Celebrating 30 Years in America
I received my first visa for the United States exactly 30 years ago, after a meeting with Dr. Lovell R. Cary and Bobby G. Ross. My interview was consecutively scheduled for the day before Christmas, December 23, 1993. Because of the short time, it was conducted and approved personally by the head consular at the U.S. Embassy in Sofia. The cost of the visa was $23. I had only $18 in my pocket. If five bucks had ever made a bigger difference in my life…
I landed in New York late one cold, snowy, January night. Being barely 19 at the time (fixing to be 50 now), I had recently watched Home Alone: Lost in New York. Landing over the brightly lit Manhattan was just like in the movie. The feeling was indescribable.
The first person I spoke with on American land was of course the customs officer. Having reviewed my student visa issued for East Coast Bible College, he suddenly went on an endless rant about how bad Bible colleges are, what is done to students in secret, and how they often operate as a cult. Just now, 30 years later, I am making the connection that as a law enforcement officer, he may have been influenced by the recent David Coresh incident. With this sour taste in my mouth, a blizzard outside and too late to catch even the red-eye flight, I somehow managed to book a hotel for the night and flight for the next morning.
I went under the slow falling snow outside the JFK terminal to wait for the hotel shuttle, only to find myself next to a distinguished lady with a long fur coat waiting for her limo – a NY type, as I am reflecting now from the distance of time. She asked if this was my first time in America – must have been that obvious. And when I affirmed, she pulled a dime out of her pocket, placed it in my hand and to my greatest surprise asked if I knew what it says. I had enough Latin under my belt to tell her the meaning of E Pluribus Unum, to which she replied, “Welcome to America! All of us have come here from somewhere.”
And so, my journey began. Having preached multiple times a week in Bulgaria, my heart was burning to share my experience and message as for the first time in my life, I was seeing churches on virtually every corner. Let’s just say that in the mid-90s, most Pentecostal churches in the Bible Belt were not too eager to let in their pulpit a big Bulgarian with thick Balkan accent. Not much has changed to this regard in 30-years of course. But the ones who were willing are still friends to this very day. And though there have been many agendas for my life, I am still here, still preaching. And still planning to continue to do exactly the same. So, help me God!
CONFESSIONS of a Pentecostal Preacher
To Mark Alan
We know not why good people have to die,
but we do know we must tell their story…
Chapter I: Beyond the Church and into God
Be without fear in the face of your enemies.
Be brave and upright that God may love thee.
Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death.
Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong.
That is your oath.
~Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Separation of church from politics of false religiosity
The phone rang heavy and long. It was 4 AM in Bulgaria, but I was already up. A friend on the other end of the line was calling from South Carolina with a warning of some bad situation. The following morning, I was going to be contacted by the Director questioning why we were ministering in churches outside of our denomination.
The truth was we had ministered in some 300 local churches across the Balkan country of Bulgaria crossing all denominational boundaries and gathering youth from just about every confession. God had used us not only to reach and minister and to lead, but to step into an untouched spiritual realm, to undertake an unfamiliar ministry paradigm and to approach a brand new dimension of reality where He was to be the center of it all. And we had obeyed without questions. Now it was time to pay the price!
* * *
Our denomination, the one to which I remain both critically loyal and loyally critical, spreads over some five generations. Through its century old existence, the struggles and tension between theology and praxis has been in the center. And there, in the very essence of Pentecostalism itself, while some are always celebrating and being celebrated in the office or temple, others are always pushed in the periphery of normal life, hidden from the world behind closed doors and seeking a much deeper experience with God.
These modern day mystics are not only forgotten, but often forbidden. For their riot for righteousness cannot be conceived, contained and controlled by the religious norms of organized officiality. They speak as prophets to a world they so fervently try to escape from, about a reality that does not exist in the normal believer’s mindset. A stage of spirituality that cannot be preached without being lived in the social existence. And a relationship of God that goes far beyond common relationism and into God himself. That God, Who does not abide in offices and temples, but on the cross outside of the city walls…
But I knew nothing of this until that cold winter morning when the phone rang through darkness of the night. Knowing what is coming, rarely changes what we have done to get here.
7 Years in Bulgaria: CONFESSIONS of a Pentecostal Preacher
by Dony K. Donev, D.Min.
Upcoming Releases for United States
SIGNS of the LAST DAYS: Revived Roman Empire
SIGNS of the LAST DAYS: Earthquakes, floods, famines and plagues
SIGNS of the LAST DAYS: Spread of Nuclear Weapons
Is Dubai the modern day Babylon?
15 Prophetic Signs of Jesus’ Imminent Return
1. The world’s focus would be on the Middle East.
2. Russia would begin to align with key Muslim nations.
3. Israel would be surrounded by those bent on its annihilation.
4. Anti-Semitism would dramatically escalate.
5. Religious deception would be rampant.
6. Political chaos would increase, and a political star with plausible solutions would rise up.
7. Extreme famines would occur in different parts of the world.
8. There would be wars and rumors of war, especially relative to the Middle East and Israel.
9. Epidemics and pandemics would spread.
10. Earthquakes and natural disasters would escalate in frequency and intensity.
11. Technology would advance in astonishing ways.
12. Terrorism would jump to the forefront.
13. There would be an abnormal emphasis on sex and materialism, and morality would be twisted.
14. Betrayals, multiplying family problems and resistance to God’s messages would be prevalent.
15. A genuine, Holy Spirit-led revival would emerge as a remnant of godly believers focused on the Lord Jesus Christ and His power.
SIGNS of the LAST DAYS: The Mark of the Beast
ACTS 20:24
2023 in RETROSPECT
in 2023 Revival Harvest Campaign extended to 8 weeks alone in TN, and then the Carolinas and Florida. This time, we ended up extending the length of the campaign four times, even after we were ready to close it at the end of November. Finally, in December, the Lord swiftly opened another door for us to present our new Bulgarian-Spanish New Testament in Honduras.
