SOFIA, BULGARIA
Bumpy Ride to the Future
As memories of communism disappear in the rear-view mirror, the people of the “New Bulgaria” are lurching forward into the future. But the road is not without potholes. Fast-food joints and flashy bars are springing up as the culture increasingly becomes materialistic and sexualized. In fact, Bulgaria is one of the primary “feeder” countries of the prostituted for Europe and America. Joining the European Union brought renewed economic hope, but many are sinking into debt with the introduction of easy credit. Quality medical care is not available to the poorest.
Destination: Christ
How is it possible to live out the gospel in a country with so many needs? Our team there (located in both Sofia and Plovdiv) uses a multifaceted approach. Churches host medical care outreaches to the poor as well as seminars on financial management and other timely topics. In Studentski Grad, a university community of 10,000 with no church, ESL outreaches draw interested students. The team helped create the “Daughters of Bulgaria” to rescue those enslaved by human trafficking and prostitution. And undergirding all these efforts is the powerful demonstration of the love of Christ—Bulgaria’s real hope for the future.
MEET THE TEAM
Brinkley, Elizabeth
Elizabeth is serving in Sofia, Bulgaria working with Daughters of Bulgaria - an organization bringing relief and counseling to sexually exploited women.
Elizabeth is serving in Sofia, Bulgaria working with Daughters of Bulgaria - an organization bringing relief and...
Cary, Elisabeth
Elisabeth serves with the Sofia, Bulgaria, church-planting team, assisting in English language ministry.
Elisabeth serves with the Sofia, Bulgaria, church-planting team, assisting in English language ministry.
Culmer, Dave
Dave serves as Sofia's team leader, shepherding the team, working to cultivate healthy partnerships with Bulgarian national partners, and engaging in evangelism and discipleship efforts.
Dave serves as Sofia's team leader, shepherding the team, working to cultivate healthy partnerships with Bulgarian...
Goeglein, Lydia
Lydia serves with the MTW church-planting team that partners with the UECCB (Bulgarian Evangelical Union of Churches) in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Lydia serves with the MTW church-planting team that partners with the UECCB (Bulgarian Evangelical Union of Churches)...
Hoot, Trevin & Ruthie
Trevin and Ruthie serve in Bulgaria working alongside Bulgarian leadership to strengthen an existing church plant there.
Trevin and Ruthie serve in Bulgaria working alongside Bulgarian leadership to strengthen an existing church plant there.
Dix, Taylor & Katherine
Katherine and Taylor met while serving on the field with the MTW church-planting team in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Katherine and Taylor met while serving on the field with the MTW church-planting team in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Sale, Zachary & Joy
Zach and Joy serve with the MTW Bulgaria team in Sofia helping to strengthen the local church.
Zach and Joy serve with the MTW Bulgaria team in Sofia helping to strengthen the local church.
Webb, Jacob & Suzanne
Suzanne and Jacob will be serving the church in Sofia, Bulgaria in nursing, prayer, hospitality, evangelism, preaching, and teaching.
Suzanne and Jacob will be serving the church in Sofia, Bulgaria in nursing, prayer, hospitality, evangelism,...
GET INVOLVED
A Wedding, A Reunion, and a Reminder of Impact in Bulgaria
As I glanced around I treasured what I saw: a bunch of American missionaries, volunteers, and children who've served with us in Bulgaria.
SEE MOREBlessings Born Out of Relationships in Bulgaria
A Bulgarian friend, who doesn’t believe in any religion and didn't know how to pray, asked a missionary to pray with her for her family.
SEE MOREThey Think We’re Crazy: Empowering and Loving Sexually-Exploited Women in Bulgaria
She was rough around the edges, a bit older than most. They saw her on the street every time they went out. So they befriended her.
SEE MOREDaughters of Bulgaria: Confronting the Sale of Bulgaria's Women and Children (Audio)
We don’t think of a country’s top export as being its daughters. Yet for Europe’s poorest and most exploited country, this is life.
SEE MORESeeing Them as Daughters
Do we see women who are caught in human trafficking the way Jesus does?
SEE MOREOne Day in Bulgaria with Lydia Goeglein: A Video
Follow along as Lydia Goeglein walks us through the streets of Sofia and gives us a glimpse into a day in her life as a missionary.
SEE MOREOne Day in Bulgaria with Dave Culmer: A Video
Spend a day with missionary Dave Culmer in Bulgaria, as he takes us around the city of Sofia where he is a jack of all trades on the team.
SEE MORESports as Missions in Bulgaria: A Video
Sports is a great way to build relationships. Interns spent part of their time playing baseball and lacrosse, opening doors to the gospel.
SEE MORE“I’m sorry that I can’t believe in God”
Her son had become a Christian, but she just couldn't get there.
SEE MOREVlado: A Life Transformed in Bulgaria - Video
Vlado, a former "Orthodox atheist" with a drug addition, is now a follower of Christ who is helping to plant churches.
SEE MOREMTW VIsion and Values: Making Disciples Among All Nations
Catch a glimpse of MTW's work globally as we interview missionaries and learn about their current ministry and vision for the future.
SEE MOREChurch Planting in Bulgaria with Petko: A Video
Petko, a young, growing leader in the Bulgarian church, shares his role in MTW's church-planting efforts.
SEE MOREGoliath Must Fall: Two Gospel Stories
In a hard-to-reach, largely atheistic European city, these stories declare the gospel to be "the power of God unto salvation."
SEE MORE"I'm Forsaking Christianity"
At a New Year's Eve party in Bulgaria, an missionary met a guest who'd recently stopped going to church. He wanted to know why.
SEE MOREGive thanks for the many lives impacted by and among missionaries in Sofia, Bulgaria. Pray for the ministry to continue to multiply.
Pray for Bulgarians who are building friendships with missionaries to become interested in the gospel and drawn to Christ.
Pray for the Daughters of Bulgaria ministry and for women trapped in a life of sexual exploitation to discover the hope of Christ.
Pray for the women and children of Bulgaria caught in the dark world of trafficking and exploitation, and for the Daughters of Bulgaria minstry shining the light of Christ.
Pray for the MTW team in Bulgaria and for those they serve.
Pray for those in Sofia, Bulgaria, who will be exposed to the gospel through our sports ministry. Pray that many would be drawn to Christ as a result of relationships built with believers.
Pray for those coming to faith in Bulgaria. And for those who can't yet believe due to a background deeply rooted in communism and atheism.
Pray for Bulgaria, whose population is considered to be 95% "Orthodox atheist" (Orthodox in name only). Praise God for Bulgarians who are coming to faith and helping to plant churches!
Pray for women forced by poverty into sex work. Pray for MTW ministries around the globe seeking to rescue and minister to these women.
Pray for Europeans who have heard the gospel but are hesitant to fully commit to Christ. Pray that God would draw them to Himself.
Pray for two women, Monika and Andrea, who have recently come to faith against the odds in a hard-to-reach, largely atheistic European city.
Pray for Monika, that God would continue to heal her, give her a new purpose, and protect her life from physical harm, and for Andrea, that she would grow deep roots of faith and be a witness to those like her—unlikely subjects—of the reality of the grace of God.
Pray for college students in Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to grasp God's deep love for them and surrender their lives to Him.
Pray for God to call more men and women to missions in Sofia, Bulgaria, both full-time and as a volunteer.
Funds needed for renting an additional space, purchasing curriculum, and hiring a national teacher/administrator.
In Bulgaria, biblically trained leaders are the foundation of a church-planting movement.
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