Winter is about here! After several weeks of warmer than usual weather, the cold weather has finally come. This morning we woke up to snow on the hills surrounding Razgrad, and a light dusting on the roofs of the houses around us. We just might have a white Christmas! I hope you enjoy reading about the events of my life from the past week or so.
Language Lessons
Last week we began our language lessons. Elena, a lady from church, is our Bulgarian teacher. She has been studying English since she was twelve – rare for someone of her generation! This is her first time teaching Bulgarian, but she is a highly respected English teacher, so she knows how to teach well. She is making sure we pronounce everything correctly. (Something I have been learning is humility – when I don’t know how to say something in Bulgaria, I look like a little child who is barely beginning to speak. I am thankful God is giving me patience and persistence!)
We meet in Elena’s home for language lessons. The first time we went to her home, her son, who is four years old, was there in the living room with us. As Elena was talking to us in English, her son kept repeating the same thing over and over. He was saying, “nonsense! You are all talking nonsense!” He could not understand English at all, and he wondered what in the world we were trying to say. It was cute.
Bulgarian is a beautiful language, I think. I am enjoying learning it so far, but must remember to be patient with myself because I am not learning as fast as I would like. Learning Bulgarian is helping me build relationships with other people, though, because asking others to tell me the correct way to say something opens a conversation. I am glad we have language lessons. Right now we are having language lessons twice a week. Later on, in a month or so, we may switch to once a week, or be finished with formal lessons. We will see how far we have come.
English Club
Two weeks ago Monday was the first time I attended the English Club for teens started by the Peace Corps volunteer, Semah. Last week Monday, I went to go again, but Semah was not there. She had sent a message online saying it was canceled, but a few of us missed the memo. I sat around and chatted with a few girls for a bit until they had to catch the bus home, but another girl, a new visitor that week, stuck around. This girl was Zhivka, a 17 year-old junior in highschool. She wanted to practice her English, and I was interested in talking with her more, so we went to a café to talk as we sipped on hot chocolate.
Zhivka and I had many similar interests – and we talked for two hours! It was wonderful to share with someone my passions, and for her to have similar passions. I told her why I had come to Bulgaria, and how I was following God’s call on my life. She told me about different cultural customs here in Bulgaria. We enjoyed talking about music, and sharing about our similar interests in languages. We had a great time talking, and I look forward to when I see her again! Zhivka invited me to her choir concert this Friday, and I invited her to our Christmas concert at church. It will be neat to connect with her again. God is wonderful the way he arranges things, and I am learning to be obedient to him and listen to his voice. I am glad God gave me a new friend.
This week Monday, the English Club was having a Christmas party. Semah led a white-elephant gift exchange, and we had fun participating in that. The gift exchange was quieter with Bulgarian youth than I have ever seen it before with American youth – there was a lot less “stealing” of presents! We did all enjoy it, and had fun talking with each other as we munched on Christmas goodies. Later on, we sang a few Christmas songs. I am learning “Silent Night” in Bulgarian for the church choir, but at the Christmas party, we sang it in English! A few girls remembered that I was from Seattle, and asked me what it was like there. Their faces fell when they hear it is often rainy in Seattle, but their faces brightened again when I told them about the Space Needle and ferryboat rides. The girls then told me about a place in the mountains near here where they like to hike. At the end of the night, these girls each gave me a big hug goodbye. In Bulgarian culture, hugs are for friends and not for mere acquaintances, so I was honored they each gave me a hug. I look forward to continuing to participate in the English Club and getting to know the teens more.
Afternoons at Church on Tuesdays and Thursdays
We are having good conversations the afternoons we are at church. There are two babas (grandmas) that live in a room off the main room where we sit, and they always come say hi to us. Neither of them speak English, but they are patient with our attempts to speak with them in Bulgarian. I have been able to tell them about my family, and show them pictures. Sometimes we just sit next to each other, just enjoying the company without needing to say anything.
Depending on the day, many people may pass through the church, or stop and stay for a while. There is a computer in the main room of this building, so people come to use that. Other people come to the church during their lunch break. Some people stop by to talk with the babas, or to come in out of the cold. No matter why people are there, we enjoy spending time with them. We have been able to have several conversations with people, even if they are short conversations. I am enjoying being able to share life with these people, and just be with them, even if I cannot speak to them proficiently in Bulgarian.
Church Outreach
I appreciate how Razgrad Church of the Nazarene shows the love of Christ to people not in the church. On Saturday, we went to the village of Zavet, to a home / school for juvenile delinquent boys aged 8-18. Some of these boys were thieves and murders. There at the boys’ home, the children and youth performed the Christmas drama they had been practicing, and the children’s choir sang. Next, those from RazNaz distributed shoeboxes full of gifts to the children. These shoeboxes are from Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. In previous years, I had helped to make shoeboxes, but this was the first time I actually got to hand out shoeboxes. It was neat to see the boys get excited about gifts, even practical things like a new long-sleeve t-shirt or a sweater.
