One week to go...

Yesterday marked one week out for my trip to Bulgaria and Romania. Things really started to fall into place this week, and I'm getting excited. It always seems like our trips will never get scheduled in time, but God always shows Himself faithful in the end. We travel to Bulgaria first and will spend time in Sofia, the capital, and Plovdiv, the second largest city. We have confirmed that we will have several meetings in both cities with pastors and various lay leaders to share our vision and seek their input as to what they feel the Lord is doing in Eastern Europe. On Sunday, we'll bring the morning message at a large church in Sofia. Also, we have the opportunity to be on two Bulgarian TV shows in Plovdiv! These shows are more "cultural and spiritual" in nature as dedicated Christian television is unheard of in Bulgaria, but it will be a fantastic chance for us to share our hearts to a large audience. Isn't it interesting what God makes available to us? If you remember our trip last year to Romania and the brief interview we had with a local TV reporter, the people we come across can be quite surprised at our message! Bulgaria has one of the oldest cultures in Europe, and Sofia is older than Athens, Rome, and Constantinople (now Istanbul). It was the center of the Thracian and a portion of the Macedonian empires long ago. The Cyrillic alphabet (those funny Russian letters) was invented in Bulgaria by a monk named, oddly enough, Cyril. All of this will make for a fascinating journey, and God is throwing wide open many doors.

After Bulgaria, we make our way onward to Bucharest and then the rural mountains of Romania. As I said before, our first target in Romania is a youth camp where we will teach on the basics of a Biblical worldview. From there, who knows?! We are still trying to line up the remainder of our week and chase down the various opportunities that have opened to us. This time two weeks ago, we had invitations to return to Romania but no real confirmations beyond the first two days. Now, we have offers and opportunities from all over the country, and we're just trying to sort through and pray for God to direct us toward the most effective ministry points. Our time is limited, and it takes twice as long to travel distances in Romania as it would back home. Please pray that we are targeted and effective in our time.

Of course, there is always prayer needed for various things. Please pray for the protection of my family while I am gone. Also, our team is still somewhat short financially for the trip, though my support has come through almost completely (thank you!!). One thing in particular that I would ask prayer for is for my heart and growth during this trip. This is my third trip in this ministry now, and I remain as excited as ever about it. However, I want to be sure that I continue to grow in what God has for me to do. Please pray for a fresh word for me to share with these people, for increased effectiveness, and that I not go as simply "a well-intentioned tourist." I want to learn/impart whatever it is God has for me this time around, and I would covet your prayers for a deeper walk with Him within the context of this ministry.

Thank you so much for your support, prayers, and words of encouragement. We leave Friday, July 21, at 3:45pm, and I will carry you all with me! More to come...