Wednesday night I stood in a Gypsy village in Bulgaria and preached God’s Word on the street in the town square. Three Wednesdays earlier I was sitting in a cubicle in Charlotte, North Carolina taking the GRE for graduate school. Reality check – I’m on the World Race. When we were in Romania the first night I woke up at 2am and stared at the bottom of the bunk bed above me:
I am in a hostel in Romania and I’m on the World Race. I’m actually on the Race. I won’t be home for 47 more weeks…329 more days. What?! Lord, I’m in it now. I’m committed and You’re going to have to show up. Jesus, lead me because I don’t have any other way to go. Thank you, Lord, for Your adventure. Thanks for getting me out of my comfort zone and into your will. This will be a crazy year!
So now that I’m beginning to realize that this isn’t church camp and I won’t be home next weekend, I can begin to process what I’m seeing and doing this month. Wednesday I was planning on preaching to a community of Gypsy believers in a church. I had prepared what I thought God wanted me to share and was ready to go. I had been praying and felt relatively calm about teaching the Word. When we got to the church it was a nice building with some sweet smiling ladies inside. I was sizing up the pulpit and number of pews when the associational pastor we’ve been working with decided to throw a curve ball: “I think it would be best to go into the community and pray for people and preach to them on the street. We will do evangelism to those in the town. Yes, that is best. We will go now.”
Wait, did he just say preach on the street? But I’m still giving the message tonight right? I’m a street preacher now? Well, it is the World Race. Ok, Lord, You’re in this with me! Strangely enough when I heard the plan I wasn’t nervous or freaked out. I just kind of nodded and smiled and thought, “Why not?” It was great! After that point whatever nerves were left melted away. We ended up walking for over an hour and praying over many people. Some wanted blessings for their families, others had physical ailments and problems. After walking for a while we went back to the town square, got some coffee and sat socializing for a long time. Then Pastor Mitkov sang some songs and some more songs and finally it was my time to share. Instead of preaching at 6pm I think it was around 9pm before I started. We prayed more after the service and ate dinner around 11:30. The people here are so laid back and their schedules are unaffected by meal times or what their stomachs say. Lunch time is whenever your activity finishes, dinner time is the same.
So, for a few minutes I was able to share my testimony and what it means to be righteous in Christ. There were dogs barking, babies crying and extremely loud speakers that carried our voices to the ends of Bulgaria. After sharing we were asked to pray over the people and it was so humbling to pray for them and see the thankfulness in their eyes. People have blessed us so much and said that we brought angels with us. Tonight after we shared at another church they took up an offering and gave it to us to carry Christ to the world! These people have nothing but they give with such joy – I am supposed to be teaching yet I’m learning so much.
I’m thanking God that he gave me courage to be a street preacher in Bulgaria. I’m so thankful that He uses me when I am willing to be used. What a privilege to serve Christ throughout the world!
Thanks to my amazing teammate Sarah for this picture:
Some pictures of the first Gypsy church we visited…
This precious lady kept feeding us snacks! She was so sweet. 🙂
