Windows...

We have a pretty nice view out these windows and, on many days, can see the mountains that surround Sofia.  The first week in Dec., however, we had a day with really bad air pollution (it happens, but not often) - so bad that you could buy a ticket for all public transportation for 1 lev (about $.60) to use all day.  (Normally 1.6 lev per ride)  Since I'm a bargain hunter, and needed to be out that day anyway, it was great!

Fairly typical view w/out bars

The bad pollution day....

For about 2 months we had guys outside our windows working on the insulation, painting, etc.  Paul got to know them a bit when they wanted to cover our vent for the bathroom fan and he had to go buy a special piece for them to use to keep it open.  One day they knocked on our window to see if we had anything to drink, so we found some soda and water.  Paul had a few conversations with them (mostly using Google translate) and found out several of them were Seventh Day Adventist.  When they found out Paul was a pastor, they wanted him to talk to one of their co-workers who is not a believer.  Our most interesting experience with them was the day their lift got stuck on our level and they had to crawl through our window to get back to the first floor!

It's much quieter around the building now that the renovation is complete.  And it definitely looks a lot nicer!  But we kind of miss those guys!

In January, we had windows into what God is doing in the lives of 4 people in our church community.  One is a French businessman, who started coming to church a year ago, sensing the need to renew his relationship with God.  Another is our young Bulgarian friend who lost her 41 year old husband a year ago mid-February.  The 3rd is a Bulgarian government official who has seen God deepen his faith and dependence on the Holy Spirit.  And the 4th is with the US Embassy and has an incredible story of God's grace in preserving her life after a heart attack and near total heart blockage.  What a blessing to see into these lives and how our God is active and at work!  We are so grateful for a church community who care for each other and enjoy worshipping and studying together.

After struggling for a few weeks to find new musicians (several regulars moved away) we now seem to have a new infusion of talent.  As with most things in an international church, this will only be for a season, but we are enjoying it.  One week our musicians include a Russian, Bulgarians, Pakistani/Irish, Irish and a Nigerian.  We have a great American couple who bring together a somewhat different group to lead worship every other week.  They also work with our international youth in conjunction with Young Life and are a huge blessing to our fellowship!

My personal "windows" to the world have had some challenges lately.  I noticed my vision had changed and thought maybe I needed new glasses until I realized it was just one eye with really goofy vision.  This resulted in finding an opthalmoligist, follow up tests and ultimately a diagnosis of a hole in my macula.  Because it is not quite all the way through, I was encouraged both here (and from eye consultants in the States) to have the surgery as soon as possible - which will be March 13th.

God has provided answers all along the way to confirm having the surgery here - both in raising roadblocks to go back to the US and providing excellent care options here.  I have to lay face down for at least a week after surgery and wait a month to fly.  I can share more with anyone who's interested - and am looking forward to my "windows" improving, at least somewhat.

Thank you for your continued prayers, friendship and interest in our work here.  We are thankful for our connections back in the US and loved hearing from many of you at Christmas and via email.

Blessings, Kathy

If you are interested in giving to our work in Bulgaria, and Paul's consulting in Africa and beyond, gifts can be given online at Global Horizons/Emmaus Assoc or mailed to Global Horizons, P.O. Box 856678, Minneapolis, MN 55485-6678.   Please attach a note indicating Emmaus.  Thank you!

Navigating Life

Life can be a challenge no matter where you are, but living overseas adds certain challenges. Practically speaking, street names are unfamiliar and options to get where you want to go have to be learned.  Years ago, when we lived in Japan, we relied mostly on business cards to help us find where we wanted to go.  Buildings were not numbered consecutively on a street, as they are in the U.S., so having something that showed you exactly where you wanted to go was very helpful.

Living overseas this time, we have many advantages - especially with smart phone apps.  Moovit, one such app, has been great for helping us find our way around the city - and can take us on interesting and unexpected routes!  This little video shows my route from our apartment to catch a tram to a local mall.  Many of these paths I had never been on before and didn't even know existed.  (Note - the route is about 9 minutes.)

