This month has been incredible! I spent this month traveling with a team doing Unsung Heroes (the ones who network and uncover new ministry contacts for the World Race future teams). Though we don’t get the luxury of staying in one place, investing and learning about the culture while building deep relatioships, we do get a chance to explore the country.
And we covered it!
Starting in Sofia, the central hub and biggest city in Bulgaria, we saw the high life, night life, big city movers and shakers. It’s a bustling city, with tons to do and always people outside in rain or shine.
We made our way to Plovdiv, one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria and one of the oldest civilized areas in this region of the world. It used to be the southern capital for Roman rule back around Jesus’ time, before that inhabited for thousands of years. The area has survived archetecture and humanity for thousands of years, and anywhere in the city it is possible to see ruins from the Roman era, Turkish- Ottoman rule, Communism and more modern democratic Bulgaria. Just dig down, history is everywhere.
We traveled over to the coast of the Black Sea to a city called Varna. Though it also has a rich history, the sea and sunshine draws life outside. It is a very artistic town, with theaters and opera houses around, street performers and a general relaxed atmosphere.
Lastly, we spent a few days in Razgrad, a smaller town just below the Romanian border and at the edge of the mountains. Though a much slower pace of life, a feel of family is present among the people we met.
Traveling is fun, and experiencing Bulgaria from North to South is incredible, but the most fun is meeting people along the way. We ran into Bulgarian missionaries working to serve the church. We met American missionaries serving the Roma and Refugee communities. We befriended an American family who chose life in Bulgaria in order to love and serve the youth here- youth who are starving to get out instead of seeing the beauty in building up their own country. We met English missionaries, Bulgarian pastors, orphanage operators and everything in between.
No matter where we go, no matter how far we travel and no matter what the language, I am always in awe of people willing to answer God’s call. Traveling halfway across the world, or staying in the small Bulgarian town you were born into, there are people around the world actively pursuing Jesus and proclaiming is Kingdom in love to the world around them.
These are the world changers. The ones who choose to change things no matter where they are, or if they feel their work is big or small. These are the ones I am happy to know. And these are the ones who keep me going. Thank you for reminding me that my calling is neither here, nor there, but wherever I am- I am called to love WELL!
