"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
– 2 Corinthians 3:17
In the past week Team Rise Up has had the opportunity to walk many streets in the city of Vidin. It is said to be the poorest city in Bulgaria, which is one of the poorest countries in the European Union. We’ve walked all around town and driven to some nearby villages to share Jesus and pray with people. As we go I have been confused by the lack of laughter and joy here. Usually when I smile at someone the smile is returned. That is true only about 50% of the time here in Vidin, Bulgaria. People have had hard lives and they are focused on getting by day to day. (The smiling statement above is not true for believers here. They don’t ever stop smiling and laughing! Praise God!)
Each afternoon we have a briefing meeting with Pastor Yavor. Last week he told us a lot about the culture and attitude of Bulgarians here. Communism ended officially in 1989, the year I was born, yet the effects are still very present today. Communism’s tight reign on religious institutions played a significant part in the testimonies of many church members. Even today there is a large presence of Orthodox Christianity that deceives people with shallow rituals and social obligations. The Christian churches are strongly encouraged to register with the government so that their information can be relayed to higher intelligence agencies. The church we’re partnered with has decided not to register and is therefore looked down upon. They are now labeled as a cult or sect and viewed with much skepticism and confusion. Because of this continuing oppression and these hardships, Pastor Yavor and some lawyers from a partnering organization have taken it upon themselves to fight for religious freedom.
When he’s not visiting church members, singing at orphanages or preaching on Sundays, Pastor Yavor is fighting for Christians to have the right to worship freely. His team is currently putting the government on trial! This man has passion. Despite the negative and lingering effects of communism on this nation and especially this city, the Christians here are free. They know that Christ has broken the chains of bondage and they rejoice in the fact. However, there are still lots of financial burdens and security issues. Life in Vidin is tough even with Christ as a light and a hope; imagine what it’s like without him.
Please pray for the people of Vidin who have no hope. Pray for those whose lives have been destroyed by the tight reigns of communism. Pray that they will not live a life of slavery to their poverty, but that they would fight to overcome and turn their country around.
Below are some pictures of statues around the city that were put up during the Communist era. The tall one with a woman on top used to stand for the fight for communism. One day during a lightning storm the sword in her hands was struck and it crumbled to the ground. Does God still work today? I think so.
These believers are truly free!
This doesn't really fit on this blog, but here are a few tidbits of random things I’ve noticed so far in Bulgaria:
– Obituaries are posted as flyers on trees, electrical poles or city walls.
– To say “yes” people will shake their head from side to side, to say “no” they’ll nod at you. This can be hilarious and quite confusing at times.
– Toilet paper here looks exactly like pink party streamer at home. And it goes in the trash can, not the toilet.
– Bulgarian drivers would be perfect for the Olympics if there was a sport in pothole dodging. It doesn't matter which side of the road you're on as long you miss the pedestrians, bikers, horse carts, other cars and of course, potholes.