Walk to the Tram

Often more than the physical navigating, is the navigating of culture - in our case both the culture we live in and the more than 20 cultures represented in our church.  Currently, Bulgarian society is presenting us with a potential new challenge.  Legislation has been proposed, and initially passed, which places new limits on religious expression.  One impact would be to limit expat (foreign) religious leaders from serving here and may not allow us to remain.   While there are some understandable reasons for new legislation, the extent to which it may impact our church and other faith communities is a concern.  We want to be informed as well as speak out appropriately, while not overstepping our role as expatriates here.  We would appreciate your prayers as decisions and revisions are considered.  If you want to read more, follow the link - Sofia Globe Article

At the same time, the life of the church goes on.  For me, the women who meet weekly are a special joy.  In this group of ladies, 10 cultures and languages are represented.  The level of English varies so ladies help each other - sometimes translating English to Bulgarian for a Korean, or helping a Chinese find a scripture passage in her dual language Bible.  And we share together the stories of God's faithfulness in the lives of believers from around the world.

These verses from our study this week especially spoke to me:
       "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in
         the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."  Psalm 37:3-5

Peace, Kathy

If you are interested in giving to our work in Bulgaria, and Paul's consulting in Africa and beyond, gifts can be given online at Global Horizons/Emmaus Assoc   or mailed to Global Horizons, P.O. Box 856678, Minneapolis, MN 55485-6678.   Please attach a note indicating Emmaus.  Thank you!

We have experienced a beautiful spring here with so many flowers and flowering trees.  The smells have been amazing - including peonies (just like at our house in Lakeville!) roses, cherry and lynden trees.  Bulgaria is the leading producer of rose oil in the world, but also has a wide variety of decorative roses that line the parks and boulevards.  The weather has been great for taking long walks through the parks and city to enjoy all this beauty!

This is also the season for moves - people visiting their home country, but also people moving to a new overseas assignment.  For us, that means a short trip back to the US to visit family and participate in a wedding (Paul will officiate for a dear friend and I will cheer them on!)  We hope also to see many of you in the short time we are back!  To help facilitate that, we have arranged to have a few tables at Lake Nokomis near their outdoor counter service restaurant, Sandcastle on Wednesday, June 27th.  It is on the west side of Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis (4955 W Lake Nokomis Pkwy, right next to the main beach access).  Come for food and drink or just to socialize.  We'll be there from 5:30-8:00.  There is some free street parking and also a pay lot.  We'd love to see your faces, catch up on your lives, see how your kids have grown and just reconnect!

As we know will happen every year, we are losing dear friends to other places.  We've been blessed with some great relationships in the short time we've been here, making it hard to see those people leave.  And yet we know this is part of the life God has for us here!  Sharing the joys and challenges of expat life, studying God's word together - whether in a couples, ladies or men's group - learning about and praying for the country we now call home are all part of this experience.  While there is pain and sadness at times, and definitely hurdles of unfamiliar bureacracy, we have seen God's faithfulness time and again in large and small ways.  We are learning faith lessons we probably should have mastered far earlier in life, but living in a foreign country provides huge opportunities to trust and see God's faithfulness at work.  We have been reminded time and again that God is love and His plans for us are good and trustworthy.  The joy of worshipping with people from many countries, singing sometimes in multiple languages and recognizing we are joined together by our common bond of faith continues to awe us!

I've been trying to finish this for days amidst a bathroom renovation that has taken out two layers of old tile, a tank water heater - and a ton of concrete dust!  It's time to send it off!  I arrive back in the US on June 19th, but will head to Sioux Falls for a few days with my mom and sisters.  Paul arrives on the 25th and we both return on July 11th.  We'll have our old US phone numbers once we arrive.

Kathy:   602-315-4375
Paul:   952-200-5781

Thanks so much for your interest and partnership in life!

