not many good jobs and the education system is sorely lacking. As a result of all of these things, Bulgaria’s brightest and best young people leave the country when they are able to seek opportunities for a better life. This leaves a declining older population without hope and struggling to make a new way of life.
But there is hope here. We’ve seen it and experienced it. We’ve been told that the majority of Bulgarians would claim to be Christians, but this belief is more cultural rather than a relationship with the Lord. We visited several of the staff members’ home churches and the Spirit is alive and moving in his people here. The people in the church have hope because their hope is built on Jesus’ blood and righteousness. He is calling upon people to bring hope and freedom to their country as they share His name.
The Mission Possible staff are some of those people. The Lord has given them hope and a vision for what He wants to do here. We have spent the remainder of the month at their conference center in a small village called Dobromirka. This is a place that allows the ministry to host conferences where they can teach, equip, and encourage people in their relationship with Christ. The first conference was for public school and Sunday school teachers. We are currently in the middle of our second conference and it is focusing on a group of at-risk women. The Lord has called the staff here to step out in boldness in his name to minister to all kinds of different people.
The conference center in Dobromirka.
My team and I have been immensely blessed to be a part of Mission Possible this month. We have served alongside hosts who are living examples of sacrifice and obedience to the Lord. And we have learned that sometimes bringing the Kingdom isn’t preaching looks like washing dishes, peeling potatoes, and painting walls.
As we finish our time here, there are a few things you can be praying for. Pray for the women attending this conference. We are believing that the Lord wants to give them freedom they can’t even begin to imagine. Pray for the staff as they lead the conference. Their desire is to be a mouth piece for the Spirit. Pray for me and my team, that we would finish our time here well and continue to pour ourselves out to serve these women.
I am almost FULLY funded!! Thank you for believing in what the Lord is calling me to and supporting me in that. If you would still like to give, you can click the Support Me tab or contact me if you have questions. Another update should be coming soon!
In Christ,
Claire
