Dear friends,
We sent off The Heights Shoe Team very early this morning. We have had a wonderful week of service and celebration. The team was blessed with mild weather the first few days and then ended the week with a mountain drive to Berkovitsa through a winter wonderland of snow-laden trees!

We were thankful for the visit by John Wills. His early arrival gave us the opportunity to take him to the Berkovitsa area. We were able to share with him our dream for a training/transitional center for previously institutionalized youth. Plus, he was able to visit our beloved children and youth in the home for handicapped there. Before returning to Sofia he was introduced to the church leader in the Roma community of Rakovitsa and toured the church and bathhouse. The construction of these buildings were greatly supported by The Heights. Then it was on to Sofia to worship with believers from many countries in the International Baptist Church where Ruth and Harrold Bryson served so successfully.

Unfortunately, Darrell and Faith Grice had left only a few days earlier. As always, their service here as interim pastor at the International Baptist Church was welcomed and appreciated. They are much loved by the people of that church. It is so good for them to have such great Bible teaching, and also the warmth and welcome the Grice's give so freely.

As usual, the rest of the team arrived in good spirits and ready to work. They visited  11 homes and brought new shoes and lots of joy to hundreds of children. We were scheduled to visit one more home, but it was closed to visitors because of the flu. The team unloaded the truck, carried boxes, distributed shoes, laughed, played, and brought the love of the Lord everywhere they traveled. Of course there were tears, too. It is hard to see such suffering of ware-housed handicapped children or so many beautiful, healthy babies and young children, and to realize that they are growing up in institutions. The abandonment of children is one of the results of the prevalent spiritual darkness of this country.

We were blessed to have Dr. Teo Angelov traveling with the team to distibute Bibles, Children's Bibles, and Bible story books everywhere we went. The Heights team and the wonderful shoes from Buckner opened the door for the Gospel in these homes. Praise the Lord for this opportunity to serve "some of the least of these" and to bring them the Good News. I believe that we all brought this Good News in the Word and in our deeds. We prayed over each of these homes and I know that many prayed for the children as they put the shoes on them.

Thank you for supporting this effort and helping to meet so many needs of the children living in institutions here. We appreciate Jim Abernathy's commitment to serve and lead others to serve in Bulgaria.

May your congregation be blessed because of the ministry of these few.

In Him,
Judy and Paul