Mission Trip Report from Linda Chapman
If am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me will never be thirsty."
(John 6:35)
I struggle with where to begin this update on our trip into Bulgaria. The end was astounding and humbling in all that we learned from our national partners. They expressed to us the fascination and appreciation of the people we have served and the village mayors towards our teams. Bulgaria is a country that has mostly been ignored when it comes to ministry from the outside. The people have been so impressed that Americans are coming to serve them. They are grappling with the reality of what they are experiencing. We were told that mayors in surrounding villages are clamoring over our teams, wanting us to come to their village next. We were even told that politicians are aware of our presence and are thankful for the work being done.
But the local ministry is hindered by poverty. Oftentimes, people go to Germany and other countries to obtain jobs. They save money for a year or two, then return home. One example is the wife of a young 37 year old missionary who worked passionately with children. He died after a brief battle with liver cancer this past July. His surviving wife left to Germany for a job to help support her family. However, she had to leave behind her four-year-old girl they had adopted as she cannot be taken out of country. The mother's family is taking care of the young girl while her mother is away. Such sad stories.
Our national partners also recently lost support from an outside organization which has further burdened them. They are currently considering a project whereby they can make a little money to help sustain the ministry. Tithing is being taught, but the people make so little, little is collected. People truly struggle simply sustaining their families.
Our group has been taken to several villages that contain Muslims. Bulgaria borders Turkey on the north, so a lot of Muslims settle in Bulgaria. However, they do not wear typical Muslim clothing, and as they are simply born Muslims, many have limited knowledge about Islam, as well as Christianity. But they are curious. I met with this man in eyeglasses who was very pleasant. His name is Mohammed. I asked if he worshipped at a mosque in the village and he said they do not have a mosque, so if he goes, he travels to a larger town. I welcomed him and sent him to evangelism after he was fitted for eyeglasses. The evangelist who met with him said he prayed to receive Jesus. However, he correctly said no one can be sure if people are serious. This man, however, I think was. I think this because he was Muslim. I don't think any Muslim would pray to accept Jesus as Lord over Allah. Keep him and the Islamic community in Bulgaria in your prayers for openness to the Gospel message; that they have not only a curiosity, but a desire to fill this spiritual whole in their lives.
This is a typical village church, often constructed of pre-fab materials. This church has had a major influence on the village it is in, which has prompted them to build a larger pre-fab building. Their goal is to use this smaller pre-fab for children only. Our teams have typically attended this church on Sunday evenings. We can't on Sunday mornings because there is not enough room to host us.
Money was donated to assist this church in their goal, but a hang-up occurred with the need for water at the facility. I was disappointed to see no construction had begun until I learned the back-story. They have been working with the city to receive permission to tie into a water system that is not too far from their property, slightly up a hill. This well has been capped off, inactive in their area. Because the church has pursued approval to tie-in, the village is allowing housing in this area to tie-in as well. Villagers are highly appreciative of the church for pursuing this permission. We were told once the tie-in starts, it will not take long to complete. The city has been promising to accomplish this project for several months, but they have simply been delaying for various reasons. As I thought about this, it reminded me that our God knows the end from the beginning and all things in between. He knew of this need and how approval would affect the people in the surrounding area. The church's standing in the community is extremely positive, all contributing to potential growth.
Our teams are aware that our translators may not have trusted their lives to Christ. This year, we had two translators pray to trust in Jesus after translating the Gospel message over and over. They thought, they considered, and they received. The visible numbers we record from this trip are as follows:
203 Patients seen by doctors (not including children)
280 Patients seen by eyeglasses
341 Glasses given out
197 People who visited Evangelism
104 People prayed to receive Christ (53%)
Considering all that our national partners shared with us, and the experience we had, the verse that stands out in my mind concerning Bulgaria is the following:
"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."
(Matthew 9:37)
Our translators and all who received Christ, had to hear first. Not only did they hear the Gospel, they saw the love of Christ on display. If you or anyone you know has a desire to participate in this very receptive and appreciative field, please feel free to contact me for any additional information or questions. The dates for next year's trip are September 16-26, 2027.
