Forgive me for not writing sooner but I have purposely waited a week since arriving here in Bulgaria to write about it. I wanted to experience the culture in multiple ways before telling you about it. In many ways Bulgaria is just like many of the other countries I have traveled to; the language is different, the food is different, the architecture is different, basically a lot is different. Bulgaria is the first post-communist country I’ve been in and its effects are wide reaching even though communism fell in 1989. Most of the buildings and roads you see were built during communism. Any buildings that we not finished at the time of the fall have sat half constructed for 26 years and most roads and buildings have not been up kept since then either. You can also see the effects on people’s faces. Bulgaria has become a country without hope. People here do not smile, even when you smile at them. The most alive place I’ve seen here is the church. While it may not look like much compared to our flashy churches in the west our little church of 100 we attend here in Silistra is more filled with the Holy Spirit, and the freedom that comes with that, than I have seen in many churches back home. We picked up this young man who is still rather new to faith on the way to church and before he could even say hello he was telling us how God had told him he had to speak at church today. People worshiped with their arms in the air, down on their knees, or with tears rolling down their face but no matter their posture they worshiped with their whole hearts. They welcomed us with smiles and warm handshakes and were so happy to have us there. But don’t be fooled the effects of communism can still be felt in the church. In a communist society at its purest form everyone is supposed to be equal. You are provided/mandated a job. You live with your family until you get married at which time you put your name on a list to get a house from the government. When you want a car you again put your name on a government list and you get the one you are given when your name gets to the top. Everything is done for the people; your job is to simply to do what you’re told no more no less. You can still see that in the mindset of many people in this country. The city is dirty and rundown; no one told me to pick up the garbage and no one else is so why should I. They go to the Orthodox Church because that is where they have always gone and even though there is a lady who has come to our church a few times and has enjoyed herself she doesn’t want to come too often because it would be seen being unfaithful to the Orthodox Church, and to do that could get your ostracised from the community. The Turkish are bad but the gypsies are worse so lord help you if you are Turkish gypsy; it doesn’t matter that they are people just like you and me, they are often treated as nothings. People distrust each other because they are afraid you want and take what they have. Bulgaria’s birthrate is going up but its population is aging. Its population is also declining in spite of its increased birthrate because its best and brightest are leaving the country at an astonishing rate. Now that Bulgaria has joined the European Union, thereby making it easier to go work in other European countries, 2million people out of 9million have left Bulgaria in the last 20 years. In spite of all these differences we do have one thing in common with them. A God who loves their nation as much as he loves ours. A God who if they turn to him will provide hope and comfort. A God who has already set hearts a blaze for Bulgaria and who want to see it thrive. This month my team is staying with an elderly couple from Australia who have been missionaries here full time for the last 4 years but before that came yearly since 2002. They are a beautiful couple and as blessed as we are to be with them here for this month Bulgaria is even more blessed because they get to keep them. They also have Pastor Emil who, while he speaks English very well and would be able to find work outside the country, has chosen to stay here and build the church.
Please pray for hope for Bulgaria! The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few – Matthew 9:37
