Chicago to Bulgaria . . .

It’s been a summer of suitcases and heat. I’m in southern California now – outside of LA in Lancaster where my sister Sarah and her husband Casey live. She and I went running this morning and I could feel dryness plastering the insides of my nose. And I felt severely out of shape . . . I got back from Chicago late Thursday night and left on a road-trip to LA Friday evening with my sister Rachel – on the trek back to college.

Chicago connects with Bulgaria . . . a bit of background:

My friend Tausha, who I met through the grad program at Northwest, is director of the American English Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria – where she’s been teaching for the last seven years and has become intimately acquainted with the founders of the school, Frank and Ruth Munsey.

Frank and Ruth Munsey have spent their lives building God’s Kingdom. Mr. Munsey celebrated his 69th birthday last week – and has a lot to celebrate. He and his wife planted a church in Indiana about 45 minutes outside of Chicago years and years ago. After “retiring” from pasturing, the two moved to Bulgaria 18 years ago. Now, the church they originally planted in Indiana is pastured by their son and his wife. Additionally, there three other children are pastors in LA and Seattle – and their grandson planted a church in downtown Chicago two years ago. The heritage of those who serve the Lord . . .

So, Frank and Ruth were missionaries in Bulgaria sent by UPC (something Pentecostal) – and the school that they opened happened almost by accident. Ruth began teaching some of the local missionary kids in her kitchen. Other missionaries found out about it, and began sending their kids to her. Eventually, the two opened a school – American English Academy – which is now a private international school located in Sofia, Bulgaria. Students from many different nationalities (and religions) now attend the school – about 160 total. The irony is that a few missionaries recently pulled their children out of the school because they realized that Muslim and Jewish children attend the school. (And I thought to myself, “Missionary families are afraid of allowing their children to interact with non-Christians?”) Anyway, the school is economically sustainable and has become a platform for different types of ministry to sprout out of – for example, they are currently working on a project to de-institutionalize orphanages in Bulgaria – and they provide education for the orphans at a local orphanage.

Last week, their grandson Kent who planted the church in downtown Chicago held a conference at his church – he brought in Nic and Kristine Kaine from Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. As it happens, this is the same couple that founded the A21 anti-trafficking organization in Thessaloniki, Greece which I visited this summer – and they are wanting to start a partnership with the school in Bulgaria in order to have a long-term restoration center and provide education for victims rescued from trafficking. So, my friend Tausha convinced the Munsey’s to fly me out to Chicago for the meetings concerning the collaboration of these organizations . . .

And now, as it turns out, they are asking me to join them this coming summer in Sofia. They want me to teach at the school and help to develop some kind of educational curriculum for formerly trafficked women. Further, there are women who work on the streets of Sofia – I’ve seen them with my own eyes. And there are no organizations there reaching out to them or serving them incarnationally to share with them the redemption of Jesus. So, they are hoping that I can help them to develop an outreach similar to that of New Horizons and Nea Zoi – where a group of us can meet with these women on the streets and intersect their lives in a way that will prove transformational as they encounter the living Christ. Obviously, ministry would sprout out of that place as we learn how to provide for their needs holistically by collaborating with other organizations and resources in Sofia . . .

It seems that the Lord is opening doors . . . pray for discernment in the coming months as He continues to guide my steps!