Pastor Travis and a Trip to Bulgaria with Team 748
September 23, 2023 update:
Founded in 681 A.D., Bulgaria is one of the oldest countries in Europe. After years of communist rule, it gained freedom in 1990 and joined the European Union in 2007. There’s an enormous opportunity to come alongside church leaders to serve and empower vulnerable communities in Bulgaria.
In various places around the country, there are historical buildings dating back not only to the Soviet era (there are many of these buildings) but to the Roman Empire. It’s a fascinating place!
Convoy of Hope has been engaged in the country for many years, helping through community events, refugee work, and more. In recent times, we’ve started (and are starting more) Children’s Feeding Initiative feeding programs, Women’s Empowerment groups, agricultural initiatives, and more.
For many years, Convoy of Hope has worked with Pastor Hristo in the seaside town of Nessebar. It’s along the Black Sea and is in an area known for tourism in the summer. It’s a beautiful community.
There, Pastor Hristo pastors a Pentecostal Union Church (the A/G relationship in Bulgaria) of about 120 people. He has a huge vision for the underprivileged in the community and is working through his own church, and about 10 others in the area that he’s helped plant. Plans are still coming together, but our hope is that you can serve alongside Pastor Hriston in this town.
Here is a quick overview of how we believe your team can serve most strategically:
- Flexibility is important! Plans will solidify more as the trip gets closer, but this is our first year for Field Teams in Bulgaria and there no doubt will be some opportunities for flexibility 🙂
- This is a relational culture! Spending time with people, learning from them, sharing with them, building relationships, and more, will be an important part of your time in Bulgaria.
- Pastor has a vision for a new playground adjacent to the church in an area surrounded by children who often are playing in the street. The nearest playground is very far away and it’s a place that he along with city leaders believe would be a great location for a playground. Some of the work will be done prior to your arrival, but we hope that once of the ways your team will serve is through helping with this…specifically with a fence around the playground that can help keep people safe and the playground in better shape. This will not be the only focus of your time in Bulgaria…and some of this will depend on how much will get done this spring/summer. I’ll note that this will be a huge part of them helping start Women’s Empowerment out of the church…the kids will have a place to play as the moms learn. Here’s a greeting from Pastor Hristo and the team in the place of the playground:
- The church is serving Ukrainian refugees…about 36 refugees are currently a part of their ministry. Pastor is hoping you can help with a time of food distribution and more with these refugees.
- There is a Roma (often called gypsy) community close to the church where there is a church plant and an after-school program. Pastor is hoping we can be a part of serving the children in this place…it’s part of the Convoy of Hope Children’s Feeding Initiative. Here’s a photo of the children in the Roma after-school program.
Here’s Pastor Hristo and Pastor Angel
- There is a refugee center between Sofia (the capital) and Nessebar. There will be an opportunity to help with a food distribution or some other help in this place. Here’s a brief video overview of this opportunity:
- Along with these things, there will be opportunities to pray with people, encourage them, build relationships with them, and more.
Again, plans are still coming together, but it seems like there’s a good fit for you and the people from your church.
We will post housing and transportation information in the future.
As a touristy town, there are plenty of hotels, restaurants, etc. The city’s will “close” just before your departure, which means it won’t be so busy and there is an opportunity to do this kind of work (no construction of any kind is allowed during “tourist season”. Your trip is at a good time.
Here’s the outline of a schedule for our time together:
Tuesday, November 7
Arrival: 6:05 p.m.
Check into Best Western Hotel/Sofia Airport
Go to dinner in a close Bulgarian restaurant, and hear from Matt and Pastor Vesko
Wednesday, November 8
7:30 departure from Sofia
10:00 a.m. Loading of food/etc. products for Harmanli Refugee Camp from LIDL Haskovo (a store) and transport to Harmanli
until 3 p.m. packaging of products
Accommodation in a Hotel in Haskovo
7 p.m. Dinner at hotel or a local restaurant and conversation with pastor Hristo about the vision in Nessebar
Thursday, November 9
9 a.m. departure from the hotel in Haskovo for Harmanli
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – distribution
2-3 p.m. lunch in Harmanli or on the way to Nessebar
5:30 p.m. – check-in at the hotel in Nessebar
6:30 p.m. – service in the church in Nessebar
20:30 dinner at Flora, a nearby Bulgarian restaurant
Friday, November 10
7 a.m. Matt/Vesko/Hristo and all interested team members go to Metro (like a Sam’s or Costco in Burgas-30 minutes away) for Ukrainian refugee – food/supplies
10 a.m. Some pack food bags at church, others work on the playground fence
1 p.m. Lunch in Stariya Nessebar,
2 p.m.Walk through Old Nessebar/shop/etc.
6 p.m. Church, Connect and pray with Ukrainian refugees
7 p.m. Dinner with Ukrainian refugees
Saturday, November 11 – CFI (Children’s Feeding Initiative)- In a Roma community called Sredets, about 60 minutes from Nessebar. Convoy of Hope is working with the local church to feed 80 children.
9am Shop on the metro to Sredets //possibly some work on the fence if not finished
12:00 in Sredets
2 p.m. lunch
4:30 – packing of food in the church in Sredets
6 p.m. Meeting with the church and distribution of packages
9:00 dinner in Sozopol, a beautiful old town with a view of the sea
Sunday, November 12
Church in Nessebar
Lunch
Driving to Sofia
Visiting sites in Sofia/Dinner in a nice place
Sleep at the Best Western near the airport
Monday, November 13
Transfer from Best Western to airport for 6:50am flight
