Mission Maranatha in Revival
Mission Maranatha, a Bulgarian local mission’s branch of Cup & Cross Ministries continues services at the Black Sea. Close to 100 revival services have been held during the past four months by various team members in the Black Sea towns of Ahtopol, Pomorie, Sinemoretz, Varna, Bourgas, Chernomoretz, Sinemoretz and Varvara. The mission’s attempt to establish a ground for future work in towns with no evangelical church presence has been rendered successful and we trust that the initiated strategy will be brought to completion in 2007.
Mission Maranatha 2001
Excerpts from the testimonies given by Mission Maranatha ministry members, during the annual ministry retreat.
The village of Poliana: “We hold a regular church service in the village. I travel with two to four people approximately 70 km. (45 miles) when we have a car available. When we do not have a car, we take a bus and walk the last three miles to the village. What makes it hard is the fact that because of the financial crises, the busses of the public transportation have certain limits and they are not on a regular schedule.”
The town of Kamenetz: “The mayor of this little town and his wife just recently received Christ. They and two other ladies travel four times a week on their own expenses to the town Yambol where they attend the Bible seminars organized by the local Assemblies of God Church. Although I have recently graduated from the Bulgarian Bible Academy I go along with them to every seminar and support them in their studies.”
The village of Tchukarovo: “This village is at the border with Turkey, approximately 120 km. (45 miles) from Yambol. For the Bulgarian standards, this is very far away (Bulgaria is approximately 450 km. on the long side). There are three military checkpoints through which we pass in order to get there and we need a special permit to travel in this restricted area. Because of the closeness to the border, the population is predominantly Turkish. What makes it even harder to work there is the fact that a great number of underground mafia groups have interests in the area because it is a key point for commercial traveling, There are always kilometric-long lines of eighteen wheelers that are waiting to pass the border both ways.
Last month while having service in the local congregation, our team was disturbed by an armed group of Orthodox nationalistic fundamentals, part of a local gangster cartel. They surrounded the building with their BMW and Mercedes vehicles and ordered us to stop the services and leave. One of them, a representative of the local branch of the Nationalistic Party, threatened to arrest us using the authority of his office. Of course, we refused to obey and continued our service with the Lord protecting us and giving us great strength and wisdom.
After the meeting, one of the men on my team left our team saying that the work had become too challenging for him. Nevertheless, we increased our visits in Tchukarovo to twice a week, and at every second visit we show free of charge the movie Jesus. Last week we were told that the man who initiated the legal and physical action against us was released from his chairman position with a full majority on to independent electoral votes.”
Two new churches were added during the Christmas holidays. The Mission Maranatha team ministers to a total of ten churches in the Yambol area. Their schedule includes almost constant traveling and preaching, as follows:
Monday Total distance traveled: 138 km. (87 miles)
2:00 p.m. Poliana 20-25 people
Tuesday Total distance traveled: 100 km. (60 miles)
2:00 p.m. Kamenetz 20-25 people (plus children’s church)
4:00 p.m. Leyarovo 8-13 people (home church)
Wednesday Total distance traveled: 240 km. (150 miles)
4:00 p.m. Tchukarovo 5-7 people
Thursday Total distance traveled: 122 km. (76 miles)
1:00 p.m. Liulin 10-12 people
4:00 p.m. Bogorovo 10-12 people
Friday Total distance traveled: 138 km. (87 miles)
1:00 p.m. Poliana 20-25 people
Saturday Total distance traveled: 250 km. (156 miles)
9:00 am Borisovo 10-13 people (home church)
12:00 p.m. Saransko 15 people (plus children’s church)
3:00 p.m. Robovo 3-5 people (home church)
6:00 p.m. Tchukarovo 5-7 people (the movie Jesus)
Sunday: Total distance traveled: 140 km. (87 miles)
10:00 a.m. Tchelnik 25 people (Sunday School)
Leyarovo 54 people (Sunday School)
2:00 p.m. Kamentez 20-25 people (children’s church)
Luilin 10-12 people – Double Team Services
6:00 p.m. Tchelnik 25 people (plus children’s church)
Leyarovo 54 people
Mission Maranatha in Yambol, Bulgaria
For the past three years Mission Maranatha has been labouring in seven of the churches in the area of Yambol, Bulgaria. Two of them were started by the Home Mission Team of Life of Christ Church of God United, where we served as the associate pastor in 1996-97. The humble work with the two small congregations has continuously grown to be a network of seven churches; five of the churches are newly founded and two are in villages where there has never been a Protestant church before. This has been possible through the powerful outreach ministries to orphans and widows that has touched both individuals and communities in a time of deep economical, political and social crises in Bulgaria.
Since none of the seven churches has a pastor, the itinerary of the small team of people comprising Mission Maranatha contains a minimum of four weekly trips to different areas. They often hold up to twelve services a week, and are always open for new opportunities for ministry. Their church meetings are always accompanied with miracles and healings, which has drawn many new converts.
Naturally, the magnitude of the work has drawn much opposition as well. It comes predominantly form Eastern Orthodox authorities, who are part of the traditional religious background in Bulgaria. Acting completely against the laws of Bulgaria, a nationalistic political organization, which deliberately opposes Protestantism of any kind condemning them as sectarians, has brought number of threats against the outreach work of the seven churches. The difficulty of the situation calls for our prayers.
Despite the numerous external obstacles and financial difficulties, the work of Mission Maranatha is continuously growing. The members of the team are regularly interviewed by Christian and secular newspapers informing of their work. They are also often asked to speak at seminars and church meetings. Mission Maranatha holds weekly program called Pentecost Today on the local radio station.
This is only a minimum excerpt of the work in Bulgaria. More detailed information will be soon sent to you from Mission Maranatha. Again, thank you for your continuous prayers and gracious support. May the Lord richly bless you.