After the drama and the gifts, we all went outside to play. We kicked around a soccer ball for a bit before the boys decided to start a soccer game. At that point, I played Frisbee with some of the younger boys, who were not wanting to play soccer. We had fun playing Frisbee, throwing it, chasing after it, watching the wind carry it to the trees, and laughing as it tumbled from the air to the ground and rolled. One of the boys played Frisbee with me for over an hour and a half straight! I was glad I was able to play with them. At one point, Nikolay asked me, “but how are you able to communicate with them? You don’t speak Bulgarian!” I had been playing with them for a while before he asked me, and I was slightly surprised at his question, because I hadn’t even thought about communication difficulties. God was able to help me understand what the kids were saying, even if I couldn’t translate their exact words.
On our way back to Razgrad from Zavet, I rode on the floor in the back of the car, sitting in the cargo area. Joanna and I both were back there, and we had fun talking with each other. We stopped in a village to visit a man. This man was old, and his wife had died two years prior. We spent a bit of time there, talking with him, and hearing about his farm. He went and showed Joshua his pigs and other animals, and brought back inside a little bunny, less than twenty days old. The bunny was small, soft, and white, and it fell asleep in my hand. I am glad we were able to visit that man; it is always interesting to meet new people!
Village Church
Sunday afternoons we go to village churches. This week was Osenets. Usually, we get there in time for a service to start at four. This week, the Children’s Choir and Drama had another performance, for a kid’s school or something, on Sunday afternoon, and gave out shoebox gifts again, so we were later than usual in getting to the village church. By the time we arrived in Osenets, it was after five, and most people had left already. Instead of having a regular church service, we just sang hymns and talked as we sat in the living room and ate some Bulgarian food. (The church of Osenets meets in a home during the winter, because their church building has no electricity, and is very cold in wintertime.) It seems there is always some sort of food to eat whenever we get together. A good way to connect with someone is to share a meal with them. That evening, I had brought my clarinet, and I enjoyed playing songs. I played along with a few hymns, then played some Christmas songs. Joshua recently (the past week or so) has been learning to play the accordion, and he and I played a duet. Accordions with clarinets are very Bulgarian.
Fun with Friends
Even with how busy we are, we still have time to spend with friends! Last week Wednesday, Joanna (Pastor Nikolay’s daughter) invited us to a concert at her school. Joanna helped plan it and organize it. The concert was to stop aggression in schools. It promoted people getting along with each other through skits, songs, games, and other activities. I met several teens from church and we walked to the concert together. A few of the youth from church were in the orchestra that played a few songs. Others took part in different activities.
Friday night we went to the Razgrad school’s concert. A few girls from church performed. There were many different songs and dances, and it was fun to watch. Many kids performed, and even several groups of teens. I got to see some teens from the English Club. It was neat to see a Bulgarian Christmas concert. Some of the songs were even in English!
This Friday night we will be going to another concert. This concert is the philharmonic and the choir Christmas concert. Zhivka, the girl I met through the English Club, invited me to this concert. Nikolay and Yanita invited me to the concert. The piano lady at church also invited us to this concert. It must be quite the concert, if so many people have invited us to it! I look forward to going. I hope to see my new friend Zhivka there, for she will be part of the choir.
Christmas Plans!
Christmas is a special time of the year. There are so many happenings, and many reasons to be joyous. One reason is family – many people spend Christmas with their family. This year will be the first year I am not celebrating Christmas with my parents and siblings. However, I will be celebrating Christmas with a Bulgarian family! Pastor Nikolay Kolev and his wife Yanita have invited Joshua, Katie, and me to their home to celebrate Christmas with their family. In Bulgaria, the big Christmas celebration is usually on December 24, Christmas Eve, instead of on Christmas Day. It is a great honor that the Kolevs invited us to their home for Christmas Eve.
On Christmas Eve, RazNaz has a big Christmas concert. Many people from outside the church are invited to this event, and the city choir even performs during the concert. The concert will start at 4 pm and will last about two hours. I am singing in the church choir (in Bulgarian), and helping the children sing their Christmas song in English. Also, Dani, a 14 year old from RazNaz, and I are playing a clarinet duet. We will play “What Child is This.”
After the Christmas Eve concert and dinner at the Kolev’s home, it will be time to carol. In Bulgaria, the youth go caroling through the night. They knock on people’s doors and sing to them when the open the door. This lasts until about 4 or 5am, at which point the youth crash on the floor at the home of one of the youth’s parents.
Sunday morning, we will have church service at 10am as usual, but after the service there will be a talent show. The kids have been wanting a talent show, so it will be informal, fun, whoever wants to participate can. Dani has started teaching me a Bulgarian song on the clarinet, so I can play about 10 seconds of a traditional Bulgarian song. (Well, it might be about 5 seconds if I play it up to tempo! It goes quickly.) After the talent show, we will have a potluck, sharing leftover food from the big Christmas Eve feast. Christmas will be a wonderful time, and I look forward to celebrating with my Bulgarian friends.
Prayer Requests
Pray that language lessons continue to go well, and that we have perseverance and encouragement in our learning.
Pray that God continues to be at the center of our relationships. Pray that everyone we come into contact with see God’s love through us.
Pray that the relationships we are forming can be redemptive as we share about how we are following God’s way and living Christlike lives.
Pray that the Christmas concert on December 24th goes well.
Pray for the youth in the English Club. Pray that my relationships with them will continue to build, and that they can see God in me.
Pray that we do not get homesick during Christmas, but can celebrate Christ’s birth with our hearts overflowing from joy.
Pray that we can continue to be a blessing to those around us.
Have a wonderful season celebrating Christ’s birth! Merry Christmas, everyone!
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