When I pictured my very first days on the Race, this was not it.
The Lord has really shown us what it means to live life abundantly in our first month and unsurprisingly, the past two weeks have far exceeded my wildest hopes and dreams. This month, we have been partnered with the organization Mission Possible (http://mp.org/who-we-are) that has been operating for over 40 years. They are diligently working to bring help and the Gospel to the people of Eastern Europe through skills training, social work and media publications. Oppressed and silenced by a severe communist regime for decades, Bulgaria is relearning freedom.
Sunset from Mission Possible rooftop in Sofia
Our hosts welcomed us to Sofia with open arms, pizza, Coke and comfortable beds to recover from two full days of travel. The Mission Possible base, located in a little suburb outside of Sofia is absolutely beautiful providing breathtaking sunset views over the mountains. We were able to share our testimonies and encourage some of the local churches and youth groups. Despite the language barrier, we’ve been lucky to have a translator and many Bulgarians speak English as well.
Downtown tour of Sofia (From L-R: Amber, Claire, me, Jessica, Yen)
Sharing my testimony at church
One thing that has really struck me in Bulgaria, is how important the family unit is. Mission Possible is no exception and is a family affair. The international and national directors of the organization are brothers and their oldest brother is the head pastor at the local church in Sofia. Sitting in on morning meetings, it is also clear that the staff are more than just colleagues. They love and serve each other like family and have included us like five new daughters.
After four days in the capital, we traveled to Mission Possible’s retreat center in Dobromirka, a small village of 550 people in the center of Bulgaria, our home for the rest of the month. Our hosts here in Dobromirka, Emiliya and Valentin (Emi and Valo) have really become like our parents. They have treated us to long coffee breaks, delicious Bulgarian food and special trips to visit nearby attractions. We laugh together and dream together about their vision for the retreat center.
Retreat center in Dobromirka Sunrise outside the center
Since we have been in Dobromirka, we’ve been weeding and gardening, sweeping, mopping and painting. The center has 20 rooms, and accommodates over 70 people. We prepared all of the rooms, making beds and cleaning, for a teacher’s conference this past weekend. About 67 Sunday school and public school teachers arrived to receive skills training and encouragement. We helped prepare meals and clean dishes during the conference as well as get to know some incredible educators in this nation.
Teacher’s conference Gardening with other Dobromirka residents
As a team, we have been growing and learning what it means to live in real, authentic community and pursue the Lord together. I love these women, they each teach me something new everyday and bring unique value to our team. As the team leader, everything I thought I knew about leading has been grown and stretched and challenged on the Race. All of us are relearning how essential healthy communication is to a successful team and successful relationships.
Psalm 42:7. Team trip to nearby waterfall
So as I said, this is not what I pictured the Race to be – it’s better.
