Here’s to my last blog in Europe!
Thank you all for the positive feedback I got on my last blog post. God put a lot on my heart, and I’m thankful to be able to share openly.
As promised, I want to give an update on my time in Bulgaria.
WHY was Bulgaria my favorite month?
ATL (Ask the Lord) is FUN ministry because you get to live out your lifelike normal (as normal as it can be in a foreign country) and the best part is, you get to invite God into all of it.
God showed up, obviously, and led us to meet some really cool people, have really great conversations, and love the city of Sofia well.
One story I decided to share is about a homeless man, he goes by Meatball.
My teammate Rhi and I went walking through the city one day. We were looking at little outdoor shop vendors and trying to have small talk with the people working but they had very broken English and it wasn’t really going anywhere. So we decided to move on, but as we were walking away we heard “How are you?” we turned around and there he was, a rather short man with a dark complexion and bright green-hazel eyes. He spoke very decent English, and he was eager to talk with us. We told him about our trip, our love for Jesus, and about our lives. He was so interested in everything we had to say. Like I said, his English was great. However, he was all over the place.. meaning he would randomly change the subject, start rambling about things that didn’t make any sense at all, and continually repeat the same questions. That didn’t hinder us from spending the whole day with him, buying him groceries, sitting on a park bench and asking him questions. I will say, there was a certain point where I thought to myself, is there even a point? Is there there still hope for him?
After we left I wrestled with God. Asking him if this man was “too far gone” to fully understand and comprehend the gospel.
Later that week My other teammate Bry and I were walking to church, and there he was sitting on a park bench! We invited him to church and he didn’t hesitate to say yes. Not only that, he received a bible. He raised his hands in worship. And he raised his hand to receive Christ.
To me, this was confirmation that no one is too far gone for Christ. There is always hope.
Not only did we get to serve and love others well, but the Lord completely blessed us this month too.
At the beginning of the month we found Zoe Church, which is a branch of Hillsong Church. The message, the worship, the community. It was a beautiful refreshment, and just what we needed. Everything was translated to English, familiar songs, and a spirit filled family.
Through some random connections we also got to connect with Younglife! As most of you know, I’ve been very heavily involved with Younglife and absolutely love it. We got connected with a couple who needed help with organizing, inventory, babysitting, ect. Getting to bless them felt amazing. We also got to join a group of college Younglife students on a white water rafting trip! Now thats speaking my love language!
I went on many beautiful hikes with some of my willing teammates. The surrounding area of Sofia is beautiful. I can’t thank God enough for such a great month in Bulgaria.
I’m more than ready to take on Africa with my new team, Team Lightsabers!
Our ministry will be ATL with the Afar people group. I have no idea what that means for my team, nor do we have any direction, any host, or any place to stay yet, but we know that God will provide! So please keep us in your prayers, for safety and clear direction.
Thank you, God bless!
