April 26th, 2006
Dear Friends and Family,
I just wanted to send you a quick update, and a special prayer request. I am sure that many of you will remember Obedient Life's missionaries to Bulgaria, Wayne and Sunne Gregg. I received an email this morning that Sunne is going to have a cardiac catheterization tomorrow, and will be going packed to stay for heart surgery possibly on Friday. The doctor's have told her that she needs a valve replacement, and they are looking to make sure that there are no other problems before they go into the surgery. I know that the Lord is able to heal Sunne, and reverse the diagnosis of the doctor. I ask all of you to join us in praying for Sunne as she goes into this procedure. Pray for Wayne and the rest of their family as well. Their daughter, Valeta, is in the midst of a difficult pregnancy due to complications from Lupus. I know that this added stress cannot be good for her either. I appreciate you agreeing with us for Sunne's healing. I know that more than anything she and Wayne want to come back to Bulgaria, and the people here are anxiously awaiting their return.
So far as my Easter, it was wonderful. I preached Sunday morning at a church in Sevlievo. One person raised their hand that they received the Lord. That is always a wonderful report...even the angels rejoice! The children did a wonderful musical presentation, and I even sang a solo, Via Dolorosa. I haven't sung that song in many years. I rarely even sing special songs at churches any more. Most churches know me to be a preacher or teacher. When I am here in Europe the people don't speak English, and I see little reason to sing a song that they would not understand, but I must say that I enjoyed singing again.
I stayed with Harry and Tonya, friends of mine that used to live in Lovech, and they have since moved to Sevlievo. I ran into them at a festival here in Lovech on Palm Sunday weekend, and one of their church leaders was with them. I was later called and invited to preach. When I got to Harry and Tonya's house, Harry asked me if I liked southern gospel music, and if I had ever seen any Bill Gaither Homecoming videos. He found them on cable television, and has recorded some of them. He loves southern gospel music. Of course, that is the music that I grew up with, and I love the Homecoming videos. So we watched, and sang along with them. It was so fun! Harry is very musically talented, and plays several instruments, and he has learned to play a number of these songs. He asked me if I knew the song, Via Dolorosa, and he started playing it on a digital guitar. And that is how it happened. It was such a treat to get to hear southern gospel music in northern Bulgaria! It was a taste of home.
Not everything tasted like home though! I got to eat the traditional Easter meal...twice. Once with some church people, and later with Harry and Tonya's landlords. Traditionally Bulgarians eat lamb on Easter, but many prefer goat. So I got goat twice! Actually the goat was pretty good, and they serve it with rice that is roasted with different herbs and vegetables along with the meat. You are also served a salad. For desert they have a sweet egg bread. Sometimes it has fruit or cinnamon in it, and it has sugar sprinkled on top. At the lunch they served soup before the goat, and the soup was made of the different goat parts: brains, stomach, intestines and some things that I decided not to ask about--I am pretty sure that liver was in it as well. At the later meal all the goodies were in with the rice instead of in a soup. They don't waste anything! They actually go and buy a young goat, and slaughter it themselves, so they have access to all the different goat parts. At the lunch there were Bulgarians, Germans, a Moldovan, and me. The German guy, Horst, asked me if we ate things like that soup in America. I told him that I am sure someone has, but I had never eaten those kinds of things until I got to eastern Europe. He was obviously having problems with it! We teased him, and asked if he wanted to take a jar home with him.
Well, I will go for now. Please don't forget to pray for Sunne. Continue to pray for Obedient Life Ministries, and Stantzia Nedezhda (Station Hope).
I appreciate your faithful prayers and financial support. If you would like to make a tax-exempt donation, you can send your offering to Obedient Life Ministries, P.O. Box 267, Clarion, PA 16214, or you can make a donation by credit card from our PayPal link at our website, www.obedientlife.org.
Be blessed in Jesus' Name,
Martin Sutton