Some years ago, the OM team decided to support a rural church by bringing a team of people during the summer to work with them to reach out to children and youth in their community. Because it has become a yearly event, not only do the church children look forward to the week together, but also a number from the local community both Bulgarian and Romani.

The day camp was designed for kids from ages 6-14, but the team also sees 17-19 year-olds each day as well. Some years ago the team began building relationships with them, when they themselves were between 6-14 years.

Continuity builds relationships and opens doors. One of the biggest encouragements to the team was being able to have one of the girls that was in the church youth when they first came, translate for them during the camp.

The team is grateful when they look back on the years together and see all that God has done during each camp: the people He has bought that have influenced this young woman and others’ lives, the practise of speaking English and how it has enhanced her ability. But most of all, the team was inspired by the beautiful way this camp has shaped her life.

Team members have also loved seeing the people that have come to build relationships with these people and to see the beautiful country. They are encouraged by the faithfulness of those in the church, their love and perseverance over the years.

The team believes it is through continuity that a big picture is formed and changes are so much easier to identify. They can only imagine the broader picture God has because He is the Alpha and Omega and has seen it all!

Please pray for the continued effect of this camp on the lives of the children and youth that have been able to participate. 

This summer an OM outreach team of 10 people from Scotland, Australia, Northern Ireland, England and New Zealand met together for the first time to work with a local church in Svilengrad, Bulgaria, to reach out to kids in the community. The team ranged in age from 12 to 50 years and were a great mix of culture, singles, families and talents as we played sports and taught English to the gypsy and Bulgarian children.

By the end of their time, the team found that there were so many funny stories, so many faces of people who have impacted their lives. A country that is no longer just a spot on the map but a place that fills their minds and hearts with beauty and a sense of having received far more than what they ever invested through their time there. All along seeing that God is and does immeasurably more than what we can ever imagine. An amazing adventure!

 “As I look back on our week I realised that when we are prepared to take action for God, then that’s when God opens our eyes to see Him (God) in action,” exclaimed Judy*.“Because the church here was so welcoming, it was like they knew us from day one and we were their family, even though we had just arrived and never met before,” Jim* said.

Steve* shared that each day was quite exhausting. “But also really good. For me it was about building relationships. I thought I came to give, but I feel like I have received so much more. Sue* summarised it with,“I realised that our time here was really about telling the Stories of what God has done, in different ways.”

Vivian* loved going to the village church. “Seeing and hearing the stories of this simple small church and how they survived communism and then gathering with them for the service and fellowship afterwards was special,” she explained. “The work with the Sunday school children was great as we played games and then talked over important things.”

Sue* shared a wonderful picture. “As I was walking around the ruins at Mezek I saw small flowers growing amongst the stones and hard ground. Some grew taller than others, but they all grew in this hard place and in hot and harsh circumstances. When I saw them I could see their beauty and all the sudden I didn’t see the stones anymore but simply their beauty. I think that is what I have seen this week here in Bulgaria.”

The outreach leaders feel this is true, because in what looks like a difficult place there is so much beauty to be seen if you only take time and are willing to adventure to see it.

They are thankful for the Adventurers God sent to Bulgaria to work with the children and touch many hearts. “We met new friends, we learnt a lot, we came away changed and encouraged and are looking to God for the next Adventure!”

*Names changed

For the first time, a group of Bulgarian teenagers and leaders took part in this year’s TeenStreet Europe, from 28 July - 4 August, travelling 48 hours by bus to the conference site in Oldenburg, Germany.  

“Even though the journey was long, the time with other teenagers with a focus on Christ was so beneficial,” said Rick Iles, Bulgarian country leader. 

During the week, the teens enjoyed the variety of seminars, some practical and others more focused on the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the teens. The event hosted groups from over 20 countries. The corporate worship in the evenings was a blessing to many, including Kati* from Bulgaria.

“I believe the most exciting thing I did at TeenStreet was worshipping God with so many different people at the same time!” said Kati, who participated as a leader for a group of teen girls from Bulgaria. “It was exciting because it showed me that our differences in culture or language don't matter at all for God! There were difficult things too, but they were outweighed by all the benefits, which our group from Bulgaria got in return.”

She enjoyed building relationships with the girls in her group, who came from three different churches. Every day, she led the group in Bible study and prayer. One church group from Bulgaria decided to take what they had learnt during the small-group Bible studies to their home church after the TeenStreet event so it could also be used there.

Milena*, a teenager, said, “I enjoyed every moment and was very excited about what God would do in my life during this event. The most exciting thing for me was the worship time. To see so many young people seeking and worshiping God was breath taking. During the worship I could feel God's presence, and every time I imagined how the Lord was smiling and enjoying our singing and prayers.

While at TeenStreet, God opened my mind to understand that he wants me to give Him all my heart and soul. I understood that if I wanted Him to be the King of my heart I really should let Him in the deepest places and remove all the other things that rule over me. This wasn't something new for me; I already knew it, but it seemed like I wasn't removing the regret and the pain from my heart. So, over this week God showed me this and taught me how to deal with it.”  

Adds Kati*: “I learnt about the importance of waiting with God, and the fact that He is always good and never keeps anything away from you if it's good for you. One thing that I brought back with me that stands out is to choose to sing the ‘new song’ (Psalm 40) that God has for me every day and not to give in to thoughts that the devil tries to impress on my mind like ‘I'm not good enough’, but to remember to concentrate on Him and what He says.

“It was a great time and I am looking forward to going again next year.”

Please pray that God would continue working in the lives of the teens from Bulgaria who attended TeenStreet Europe. Pray that God would appoint the right person to lead the group next year.

For more information about TeenStreet Europe 2013, visit www.teenstreet.de.  

*Name changed