Remembering Bulgaria

Today I was looking through my old photo albums and came upon pictures from a Missions trip I took to Bulgaria. I'm reminded of words of a friend of mine when I came back from that trip, "I went to Thailand where there is real danger when the Gospel is preached. You went on a vacation." It may not have been a roughing it Missions trip but what I saw there were people in need. I saw children who had very little but who wore such gigantic smiles when they saw a group of Americans who were interested in telling them about Jesus. I saw women who felt worth because we asked them to stand along side us as we taught the children about the wordless bracelet. I saw an elderly woman who wept as I spent several minutes praying with her as I held her in my arms. I saw people in need. And we had what they needed. I saw an opportunity to show love and acceptance to a people who otherwise are discriminated against and put down because of their bad habits. What some of them needed were just to feel like they were worth more - and that there was a future for them that wasn't pick pocketing and robbing

or mothering by the age of 12 and spending their teen years trying to feed their little ones. I saw the opportunity to show Jesus in every village we ministered in. "The sacrifices of God are a borken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:17