The Activities of Today

Today was a good day. It was our first day going out and doing something other than getting groceries or setting up a bank account. We have wandered around the city, getting to know Razgrad, but have not had much scheduled yet. This morning we went to the Police Station to register with them, and we found out the reason for the delay in our visas. My visa paperwork had been sent to the USA and back to Bulgaria THREE TIMES before they figured everything out!  The chief of migration here in Razgrad Municipality did not know that we were coming to Bulgaria from invitation of the Church of the Nazarene, because our paperwork did not say that or something, and he could not find whom to contact on our behalf. Now that we learned that at the police station this morning, it makes sense why it took so long for us to get our visas.  The chief of migration here in Razgrad apologized to us that it took so long to get our visas; it was not his fault, but he still felt sorry. It was good that Pastor Nikolay went with us, because he was able to translate and help us understand what people were saying to us.

After we went to the police, we went to another building where people were working. I did not catch what job they had, but there were four ladies and one man in an office, and we sat and talked with them in English for a bit, and some in Bulgarian, helping each other practice conversation. I showed the man where I live, courtesy of Google Earth, and we looked at Mount Rainier. Then, he showed me some pictures of Razgrad from Google Earth. It was neat to talk with them and share with each other what it is like where we live.  Pastor Nikolay thinks it is a good idea for us (me, Joshua, and Katie) to go talk with those people in the office about once a week or so to have conversation practice with them. They will speak to us in English, and we will speak to them in Bulgarian. All of us will get good practice that way. 

The next place we went was the Municipality building, where the mayor, governor, and other important people work. We visited the director of culture and tourism, who is the right-hand woman to the mayor. She was very friendly and welcoming, and we all got some tourist information on Razgrad. We spoke with this lady about a concert we wish to hold the end of January, bringing in a man from the USA to put on a gospel music workshop. The lady seemed excited to see us, and she wants us to feel welcomed. She also said we may be able to help with volunteering at museums, the library, and other cultural places. I think that would be neat to help out in other places. Pastor Nikolay is excited for the church to have a presence in various places in the city. 

Our next stop was the library. Joshua and I need books for our classes, and we were told it was easier to find the books on the history of Bulgaria here in Bulgaria rather than in the USA, so we thought we would look at the library. It was neat to go to the library, and we got a mini-tour. Joshua and I registered for library cards. I am the first ever American to get a library card in Razgrad! It was exciting. I also made a new friend in the library – I got to pet a cat. 

 

This evening was Bible study at church. It was from about 6-8pm or so. It started with about nine of us, and more people came in. We studied Psalms 100-110. A few times we stopped and sang songs when we came to some verses that had songs written based on them. It was great to read through some Psalms and discuss them (I just listened, but Pastor Nikolay did translate into English for us so we could understand). God reminded me how great and awesome God is. One other thing of note from the Bible study is a cultural thing. It is cold here in Bulgaria, colder than Fall back home in Washington, but not nearly as cold as it will get here. I have been wearing my heavy coat around outside (along with a scarf, gloves, and ear muffs), but inside I only wear one layer – my t-shirt. It is warm enough inside that I am comfortable. So at church, I took off my coat. A few people commented on my short sleeves and asked me if I was cold, and I said no, because I was not. (I was actually sitting with the heater blowing on my back, so I was plenty warm!) But after a while, people in the room got too warm, so they turned the heater off, instead of taking off their coats. When they remembered I was wearing short-sleeves, the man who was leading the Bible study took his jacket and put it around my shoulders so I could be warm. It was a thoughtful gesture, and also made me think of how the culture here may be different. Pastor Nikolay translated for me that people did not want me to get sick because I was cold, and they thought wearing just a short sleeve shirt inside and not a long sleeve shirt would make me too cold. So, that is my little cultural mishap for the day. Tomorrow I will make sure to wear a sweater inside. We will be going to a church in the village of Ossenets to share a meal with them. 

Thank you for your prayers and support! God bless you!