Bulgaria 2012

Many of you were praying for us as we spent a week in Bulgaria at the end of September helping to lead worship for a week-long enrichment conference for ABWE missionaries from central & eastern Europe.  Thanks so much for your prayers - There were so many details of the trip that we knew were direct answers to specific prayers.  As we have struggled with on previous trips, it's hard to put into words what we experienced and what God taught us through this opportunity.  I can definitely say we came away extremely blessed & encouraged by so many different missionary families serving faithfully - many of them by themselves in their specific country.  We came away challenged by their  dedication and commitment to our Savior.  We also came away reminded anew of the sovereignty of our great God - specifically through one of the songs we sang, but also through various circumstances.    We are changed people. . . Thanks for praying us through this!

Scott & Colleen Christie and Luke & Lacey Rumley joined us as part of this team.

 Leading worship for one of the sessions.

 We thoroughly enjoyed many different opportunities to interact with the missionaries.  One of the mornings all the ladies were invited to the beach to listen to one of the female missionaries share.  What a privilege to enjoy the Black Sea with so many Godly ladies!

 Many different meals were spent talking with missionary families.  Here we are as a team with one of the missionary families that our church supports - the Postema family.

 In the mornings we gathered with the missionaries in groups for prayer.

 The missionary kids were able to enjoy their own program for the week.  Zachary had the privilege of joining in with them.

Interacting with the teenage missionary kids was also a highlight for the week.  We were able to accompany them on a boat trip one of the afternoons.  As part of that boat trip we did a bit of fishing and also had the chance to jump off the yacht into the Black Sea - Yes, that's Craig with some guy friends in the first picture and then me with Lacey in the next picture!

Thanks again for your prayers. . . .We are grateful to our sovereign God for how He has orchestrated the events of our lives in such a way to allow us the privilege of ministering with these missionaries in Greece in 2010 and then again in Bulgaria this year.  We are walking away with a different outlook on missions and trust God will continue to use these experiences to mold us more into the image of Jesus Christ!