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After buying the car in 1995, we had absolutely no way of knowing if I would be returning to Bulgaria and ever getting to use it myself.
In February at church, God gave Yvonne a message for me concerning the work in the villages: “Do you not know that I am pleased at the work you have done in My name, and greater works than these shall you do. Do you believe? Yay, I say believe, have faith and truly mountains shall be removed ... Have faith, My son, for I am the Lord God and nothing is impossible for Me.”
In May, we both began to feel that God was calling me to go to the villages this summer. In June at church, a group of 30 people were praying over me about my trip when one man had a vision of me in a complete Orthodox priest’s outfit, holding a staff. In the vision, the people around me were bound by chains and when I touched their chains with the staff they fell onto the ground. Our interpretation was:
priest’s outfit -– the people will see me as a man of God
staff –- represented God’s authority and power (like Moses)
chains off –- the people will be set free of their bondages.
Then one week later at church, people were praying over me when one lady had a vision of an army marching straight ahead. The Lord spoke through her very loud and boldly: “March forward! Don’t look back! Don’t hesitate! Let nothing stop you!”
I set up my home-base in Toni's missionary apartment in Kardjali. She had wanted to work on a Greek cuise ship, but God would not give her any peace until she agreed to work with me in the villages! For my first village, I went with Tateos’ Plovdiv team to show the world-famous “Jesus” film. They warned me not to wear shorts because of the mosquitos, but it was so hot and humid I did anyway. Before the movie, while I was playing with the kids, God said to me, “These are your people; you are home again!”, and then He protected me from hordes of mosquitos while 200 others were busy fighting them off with towels.
Next, Tateos drove Toni and I to a Gypsy church in Panagureeshtay to meet Binka Yolova, a Bulgarian lady evangelist. She is a former com-munist leader and concert violinist, who was miraculously healed of brain cancer after accepting Jesus. We went with Binka (and her pastor friend, and his praise and worship team) to 2 gypsy villages (one each night), and we had great turnouts of 600 and 800. The people were very receptive and many came forward to be healed. She taught me that repentance is the key to healing, especially if there has been any involvement with the occult. Forgiveness also is a necessary key to being healed.
My #1 partner (Toni) and I had to use words in Bulgarian, English, and French to be able to communicate effectively. We visited deacon Dinko in Harmonli, and as we were about to leave, and as he and his wife were praying for us ... God gave him a vision of many angels around me (and on the road ahead of me), protecting me as I travelled!
For 10 days, Toni and I escorted (2 at a time) a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) group of 1 American and 5 Bulgarians to evangelise about 50 villages in the Rhodopi mountains. Some of them were hidden from the world at the end of very high and narrow and dangerous mountain roads close to the Greek border. One time we came to a steep dirt road full of potholes and boulders heading up a mountain. Everyone said, “No, forget it, too difficult!” ... but I remembered that God had said, “Go forth! Let nothing stop you!” Many open Turkish hearts were ministered to up on that mountain, including about 100 Moslem men who were leaving a funeral. At 9 pm one night we had already been to 12 villages and we saw the sign to another one. We felt led to go to it, and 20 minutes later we came upon a Shangri-la village of 300 people on the very steep side of a mountain.
One day Toni and I burst in and interrupted a meeting of the mayor and about 10 council members; for 15 minutes they graciously listened to us and happily accepted our gospel materials. One day the car had been running very rough, but in the evening two of the women prayed with great faith and then it was okay. Foreigners are not allowed inside the 10-mile Border Area along the Greek and Turkish borders, but some times we were able to sneak through and get to villages which hadn't had visitors for many years. One night we were heading home in the pouring rain, and just as we saw the sign to the last village in that area, the rain let up. So, off we went and found a Muslim village where 30 women were waiting for the bread truck (at 8 pm)! These Muslim ladies were so open to us that Toni considered it a real miracle.
The day after our village work had finished, Christina and I prayed for Toni’s painful toothache and red swollen gum ... and they were healed almost instantly!
This summer, and every trip thereafter, hundreds of children were really blessed to receive frisbees and little super-bouncing balls.
Weeks: 8 Villages: 161 Bibles: 10 NT&Psalms: 1,000 Tracts: 8,500
to other evangelists ---> NT&Psalms: 2,750 ---> Tracts: 25,500
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The gospel tracts we used were the #1 source of truth that God wanted
the villages to have! CLICK HERE for information on these excellent tracts.
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