Just a quick post to let everyone know we are home safe and sound. Tired, but happy. The flights all left on time and the connections went like clockwork.
Thanks for your love and prayers for a safe and successful journey.
Leka Nosht! (Good night!)
Лека нощ
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Last Day in Ruse
Hi all,
Home visits today with amazing stories of life during a time in history that I struggle to even imagine. Tonight we met with the church council and discussed the ways we can best be in mission together. We have some ideas that can be implemented immediately and some thoughts for longer term.
We have started saying our good-byes and that is always the difficult part. The suitcases are getting re-organized and prepared for our return as we leave here in the morning. We'll visit Pleven tomorrow and then spend the night in Sophia at the Methodist Church before we fly home on Wednesday. In case you want to greet us at the airport, we are arriving in Appleton on Wednesday at 5:15 pm on Delta flight 5361 from Cincinnati.
We are excited to return home; but it is bittersweet as we are sad to leave our new friends. We will not say good-bye... we will be saying 'see you later'.
God bless and pray for safe travels -
Patti
Home visits today with amazing stories of life during a time in history that I struggle to even imagine. Tonight we met with the church council and discussed the ways we can best be in mission together. We have some ideas that can be implemented immediately and some thoughts for longer term.
We have started saying our good-byes and that is always the difficult part. The suitcases are getting re-organized and prepared for our return as we leave here in the morning. We'll visit Pleven tomorrow and then spend the night in Sophia at the Methodist Church before we fly home on Wednesday. In case you want to greet us at the airport, we are arriving in Appleton on Wednesday at 5:15 pm on Delta flight 5361 from Cincinnati.
We are excited to return home; but it is bittersweet as we are sad to leave our new friends. We will not say good-bye... we will be saying 'see you later'.
God bless and pray for safe travels -
Patti
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Sunday Pictures :: Service in Ruse, Rocky Monasteries, and Tsenovo UMC
Patti read the first scripture in worship this morning. Rose read another passage later. They were read in English and again in Bulgarian.
Pastor Greg preached about The Golden Rule while Daniel translated. The banner from New Hope was presented during the service. It's visible on the pulpit here.
We climbed steps up the side of a cliff to get to this Orthodox rocky monastery. This is an example of how a few of the icons are presented in a typical Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
Here are some frescoes from the "Archangel Michael" monastery. A guide narrated the illustrations for us. This was Rose's favorite.
The view from above the monastery. Left to right: Rose, Nina, Freedy, Daniel, and David.
The members of Tsenovo UMC welcomed us with warm hearts and a warm meal on a warm day! We were so happy to meet them and see their church!
Our team and members of Tsenovo UMC in front of their church.
Posted by Katy, 12:30 am (Monday morning).
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Today is best expressed in pictures
Young Hope made bracelets for us to give to the children and Nadia gets first pick Friday night. Just a tid-bit: "Nadia" translates as "Hope."
The bracelets were a big hit Saturday morning when we met the children at the church.
Katy, Nadia, Mallory, and Patti sport super cool shades Saturday morning. We thought Pastor Greg should wear these patriotic glasses to preach but he wasn't too keen on the idea.
Rose gets a hug from 2-year-old Monica outside the front of the church.
Katy draws faces on the balloons that survived the balloon stomp game.
John shows the kids how jumping rope should be done.
Pastor Greg and our new friend Gottfried (Freedy) discuss wardrobe requirements for church? David and Nadia enjoy the debate.
The children and youth of the church send their greetings to New Hope!
The Turkish ("Gypsies") children sing for us in the home they worship in weekly. This is a ministry of the United Methodist Church in Ruse. They were so proud!
Our group says goodbye to the gypsy children.
Typical Communist-style housing. There are many similar buildings throughout the country.
"Hot-Sauna" (Hotanza, actually) Hotanza United Methodist Church
A model church for the world in relations between protestant and orthodox denominations. Pastor Greg gave the sermon at Saturday afternoon worship followed by traditional refreshments and fellowship.
A field of smiling sunflowers!
A field of smiling sunflowers!
Our hosts prepared a program including a tradtional Bulgarian love song sang here by Daniel and Tania.
Posted at 11:15pm by Katy and Patti
Friday, June 20, 2008
PICTURES FROM KATY'S CAMERA!
We are able to bring you some shots of our adventures thanks to Katy and her wisdom in bringing the 'what-cha-ma-call-it' to upload pictures from the camera to the website. Katy rocks!
