Bulgaria was a great month for relational ministry. We met a lot of people who I’ll never forget, but a few of them stand out more than others. Below are short biographies of these people.
Ivan says that when he was eighteen years old, he was smoking twenty cigarettes a day and could drink a whole liter of vodka in one night. Now a days, Ivan is the pastor of two village churches in Eastern Bulgaria.
He’s a burly man who seems to always have a five o’clock shadow and he often wears these goofy “MC Hammer pants” that make him look like he just rolled out of bed. Though his appearance might be a little misleading, Pastor Ivan is an exceptional pastor. He loves his congregation well and cares deeply for the needs of his flock.
Pastor Ivan was also a great host to my team. He and his wife Eva had us over for lunch every Sunday afternoon and they served us freshly picked lettuce, elaborately prepared meats, and sweets with coffee for dessert. Ivan and Eva treated us like their long-lost American grandchildren. They gave us new clothes when they realized how ratty a lot of our clothing has started to look. They bought us ice cream all the time. And they gave us such special attention and care each time we were around them, as if they had assumed some kind of responsibility to make sure we were comfortable and loved.
I know that as long as I live, I’ll always remember all the inside jokes my team made with Pastor Ivan. I’ll smile when I think about the way Pastor always said, “I don hov plan.” or “Maybe yes maybe no, I don know.” I won’t forget the way he stuck out his tongue when he laughed, or the way he always kissed us on the cheek when saying goodbye, his scruffy face scratching our necks. I won’t soon forget the love he showed us and the things it taught us.
(photo from Jon)
Standing tall at four feet six inches (or so), Lili Yanka is a seventy-something lady whose presence commands your attention. She can’t weigh more than a hundred pounds, but she’s as agile as ever. When she bounces into the room, everyone straightens up and gets their act together because she runs the show. Even though she knows how to keep people in line, Lili Yanka is also the most loving, caring little old lady in all of Bulgaria.
She loved to kiss us on the cheeks and necks while she wrapped her tiny arms around us. Even though we didn’t understand a single word she said, Lili Yanka always spoke Bulgarian at us, throwing her hands in the air and gesturing wildly. Eventually we just started speaking back at her in English as though we understood everything she said.
Besides these things, Lili Yanka is also noteworthy because of her incredible love for the Lord. Observing her in church made it clear that she has a profoundly intimate relationship with God. As she prays for people, she commands the spiritual realm around her to change so that the Kingdom can come crashing in and break chains. She is in tune with the Holy Spirit and speaks to Him familiarly. It’s inspirational just to watch.
Beyond the church walls, Lili Yanka’s love for the Lord is exhibited in the way she serves with generosity and attention to detail. When she realized we liked pepper on our food, she made sure to buy extra pepper for the restaurant. Occasionally, she even gave us free ice cream or decided to pay for our breakfast for us. She also opened up her home to us and allowed us to take hot showers and use the Internet. All month long Lili Yanka served us and loved us in ways that were so undeserved.
I will never, ever forget that little lady.
Mitko and Nasi had extremely prominent roles in our lives while we were in Bulgaria. We met Mitko first because he speaks really great English and our host pastor, Ivan, doesn’t. So Mitko was always around to help to translate and it didn’t take long for us to become friends with him. He has a great sense of humor, which is a perfect fit for our team.
We met his wife, Nasi, at church. Every single morning she walks to church to pray for an hour before heading to work. Most days my team joined her, along with some other ladies from church, and throughout the month we spent dozens of hours together praying and worshipping. Both Nasi and Mitko have a genuine love for the Lord and they are certainly spiritual leaders among the church congregation. They disciple and mentor many of the youth in the church as well, and it’s clear that they are an influential couple.
Additionally, Nasi and Mitko are some of the most generous and hospitable people I’ve met on the Race. They opened their home up to us and without hesitation made us so much food, let us use their Internet and shower, and even did laundry for us. There were many nights where my team was over at their house pretty late, yet Nasi and Mitko never turned us away.
A couple months ago I asked the Lord to help me learn new guitar chords and tricks, but I wasn’t sure exactly how that would happen. Well, the first time I heard Sasho play the guitar, I realized that he was definitely the answer to my prayers.
Before he was saved, Sasho came to church casually but admits that he was always looking for a way to leave early. He didn’t really listen to the sermons or take anything to heart and he hated the guitar. But eventually, the Spirit captured his affection and Sasho gave his life to the Lord. After that, he came to church early and stayed late, eager to learn more about his new faith. It didn’t take long for the Lord to give him a desire to lead worship and one day during church, he stood up and asked the congregation to pray for him because he wanted to learn how to play guitar so that he could lead them in worship.
Since then, Sasho has truly mastered the instrument. It’s rare to see him without a guitar and I swear, if there’s one within a fifty foot radius – he will find it and play it. Even though it’s a little comical, it’s also quite beautiful. Sasho has the spirit of David in him. He’s developed into a worship leader that uses music to compose beautiful love songs and melodies that enthrone the Lord. His passion for playing is much more than a surface level affection for music. He plays with purpose, with a worshipful heart.
I truly enjoyed getting to play guitar with Sasho all month. Every Sunday when we played at church services, he would lead a song while I watched closely and played along, my fingers carefully mimicking whatever dance his fingers did across the guitar neck. He taught me so many new things that I think I’ve turned into him a little bit – I can’t put my guitar down! I am forever grateful for my friendship with him.
These are the people whose lives have woven their way into mine. Their stories are now permanently a part of my story. I guess that’s what happens when you travel the world and live out of a backpack. You become dependent on the generosity of others. You are humbled by their hospitality. And you get to spend time with so many interesting people, building relationships and loving them like you’ve known them for years. It’s a beautiful thing.
I may never see these people again for as long as I live on Earth, but I am confident that we will all have a joyful reunion on the other side of heaven. Until then, I pray that the people of Mokren, Bulgaria reap what they have sewn, because they have sewn so many good things into my life.