Update From Brittany

Hi everybody, this is Brittany.

Let me just say Bulgaria is awesome! And all the people here are such an amazing blessing. God has done so much in such a sort period of time. In the first day we were in Stolnik, us girls and our translator Simona taught Sunday school. Those kids melted my heart. They were so sweet and just could not stop loving on all of us. Even though I could not understand them at all, i could fell how much they loved me. 

The next morning we went to an orphanage in Sofia, i have never been to one before in my life. It was very different then what i know in America. It was very sad to be honest, because all those boys and girls were so cute and loving i dont know why their parents would ever want to give them up. But all i could do in the moment in pray for all of them. I now appreciate my  parents a lot more and everything i have. 

That next day we held a youth conference. Megan and i were teaching and i was sorta nervous. But i now know that God used me in a way i never thought i could be used. I might not know who's life i touched by what i said, but i know what God said through me touched someone deep down. 

Now we are at camp, Mike taught the first night, and he helped me a lot with my teaching i am doing on Saturday. I am so nervous to be teaching but i know that in Matthew 10:20 it says "for it will not be you who speaks, but the Spirit of the Father speaking through you." that verse means a lot to me. It has giving me the strength in to know that i am going to be used to speak to all these teenagers. That God is using me to teach the topic "The Second coming of Jesus" for a reason. I truly am blessed to be here, God has already done so many amazing things in my life and he is going to do many more. Thank you for all your prayers for our team, it means a lot to know you all are praying. 

Слава на Бога!

Love Brittany

First Day at the Black Sea Camp

Our car getting repaired on the way to camp

We got up early and drove across Bulgaria today to the town of Chernomorets on the coast of the Black Sea. Most of our team rode on the charter bus with all of the kids from Sofia, while Joey, Vernon and I drove across with Niki Draganov, a good friend from the Blaga Vest church. We had quite the adventure! Along the way, we began to smell a burning odor and stopped to investigate. We found our muffler with a huge hole in it and the hot gases escaping from it had burned a bunch of plastic inside the bumper. We ended up in a small muffler shop in Stara Zagora (about halfway across Bulgaria) waiting for a new (to us) muffler to be welded in. In the meantime, Niki found himself in deep conversation with a man who claimed to have spiritual healing powers who was deeply involved in New Age religion. Niki had plenty of time to share Christ and point the man to the word of God while we waited on our repairs. Definitely a God-ordained detour!

Mina waves to the camera

We are attending and helping with a kids camp with about 50 children from several churches in Bulgaria (and a few from Macedonia). We will be helping with teaching, crafts and games, and watching and playing with kids every day at the beach. Tonight, I got the opportunity to share the word in the evening service. I taught from Acts 9, Saul's Damascus Road experience, on the subject of conversion.

We're getting settled into our bungalows which are, who shall we put it... rustic. We're gonna put together a little video tour in the next day or two to share with you all so you can see for yourself. In the meantime, keep praying. The schedule is pretty tiring here, so we need the Lord's strength and encouragement as the week gets longer. God is so good though, and has always been faithful to sustain us. We look forward to seeing what He has planned for us this week.

Following Christ

Joey teaching at the youth conference

Sorry for the delay in updates... Yesterday, was a long day and we had church this morning, so this is my first chance to post in a bit.

Yesterday, we held a youth conference here at the new Blaga Vest church building in Sofia. In addition to the teenagers from the local church, a group of kids rode in on the train from Gabrovo, a town about 120 miles away. Also, several kids from Macedonia, a  nearby country came to the conference and will attend camp with us next week. There were almost 30 kids total. We gave a number of messages and workshops on the theme of following Christ.

Afterward, Joey and I took a few kids home and spent a few hours with Pastor Niki Vassilev and his wife Tsveta of Elin Pelin. This couple and their church is where our ministry in Bulgaria began many years ago and our relationship with them is deep. We enjoyed an evening of great conversation, sharing stories and discussing our ministries. These folks have such a love for God and His people and are dedicated to furthering God's kingdom in their area. We are blessed to have them in our lives.

The worship team at Blaga Vest Church

Today, we attended church with the Blaga Vest congregation. This is my fourth year coming to Bulgaria but the first time I have attended one of their services! What a joy it was to share a service with brothers and sisters I've known for so long. I brought greetings from our church and thanked them for praying for us and our pastor this last year, then I got to join the elders of their church in breaking bread and passing out communion. The message was given by a visiting pastor from Stara Zagora (another Bulgarian city) and dealt with living in righteousness and anointing (we were given headsets to hear translation).

Our group outside the pizza place

Afterward, we joined several friends at a local pizza restaurant for lunch. Bulgarian pizza is always a favorite meal for us as they are incredibly tasty, using a variety of ingredients not traditionally found on pizza at home. For instance, we had one today with grilled chicken and smoked cheese, and another with corn and ham. My favorite, though, was the bacon, mushrooms, and Roquefort cheese.

After lunch, we spent a few hours wandering downtown Sofia to share some of the sites with our first-timers, Brittany and Brijon. We took them to the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, home of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Also, we visited the Presidential Palace and took pictures with the guards. We stopped by our favorite swap meet and some underground ruins as well.

