It's been interesting staying in hostels a few weeks out of the month in Bulgaria. I've mentioned before the pros of cooking your own food, having a toilet and shower that you can easily walk to, etc. The cons of well…having no privacy, etc. But my favorite part of staying in hostels so far, is the opportunities it gives to get to know others and share the love of Jesus with them. We are here to just love people because of how Jesus has loved us so well.
(howie in first hostel)
(romantic bedding-hostel last few days where we got our own room)
(panorama of one of our hostels)
Many times the best opportunities on the mission field and at home for that matter, are outside of deemed ministry time. It's when you are at work and talking to your co-worker or patient. It's when someone is broken down on the side of the road and you help them. It's when you have beggars begging for food and you
feed them and pray for them. It's when your in your hostel and hanging out on the couch and get to talk to strangers about what God is doing in your life.
I've been able to talk to Jews, Orthodox, Catholic, and Atheist so far, from all over the world, just hanging out at our hostels. (My favorite is people with English accents because it's so cool-I find myself wanting to mimic them-ok that was random, haha). One amazing guy has been on my heart and have prayed for him often since Drew and I got to talk with him. He is Polish and where he is from Christianity is more of an old, out dated religion. He asked us what our team was doing in Bulgaria, and so of course we told him what we were doing.
I told him we are all Christians. "Because we love Jesus, we love people. So we are here to serve and love people because of how Jesus has loved us." He thought this was neat. I told him some of my testimony and one of the biggest/latest miracles of my life-my Daddy getting radically saved and sober. I believe it was the Lord leading me to tell this story because he told me that he's never heard of an alcoholic who then became sober and completely changed.
In Poland, he has many friends who's parents are addicted to alcohol, and sounds like they have given up on them ever changing. It was neat to be able to share what Christ can do, and the amazing hope we have in Him! Who else is like our God? Who delivers like He does?
He told us that our testimonies were beautiful and that our team was the first missionaries he's ever met. You never know what influence you can make on someone. You never know the opportunities that may be right in front of you. I'm continuing to just ask the Lord to give me His eyes, His heart. To be aware of what He is doing and the opportunities He is giving us. I've found that many a time, it has nothing to do with what is on our agenda for the day.
"But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" 1 Peter 3:15
