2022 in RETROSPECT

Our 20^th anniversary, also marked 20 years since Kathryn first came to Bulgaria and since we ministered there together for the first time. Time flies quickly and 20 years of mission work together has left lots to talk about.

Apart from the pandemic restrictions in Bulgaria and the war on Ukraine, 2022 began with World Missions finalizing the sale of our Central Church Ministry Center in Sofia. This sudden decision closed another 20-year gap since we began building the Center in 2001. As the investment has doubled in the years past, now it will be virtually impossible to turn around and purchase in downtown Sofia another lot (nonetheless a building) of the same size for the ministry of the Bulgarian Church of God.

While waiting to lift pandemic restrictions at the start of 2022, our ministry in Bulgaria was slammed by another major obstacle with the escalating Ukraine war, which began during our trip in Bulgaria in 2014. For Bulgaria, this meant more restrictions and doubling if not tripling the migrant flood in the country within a few short months. Unfortunately, our ministry among them near the Turkish border and now at the Black Sea lacks the building infrastructure and capability to spread to the hundreds of thousands of migrants passing through the country.

With this in mind, on Labor Day weekend starting with the Conference of Bulgarian Churches in North America, we launched our Revival Harvest Campaign just like we have done in the past 20 years. Preaching once again in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and beyond was exciting. We ended up extending the length of the campaign four times, even after we were ready to close it at the end of October. In November, the Lord swiftly opened another door for us to present our new Bulgarian-Spanish New Testament in the Dominican Republic.

We’ve been able to keep our services along with our weekly Bible Broadcasts in Bulgaria. Without a central building, our Fall and Christmas services were held only in local churches. With the current COVID restrictions in play, it is virtually impossible to rent auditoriums for large gatherings as we have done in the past. As soon as the weather there allows it, we will return to open air and camp services for special occasions. The building situation is turning to be of concern and continues prayer focus in the post-pandemic reality. We are also working on several Bible projects in the spring, that will be finalized before the summer in time to aid our work on the Balkans in 2023. Revival must go on!