This evening we are resting, doing laundry, and packing for the weeklong camp at the Black Sea. We will be getting up early tomorrow to make the drive across Bulgaria to the seaside town of Chernomorets where the camp will be held. Pray for a safe trip and a fruitful week of ministry.

Слава на Бога! (Glory to God)

Stolnik, An Orphanage, and Elin Pelin

Yesterday (Friday) was another busy for our team. We woke up early and headed back out to the gypsy village of Stolnik to finish painting a mural on one wall of their church walls. Several churches in Bulgaria have been blessed by the amazing artistic gift the Lord has given Linzi Drew and this piece was one of her finest. The mural depicts four miracles of Christ's ministry on earth: The water turned to wine, calming of the storm, feeding the five thousand, and the empty tomb. Each component features a verse reference in Bulgarian to remind the viewers of the deeper truth behind each miracle.

We returned to Sofia in the afternoon to visit an orphanage. For many years, orphanage visits were an annual part of our teams' ministry. We worked with a couple who served regularly in the orphanages, as it is very difficult to get into them on your own. The orphanages are State-run and skeptical of outsiders, as they are underfunded and understaffed so living conditions for the children are not great. The couple we worked with eventually moved away and we lost our opportunity to minister in this arena 5 or 6 years ago.

This year, we located another organization, One Heart BG, that has a heart for these children. They raise funds in the United States and elsewhere to help meet the needs in orphanages across Bulgaria that are often overlooked because of insufficient resources. I contacted their director and was put in touch with an orphanage in Sofia for a visit.

We spend the afternoon hanging out with children, just showing them Christ's love and attention. This particular orphanage recently experienced some controversy with allegations of neglect after one girl there was supposedly found to be pregnant. Apparently, the story was brewing in the media and several reporters were on hand to interview the director about the scandal. While waiting their turn with her, they were treated to a display of God's love and goodness as they watched us with the kids!

We sang songs with them and shared briefly about Jesus' love for them, then spent time playing futbol (soccer) and other games. Brijon was completely in her element and spent most of the as afternoon with her arms full of the little children who flocked to her! It was incredible to watch the Lord use her gifts in that place. Linzi also flourished there, overseeing activities with the children and nurturing them as only Mama Linzi can!

Meanwhile, as the reporters finished up, the director came out and expressed genuine gratitude for our desire to help in a place where the need is so great. Joey then spent some time in her office discussing our ministry and future plans to work with her and this orphanage. He was assisted by our friend and translator, Simona Ivanova of the Blaga Vest congregation. We met Simona last year and she has been with us every day to assist with the language barrier but also to serve alongside us in all that we do. We are encouraged by the opportunity for hands-on discipleship in her life as she works with us!

Before leaving the orphanage, we gave the director some supplies we collected in the U.S. for an upcoming trip to the Black Sea that the children will be taking. We brought along almost 20 pairs of brand-new flip-flops, some beach balls and frisbees, and bag full of sunscreen. Pray for God's direction for next year as we consider ways to deepen our relationship here and serve even more effectively.

Finally, we wrapped up the night worshipping with the Elin Pelin congregation in their Friday service. This church, where we began our ministry in Bulgaria many years ago, continues to be a special place of fellowship for our teams. This year, we were blessed by their new worship team with several of their young people singing beautifully accompanied by two guitars and a keyboard. They have a sound system now, but still need some equipment to make it better. When we get home, I will be looking at ways we can help them with that out of our own church's surplus.

Each of our team members was given the opportunity to introduce themselves and share a few words. Then, I shared a message about giving our lives for a cause from the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. Afterward, we prayed together with the church then broke for an evening of fellowship. The church fed us a wonderful traditional Bulgarian meal, with Christina making sure that each of us gained at least 10 pounds before we were allowed to leave the table!

For those of you who know Christina (and trust me, once you've met her you never forget her!), you will be blessed to know that her son, Venci, was recently married to a girl named Christiana. She shared the story with us of his engagement. He had decided that he wanted the Lord to choose his wife and asked for direction. Within a short time, all four members of his family had dreams about him marrying a girl in the church. After more prayer, he proposed to her and she accepted. Turns out, she was interested in marrying him and had a dream over three years earlier about him proposing to her on her birthday. Two years came and went with no birthday proposal, but guess what happened on her birthday this year? On top of that, her parents were also seeking God about the marriage and both of them had dreams about the young couple being married! For those who doubted, the Lord still works in dreams and visions!

Please continue to pray for this church. The battle for the lost hearts and minds of Bulgaria is being waged here, but it is not an easy one. They need our encouragement and support and to know that we are bringing them up before the Lord. God bless you all!

Day at Stolnik

Linzi painting

Today was an awesome kickoff to our trip. We came to serve the Body of Christ here and spent the day at Stolnik, a small Roma (gypsy) village about 20 minutes outside of Sofia. Pastor Niki Vassilev, with his wife Tsveta, leads the church, in addition to another one in nearby Elin Pelin. Niki has a genuine heart for the gypsy people that is rare among the Bulgarians and it has always been a real joy to fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Stolnik.