John waving in the church garden. The gardens here are amazing! Many buildings have courtyards similar to this one.
High spirits (or just going bonkers after 24 hours of continuous travel) on the mini-bus ride from Sofia to Ruse.
The view of the altar at the United Methodist Church in Ruse.
One side of the sanctuary in Ruse. This shot is taken from the doors that open to the garden.
John waving in the church garden. The gardens here are amazing! Many buildings have courtyards similar to this one.
The Blue Danube. Later that day, we had refreshments on a pontoon restaurant on the river. Surprisingly, it is actually not very blue.
Our new friends Pastor Daniel and his wife Nina translated the history of traditional Bulgarian food in a restaurant we went for lunch.
Nina translated the history of the beautiful gardens at Balchik for Rose and Pastor Greg. The Black Sea is in the background (we swam there earlier that day).
In Ruse's city center, the Bulgarian Fest began Friday night. Traditional music brought hundreds of people onto the street to dance. Nina and Ivo showed Mallory, Rose, and Patti how it's done.
Many more pictures to follow! Stay tuned!
You Called Us To A Beautiful Place
Dear Lord,
You called us to a beautiful place, full of history and strength and fields of smiling sunflowers.
Help us to listen and hear with our hearts the desires and dreams of our friends. Help this to become a long lasting partnership of trust and truth, like the Old Mountain.
May we be joyful and loving. Use our lives and partnership for Your glory.
Thank you Lord for showing us Your love in yet another way and seeing Your work outside of our daily walk.
Provide us with the answers to the questions that we have long carried on our hearts but have been afraid to say out loud. We have prayed for days of celebration; help us to embrace this time of joyful beginnings.
Open our eyes to opportunity that You have provided. Use our talents and gifts for good.
In Your name we pray,
Amen
Note: We have loved reading your comments and words of encouragement. Knowing you are thinking and praying for us means alot and we appreciate it. Please keep commenting on your visits to our blog. Blogodaria! (thank you!)
7:50 pm Friday night - Rose
You called us to a beautiful place, full of history and strength and fields of smiling sunflowers.
Help us to listen and hear with our hearts the desires and dreams of our friends. Help this to become a long lasting partnership of trust and truth, like the Old Mountain.
May we be joyful and loving. Use our lives and partnership for Your glory.
Thank you Lord for showing us Your love in yet another way and seeing Your work outside of our daily walk.
Provide us with the answers to the questions that we have long carried on our hearts but have been afraid to say out loud. We have prayed for days of celebration; help us to embrace this time of joyful beginnings.
Open our eyes to opportunity that You have provided. Use our talents and gifts for good.
In Your name we pray,
Amen
Note: We have loved reading your comments and words of encouragement. Knowing you are thinking and praying for us means alot and we appreciate it. Please keep commenting on your visits to our blog. Blogodaria! (thank you!)
7:50 pm Friday night - Rose
Thursday, June 19, 2008
A day of building!
Today was a building day. Building friendships. Building trust. Building connections. Building a strong relationship.
We took a 3 hour (each way) bus ride to Varna located on the Black Sea where we met with Bedros Altunian, the District Superintendent. They showed us the new church built in Varna that took over 10 years to complete due to resistence from the populous who were against having a prominent Protestant church in their city center. They also explained proudly that their church bell was on the original Varna Methodist church. When that church was torn down during the communist era members snuck during the night and retrieved the bell from the rubble. They hid it underground from the communist government to preserve their heritage. Once communism was gone and they were ruled by a democracy and free to worship, the bell was uncovered and presented to the church once again.
We visited the beach area of the Black Sea and spent time laughing together, sharing stories about our families and trying new foods. (Some of it that was 'looking' at us!)
The country of Bulgaria is beautiful and looks much like the U.S.A. Mountains, wheat fields, corn fields, cattle grazing and really cool sunflower fields. (Sunflower oil is a big industry here.) Lots of green this time of year.
It is now midnight and our day has been long and filled with activity. We are tired, our beds are beckoning - however due either to the time change or the tea we've been drinking with dinner we all become wide awake when we are supposed to be falling asleep!
Tomorrow is about learning history and living history.
We took a 3 hour (each way) bus ride to Varna located on the Black Sea where we met with Bedros Altunian, the District Superintendent. They showed us the new church built in Varna that took over 10 years to complete due to resistence from the populous who were against having a prominent Protestant church in their city center. They also explained proudly that their church bell was on the original Varna Methodist church. When that church was torn down during the communist era members snuck during the night and retrieved the bell from the rubble. They hid it underground from the communist government to preserve their heritage. Once communism was gone and they were ruled by a democracy and free to worship, the bell was uncovered and presented to the church once again.
