It began with 3am start from Brentwood Peter meeting his missionary/evangelist colleague Tim Grant at Gatwick Airport. Peter encountered fog as he left home, lane closures at the crossing on the M25. What was even more unexpected was traffic congestion just after 4am approaching the airport immediately he left M23. Tim was calling Peter to find out why he was delayed. They had to rush to the gate just as it was about to close bound for Sofia.
On arrival they collected Tim’s car and made our way to his house just outside Plovidiv. They returned back to Plovdiv itself for an evening with a Church that Tim had been visiting on his regular trips. Tim asked Peter to share with him during a seminar on Evangelism. It was good to see the people’s enthusiasm as we spoke. It was a good evening finishing around 10pm as they headed back to Tim’s house to find our beds to end a very long day.
The next morning we calculate our destination to Shabla on the coastline of North Bulgaria on the Black Sea was around eight hours. We had coffee and a pastry while we filled up with fuel. We decided to stop for lunch after four hours and have a break for a couple hours meeting up with a English missionary Rob Johnson and his wife. Tim has worked with them over a number of years. We enjoyed a great time of fellowship over our favourite plates of Shopska Salad!
We then set off again for our next destination Shabla to join the Tent 100 team led by Sofia Pranczk. It was good to meet up with the team many of them we’ve worked with over the last few years. Then to our final destination to our apartment in Kavarna another 25 miles way were we would stay and travel to the tent each day.
Our first two days were outreach days Tim & I led these days with inspiration talks and prayers with the teams. Stanvea Georgi organised the programme, he immediately separated us to work in different areas. Tim worked with the talented Villy who interpreted for him, he went with a team to a village, were Tim was going to speak in a few days in the open air.
Georgi wanted me to work with him with Mimi as my interpreter, she has amazing talents playing the guitar and singing too. His plan was visit the houses in the roads opposite the tent.
Shouting the Gospel in the streets
This is how we began “ Hello I am Peter from England, I have Good News. can I tell you?” Dear Mimi would shout what Peter said in Bulgaria. We got the signal to come in with a wave. Simple shared the love of Jesus with the first man sitting on the step. We invited him to the tent, he replied I can’t stand or walk. Peter began to put his hands on his knees when he prayed. The man said, my knees have become hot as he stood, Mimi played her guitar and sung to him bringing a big smile to his face. Georgi repeated the invitation to come to the tent.
We walked down the road further using the same pattern. We came to a house with a long garden, the same shout first in English then in Bulgarian. Our team of five were invited to come down the garden. What an amazing welcome we received to sit down around the garden table. Mimi began to play and sing. The lady of the house disappeared bring us a big plate of sliced water melon, then off again to get bread and homemade goats cheese and cups of water.
We sat with them telling quite simply that Jesus loved and cared for them. Then Peter invited Georgi to share his testimony how God had turned his life around. Peter then used the paper tear revealing the cross as Peter shared his testimony. It was so evident that the Holy Spirit was at work, as the the husband, wife and mother made a commitment to follow Jesus. It was so wonderful to see that love, joy and peace come into there whole being they became radiant. We celebrated with them as Mimi sang “Amazing Grace.”
Peter was so excited he wanted to have his picture taken with them, they kept asking can you come back again. This was when Peter got a big surprise when Peter saw the man had only got one leg. Especially as the man kept saying I can really feel God’s love. We wanted to invite them to the tent however the Mum and Wife were going away for a few days.
We promised them we would return and bring a couple who served as missionaries here in Shabla. That lunch time back at the tent it was wonderful to hear the testimonies from Tim and his team and Peter & Georgi’s team of the three people making a commit to follow Jesus. Two ladies in the team had made a pot food for everyone with bread this would be the pattern each day.
The next days we would be in the town square with the team this Tim and I would work together.
Opening night Mimi & Villy led the worship followed by testimonies from members of the Bulgarian team. Tim Grant was the main speaker it was good to see the first people respond to the gospel and one or two get a healing touch on the first night.
