MISSIONS BLOGS

Dear Heights family, 

It's hard to believe that it is already Saturday! This week has flown by and we only have a couple of days left here in Bulgaria. Today was our day to be with the Sunday school teachers and helpers of the church and help them with their bible lessons. We brought plenty of materials and curriculum for them to use, but we also wanted to have them get a feel for how to create their own. Robbie did a great job helping them choose a passage in Scripture, break it down, come up with fun activities for the kids, and teach them how to make a great lesson every week. The women were very receptive to what we had to say and our hope is that they can take the information they learned and make something great out of it.

After having a long, yet great day, we headed back to George and Laura's house to have a smaller meal. We've eaten so well over the last few days, but we wanted to have at least one lighter meal. His parents came over while we were eating and it was a great time of stories, laughter, and having fun with one another. The other members of the team were very sweet and gave me the painting that one of the ladies gave the team as a thank-you gift/welcome present that will serve as a reminder of my first mission trip. I am so happy and thankful that they gave me this wonderful gift to remember this amazing trip to Bulgaria. It was a fantastic day!

Dear Heights family, 

What a great day this has been! We traveled around Kazanlak and the surrounding areas, sightseeing and soaking up the great culture of Bulgaria. One of the things that we have most loved about this country is that it is absolutely beautiful. The part of the country that we are in has majestic mountains, lush green pastures, and fields of sunflowers and lavender. We traveled to an absolutely gorgeous cathedral, Shipka Memorial Church, where we were able to witness a Eastern Orthodox child baptism. It was so amazing to see not only the architecture and details of the church, but the baptism of the child. After that, we traveled to several different Thracian tombs and learned all about the ancient history of the Thracians. It was so cool!  

One of the highlights of the trip so far was the dinner experience we had this evening. George, Laura, and Beatrice took us to a big, outdoor restaurant in the hills of outside of town. It was a open area with many tables to eat at, displays of Bulgarian history and culture, and a stage for folk dancers to perform. Once we were seated, we were treated to a huge Bulgarian feast full of meat, French fries, bread, vegetables, salads, and deserts. The food was so delicious and we all walked away stuffed to the gills. During dinner, four couples went up to the stage and danced to folk music. After they finished performing, the dancers came around the tables to invite guests to join in. Beatrice joined in and brought Wayne, Cookie, and myself in with her so we can now say that the three of us have danced a traditional Bulgarian folk dance. It was so much fun! Later on, there was a place set aside from the eating area where a woman walked over hot coals. In their ancient customs, walking over hot coals is an omen of good health.

Dear Heights Family, 

It is truly amazing to be a part of something so special as this mission trip. Today was our last day volunteering at the orphanage and it was an emotional one. As we finished all the work outside yesterday, today was all about giving gifts to the kids and the workers and ministering to them. We handed out some of the prayer shawls that we brought to the women and men who work there. You could tell that the shawls meant a lot to them and some of them immediately took them out of the bag and wrapped themselves up. Having the names of the people who made and prayed over the shawls for them was so important to them and one lady was concerned that she didn't have a name on her shawl until we told her who it was from. We brought temporary tattoos for the kids to put on their hands and arms and there were so excited. Many of them wanted two or three and they all had huge smiles on their faces. Robbie also got to tell them the story of Daniel and the lions' den and we all got to sing a couple of songs to them. Both the children and the workers were attentive and appreciative to what we had to say (or sing). It was wonderful!

Later on, we were able to have a relaxing, yet fun night in the church with George and Laura. They are such an amazing couple with great hearts that love God. We could tell that it was important for them to be able to converse with us about church and ministry. Right now, the two of them take on so much of the church's responsibilities each week. Because of this, Robbie counseled with them and gave them advice on how to balance everything and make it engaging, fun, and rewarding for all involved. Our prayer is that they take what we say to heart and that they get some much needed help for a small, but slowing growing church family.

Dear Heights family, 

Our second day in Bulgaria has come and gone! It was a day full of happy spirits and hard work both at the orphanage and at the church. We were a little bit worried this morning because the forecast said that there was at least a 70% chance of rain all day. However, the Lord is good and He answered our prayers. We were able to go to the orphanage in the morning and finish all the paintwork without being interrupted by the weather. All in all, we repainted two basketball hoops, a gazebo, a slide, a swing set, and two four-seat teeter-totters in green, yellow, blue, and red paint. One of the orphans, Martin, loves to paint and he asked to paint with us. He was so happy to be able to paint and do something for himself - it was so amazing to watch. He was very focused when painting and did a great job. Afterwards, he showed his work to anyone who would come see it because he was so proud of the work that he had done. It warmed each and every one of our hearts. Tomorrow, will be our last day at the orphanage and we plan to make the most out of it!

During the Wednesday night service at the church, Robbie shared the Three Circle Method with the congregation. As Evangelicals are a minority in this country, this will be an incredibly helpful tool for them to share the Gospel in a personal and approachable way to the people in their communities. All the members were engaged in the sermon and were clapping, laughing, and listening intently to what was being said. The worship time was amazing. We sang some old hymns and you should have heard all the passionate voices that rose up inn that chapel. It was incredible! Wayne's testimony was wonderful. He got a little chocked up when he was talking and you could tell that the members of the church were moved and were very appreciative about his story. It was a time of sweet, great fellowship and the members welcomed us into their family warmly. After the service, we went to a traditional Bulgarian restaurant to eat and the food was amazing. We will fall asleep tonight with big smiles on our faces, thankful for the wonderful day that God gave us! :)