Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:32 — 3.1MB)
The journey of the construction kitchen to Bulgaria
When a temporary kitchen and toilets were built for the community center in Schwegenheim, we had no idea that this temporary structure would prove useful for another service that lasted longer than originally planned. With the completion of the community center in 2018, the idea arose to dismantle the building and rebuild it in Krivodol, Bulgaria.
Since 2012, the Speyer congregation has supported the work of congregations in Bulgaria with evangelism and aid supplies. When the desire for a church building grew there and a plot of land was finally purchased, it was decided to reuse the construction kitchen. The kitchen was dismantled, carefully packed, and stored for the time being.
A new community center is being built.
On site, the land was transferred free of charge to the Stephanus Mission on the condition that a church be built there. Permits were then applied for and the site prepared. The foundations had to be poured and the sewage system installed. When the truck arrived in Krivodol on August 4, 2019, the building was erected, and since then various working groups from Speyer and Guntersblum have supported the construction, whether with the timber frame construction, insulation and electrical work, or plastering the interior and exterior walls.
The plan was to inaugurate the building on March 22, 2020, but this was not possible due to the coronavirus pandemic. The outdoor area was completed in the summer of 2021, and the inauguration finally took place on September 18, 2021.
The inauguration
At the dedication ceremony, Brother Peter Nikolov, the responsible brother in Bulgaria, welcomed all those present, introduced the guests from Germany, and led the blessing. Brother Reinhold Betz spoke about the work that had been done, the miracles that people had experienced, and described the progress of the project over the past years. Brother Michael Akulenko, the second chairman of Mission Stephanus, emphasized that the aid should not only be temporary, but rather an aid for eternity. He wished the congregation that it would grow like the congregation in Ephesus—with the difference, however, that the congregation in Krivodol should exist until the Second Coming of Jesus.
In his address, Bishop Peter Fast referred to the dedication of Solomon's Temple and his prayer. He said that the building now resembled a house of God, not a kitchen. Our senior bishop, Brother Viktor Folz, mentioned that people should not be looking for just anything here, but should find Jesus, and that true happiness can only be found in Jesus. He also emphasized the importance of working with children.
Brother Walter Gesswein opened the second part of the dedication ceremony with the wish that the congregation would have a serving spirit, regardless of the prevailing circumstances, and that they would remain steadfast in this. The following day, a festival was held on the grounds for the local children. They were to be kept busy and involved.
Aims and purpose of the community center
The primary purpose of the site is the glorification of the Lord. Additionally, it is intended to provide opportunities for people to encounter God in various ways, and finally, the property is also to be used as a storage location for relief supplies.
With Solomon, we want to join in Psalm 127: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (Ps 127:1/ LUT 2017).
God built the house, and may He use the house to His glory!
Reinhold Betz,
Municipality of Speyer