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!
The text of the Bulgarian Bible is printed in the United States. The revision methodology used in the editing of the original text is patented and protected by PCT international patent law and may not be duplicated. Copyright © 1990-2023 by Bibliata.com.
English-Bulgarian New Testament
English Bulgarian New Testament Vol. 1 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)
The Darby Bible was first published in 1890 by John Nelson Darby, an Anglo-Irish Bible teacher associated with the early years of the Plymouth Brethren. Darby also published translations of the Bible in French and German. J. N. Darby’s purpose was, as he states in the preface to his English New Testament, to make a modern translation for the unlearned who have neither access to manuscript texts nor training and knowledge of ancient languages of the Scriptures. Darby’s translation work was not intended to be read aloud. His work was for study and private use. In his own oral ministry he generally used the English KJV Bible.
Nuevo Testamento Español-Búlgaro
Nuevo Testamento Español-Búlgaro Vol. 2 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)
The translation has been made directly from the standard Nestle-Aland Greek text. Its purpose is to be a faithful translation of its original meaning, without difficult or confusing terms. The style has been translated into contemporary English and Spanish, avoiding the use of slang or colloquial words, thus speaking to our modern society in a way that everyone can understand.
Neue Testament Deutsch-Bulgarisch
Neue Testament Deutsch-Bulgarisch Vol. 3 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)
The Luther Bible is a German language Bible translation from Hebrew and ancient Greek by Martin Luther, of which the New Testament was published in 1522 and the complete Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments and Apocrypha, in 1534. The language was updated in 1912.
This Bible is in the public domain in the United States. We are making it available in the same format in which we acquired it as a public service.
Nouveau Testament Français-Bulgare
Nouveau Testament Français-Bulgare Vol. 4 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)
The LSG was published in 1910 as the classic French equivalent of the English King James Version. Louis Segond French Bible – (October 3, 1810 – June 18, 1885), was a Swiss theologian who translated the Bible into French from the original texts in Hebrew and Greek. He was born in Plainpalais, near Geneva. After studying theology in Geneva, Strasbourg and Bonn, he was pastor of the Geneva National Church in Chêne-Bougeries, then from 1872, Professor of Old Testament in Geneva. The translation of the Old Testament, commissioned by the Vénérable Compagnie des Pasteurs de Genève, was published in two volumes in 1871 (Meusel has 1874 as the publication date), followed by the New Testament, translated as a private venture, in 1880. The text was then reviewed by experts. The result is the 1910 revision that is now freely available on Internet.
Nuovo Testamento Italiano-Bulgaro
Nuovo Testamento Italiano-Bulgaro Vol. 5 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)
An Italian translation of the Holy Bible according to the Roman Catholic canon, based on the original texts and meant to be typical for use in liturgy, approved by the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops and published in 2008. The previous 1974 edition is taken into account, but it is often corrected, while trying to reflect recent advances in Biblical exegesis, and to respect the literary style of different Biblical authors. The Book of Esther offers two parallel translations (second translation is offered in module CEI2008-2), based on the Greek text and on the Hebrew text.
For Christmas, Bulgaria dismantled a Soviet monument
SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgaria on Wednesday began dismantling a monument to the army of the Soviet Union that dominated the skyline of the capital, Sofia, for nearly 70 years and was widely seen as a symbol of Russia’s influence in the Balkan country.
The monument was erected in 1954 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Soviet forces entering Bulgaria, which had been allied with Nazi Germany in World War II. Their arrival in 1944 marked the beginning of 45 years of hardline Communist rule.
Following the collapse of communism in 1989, the local council in Sofia voted to remove the monument, but successive governments shied away from taking the final step.
On Wednesday, following years of heated debate, workers began to dismantle the 45-meter-high (147-foot) installation, removing the figures at the top, which showed a Soviet soldier holding an automatic rifle, a woman with her child, and a worker.
Vyara Todeva, regional governor of Sofia, said that for 70 years the monument was never restored and serious cracks had appeared in the figures.
It will take at least a month to dismantle the whole monument, she said, and the figures will likely be taken to the Museum of Socialist Art in Sofia.
In recent years, the monument has become a focal point of the deep divisions between pro-Russian and pro-Western groups in Bulgaria’s society. It has often been covered with paint by unknown artists, lately with the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag.
A heavy police presence was dispatched to secure the area around the monument and to prevent possible clashes between those in favor and those opposed to its removal.
The Socialists and other pro-Moscow groups in Parliament who fiercely oppose the monument’s removal said they would seek to organize a referendum on its fate. They said “similar anti-fascist monuments are standing untouched in many European cities”.
They received strong backing from Moscow, where the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the dismantling would worsen relations with Bulgaria.
Looking Over the Wall: A Psychological Exploration of Communist and Post Communist Bulgaria
Looking Over the Wall: A Psychological Exploration of Communist and Post Communist Bulgaria
This book is the result of over a decade of research and personal experiences of living in Bulgaria for the past seven years. It embodies documents, articles, personal interviews and essays dealing with psychological explorations of communist and post communist Bulgaria. Along with a historical overview of Bulgaria, the author presents the development of psychotherapy throughout the country and addresses future concerns for the state of counseling within a post communist context. Furthermore, the author examines the Pentecostal experience of the Bulgarian evangelical believer drawing on a paper presented at the 36th annual Society of Pentecostal Studies Conference. As well included is original research which develops a theoretical account of the sequences of internal motivation in addition to student survey results regarding counseling practices from the first Master’s in Chaplaincy Ministry Program in Europe at the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute.
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