New and Exciting Things

Several exciting things have happened in the last week and a half. I have done some things that I have never done before, and have been learning lots. Read on if you’d like to hear about some of the new things I’ve done recently!

Wednesday

Looking out my bedroom window

Wednesday of last week, February 8, was a snowy day. School here in Razgrad was canceled all of last week because it was so cold, so Joshua, Katie, and I decided to stay home, too. Also, Joshua was feeling sick, so it was better to stay home and keep warm and dry. We changed youth Bible Study to the afternoon instead of the evening, but several of the teens were sick and unable to come. Only Joanna was able to come. We did not have Bible study per se, but Joanna and I had a good conversation about being obedient to God. It was good to talk with each other, learn from each other, and encourage each other.

Thursday
Last week Thursday I needed to get out of the house (instead of just being stuck inside all day because of the snow), so I bundled up and made the trek to the grocery store. (It’s about a fifteen or twenty minute walk to the grocery store I went to. Because Joshua was sick, we did not have language lessons, nor did we go to the church in the afternoon.) We were about out of food at home, so I needed to buy enough food to last us through the weekend until we could go grocery shopping again.

I was shopping by myself, which is not something I usually do. The previous times that I’d gone to the store by myself, I was only getting a few items. This time, I was getting enough items that I needed a shopping cart. To get a shopping cart, you need to put a 50 stotinki coin and a 20 stotinki coin into the cart to unlock it from the others, and the change gets returned to you when you return the cart after shopping. However, I only had two 50 stotinki coins, and no 20 stotinki coin. After standing around a bit wondering what to do, an elderly man walked up to look at the add outside the store, and I was able to ask him for change. He understood what I was asking! It was exciting that I was able to ask in Bulgarian and have him understand.

So, that was the exciting thing at the grocery store last week. Nothing too interesting happened besides that. In the evening, we went to church for Bible study. The doctor came to church to see Joshua, and found out he has bronchitis. He got medicine, and he is now better.

Friday
Friday morning, Pastor Nikolay took us out driving. We went just outside the city limits, then Pastor Nikolay stopped and switched seats with Katie. Neither Katie nor I had ever driven stick shift, so Pastor Nikolay was going to teach us! Katie got to drive for a bit, including learning how to back up in the snow (there was no place to turn around on the road!). After Katie, I got to drive. I had a good time learning how to drive a stick shift. I only killed the car a few times, and remembered to use the clutch after that. Pastor Nikolay taught me how to spin the car around in the snow so I could turn around quickly (in a fun way). It was my first time driving in the snow, ice, and driving stick. I had fun! I even got to drive back into the city and to the church.

After our driving lesson, we went to church and I got to teach a crocheting lesson. I taught Andrei , who is 14, and Joshua, my teammate. We went and bought yarn and crochet hooks before the lesson, so we were all set. I have taught people how to crochet before, but only girls. This was my first time teaching boys how to crochet. They both were patient, and learned well for their first time ever crocheting. I was proud of how they were doing!

Saturday

All bundled up!

On Saturday, I went sledding with some friends. Simon, Lilly, Joanna, Joshua, Katie, and I drove just outside of town, to the village of Stragets, and found a nice hill to climb to go sledding down. It was fun, cold, and snowy. I was wearing six layers (no exaggeration), so I was plenty warm. I only had on one pair of gloves, so my hands got a bit cold, but I had another pair to put on after we were done playing in the snow. It was great to spend time with friends. The snow was deep! Sledding down the hill was fun, but then it was quite a trek to climb back up the hill, in snow that was to my knees or higher. I got a good bit of exercise, and had fun doing it!

Katie holding the puppy

After we played in the snow for a while, we drove back to Razgrad. We saw a man from church walking to his work, so we picked him up and gave him a ride. He was going to feed the puppy they keep there, a little three-month old Rottweiler. It was such a cute, friendly puppy! They were training him to be a guard dog to guard some doves kept there. I got to pet the puppy, and it was my first time getting to pet a dog since I had come to Bulgaria. There are lots of dogs around Razgrad, but I do not pet stray dogs, and I had not pet any dogs that were family pets. It was nice to get to pet a dog again, and play with it for a bit.