If you are interested in giving to our work in Bulgaria, and Paul's consulting in Africa and beyond, gifts can given online at Global Horizons/Emmaus Assoc or mailed to Global Horizons, PO Box 856678, Minneapolis, MN 55485-6678.  Please attach a note indicating Emmaus.  Thank you!

Loss and Renewal

Just a little over a month ago, one of Paul's best friends here died in his sleep. He was 41 and his death was unexpected. He left behind a wife and an eight-year-old daughter, who are also dear friends. Stillian was on the leadership team at our church and he and his wife had planned to attend an International Baptist conference with us in Cyprus two weeks after he died. 

After much prayer and discussion, we decided to have Zornitsa and her daughter still join us.  We truly feel that God blessed that decision. People at the conference were so encouraging and supportive of both Zornitsa and Gergana, and we had many chances to talk, pray and get to know each other even better.  And God used both of them to share their faith and hope in Christ with a woman who worked at the hotel, because she heard them speaking Bulgarian together and she wondered what the group was about. 

We pray that these interactions will bear fruit, as she has already attended church and other friends are taking her a Bulgarian Bible this week.  In talking together, we realized that God knew all along Stillian wouldn't be at that conference, but that he could use Zornitsa and Gergana to share the hope of a relationship with Christ even after the loss of one so close to them.

In addition to being a great friend, Stillian had been a great help to Paul over the last 4 1/2 months when our admin assistant, Virginia, was sick and out of the office. We wondered what we would do without him, but God has provided people to step into the gap and we are very excited to have Virginia back this week.

Our congregation of about 100 adults has experienced a lot of loss this year - about 10 families have lost someone in their family. We feel privileged to walk with people as they share their love for those who are gone, but also the hope that they will see them again.  As we approach Easter, we are reminded anew of God's great sacrifice in sending His Son, and the HOPE that is ours because of His amazing gift!

A song to encourage you: What a Beautiful Name 

And from N.T. Wright:  "Jesus's resurrection is the beginning of God's new project, not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven.  That after all, is what the Lord's Prayer is about." 

If you are interested in giving to our work in Bulgaria, and Paul's consulting in Africa and beyond, gifts can given online at Global Horizons/Emmaus Assoc or mailed to Global Horizons, PO Box 856678, Minneapolis, MN 55485-6678.  Please attach a note indicating Emmaus.  Thank you!

The year is sliding away and it's hard to believe how quickly the last couple of months have gone!  We've made a couple of brief trips to Germany for conferences, celebrated Thanksgiving with 16 other Americans and Christmas with friends from Northern Ireland, the US, Germany and Syria.  We held a Christmas potluck/music night with over 50 in attendance from many countries.  It was a blessed time to share together the HOPE that Christmas brings to those who believe!

We've learned many things the last two months - mostly about bureaucracy and how it does and does not work.  We had our apartment up for sale and had a good offer.  At that point the buyer usually puts down earnest money and signs a preliminary agreement.  We found out (at that point) that no one currently has power of attorney to sign that document.  While working to correct that (much longer story) the people backed out.  We now have potential of another buyer so are hoping all the legalities will be cleared up soon.  I could add a couple more situations here, but suffice it to say that I have an even better understanding of the struggles of expats coming to America!


Our adventures in parking (for which this blog is named) have
continued.  After doing some work at church, we came out to
find that our car (the blue one in back) was blocked by a
white car that had parked in front while we were inside.
Thankfully, the person arrived shortly and, with apologies,
quickly moved!


One thing we continue to experience is God's faithfulness.  He
shows up when we are thankful and when we are discouraged.  He continues to remind us that His plans are often different than ours - and better, even though we might get impatient to see them work out.  And that God really does show His strength in our weakness.

We pray that this Christmas season has reminded you anew of the amazing GIFT that God has given us by sending His Son to earth to live among us and provide a way for us to be His children.  And we hope this New Year brings you exciting adventures in God's goodness and grace!

