11.6.09
Hello Everyone,
On Tuesday I got on a bus and traveled 4 hours thru the mountains to teach in a mid week Wednesday evening service in the city of Stara Zagora. I love the "city to city" bus rides in Bulgaria because they are comfortable, roomy and I get much accomplished in the down time .The country side in late October/early November is very beautiful. It is especially great to see the trees yellow and as we ascend up the mountain to look at the snow everywhere.
Stara Zagora is the 5th largest city in Bulgaria....something like 200,000. It is so different than the little 25,000 population city of Lovech where I have been for the last 7 days. Prior to dinner, Pastor Lyubo and I went to a new indoor shopping mall ( movie theatres, food courts etc ) called Park Center for some coffee at a place called Costa. This mall is just like the ones in Orange County, Southern California so I don't even feel like I am in Eastern Europe!.Very boring....except for the awesome English coffee franchise called Costa!
Pastor Lyubo & Tanya Petkov (see photo of them in Sydney) are special friends of mine. He was the person who was holding a sign with my name on it as I entered the airport here for the first time in 1997. After the fall of communism in 1989 being a first generation graduate in the early 1990s of Vision Bible school and becoming an associate pastor, Lyubo relocated to this city in 2003 and accepted the offer of becoming pastor of a church. Since then he has re-organized it as an independent church, formed a leadership team, developed a bible school in the church and has birthed/planted 14 other area churches.
Over a 3 year period I have been teaching Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey and Sotieriology to the Bible school in the church. These 15 students were very diligent and hungry for the word and are proud graduates. The man in the middle (see photo) is a security guard & beekeeper and has planted 7 village churches.
This Wednesday I taught to an audience of about 125 on the subject of Integrity. I reminded them that if we are to make a difference in our families, jobsite, neighborhood- we need to live differently and a life of integrity will certainly have that effect particularly in a world with no absolutes.
He and Tanya host a Christian TV talk show in a secular setting. He believes very strongly about the gospel effecting not only individual lives but impacting cites morally, politically, socially as well as spiritual etc. This is a big privilege and opportunity that was not possible under communism..but now with the new freedoms the gospel can change cultures as well.
Lyubo is 40 years old and his impact is only in seed form...yet to bloom as a full flower. God willing, he has his whole life and ministry ahead of him. God is going to use him mightily. I am blessed to be able to throw spiritual gasoline on him and the ministry he oversees.
Lyubo reminds me of the window of opportunity which Queen Esther had when challenged by Mordecai to use her position and seize the moment to serve the purposes of God in her generation.
And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14
Each of us are in unique situations and assignments...I hope you are inspired by Lyubo & Tanya and will seize your window of opportunity to serve the Lord in the time and place you are in currently.
In Christ,
Jason
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