Thankful for Everything in 2011
What a year we have had! Started with the winter in Cleveland, which blocked us with snow for three days. We are used to the snow in Bulgaria, but who would’ve expected the South to freeze over.
Then, in the spring we had a Tornado season for the first time in Tennessee. Our place was damaged by wind and water and both of our vehicles totaled. Our Volvo was smashed under then a 50-foot tree only a few miles short of the 300,000 mile record. All this happening right before our leaving for Bulgaria.
But we have to do what God wants us to do, and a week after the storm we were on our way to Bulgaria via London, where we preached the first ever conference for Bulgarian churches in Western Europe with a dozen congregations in attendance.
Returning to Bulgaria in the beginning of the summer, we held our annual youth camp in the mountains and shortly afterwards taught the final module of the masters’ chaplaincy program, which we began several years ago. We then celebrated 15 years of ministry on the internet, while preaching among churches and friends of some 100 congregations in Bulgaria.
We were able to continue with our vision for ministry among the Bulgarian youth on 11.11.11 at the Bulgarian Church in Chicago, and then were invited to guest lecture on the political situation in Eastern Europe at the University of Nebraska.
As God has seen us through the snowy storms, furious tornados, scorching summer, several earthquakes and a tropical rain fall, while traveling and ministering around the globe before returning back to the United States, we are truly thankful for the opportunity to preach the Gospel. Thank you all for your prayers and support!
Lesson learned in 2011: You will never know God, as the Lord of the storms, until you walk with Him through the storms in your life! For Jesus said: “Let’s go over to the other side…” (Luke 8:22)
Thankful the Wall Came Down
November 10, 2009 marked the 20 year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which became a milestone to the fall of the communist regime in Eastern Europe. For those living under the regime, it was more than just a historical date of a physical structure falling. For those being persecuted for their faith, it was a spiritual wall of bondage that fell that day.
The fall of communism meant no longer having to be underground, no longer having to hide your faith, and no longer having to be in fear. Today, 20 years latter in this month of Thanksgiving, we are thankful to be able to live in a democratic Bulgaria where we can freely thank the Lord for His many blessings. We are thankful for church prayer meetings now being an open practice and the church being free to communicate with our Heavenly Father; for without communication there is no unification. In unity with Christ, we are stronger than any oppressive spirit.
We are thankful that we are unified with Christ under His hand of protection, in order that we may live out our purpose in life that we learn through Him. We find our direction through His Word and this Word brings freedom within and about us. We are thankful for this freedom in which we find purpose. With this purpose we find hope and with this hope we are able to fulfill the Heaving calling on our lives.
Happy Thanksgiving 2009 from all of us at Cup and Cross Ministries International in Bulgaria