A few pictures from our Christmas celebrations:

A quick trip back to the US

Before getting into any news, yes - we are headed back to the states for a brief trip from Oct 9-19 to use our insurance one last time for physicals, etc. visit my mom in Sioux Falls, visit First Baptist in Cambridge on their mission Sunday and spend time with our kids and a few other family.  We'd love to see anyone in Cambridge when we're there and may see a few others as time permits.  Short trips are always so challenging!  (Once we land, I can be reached at my old number 602-315-4375.)

Here in Sofia it's hard to believe we've already slipped into Oct, the leaves are changing color and falling - as is the temperature, going from 75 one day to a high of 45 the next.

With the change of seasons come other changes as well.  Kids are back in school, expats who've gone home for the summer are back and the church is more filled with "regulars."  Fall ladies Bible study has started with 10-12 on Wednesday morning and another group of 4-5 who will meet on an evening starting in Nov.  We've been to Germany for meetings and will return late in Oct for a few more.  Paul is busy with preaching, meeting individuals and facilitating other activities at the church.

For some, there are big and difficult changes.  A good Bulgarian friend at the church lost his wife to cancer at age 50, after a 6 year battle.  His wife was Orthodox and we were privileged to attend the service and burial to support and grieve with him.  Times like this not only deepen relationships, but give us insight into culture and history.  Our friend commented several times about Chernobyl, the catastrophic nuclear accident on April 26th, 1986, and that many more deaths would be seen this year, some 30 years later.

At the time, those of us in the states were scared and nervous, but the situation was much more close at hand for people in Bulgaria and other eastern European countries.  In many of these places authorities were not quickly forthcoming about the dangers of the incident and citizens were required to attend May Day parades just days after the meltdown as polluted rain fell on them and officials often stayed under cover.  How do events like this impact a culture?  How do we as believers share the faith and hope we have in Christ in ways that can reach into the hearts of people who are often skeptical, distrustful or uninterested?

We are thankful to be here to share the love of Christ amidst both the international community and Bulgarians. Please pray with us that we will faithfully follow the opportunities God gives us.

Going, going, gone?

I promised an update on our summer, but have been woefully slow.  So

before we move too far into fall, here are the highlights from summer:

Paul and I travelled to Hunadoara, Romania (about 8 hours from Sofia) for Paul to perform the Christian wedding service for Kiki and Stefan Tanev.  Kiki is Romanian and has been attending IBC Sofia and Stefan is Bulgarian.  During our stay in Hunadoara we had opportunity to visit Corwin's Castle with Kik & Stefan. The old castle has quite a history (including Dracula!)

In June, I spent a week helping at a Young Life camp for teens from Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria.  My time was mostly spent preparing the dining room, serving food and cleaning up for about 120 teens and their leaders.  It was a wonderful opportunity to serve, help out,  occasionally participate in the fun, and see God at work in the lives of these young people.

In July, we had our first guest - our dear friend, Casey Heid.  She was only here for 3 short days, but we had a wonderful time showing her some of our new favorite places!  The day Casey left, Sarah arrived and spent a little over 2 weeks with us.  We were able to see a bit more of Bulgaria with her and spend 3 days in Macedonia.

Getting morning coffee 

Casey at 24 Grill Center

Paul & Sarah with our friend Eric

Summer is a time for lots of goodbyes and hellos.  In an international church, many people are only posted to their country assignment for 2 or 3 years.  Through the summer we said goodbye to 9 families who had served and participated significantly in the life of the church.  As we lost our key worship leader, two elders, a musician, a tech person, our youth group leaders and a Sunday school teacher, we are seeing God provide new people to step into those roles.

The summer also has many visitors - including those from the Netherlands, Slovakia, Nigeria, Sweden and Madagascar.  We are blessed to welcome people from around the world - whether they live here long term or are only visiting for a few days.  And as we head into fall, we are seeiing new families come who are just starting life here.  

If you'd like to see more pictures from the summer, please check out my Facebook page.

Blessings, Kathy for the two of us