Gray is what I see. It is the color of the streets we walk, the buildings rising from the ground, the clothes on people that pass us by on the street. Grey is the sky, the puddles made by the rain, it is what I feel.
Bulgaria, a country still trying to recover from former Soviet and Turkish rule. The landscapes seem eerie as we ride through on trains and buses. The buildings on the horizon have stories to tell of former times. I am sure they hold many tales and could speak volumes for this country. The people I pass on the street have a distant look in their eyes, like they have missed something or that there is no hope in this life. Their clothes lack color, greys, blacks and brown are all I see. The looks on their faces seem to match the rainy skies overhead. A strange and dark picture was being painted and it saddened me.
Ministry my not have been what was expected coming here this month either. Speaking occasionally, making and handing out flyers for a church service, or sharing a meal or three with gypsies. This was my month and despite the grey and gloom that surrounded, I found the color in all of it.
The rolling hills and golden fields speak life into the landscape. There is so much beauty in the old buildings and ones that have been rebuilt. Take a walk down to the center of Pleven and you will see old churches and theater buildings. The small food stands and cafes are little niches of warmth and happiness. A walk to the bus stop will tell you that it is spring as the tulips have opened and showcase their beauty to passer byers.
I have seen the hungry faces of a different people group as they sit in small packed rooms to hear the word of the gospel and share their hearts in worship with us. I have prayed with longing hearts for a touch from our Father. I have laid hands on heads in hope of healing. I have cried tears with those who have nothing but who long for the hope and love we have. I have spoke the words of my testimony to ears that needed to hear, and I have looked into the eyes of those who needed to see a piece of God in me. Our ministry may not always been or met expectations, but each month we experience exactly what God had in mind for us.