We visited the beach area of the Black Sea and spent time laughing together, sharing stories about our families and trying new foods. (Some of it that was 'looking' at us!)
The country of Bulgaria is beautiful and looks much like the U.S.A. Mountains, wheat fields, corn fields, cattle grazing and really cool sunflower fields. (Sunflower oil is a big industry here.) Lots of green this time of year.
It is now midnight and our day has been long and filled with activity. We are tired, our beds are beckoning - however due either to the time change or the tea we've been drinking with dinner we all become wide awake when we are supposed to be falling asleep!
Tomorrow is about learning history and living history.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
We experienced a lot of culture today!
We walked to town square where they are setting up for the city festival. Beautiful old buildings inter-mixed with the communist reminants. A few leaders of the Russe Methodist church took us to visit a government run elderly home. God is using them in a very important outreach there. I think they are making a difference. Greg gave his first sermon today and team members Patti, Mallory, and Katy participated in the service with prayer and readings! Members of the church were able to ask for prayers and concerns just like us at New Hope. Although not translated for us- the prayers where earnest and touching to hear. Our fellowship is growing and we are sharing many pictures and introducing our church family to them. Lots and lots of food, Good Methodists! Food and fellowship go great together.
Stay tuned tomorrow-for our next travel adventure.
With you in Christ love, Rose
Stay tuned tomorrow-for our next travel adventure.
With you in Christ love, Rose
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Arrived in Bulgaria Safely!
After a full 24 hours of travel it's 10 pm Tuesday night and we are here in Russe safely! We had a wonderfully warm welcome including lots of smiles, balloons, shopska salad, Bulgarian meatloaf, feta cheese, cute little cookies, Turkish tea and coffee. We are impressing our hosts with our astounding knowledge of their language and we of course are impressed that they are kinda able to understand us.
All flights were mostly on time and without incident. We are totally exhausted and can't even think in a straight line. (As if we ever do....)
Great news! The Chicken Dance is totally universal!
We got your messages from the blogspot - thanks! We love you all too!
Team out for now - lights out that is.
God Bless
All flights were mostly on time and without incident. We are totally exhausted and can't even think in a straight line. (As if we ever do....)
Great news! The Chicken Dance is totally universal!
We got your messages from the blogspot - thanks! We love you all too!
Team out for now - lights out that is.
God Bless
Saturday, June 7, 2008
IMT - In Mission Together
Our IMT partner church is in Russe, Bulgaria and our team of 7 leaves next week to meet each other and start planning how we can be in partnership together.
This site will be used to let the congregation know what we are doing while we are there. Hopefully we will be able to update every day or so. If we don't have a new post... don't worry about us .... it just means we don't have internet access available that day!
If you'd like to get a message back to the team, simply click on comments at the bottom of the post and we can read them there.
In the meantime, keep us in your prayers for a safe and wonderful mission.
New Hope's 2008 Team
Pastor Greg Jewison
John James
David Gilluame
Rose Markowicz
Katy Gertz
Mallory Welk
Patti Bacher
This site will be used to let the congregation know what we are doing while we are there. Hopefully we will be able to update every day or so. If we don't have a new post... don't worry about us .... it just means we don't have internet access available that day!
If you'd like to get a message back to the team, simply click on comments at the bottom of the post and we can read them there.
In the meantime, keep us in your prayers for a safe and wonderful mission.
New Hope's 2008 Team
Pastor Greg Jewison
John James
David Gilluame
Rose Markowicz
Katy Gertz
Mallory Welk
Patti Bacher
The UMC in Bulgaria
The following excerpt is from a booklet printed by the Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe of The United Methodist Church and was printed in 2005.
In 1859 the first Methodist missionaries came to Bulgaria from the USA. They established churches, helped with the first translation of the Bible in modern Bulgarian and opened schools for girls as well as schools for boys. This turned out to be an enormous contribution toward educating the population. The ministry of the Methodists grew but it constantly came across persecutions and resistance. he communist regime, from 1945 till 1989, was the darkest period in the existence of the United Methodist Church in Bulgaria. Many pastors were arrested, imprisoned, oppressed and even killed. The Religious Law at that time proclaimed religious freedom, but in reality it made sure that no church activity would be possible. Most of all the Church in Bulgaria was forbidden to have any official contacts with the worldwide Methodist family.
