Mission Trip Report from Linda Chapman

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

(Matthew 5:16)

This year our national partners took us into a town where no Baptist church has been founded. Our Romanian pastor we have worked with for a number of years was very good about thanking the mayor and town authorities prior to the opening of each clinic as they are the ones who give us permission to work in their village. Our Bulgarian partners were very pleased with the connections that were made. 


Our last village was a moderate pace, until the word got out--and then they came in droves! There were many Roma which was encouraging. The Roma are a people group that has created a bad reputation for itself due to poor behavior. But in Romania, many have come to Christ, and churches have been founded that are primarily Roma. I know of several highly dedicated pastors in Romania who are Roma. In Bulgaria, the outreach is relatively new. One year, our national Bulgarian pastor told us that Bulgarians in one town were noticing a difference in the Roma who lived close by, who had been exposed to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. It will be exciting to see how things progress with the Roma throughout Bulgaria in coming years. 

On Wednesday, we met many joyful and appreciative people at the site we traveled to--like the lady in the picture above--who were very appreciative of the services received and the spiritual encouragement given. 


Busyness for me was somewhat sporadic in distributing eyeglasses that day. A very lovely lady came to my station. She showed me some pictures on her phone about a trip she had taken to England. I expressed interest, complimenting her on her trip. She then scrolled to a picture of a sign. She expanded the picture and what appeared was the word "Watchtower." I thought to myself, "Oh brother!" Due to lack of a strong interpreter, I was uncertain if this lady was Jehovah Witness or had simply been exposed to Jehovah Witnesses while in England. As I had a little time to spare, I personally escorted this lady to Evangelism and politely left her in their hands, letting them know about the sign. Later, I learned this lady became highly aggressive and got in the face of the evangelist's very sweet interpreter, almost to the point of screaming. Apparently, there was a local man standing nearby who was lifting up the name of Jesus, too. All this got her upset, and she made it known she worships Jehovah only, not Jesus. She created quite a stir, but left abruptly when the name of Jesus was called on for calm.


It is so sad what non-biblical religions can do to people. It is so sad when people cling to their religion more than they cling to the Bible, God's authoritative Word. Pray that this lady considers the peace she was exposed to prior to her outburst; pray that her heart is not completely hardened.

"If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing."
I Timothy 6:3-4

Evangelism was kept busy. Our national pastor told me of one man who entered the clinic and loudly vocalized a Muslim phrase, making it known who he was. He then came to eyeglasses for assistance. I was unaware he was Muslim throughout my time with him. He was a little difficult to fit with eyeglasses because he had an unusual prescription. However, once a pair of glasses was identified that helped him see clearly, a broad, toothy smile broke out across his face. He was so excited as he let out a strong "Wow!" He went away very happy to Evangelism where he was respectfully exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our national pastor encouraged us with a story from last year. He said one man received eyeglasses from my station and then went to Evangelism. There, he was exposed to the Gospel message and received a tract. He said that man went home, read through the tract with his new glasses, and came to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior. Not only did he receive Christ as his Savior, but his whole family came to faith. Our pastor told us he is a very active member of his church.


This serves as a reminder that we are one team--both American and nationals--that the Lord uses as He wills and in His timing. We may see some come to faith, we may not. But God knows the end results. This past year I have often considered all that God is doing in the world today. I have only a small glimpse of His total work, and it is an honor to do that which He calls us to do.


Numbers are kept for trips to give us an idea of what took place--but only God truly knows. From our time spent in Bulgaria this September, the numbers are as follows:

 

  • 297 Gospel Presentations
  •  81 Professions of Faith
  • 221 Patients examined by doctors
  • 322 Patients examine for eyeglasses

Please pray for our national partners as they are very committed to follow-up from these campaigns. Baptisms take place throughout the year, many from villages our teams have ministered in. Pray for energy to persevere for our national partners and people to continue to be drawn by the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.


As always, if you or anyone you know, has an interest in serving in Romania or Bulgaria, please consider becoming a part of the team by joining a trip or by recruiting others to go. The trips are not posted on the website yet, but they will be sometime in October at e3partners.org. Feel free to contact me by email or phone (903) 521-2314 if you have any questions. The dates for the 2026 trips are as follows:


Romania  July 2-12, 2026
Bulgaria  Sept. 17-27, 2026

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things."
(Romans 10:15)