This month my team is working on Unsung Heroes. Basically we are looking for people and ministries that are doing things for Christ here in Bulgaria. We hope to partner with these ministries for future World Race teams or just help support them by using social media to publicize what work they are already doing. The best part of this whole month is that we are completely relying on God to lead the way, we literally need Him to open doors and lead us to people.
Yesterday my team and I had our first big break through. We went to the International baptist Church here in Sofia, Bulgaria. First off, it was just a huge blessing to get to meet Scott and Sandy (the pastors of the church), they do amazing work with refugees that are here. They not only disciple the refugees, but they become their family too. The International Baptist Church works to supplement their food budget with food bags, since there is no food bank in Sofia; and during the holidays they help them celebrate by their Christmas Store and International Food Day.
(Scott, Avery, Me, Sandy, Howie, and Lindsay)
Scott and Sandy also like to partner with a ministry called the Lora Project. The Lora Project does several camps with Romi (gypsy) children throughout the year. It so happened that when we visited the International Baptist Church, Scott and Sandy were going to head up to the Romi camp and of course, because Jesus is awesome, they had the exact correct number of seats for us to travel up with them. Since we are on the World Race and spontaneous, we went with them! Side note: I had two desires for this whole trip- to ride and elephant (fingers crossed for Asia) and to dance with gypsies. And what were we about to go do-hang out with gypsy kids!!
(View from the Romi kids camp)
When we got there we got to meet the people who started the Lora Project and their daughter Lora who insipred the ministry. To even tell Lora’s story will require an entire blog by itself so wait patiently for that one to come, or watch the BBC documentary on orphanages in Bulgaria-inspired by Lora's story, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQZ-ERQczj8
(Half my team with Lora)
They showed us around their campground, we met the kids, and got to watch them play. Then wait for it.. We got to dance with the gypsy kids!!! The fact that any of this transpired was crazy. The fact that we went to the International Baptist Church in the first place was slim to nun. Then Scott and Sandy were actually going up to the camp and willing to drive us up there and back. Having gotten to hang out with Gypsy kids would have been such an amazing blessing and I would have been over joyed with that. But, the icing on the cake was the fact that the night we went up there, of all nights, was the night they had their dance. God is so amazing. He knew it was the desire of my heart to not just hang out with gypsy kids, but to dance with them.
I realized in this moment that I could have completed my whole 11 month mission trip without seeing one gypsy kid and my trip still would have been complete. But Jesus, my amazing Jesus, wants to full fill the desires of my heart. And on top of that He wants to go above and beyond my desires. God is so after my heart and wants to romance me and let me know that I am loved abundantly. And He feels the same about you and He wants to do the same for you. I really challenge you to write down some secret desires of your heart and see how God will blow them out of the water.
