X-2008 in the Heart of Bulgaria: A New Level of Ministry

The closing concert for X 2008 began at 2:00 pm on August 10, 2008 and continued non-stop for the next seven hours. Our friends from the Extremum and Face 2 Face Christian bands participated along with the Elley and Ilia Panov worship teams from the Church of God in Sofia. We also invited various speakers among which were Victor Kostov, director of the Center for Religious Freedom, Ivo Shatravosky from the Bulgarian Mission Network, Bobby Krachunov, author of “From Death to Life – an ex-addict tells his story” and Rev. Vassil Petrov, pastor of the Gabrovo Church of God. Our ministry team also spoke at the end of the event and we all prayed until dusk.

Planning for the event was a difficult task. The first obstacle we encounter was with obtaining a permit due to the President of Bulgaria announcing his participation in a special celebration on the Uzana Mountain on the very dates which we had reserved. Secondly, the local mayor issued a letter, which determined that our event could not be allowed due to previously scheduled events in the area. And thirdly, an official police record of our final appeal to the mayor’s office was kept and two days before our event we were called for a meeting with the chief of police. Regardless of all these obstacles, X 2008 was held in the geographical center of Bulgaria, and we are here to testify that when God makes a promise, He intends to keep it.

The power of God was so evident through the hours we spent seeking His heart in the Heart of Bulgaria, that even the policemen, who were sent to secure the perimeter around the event, were touched. A local Church of God pastor spent virtually the whole day in explaining to them what was happening in their hearts. Encouraged by the success of this year’s X Event, our team is already planning for an international youth camp of similar type for the summer of 2009.