To Bulgaria and back in 72 hours

Report on the 2020 shoebox campaign in Bulgaria

We are in Speyer in front of the mission house, preparing for a mission trip to Bulgaria. Two Sprinter vans are parked in front of us, fully loaded with 800 shoeboxes for poor children in Bulgaria. The two vehicles also contain children's clothing and other aid supplies.

The shoeboxes had been assembled beforehand by the communities of Speyer and Schwegenheim, with children and young people playing a particularly active role. The aim of the shoebox campaign was to share the good news of Jesus Christ, along with Christmas packages, with children and families in poorer countries. Now everything was ready for the journey.

A blessed, trouble-free car journey

It is Thursday morning, December 17, 2020. The car journey begins at noon. Six brothers and I set off, having prayed beforehand and placed everything in God's hands. There are no traffic jams or obstacles on the journey, and we feel God's blessing accompanying us and making everything go smoothly. The roads are all paved and well-maintained.

Only in Bulgaria, the land of quiet landscapes, as we approached the town of Krivodol, did the roads become muddy and uneven. After a 23-hour drive, we finally arrived in Krivodol at 11:00 AM on Friday, December 18, 2020. The Bulgarian countryside is littered with abandoned factories and houses in a deplorable state.

First stop at the base

Krivodol is a town in the north of the country. It lies in a flat landscape and is surrounded by meadows and fields. The Balkan Mountains can already be seen in the distance on the horizon.

There in Krivodol is a base of the Stephanus Mission, which is used as a storage facility. Upon arrival at the base, we are greeted by our brothers and sisters there and offered us tea, coffee, and banitsa (a flaky pastry and national dish in Bulgaria).

We then distributed some Christmas packages to our brothers and sisters in Sofia, Vratsa, and Pleven, who traveled to Krivodol to receive them. The packages were then distributed further by our brothers on site, as we are currently unable to deliver them personally due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

In Sofia, the country's capital, a missionary couple is active. They lead several small house groups and will also distribute the Christmas packages for us there.

After handing over the Christmas packages, we begin the manual work, mounting a cross and the mission sign of CDH Stephanus on the house facade and repairing water damage.

A neighbor is helping us with these repairs by supplying us with electricity. After the work is finished, we have a personal conversation with him. He tells us about his troubles and pours out his heart: He has a believing daughter and an unbelieving son. His believing daughter died a few days ago, leaving him with two children to care for. Her husband has left her. He can't understand why God allowed all this to happen, especially since his daughter was a convert. Tearfully, he tells us about his situation. We comfort and encourage him with Bible verses and pray together for him and his situation.

Visit to a former barracks

Our next stop is Vratsa. Vratsa is a town at the foot of the steep peaks of the Balkan Mountains. The landscape reminds us a little of the Bavarian Alps we know from southern Germany. Here in Vratsa, we visit a former barracks. The building is in a deplorable state. The exterior plaster is crumbling from the walls, the roof leaks and has partially collapsed. Inside, the building is still in a state of disrepair. There is neither heating nor running water.

The city provides drinking water to people in the surrounding area. However, it lacks the financial resources for further assistance. The former barracks looks like a garbage dump, yet the poorest of the poor live in such a building. To keep the rooms warm, some are heated with stoves. The smoke spreads throughout the rooms, thus keeping them warm.

It is a shock for us to see people living in such miserable conditions. By distributing Christmas packages and reading the Christmas story aloud, we are able to bring them immense joy. It is wonderful to see the children's beaming faces. Nevertheless, for the children, this is a Christmas unlike any they have ever known.

Our visit to the former barracks filled our hearts with gratitude and prompted us to reflect on our own lives. We complain about the curfews in Germany, while the people here are fighting for their survival.

The people in the barracks are cared for by Ivailo, a local brother. He visits them occasionally, shares the good news, and practices Christian songs with them. Ivailo also leads several small house groups of no more than 10 people. We gave him Christmas packages and money for these groups so he can buy food and distribute it to those in need.

Visiting a family

On our way back to Romania, we stopped in Dondukovo, a village near the Romanian border, to visit Brother Milton and his family. Dondukovo is a small, rural village surrounded by fields and meadows. Milton is an elder there and leads the local congregation. We presented him with 100 Christmas packages for his congregation and were then warmly invited to dinner.

During the wonderful meal, Brother Milton tells us about his troubles: His married daughter is expecting a child who will likely be born with a disability. The doctors advise her to have an abortion, but his daughter is certain she doesn't want that because every child is a gift from God. Brother Milton asks for prayers for his daughter and the unborn child.

Tour of a new construction project and visit to a children's home

It's Saturday, December 19th. After a restful night in our accommodation, we continue our journey towards Arad to deliver the last of the Christmas packages. Along the way, we are treated to breathtaking views of Romania's picturesque landscape. We are treated to forested mountains and gently rolling hills with expansive vistas. The city of Arad is known as an industrial center and an important transportation hub, boasting beautiful historical buildings.

Upon arriving in Arad, we visited the construction site of a new building project by the Pforzheim congregation. A mission center is to be built there. We met young people from the Speyer congregation at the site who were busy with plastering work. After the tour, we were invited to lunch and gratefully enjoyed the food served to us. Strengthened, we offered our Lord the praise and glory that is due Him and enjoyed fellowship with one another.

Afterwards, we'll head to the municipal children's home to distribute the last of the Christmas packages. Thirty-three children are cared for at this home. Fifteen of them will be staying overnight. The others will only be there during the day.

The children's home is well-equipped. There's a dining room with several tables, a play and reading corner, and sleeping rooms for the children. Everything is clean and tidy. We're able to personally hand out the Christmas packages to most of the children. We can only see the children who are in quarantine briefly and from a distance, as they aren't allowed to leave their rooms. We're experiencing a blessed fellowship with the children here, bringing them the good news of Christ's birth and singing the song "To You Belongs the Glory."

Personal and concluding remarks

For the trip to Bulgaria, a stay abroad of 72 hours was permitted, which is why we kept our stay as short as possible.

It was a miracle the trip was even allowed to take place. During the journey, we felt as if Corona didn't exist, and our cargo wasn't inspected on the way there.

Taking the risk of having to quarantine after the trip was worth it to us. The Lord's work was more important to us than any potential restrictions. We are very grateful to God for His protection, His preservation, and for the blessings with which He accompanied us.

CDH Stephanus
Simon Arent