After the political changes (1990) there were only three churches left in the country and the pastors were either old or already deceased. But the Methodist ministry was reorganized and the international contacts were renewed. From that time on the Church started to grow. However, it never forgot that it was a minority Church. A living proof of this is the fact that it is consciously preaching the gospel to Turks, Gypsies and Armenians.
The goal to share God's love in words and deeds empowers the carrying out of many diaconal projects, such as social kitchens, literacy projecs, medical services, counseling in prisons or work with children and youth in need. Alongside all this the publishing of books is of great importance - not only the publishing of Bibles but also the publishing of many other books that help for the understanding and application of the Bible.
Though sometimes it is not obvious, many people in Bulgaria are poor. Yes, their situation has deteriorated tremendously since 1990. That's why the existence of the Church in this country and its fruitful ministry is a real challenge.
In 1859 the first Methodist missionaries came to Bulgaria from the USA. They established churches, helped with the first translation of the Bible in modern Bulgarian and opened schools for girls as well as schools for boys. This turned out to be an enormous contribution toward educating the population. The ministry of the Methodists grew but it constantly came across persecutions and resistance. he communist regime, from 1945 till 1989, was the darkest period in the existence of the United Methodist Church in Bulgaria. Many pastors were arrested, imprisoned, oppressed and even killed. The Religious Law at that time proclaimed religious freedom, but in reality it made sure that no church activity would be possible. Most of all the Church in Bulgaria was forbidden to have any official contacts with the worldwide Methodist family.
After the political changes (1990) there were only three churches left in the country and the pastors were either old or already deceased. But the Methodist ministry was reorganized and the international contacts were renewed. From that time on the Church started to grow. However, it never forgot that it was a minority Church. A living proof of this is the fact that it is consciously preaching the gospel to Turks, Gypsies and Armenians.
The goal to share God's love in words and deeds empowers the carrying out of many diaconal projects, such as social kitchens, literacy projecs, medical services, counseling in prisons or work with children and youth in need. Alongside all this the publishing of books is of great importance - not only the publishing of Bibles but also the publishing of many other books that help for the understanding and application of the Bible.
Though sometimes it is not obvious, many people in Bulgaria are poor. Yes, their situation has deteriorated tremendously since 1990. That's why the existence of the Church in this country and its fruitful ministry is a real challenge.
Flight Info
June 16th
Delta Flt 6222
Appleton to Cincinnati
Leave 3:50 pm - arrive 6:15 pm
1 Hour 25 Minutes
Delta Flt 36
Cincinnati to London Gatwick
Leave 6/16 at 8:00 pm - arrive 6/17 at 9:00 am
8 Hours 00 Minutes
Bulgaria Air Flt 496
London Gatwick to Sofia Vrazhdebna
Leave 10:30 am - arrive 3:35 pm
3 Hours 05 Minutes
RETURN FLIGHTS
June 25th
Bulgaria Air Flt 449
Sofia Vrazhdebna to Rome Fiumicino
Leave 8:30 am - arrive 9:40 am
2 Hours 10 Minutes
Delta Flt 33
Rome Fiumicino to Cincinnati
Leave 10:45 am - arrive 3:15 pm
10 Hours 30 Minutes
Delta Flt 5361
Cincinnati to Appleton
Leave 4:45 pm - arrive 5:14 pm
1 Hour 29 Minutes
Delta Flt 6222
Appleton to Cincinnati
Leave 3:50 pm - arrive 6:15 pm
1 Hour 25 Minutes
Delta Flt 36
Cincinnati to London Gatwick
Leave 6/16 at 8:00 pm - arrive 6/17 at 9:00 am
8 Hours 00 Minutes
Bulgaria Air Flt 496
London Gatwick to Sofia Vrazhdebna
Leave 10:30 am - arrive 3:35 pm
3 Hours 05 Minutes
RETURN FLIGHTS
June 25th
Bulgaria Air Flt 449
Sofia Vrazhdebna to Rome Fiumicino
Leave 8:30 am - arrive 9:40 am
2 Hours 10 Minutes
Delta Flt 33
Rome Fiumicino to Cincinnati
Leave 10:45 am - arrive 3:15 pm
10 Hours 30 Minutes
Delta Flt 5361
Cincinnati to Appleton
Leave 4:45 pm - arrive 5:14 pm
1 Hour 29 Minutes
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