Last week Wednesday we had a great birthday party for Misho. We (Joshua, Katie, and I) enjoy spending time with the teens. We all had fun playing games and talking. (and eating yummy Bulgarian food and a delicious cake made by Andrei, Misho's dad!)It is great that we are building relationships with the youth. I look forward to seeing them everytime we get together!
Thursday we again had a good time at church and at Bible study. I had a Bulgarian Bible alongside my English(/Spanish) Bible, so I was able to compare the translations and learn some new words in Bulgarian. We also had an interesting discussion about the school system here. In some schools, kids stay in the same room for a few years, and the teacher is responsible for decorating the room. The teacher lavishes attention on the kids who have rich parents (because the parents can provide funds for decorating), and they do not focus on the good students at all if they come from a poor family. The kids from RazNaz are good students, but they do not get much attention from their teachers. One of the Psalms in our Bible study had a few lines crying out to God for mercy because of the injustice they were suffering,and that resonated with those on the Bible study.
Saturday was our first Saturday in Razgrad. (The other Saturdays we were at youth conferences.) Jessica Morris, our academic mentor, was in Razgrad for the weekend. She took me out for coffee so we could discuss how things are going for me. We had an enjoyable time. :) I went to church afterwards, and learned how to make Baklava! Andrei showed us how to make it, and then Joshua and I helped make the second batch.
Sunday was the big first-Sunday-of-the-month service. There were many people here. People from the village churches come here to Razgrad for the worship service every first Sunday of the month. It was a service full of music, including a special by Joshua and Katie! How wonderful it is to sing praises to God! I enjoy singing in Bulgarian, knowing that God hears and understands praises in all languages.
At church I also got to catch up with my friend Zhana, who helps develop churches in central Bulgaria. I worked with her when I was in Bulgaria in 2006. She invited us to come to Vidrare for a weekend to see how the church is growing there. Sunday was the Thanksgiving Sunday, too, so we had a big meal. Everyone brought food, and we had a good time fellowshipping. We also had choir practice after the meal. We stayed around talking til 5pm! We were at church a long time. It was a good day. :)
Sunday evening Pastor Nikolay came to our apartment for a meeting. We discussed our practicums, and also got some insights on Bulgarian culture. Nikolay also invited us to his home to celebrate Christmas with his family! We are excited about that. :)
Monday is our day of rest. It is important for us to have a day of rest; Sundays we are busy with ministry the whole day, so Monday is when we rest. This Monday evening I went to an English club for high schoolers led by Semah, a Peace Corps volunteer. She is a Christian. I enjoyed spending time with the teens practicing English. We worked on tongue twisters. :) Galyia, a girl from RazNaz, had invited me. I got to talk with Semah as she walked with me back to my home. She will be a helpful resource for learning more about the culture here.
Yesterday was Saint Nicholas Day! It is a “Name Day” here in Bulgaria, as Nicholas is a common name here. When people join the Orthodox Church, they are given the name of a saint. Also, the Orthodox church here in Razgrad is named after St. Nicholas. Joshua, Katie, and I went to the Orthodox church to observe what was happening. The other times we have been past the Orthodox church, there was no activity. Yesterday, however, the place was swarming with people. Many people came by to light a candle and pray for people they know that have the name Nicholas, or to pray for the church or something. There was lots of activity there. One thing I found unusual in the church was an ornamented and lit Christmas tree, complete with blinking lights! I thought it looked out of place in the Orthodox church. It seemed too modern, too flashy, for the quiet solemnest of the Orthodox church.
After stopping by the Orthodox church, we enjoyed a good afternoon at our church. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we are at church for about four hours just so people can stop by if they like. We enjoy the conversations we have with whoever happens to be there. A man named Abril came by, and we talked with him for a while about cultural differences, both American (he watches American movies), and Bulgarian. It is interesting all that I can learn if I take the time to listen!
One thing Jessica helped us work out when she was here was language lessons. Starting next week, we will have language lessons for an hour and a half every Monday and Thursday morning. Elena, a lady from the church, is a English teacher, and she will be our Bulgarian teacher. Last night we went to her home to make sure we know how to get there. Both Elena and her husband, Swilen, speak good English. At their home, Elena showed us a Bible written in Hebrew and Russian, and that started an interesting conversation on how Bulgarians know Russian. I am glad I can learn about the history of Bulgarian by Bulgarians telling it to me, it makes it much more real that way instead of just learning it from a textbook.
This evening when we were walking to church there were many people gathered in the city center, and there were a few different groups who sang or danced, and even an appearance by Santa Claus! (Or Grandfather Winter, as he is called here.) The celebration was for the lighting of the huge Christmas tree. On the way home from church, we got to see the Christmas tree lit up! It sure is beautiful. There are many decorations; lights in trees, stars, bells, candles, snowmen, and angels. Christmas is coming! The world is waiting in eager anticipation of Christ’s birth.
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