This next Monday afternoon, Mike Rohman and I will leave St. Louis and head east to Sofia, Bulgaria. Besides the missionary family we will be visiting there (Shawn, Natalie, and Chris Key), I don’t think I have ever known anybody who has gone to Bulgaria. I personally have been very close during the summer of 1980 when I ended up in Bor, Serbia (what was then Yugoslavia) visiting an American coach at an Olympic Training Center. Bor is not very far from the Bulgarian border. I am looking forward to visiting a new country in a somewhat familiar culture.
However, Bulgaria is a unique place and people. It is a people and a place and a with a long history dating back to 681 AD and the First Bulgarian Empire. Modern day Bulgaria dates back to its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908 AD. Throughout the 20th century, Bulgaria found itself on the losing side of several wars including WWI. In the midst of WWII, Russia took control of Bulgaria in September of 1944. For the next fifty years, the Soviets exerted their strong armed influence over Bulgaria until eastern European block countries rebelled in the late 1980’s. In 1989, Bulgaria transitioned into a parliamentary democracy, in 2004 they joined NATO and then in 2007 they joined the European Union. Even though they are the poorest nation in the EU, they have a rich history and culture.
Bulgaria has an incredibly long relationship with Christianity. Following Pentecost (50 days after the resurrection of Jesus) the church began to spread throughout the city of Jerusalem and Judea, then into Samaria, and eventually into the distant corners of the world. The apostle Paul and others headed west while other disciples went north, south and east. On his second missionary journey, Paul along with Timothy left Asia (Minor) and crossed into Europe for the first time. What they entered into was called Macedonia (modern day Greece and the southern pieces of Bulgaria). Today, more than three quarters of Bulgarians would identify themselves as Eastern Orthodox Christians. Like many parts of Europe, their Christianity is deeply cultural and not always personal. Another 10% of Bulgarians are Sunni Muslim, but most are not observant and distance themselves from Sharia (formal and strict Islamic) law.
Missionary efforts in a place like Bulgaria are challenging as there is tons of cultural baggage that has to be dealt with in order to communicate the gospel to people, who often times, have forgotten that they have forgotten God.
Shawn and Natalie Key have been laboring in the capitol city of Sofia for the last five years. We are excited to spend five days with them seeking God’s heart and mind for the ongoing ministry they have been called to. I would like to invite you to join Mike and me on our trip by praying for safe travels, encouraging dialogue, discerning hearts, clear vision, and helpful wisdom. In addition please pray for our wives (Barb Rohman and Diane Hughes) as we leave them to cook for themselves for a week. We will report back to you after we return but for now thank you for being on our team.
Your bro,
Kevin Hughes