Bulgarian scaffolding :-)

We showed up today to paint a wall of their church with one of Linzi's now famous murals. She designed a piece with illustrations from various bible stories including: the feeding of the five thousand, water turned into wine, Jesus calming a storm, Calvary and the tomb. The girls also added a section listing more than 30 names for God from scripture, with some help from Pastor Niki's daughters Cali & Viki, and their friend Iva. The girls got about half the painting done, so we are going to be returning early in the morning to finish the painting.

Half of the partially finished mural

Vern Garrett: Grass Grim Reaper

Meanwhile, the guys helped to clear the lot that the church is on. It has a lot of unused space that had become heavily overgrown. Everything is green in Bulgaria and the weeds grow like... well, weeds! The grass was freshly trimmed using an actual scythe, Grim Reaper-style. Vernon gave it a whack, but learned quickly that, while Pastor Niki made it look easy, it only looked that way.

Chopping down a stubborn tree

We raked the grass into piles, then tackled the edge of the property which was covered in dense, thorny vines and unwanted trees. Its amazing what you can accomplish with an axe, two pitchforks, and a scythe with lots of manpower and hearts to serve! We chopped trees down and dragged them away, and covered our arms and legs in nicks and scratches from the thorny vines, but it was all worth it! A good hard days' work serving our Stolnik family. We were blessed to be used by the Lord to bless them and overjoyed to be knee-deep in the work get sent us to do.

Is there a landscaper in the house?

Roy getting some hard work done

Megan with gypsy kids

Brittany with gypsy kids

In the evening, the congregation gathered for their weekly service. The kids stayed outside for games and activities with a lot of our team, along with bible stories read and acted out for them. It was a joy to see our group effectively communicating God's Word even through the language barrier (the Roma children do not generally enjoy the same schooling as the Bulgarians and very few speak any English at all). Watching Brijon, a first-timer, relate the story of Noah and the ark through a translator to those kids was awesome and Brittany, our other first-timer, dived right in as well, helping wherever she was needed.

Brijon babysits everywhere!

Meanwhile, in the church we worshipped together with our Bulgarian and gypsy brethren and then I shared a word from 1 Corinthians 3. The message addressed the difference between carnal and spiritual Christians and looked at the need for growth and maturity in our walks with the Lord. This is often a real challenge in the Roma churches and I hope the message challenged and encouraged our brothers and sisters to a closer, deeper walk with the Lord. After the message, members of the congregation shared several testimonies of God's powerful work in their lives and the church prayed for several needs in the body. When the service ended, our team treated everyone to American-style grilled hot dogs (Bar-S Jumbo) complete with American mustard and ketchup (theirs is very different). We hung out and fellowshipped for an hour or so.

Linda helps with painting

Hey, who gave him a ladder?

 One last cool story to end our day. My first trip here was 4 years ago in 2008. That year at the Black Sea camp, I met a young gypsy kid named Niki. We had a great time at camp and became friends. Then, we visited Stolnik after returning to Sofia and I got to see him again, making sure to take my picture with him. That was the last I saw of him. This is pretty standard with many of the gypsy kids because of the difficult home life they come from. However, tonight I saw this really tall teenager walk in that looked vaguely familiar... Yep, it was Niki! I took another picture in front of the trailer that was their old church with my newly rediscovered friend. God is good!

Four years ago with Niki

Today with Niki

Well, off to bed now. Tomorrow we're up early to finish painting, then we will be spending several hours at an orphanage here in Sofia. Finally, we're going to end our day in Elin Pelin for another church service with Pastor Niki and his congregation before heading off to dinner with some of them. Keep us in prayer and may God challenge you to serve your brothers and sisters wherever they may be in your life.

We're here!

After 34 hours of travel, we have finally arrived and are comfortably set in the flat at the new Blaga Vest church building. Just had dinner which my daughter, Megan, prepared for us and now showers and off to bed.

Tomorrow, we're off to the Roma (gypsy) village of Stolnik where Pastor Niki Vasilev leads a church. We're doing some painting in their building and possible building an outdoor barbecue pit for fellowships. Then, we're hosting a cookout for everyone and staying for their evening service.

Good night everyone! (Лека нощ)

Pastor Chuck and Lynda Join Team

Surprise! Due to the delays in our flight schedule today, Pastor Chuck and Lynda Kelly, our pastor and his wife, were able to join us for the trip after all. It has been a huge blessing to the whole team to have them traveling with us and we look forward to sharing every moment of the trip with them.

Of course, right now we're all just living the airport life, so there's not much excitement. We're riding escalators and elevators all over the place as we dash from terminal to terminal throughout the airport. However, we took some pictures of both of them just so you can all see how well they're doing.

While some members of the team are taking our layover in San Francisco as an opportunity for a quick nap, the Kellys are wide awake and just excited to be here. They were even able to slip away to a coffee shop for a little time to themselves!

Of course, the pastoral responsibilities can't be overlooked either, but between the cell phone and airport phones, they've been able to stay in touch with everyone and keep things flowing smoothly. Modern communications are such a marvel!

We're so glad they decided to come with us and plan to share many more amazing pictures of their journey to Bulgaria with the rest of the team.