My Letter to Future Goers
“...my cup overflows,” says Psalm 23:5. In the two years of living in Bulgaria, a place that in many ways now feels more familiar than foreign, I have experienced the Lord as my shepherd and the blessing of God’s presence in and through several experiences here. From the beginning, I had a strong sense two years would fly by, but I didn’t expect it to feel simultaneously like a second and a lifetime. A big reason as to why I said yes to being a goer and working in a ministry was because I wanted to build the foundation of my working career on a firm foundation in Christ. I longed for my faith… Read more >>
Easter Traditions
For Christians world-wide, the season of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection is full of meaning and attached traditions. The Church in Bulgaria has no shortage of celebrations, and it has been fascinating to learn about those associated with this season. As an orthodox country, churches in Bulgaria follow the traditional Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, which is the Julian calendar as opposed to the Gregorian calendar. As one who has been exposed to mostly protestant and catholic traditions which follow the latter calendar, this was surprising news because it means that holidays… Read more >>"Who touched my clothes?"
I want to ask you to sit with this chunk of scripture, or read the whole story in Mark 5:21-43… "When she [woman who had been bleeding for 12 years] heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "if I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding against you," his… Read more >>
Building Bridges
After 4 months in Bulgaria, I feel like a 4 to 5-year-old. My language understanding and speech have grown substantially. While very understandable, I of course still have the child-like stutters, mispronunciations, and parrot-reflex of repeating whatever I hear most around me. This stage is full of exploring with greater independence, desiring deeper connections as my abilities catch up, and seeking interactions. Although parts of me still dream and ache for what it would be like to feel “grown-up” in Bulgaria, this phase is FUN and excites me to keep growing! The development of language and… Read more >>