Hey all! Things here in Bulgaria have been going very well. Although we didn't know we were going to be in this country up until the last couple days of July, He did, and its been a wonderful month so far.
Here are some of the things I have had the pleasure to be a part of while in Bulgaria:
- My birthday! I turned 21 on the 6th. I can't say that I would've changed too many things about it; I feel very blessed to have had this significant birthday in the presence of my teammates.
- Preaching in a refugee prison. As we were en route to the prison, one of our contacts asked me to share something with the prisoners, and so I said "uhh sure!" There were about 40 people present. There was one family from Iran that was interested in hearing more about this J-man, and all the rest were men and women from all over Africa. Most of them, if not all of them, were seeking asylum in Bulgaria.I shared with them what I had read that morning during my quiet time (praise Him that I didn't skip out on reading His word that morning!). I told them the story from Luke 7 about the immoral woman who kissed Jesus' feet and washed them with her tears and hair, and then used expensive perfume on them. I ended by saying that no matter what we did in the past, that He is always there to take us back and forgive us when we come to Him with open hearts truly seeking His grace.When I spoke it was translated into French, Bulgarian, and Farsi, so I am hoping that what needed to be communicated to everyone, was communicated! Unfortunately–and not surprisingly–cameras were not allowed in the prison.
- Helping clean out a yard. A family that goes to the church of one of our contacts has some property out in the countryside that needed some old tree limbs and thorn bushes removed. We had an awesome time of cutting up all the dead stuff, piling it up, and mulching it. As we were leaving we were told that we were the first group of people to ever come out to help them, and that they were very grateful. Not surprisingly we felt pretty blessed as well.
- Helping out around a Christian art school. We've been hanging out with some of the kids, organizing closets, and helping keep the school in good condition. Just yesterday we went to the lady who runs the school's husband's church, where I had the opportunity to talk about the Race! I hope that last sentence made sense, I don't really feel like rewriting it.
- Digging a trench. My teammate Zach and I, and the guys from the other team that we are with this month, have the opportunity to dig a big trench that will be filled with concrete and rebar. We are in a hilly area, and the point of it–from my understanding–is to slow down erosion and to keep the foundation of the school that we are sleeping in stable. Over time, things seem to move on these hills.
Basically this month we've been all over the place ministry-wise. There are times when we've been stretched thin, but we've also had time to rest, so things are well.
Thank you so much for your prayers! Pray however the Spirit leads you, but specifically you can be praying for great relationships with the locals–that we would be reflecting His love upon them.
