I am alive! I know it has been quite some time since my last blog, nevertheless, here I am. I have put off writing this blog for so many silly and distracting reasons. I sit down and the computer and nothing comes out. I don’t have words. It’s not that I haven’t done anything, or seen God work in amazing ways, because I have and He has! Every single day something is happening. I think it has been difficult to sit down, process my time here and adequately put it into words. But I will try my best.
I am in Bulgaria with my team (AO1) and it might have been my favorite travel day thus far. Well… travel day to Romania was hard to beat with all the spectacular views and hammocking in the back of a truck, however, on our way to Bulgaria we crossed the border via a ferry! That was a fantastic experience. I actually got a ferry border stamp in my passport 🙂 It’s the little things in life.
On our way to Dobromirka, Bulgaria, the village where we would be doing ministry in, we found ourselves on a farm road out in the middle of nowhere stuck behind several stopped cars. We soon found out that a tree had fallen in the road and had blocked traffic. The guys on our team got out and tried to see if they could help until finally someone with a chainsaw came by and cut it into movable pieces. Things moved very slow out there, it was only foreshadowing to what was to come in Dobromirka, a town of around 600.
We arrived here in Dobromirka and it was a sight to see. We were to live and do ministry in a retreat center owned and operated under the ministry organization, “Mission Possible”. There are over 35 rooms with well over 100 beds. Each room with its own bathroom and shower. Very different from the living situation last month. Last month all 45 of our squad lived in a house with bunk beds, some sleeping on the floor, and only three showers and two bathrooms. Now we have this massive retreat complex to spread out and enjoy a time of time of rest and solitude.
Two words that I have come back to to describe our time here have been tranquillity and peace. The grounds here are beautiful with lush green grass, trees spaced perfectly to give both shade and ample distance for hammocking (though it has been hard to find hammockable weather, its cold here), and multi-colored fall leaves scattered everywhere.
Our ministry has been to help with the upkeep of the building, grounds, cleaning, laundry, and serving and cooking when there are groups here. We have done a hodgepodge of different things including: clearing thick brush with a chainsaw in order to make way for a future parking lot, burning said brush, raking and mowing the lawns, hunting down the two rats we found outside, making beds, cleaning rooms in preparation for new groups to arrive, cleaning the kitchen floor with lye (that was exciting), and tons of sweeping and moping.
I have gotten to spend a good amount of time with both of our ministry hosts, Val and Amy. They exemplify what it means to serve humbly. Val has this heart inside of him that exudes with joy and always seems to be full. Amy is strong and purposeful. She has alot on her shoulders but carries it well and knows how to delegate tasks to get it all accomplished. Some of my favorite moments have been around playing Phase 10 with Val, his many unique phrases, his “pee pee dance”, the time we went to the bat cave and hiked down to the waterfall.
One Sunday I traveled with Val and Amy to their church in a nearby town called Sevlievo, about 25 minutes away. They meet in a storefront-like building with a large glass window in the front. We had just finished a very spirit-led time of worship and a powerful time of prayer over a couple men when this one Bulgarian man came up to the front and approached the pastor will ill-intent. He was politely escorted outside and away from the church. I wanted to ask what was it was about but didn’t find it the appropriate time. The pastor then began his message to the small church of roughly 25 when all of a sudden this loud explosion sound rattled throughout the building. We immediately found out that the same man had thrown a rock into the large glass window. The explosion sound came from the buildup of pressure between the two panes. A Molotov bomb was thrown through the same window just a couple years earlier. It was an unforgettable moment that reminded me of the faith of not only this small church but also of the many churches under persecution. Please pray with me for this church, their pastor, and their steadfast courage and boldness.
From exploring caves and Muslim cemeteries to abandoned houses to historic castles and cobble-stoned streets in Velieko Turnovo, God knows how to surround me with something new everyday.
Prayer Requests:
- Finishing Well: we have less than one week here in Bulgaria then we are off to our next country and ministry. Pray that we would finish with purpose.
- Manistry: next month is “Manistry” (man+ministry) where all the men on the squad form a team and do ministry together. Pray for vision and growth as we lean into each other and pursue godly community together as men.
- Kosovo: Our ministry next month will be in Kosovo. We were expecting to be in Macedonia but God had other plans and routed our team in a different direction. Pray for our ministry hosts and that we would be an encouragement to them and their ministry efforts.
- Team Leading: I have been asked to team lead next month. Pray for boldness and humility as I embark on this next season He has for me.