Sunday in Razgrad
Sunday was a wonderful day! It was very cold again, but that was no surprise. At church, Katie taught the Sunday School class. We are going through the book “Each One Reach One” and learning about praying for our friends that are unbelievers in order to lead them to Christ. Katie is teaching the first two weeks over one chapter, and then I will teach the next two weeks over the second chapter. It was very cold outside, so we did not expect that many people to come to church. A fair number of people still came, so that was good.

Worshiping God through song

The heat in the sanctuary was not working (or something like that), so for the worship service, we met in the same room where we have Sunday School. This room is small, warm, and has a little coffee bar. It is more of a fellowship room than a Sunday School room, but it worked for our service. I loved the atmosphere, with people all around me. It was like a great big family, all together. The room was quickly transformed with benches all lined up, and the keyboard and guitar brought over from the sanctuary. Our musical accompaniment consisted of an accordion, a keyboard, a guitar, and many voices lifted up together in praise to God. There were no songbooks, and no words on a screen. Pastor Nikolay called out the next phrases of songs, so everyone was able to sing together. It was a wonderful time of worship, and God was present with us. Joshua preached about the power of prayer, and how prayer is prayer of faith, and God spoke through him.

Greeting each other

After the service finished, we went around the room shaking hands with every person in the room, leaving out no one. We greet each other with “Slava na Boga,” which means “glory to God.” It was wonderful to be in God’s presence and feel the Holy Spirit poured out on us. There was also a board meeting after church, and I sat in on it for the first time. I was able to understand some of what was going on. Mostly, though, I think Pastor Nikolay wanted us to sit in on it because Yanita brought some food to share with those in the board meeting. We did not have time to go home and eat a meal before heading to Kubrat, so it was very thoughtful of Yanita to bring food.

Sunday in Kubrat
This week was the Sunday that we go to Kubrat, so we drove up there in the afternoon. We left about thirty minutes earlier than usual because of all the snow on the roads. Katie drove, which was quite exciting! We made it there in one piece, all safe and sound. We even got to see a couple deer lying in the forest. They were very big deer, almost the size of elk.

Kubrat

The service in Kubrat went well. I enjoy going there, sharing smiles, handshakes, and hugs with the people there, and worshipping God with them. A couple came to the church that had not been there in a while, and that was encouraging to see them. After the service, Pastor Nikolay asked who was going to drive back home, and I jokingly replied that I would. However, Pastor Nikolay actually had me drive back to Razgrad! It was an adventure. Only my second time ever driving stick shift (first time was Friday). Only my second time ever driving in the snow and ice (first time was Friday). AND this time, it was dark! The roads back to Razgrad were windy, snowy, up and down hills, and all-together unfamiliar to me. There were also a few deer that ran across the road in front of me. However, we all made it back to Razgrad safe and sound, and I had a good time driving. I like to learn new things! Pastor Nikolay was a patient teacher.

Monday

Snowy day

On Monday, it was warm. When we looked at the thermometer, we realized it was 20 degrees Fahrenheit! Apparently our concept of “warm” has changed after having over three weeks of snow each day, continually covering the ground. Language lessons went well, and we learned a lot from Elena. For one of my NTS classes, I am learning about the history of Bulgaria, and have to interview several Bulgarians about what they view as the darkest and brightest moments in Bulgaria’s history. I was able to interview Elena, which was quite interested. She enjoys history, so it was good to listen to her and learn. I try to take every opportunity I can get to learn, and it pays off. I am continually learning more about Bulgaria. After language lessons, it was snowing on the way home, and continued snowing for the rest of the day. I opted out of going to English Club so I would not have to walk home in the dark, cold, and snow at 9:30 pm, and chose instead to stay at home and crochet. Katie and I went out to get some more yarn, and we enjoyed working on projects.

