2/25/2007 - Martin's Update
Dear Friends and Family,
I am very excited to be writing this report. As you know I have started a Sunday
evening youth service. Tonight was the third night, and we have had our first
person to repent and ask the Lord to come into her heart! This is so awesome for
me! Though the service was intended to reach teenagers and young adults (and it
is), there are also other new adults coming to the service. Our first service we
had 26, last week we had 30, and tonight we had 28. (There were nine people out
of town at a conference, or sick that would have normally come from our regular
morning congregation.) The exciting thing is that we are really reaching people
that have not been to church, or have never come to a morning service. The lady
that came to the Lord tonight is the mother of a girl that has been coming to
Sunday School, and has never been before. Her husband has come, and her daughter
is regular in Sunday Schoo, but she came for the first time. While I was
preaching from the Sermon on the Mount at one time she just groaned out loud. I
was certain that I had offended her, but I have to speak the truth according to
God's word--even if it is hard. She started fidgeting around, and got up for a
drink of water during the service. I really thought that I had lost her. As the
service progressed she began to listen intently. At the end of the service I
asked those who wanted to walk in Christ's better way to raise their hands,
because I wanted to pray for them. She raised her hand! So after I had prayed I
invited people who had never asked Jesus into their hearts to pray the sinner's
prayer with me. I then asked if anyone had prayed that prayer for the first
time. I was going to tell them to raise their hands, but she called out, "Az!",
which means "I". She was just glowing! After the service we have refreshments
and fellowship, and she and her husband dove right in. She even helped sweep the
floor at the end. Her name is Marika. Please pray for her and her family.
Another praise report is about Vili, that I mentioned in the last update. Vili
came back last week, and brought her two kids, Gabriela and Vilizar. They were
also at a Sunday School activity yesterday. I am not sure where they were
tonight, but continue to pray for them. I know that God is doing something
there.
Our Sunday School is growing as well. One thing that I have initiated is to
get the children to memorize different things from the Bible. I was told that
the children would not be interested in doing that, and that their parents would
not encourage them to learn those things since most of their parents don't go to
church. However...! Several of the children have memorized the Ten Commandments
in the last two weeks! Not only that, but some of the worst behaved boys
actually had memorized them! Pray that we will really be able to reach them and
impact their lives for Christ.
Speaking of the children, Rado (a boy that I mentioned in an earlier update)
showed up at my door again Friday after school. He was hungry, and I didn't have
any food in the house, so I took him to a pizzaria. He ate over half of a large
pizza! He is ten years old, and a growing boy. Anyway, he told me that he
had some work to do, and left from the pizzaria when he was done eating. Then he
showed back up at my apartment at 7 PM. I was a little concerned since it was
after dark, so I called one of the church leaders who knows his family. He told
me that it was okay, just don't let him stay too late. His mother was working,
and the man she lives with doesn't like him, and is not at all interested in
him. After two bags of microwave popcorn, I thought maybe he was hungry, and so
I made him a peanut butter sandwich. (I told him it was an American sandwich,
and he wanted to try it.) I actuallly bought the peanut butter in Hungary,
because I can't find it here in Bulgaria. He had never seen it before He took
one bite, and you should have seen his face! He hated it! I heard that Bulgarian
kids don't normally like peanut butter, and now I believe it! I offered to make
him some scrambled eggs, and he declined. He really just wanted to play games on
my computer. His mother has told Angel and Geli from our church that she and her
boyfriend may move to Spain to work since Bulgaria is now in the E.U. If they
do, they will leave Rado with some relatives in another town. Angel and Geli are
considering offering to let him stay with them. Pray that God will take charge
in that situation. Rado really loves the Lord, and loves to pray. It would be a
real shame if he would move to another city and not get into church.
So far as the rest of what is going on... Hopefully my papers have been
transfered from the Lovech courts to the courts in Gabrovo. I have gotten my new
passport, and have the list of the documents that I need for my visa renewal. I
already have most of them. Pray that they all go smoothly.
Prayer Points:
1. Pray that my documents go smoothly and quickly throug the courts.
2. Pray for our Sunday evening services, and that they will continue to reach
more people.
3. Pray for Marika and Rado.
4. Pray that the finances will come in so that I can pay for the extra expenses
to buy the airline ticket and pay for the new visa. Just those two things will
cost around $1000.
5. Sunne Gregg is planning on bringing a small team to Bulgaria in a few months,
pray that God's perfect plan is brought to fruition. She is so excited to come
back to Bulgaria even for a short term trip.
6. Pray for Wayne Gregg as he is working through some health problems.
7. I learned that Jim Gourley doesn't have cancer, but some other syndrome.
He has started a treatment course that is like chemo-therapy. Pray that it all
goes well, and for his healing.
8. Pray that we will find a good place to have a baptismal service for those who
have recently repented. This is also quite big step for people here as being
rebaptized (if they were baptized in the Orthodox church as babies) can cause
quite a problem with their families.
I want to thank all of you who pray for us regularly, and who have supported us
financially. If you would like to support us financially you can send your
tax-exempt donation to Obedient Life Ministries at P.O. Box 267, Clarion, PA
16214, or you can donate by credit card on our secure PayPal link from our
website at www.obedientlife.org. Thank you for your prayer support and for your
financial support.
Be blessed in Jesus' Name!
Martin