In October and November 2019, the Lord allowed us to conduct evangelistic services in the cities in Southwestern Bulgaria – Sandanski, Petrich, Gotse Delchev. Here, local authorities provided us with the house of culture.
We were very impressed and encouraged by the testimony of one driver, an ethnic Turk, who brought people from Gotse Delchev to Sandanski, where the service was held. He
first attended the evangelism that we conducted in the House of Culture. He went to one of our sisters, who became a believer, and asked: “Is it possible for me to attend such a service again? I have never heard before what Christians say and preach. They bring peace, goodness, and love to this world. I am touched and shocked by what I see and hear. Next time when such events are held, contact me and I will drive you for free.”
A church from ethnic Turks was formed in this city. The surroundings of Gotse Delchev has 74 settlements where Muslim Bulgarians have lived since the time of the Ottoman Empire and here is not a single Christian church.
Dear sister brothers, we ask you to pray and support the project to build the first church in the area. Also pray for the Christmas events in Turkey, which are planned in various cities of the country! Thank you for your kindness and timely help!
The refugees from Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon were looking forward to meeting with us. Hearing the melodious sounds of violins in an oriental flavor was a cherished dream of many kids, young people, and adults. Meetings were held in various audiences. Including schools, concert halls, garages equipped for prayer houses.
In the services, we felt and experienced the presence of the Spirit of God and saw the Lord doing his saving work in the hearts of wounded people. For the first time in many years of ministry, we saw the results of many sacrifices, labors, and prayers for Lebanon. After the call, many came out to pray. People cried and repented! Others asked for the Lord to give them the will to repent. In Tyre, we held a service in a general education institution. Teenagers and youth enthusiastically listened to our songs and testimonies. The administration invited us to visit them again, promising to gather a large audience of people.
Despite our exhaustion and physical limits, we held up to 6 services a day. The weather was cool and the overnight rooms were poorly heated. Part of our team, the violinists, became sick. Julia, due to her high fever, could not participate in some events.
During the services, people were open to accepting the word of God, asking for prayers about their needs and worries. Most of those present, at the services, are refugees from Syria and Iraq. Tired from the uncertainty of the war, people are drawn to God, opening their hearts to His love.
Speaking with a student at Beirut University, we heard a testimony of God’s mercy and love for these people: “I was a firm Islamist. I knew the Quran well. But through the supernatural intervention of God in my life, I became a Christian and accepted Jesus as my Lord. God changed my life.”
Dear brothers and sisters, continue to pray for the awakening and repentance of the peoples of the Middle East. For many centuries the light of the Gospel did not penetrate into these regions. And today we are witnesses of the grace and mercy of God to these nations. God opened the door to the Gospel for these people, and we must make every effort to use it for the glory of Christ and the salvation of these people.
Jesus said: “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, how they turned white and ripe for the harvest.” John 4:35. People are waiting for good news. Who will go? Who will preach? Who will the Lord send? How can they believe if no one tells them about Christ?
We believe that the Lord entrusted us with this ministry, and we ask us to pray for us. We will have to travel to Iraq, Turkey, and Syria – Damascus. We ask God for the courage to proclaim the Word without fear. Thank you for participating in our needs, for the funds that went towards the tickets. May the Lord richly reward you, because we are accomplishing this ministry together with you! God bless you.
We are back in Iraq again. Before the trip, we experienced worries as like always. We understood that this is an opposition of spiritual forces, because our enemy is not with flesh and blood! But the inner call from God and the affection of the Holy Spirit, to go and preach in these countries, helped us overcome our anxiety.
We served the refugees as well as the locals. At one of our events dedicated to teachers at a higher educational institution, the Minister of Education was attending as well. After the meeting, the Minister invited us to visit Iraq in the spring of 2019 and take part in a national holiday.
People came together with big interest to listen to the western Christian music and the sermon. The service was also attended by medical staff. Men and women filled the auditorium and listened carefully and curiously to every word we said.
Going into the sermons and meetings it was obvious that the people needed some encouraging words, most of them had survived the horrors of war and starvation. Because of this the people were more open to the Word and us.
In the cities, with the help of the army, the peaceful life of the population is preserved. However, in the villages and on the roads, it is very dangerous. Extremists continue to wage local partisan wars in some regions. Through the prayers of God’s people, the Lord protected us. We have seen the gracious hand of God in all. We ran out of money for food expenses in Iraq. And it was not convenient to ask and talk about it, but the Lord arranged that a few brothers, who didn’t know our need, took care of it.
