Mission Bulgaria Week 14

Week 14 – November 17-24, 2001 – Sofia, BULGARIA

TRAVEL: I had to take a trip to my hometown Yambol this week to check on the ministry of the mission team there and to renew my driver’s license. As I had reported in my previous email the ten churches in the Yambol region are well taken care of by the team who travels almost daily to different destinations to hold regular services. In the village of Polyana we have an opportunity to buy the building, which the church rents for their meetings. The price will be about $900.

TESTIMONY: On the way back to Sofia on Friday, we stopped at a town called Sliven nearby Yambol. As mother and I walked in the street a lady in her mid 40s stopped us and asked if we recognized her. I did not, but mother did and even remembered her name, Maria. Maria attended the church in Yambol a few years ago when I served as an associate pastor there. She had a large tumor-like mass in her back and the doctors urged her to let them operate. In one on the services, she said, I prayed for her and the Lord healed her. As she went back to the doctors a few weeks later, they could not find even a trace of a tumor or cancer formation. Unfortunately, I do not remember any of this, but I still give God the glory for all He has done.

WEATHER: As we got to Sofia we were surprised by the snow, which had covered the ground everywhere. By the end of the evening many towns and villages in South Bulgaria suffered power cuts caused by the snowfall, sources from Civil Protection reported. Among the worst hit municipalities are Asenovgrad, Pakovski, Haskovo, Smolyan, Dimitrovgrad. The normal traffic between Sunny Beach resort and Obzor was restored, but the road between Varna and Burgas is still closed. Sofia Airport reported that all planes are arriving and departing as scheduled. The streets and thoroughfares in Sofia are clean and passable.

CHURCH: The Council of Elders is meeting this coming Friday and Saturday. We expect about 500 pastors and ministers from the country to attend. I will give each of them a set of the 9 Sunday School lessons written so far. This means that about 4,500 more lessons will be given freely and will go toward the Bible and doctrinal education of the 380 local congregations of the Bulgaria Church of God. The lessons in each church will be multiplied according to the needs of the local congregation, which will increase their number in a geometric progression. I feel blessed to be abele to invest in this project.