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Kostov Prayer
Letter – December 2006
Dear Friends,
Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ to you. Here are the
reports from our work.
Reports
:: Christmas Youth and Orphan Ministry, Dec. 8-9 ::
We visited the two teams in Plovdiv and their two orphan homes on
Saturday, December 8th. All of us, including the boys and Noah, the
youngest missionaries on our team, traveled to Plovdiv. Yavor and Poli,
from the Vidin team joined us. We had a short Christmas program of two
puppet shows, music and small gifts to hand out. Danny and Matty
ministered to the orphans with a new level of confidence and anointing.
They performed a puppet skit on what it means to be a “King.” Then each
one of them played a popular song on the portable keyboard we brought
along. They’ve been learning the piano lately and wanted to bless the
kids with some music. The time in Plovdiv was also a good connection
with the teams we trained this past year. We encouraged them in planning
and practicing their ministry ideas before they go to the orphanage to
minister. (Please see photos in the links below.)
:: Internet Forum for Youth Workers ::
We started the forum on the web back in March. The internet forum is a
place where people from different towns in Bulgaria, who work with
orphans, join in to discuss important issues about the ministry. Yavor
is the moderator of the discussion. After several tries of different
hosting services for the forum we’ve now moved to a better interface and
hosting service. Internet in Bulgaria is not as ubiquitous as in the US
or other Western countries. It was a challenge to engage the youth
workers in a forum discussing issues of the Christian faith and
missionary work to orphaned youth. But slowly the forum is picking up
speed. We hope that this use of the web will be for a blessing and
encouragement of this missionary work in more towns around the nation.
:: Religious Freedom Website – Issues 8 and 9 ::
Our last issue (October) hit a nerve: violence and drugs in Bulgarian
schools have raised concerns in society. We offered articles on the
homeschooling alternative as the right to freedom of faith of parents
and a solution to the collapsed government school system. We have just
now published the latest issue on chaplaincy (December) in the army and
other institutions. The issue is a hot topic because a friend of ours
who registered the Bulgarian chaplaincy Association was called in to the
Ministry of Justice. He was told that the issue of chaplains is a matter
of “national security” and not just anyone can freely form such
associations. Yet one more example of spiritual oppression going on in
Bulgaria. We have five excellent articles by different Bulgarian
Christian authors who work as chaplains or are theoretically involved in
the subject. So far we have not been harassed in any way by the
government about the Freedom for All web site but the issues we bring up
are surely well-noted.
:: Viktor Participates in a Conference on Religious “Sects” (Nov.
10-12) ::
I was invited to participate in the work of a conference on “New
Religious Movements.” In Bulgaria the dominant religion is Eastern
Orthodoxy which sees all other Christians as sects and heretics by
clergy and lay people alike. This has been changing slightly, however,
as Bulgaria tries to join the European Union. The conference showed two
interesting trends. One “scientist” from the former “Department of
Scientific Atheism”, of the former communist regime, openly stated that
now they are not trying to prove that there is no God but to study
religions and see how they can dialogue with them. This statement was
stunning! These are the same people who were the ideological masterminds
of the campaign against evangelical Christians and other religions
during the time of communism. This scientist had no shame in stating his
affiliation with the past, which shows that the former communist
“scientific” cadres feel comfortable, even among the very people whose
persecution they had previously organized. The second trend, which is
positive, was that the central government is less prone to intervene in
evangelical’s internal affairs. They also recognize that no government
registration is needed so that believers can meet. This is a step
forward since registration was a from of state control over evangelicals
in general.
:: Teresa’s Friendship Women’s Ministry ::
The boys drawing teacher “gospozha” (Mrs.) Maria had to undergo serious
surgery. Teresa had struck up a friendship with Maria and prayed
numerous times for her. Mrs. Maria is greatly touched by the love shown
her by her students and Teresa – they wrote her kind cards they made
themselves and gave her small gifts. Teresa has several female
friendships with non-believers and believers, and her ministry of help
and kindness blesses them tremendously. In the harsh and hostile
relationships of the Bulgarian culture, these acts are a prophetic show
of God’s love.
:: A Good-bye Party with the Saints in Vidin (Dec. 10) ::
Last Sunday we were in Vidin for our orphanage visit and to teach at the
Sunday church gathering. In the afternoon we had a good-bye party since
we are going to be absent for several months. This was such a rewarding
experience for us! The saints were openly sharing how difficult it was
for them to hear the challenges I had given them, by teaching from the
Scriptures or in a personal message or conversation. They shared how
they initially strongly opposed my challenges but that now they are
grateful because they knew that it was God who was actually calling them
to look deeper into their hearts, not me. (For those of you who know me
personally, this confession would make much sense, wouldn’t it?) Yet the
words of thanks and recognition of personal growth in the Lord was the
biggest reward for us and for me personally. These words were not forced
out of these Christians - they spoke freely and honestly as if they did
not really come from an oppressed and oppressive cultural upbringing. As
Teresa put it: “This meeting could have easily been held in America. Yet
these were Bulgarian Christians!” We are glad to be part of this process
for these dear saints in the poor and forgotten town of Vidin. Although
NW Bulgaria is the poorest area in Europe, we saw that these guys were
rich in Jesus Christ and free in His Spirit by making a choice to battle
sin and let God take over their lives. It is indeed a rewarding feeling,
worthwhile the hours of labor and rejection to see people set free by
the Spirit of God. As all said that they’ll miss us, we remain however
with all of them in the spirit.
:: Youth Worker Training Seminars (YWTS) in the first six months of
2007 ::
Our work with chosen teams of (orphanage) youth workers will continue in
the first six months of the next year. We have disbursed small amounts
of support for the two teams in Plovdiv and the one team in Vidin for
this six month period. We hope to gather old and new teams sometime in
2007 for a three-day conference and training yet again. Please, pray
that we find the funds and the new trainees.
Prayer points
Prayer for Biser :: He became a Christian while living in the
Novo Selo orphanage. He started out good but now is struggling with
unclean thoughts and deceit. We advised him to find a job, however he
continues to turn down job offers left and right (6 to date!) and that
prevents God from working in his life. Some of these job offers were
found by the church people in Vidin.
Our trip back to the US :: Traveling mercies for going through
airport security and checks with a small child.
Photo Links
Christmas ministry parties in
Plovdiv and
Novo Selo (the boys
doing the puppet show and playing the piano). We joined forces with two
Christian youth worker teams in Plovidv. In Novo Selo we were the usual
group of people from Vidin.
Thank you again and again for your prayers and for being part of the
Church of Christ that helps us in our work. Have a good Christmas
season, and we are looking forward to seeing some of you in person. God
bless! |