It’s hard to believe this is only my 3rd week away from Colorado. The first couple of days of this journey were spent traveling nearly 6000 miles from my home in Colorado, to my new home here in northern Bulgaria. It was a long journey, but small compared to what I have coming for me over the next 11 months.
In just this short period of time, my eyes have been opened to a life so different than the one I grew up living. Bulgaria has spent the last 26 years struggling to get a grip on its independence since communism fell here in 1989. This struggle has led to millions of people abandoning the country and relocating throughout the rest of Europe. These people are mostly the educated ones that speak multiple languages, and have taken with them their money and knowledge.
Buildings stand empty and unfinished, as they have for almost 30 years. Trash litters the streets. Nearly everyone smokes cigarettes as they cope with the stresses of their daily lives. Buying beer in the city park from a stand is a normal thing, as is drinking it at the bus stop waiting for a ride home. Stray cats and dogs seem to outnumber the people at times, and graffiti is on more buildings than not.
While that may all sound bad, there is plenty of good here and things the people are prideful of. The city is under going renovations, and it seems to be bringing happiness and purpose to the people here. There is a rich history in the area with ruins of past times, as well as various monuments and memorials scattered throughout the city. The church in town is full of members that openly worship the Lord, and the people in the area, though usually emotionless, are always welcoming, kind, and hospitable.
My team has found purpose here doing a variety of things. We have spent time with kids at an orphanage, and have helped the staff with the upkeep of the property. We clean the church every Saturday in preparation for the week to come. Tuesdays we have Bible study with the pastor at the church we attend. We have youth nights where we spend time with the younger members of the church playing games and sharing how our journeys have led us to God. This week we will spend time at the local schools helping an English teacher. We will help an elderly couple harvest their crops and till their gardens, as well as help a neighbor move firewood to an area that will keep it dry for the winter to come.
Life is hard for nearly every one that lives here, but there is something about this place that makes the world feel so simple (maybe just my ignorance). The couple that has welcomed us into their home lives in a village a few miles outside of the city we have been doing most of our ministry at. This village is one of many in the area, and has around 4000 people. Nearly all the people here grow their own fruits and vegetables, milk their own cows, and raise their own chickens and turkeys. Every day a shepherd walks around the village herding all the sheep, and takes them a field where they spend the day eating. At the end of the day he walks the herd back through the village, and the sheep peel off one by one as they pass their own homes. Donkeys and horses are just as common as cars, and a spring flows through town, which is where the locals get all their water.
God is teaching me a lot about life right now – And it is a huge blessing to be given the chance to show and teach the people here about Him and the things He has taught me.
I still have to raise around $5000 for the rest of this journey, but I know God will provide. If you would like to support what I’m doing around the world, you can click on the support me tab that’s on the left side of this page.