Tuesday
Tuesday was a wonderful day. I got to skype with my boyfriend in the morning. In the afternoon, I went to church and spent time talking with friends there. Pastor Nikolay was there, and he and Joshua talked for a while about pastors, missionaries, and ministry. It was interesting to listen to. Joshua and Katie went out to dinner for Valentine’s Day, and I stayed at church with the babas, back in their room with them. They were very interested in what I was crocheting, and wanted to give me tips on how to do it better. I was able to talk with them, even with my limited speaking ability. I surprise myself sometimes with how much Bulgarian I am able to understand. God has been helping me learn the language, that is for sure! It was great to sit with the babas and work on projects together. One of the babas was reading, but Baba Stryanka was sitting beside me knitting something, and another elderly church lady was there visiting, working on mending some her coat. It was fun to sit there and talk with them.

Tuesday evening I spent some time calling my family and friends with Skype. (I’d had a free trial, so I was able to call cell phones.) Earlier in the day, I had prayed and asked God to show me how God was working through me, and God answered my prayer! Several people that I talked with told me how much they appreciated me calling them, and how it brightened their day. It was encouraging to me to hear that God is using me. I was also able to call one of my friends in China, which was AMAZING. This friend had been an exchange student at NNU the previous year, and I had not been able to talk to her since the end of the school year in May. It was great to be able to call her and catch up with her, and she was overjoyed to hear from me. It was amazing how God used my friends and family to show me how God is working through me. Knowing and seeing how God has been working through me the past months or years helps me realize that God is continuing to work through me while I am here in Bulgaria, even if I cannot see how right now. If I continue to give my life to God, God will work through me to pour love into the lives of others.

Wednesday
This Wednesday was an average Wednesday. We went grocery shopping, which was fun. We bought some ingredients to make banitsa, which we have not had a chance to make yet. I look forward to making Bulgarian food here at home, and learning to make it for myself. We have been taught how to make it, but hadn’t had opportunity yet to actually make it. This week, we will get to! Wednesday evening was supposed to be Bible study, but only Joanna came again. I think some of the other teens are still sick. If one of them is sick, that takes out a few of them, because they depend on each other for rides. One of the parents picks them up and drops them off. Please pray that in the coming weeks the youth will be able to come for Bible study, and God will open their hearts so they can grow closer to God and learn to live in obedience to Christ.

Thursday

The first vest I've ever crocheted

We had language lessons on Thursday, and I am encouraged by how much I am learning! I am glad we have a teacher who is so willing to answer our questions and help us learn. She give us insight into the culture here, and helps us understand things we’d not realized before. Elena is a good teacher, and we are blessed to have her as our language instructor. Thursday afternoon, I finished my crochet project while at church.  I made a vest, my first one ever! Everyone at church was raving over it, telling me how beautiful it is, how lovely and nice. It was funny, many people who were telling me how beautiful it was were also telling me what I needed to do to fix it, to change it, to make it better. Thursday evening I also go to see my friend Elitsa, whom I had not seen since November 2009! It was such a great surprise to get to see her, and it made me glad to see her and talk with her for a bit.

Friday
Friday I was at church again, spending time with people who stopped by. Some teens stopped by after school, so I got chat with them. I also was able to get a bit of schoolwork done. I had an online class start last week, so I have lots of school now. I am busy with school, but still find time to be involved in ministry. Pray that I am able to manage my schoolwork well, learn lots, and not get overwhelmed. Friday evening we also got to skype with Jessica Morris, our academic mentor, and it was great to get to talk with her.

So, that’s what’s been going on here recently! Lots of exciting things happening! :) How is life going for you? Can you see how God is working through your life? Take some time to ask God to show you, and he may answer your pray!

May God bless you richly!