Welcome to FUMC Morristown's blog! Come here to find out more about the mission happenings and what great things God is doing! Currently, we have a team in Bulgaria... so be sure to follow them along their way. Please keep them in your prayers and feel free to write and leave notes of encouragement!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Safely Home
We made it back it back home safely. Thanks for following along. We'll try to get some pictures up later this week.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
A Visit to Plovdiv
Well, we're at the end of our trip, so today we took an excursion over to the city of Plovdiv, which is just under a 2-hour drive. It's the second largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia (the capital) and is an old Roman city. There are three Roman amphitheaters in town that are still in use today. Paul gave us a walking tour of old town, and we also took a walk down the main pedestrian shopping street in the new town. It's a sophisticated city and much more like a western European city than Sofia. We had an enjoyable lunch in an outdoor restaurant in old town along the city wall.
We came back to Sofia for dinner with Paul and Judy here at the hotel restaurant. We ended the day with a debrief of our trip, our evening devotional, and a time for prayer. We got all the suitcases sorted and packed for what stays in Bulgaria and what goes back to the States with us.
We leave bright and early in the morning for a 7:15 flight. Hopefully we'll have better success at getting home than we had getting here! Our intended route is Sofia - Munich - Charlotte - Knoxville.
It's been another great trip to Bulgaria and the orphanages, and we hate to leave. We'll look forward to coming again next year.
Thanks for following us via this blog and for praying for us. You're very much part of our team in doing so.
Shalom,
Team Bulgaria
We came back to Sofia for dinner with Paul and Judy here at the hotel restaurant. We ended the day with a debrief of our trip, our evening devotional, and a time for prayer. We got all the suitcases sorted and packed for what stays in Bulgaria and what goes back to the States with us.
We leave bright and early in the morning for a 7:15 flight. Hopefully we'll have better success at getting home than we had getting here! Our intended route is Sofia - Munich - Charlotte - Knoxville.
It's been another great trip to Bulgaria and the orphanages, and we hate to leave. We'll look forward to coming again next year.
Thanks for following us via this blog and for praying for us. You're very much part of our team in doing so.
Shalom,
Team Bulgaria
Friday, June 1, 2012
A Great Program in Vidrare
We woke up to this morning in Vratsa to the beautiful mountain in front of the hotel. It's a wonderful part of God's creation. We drove a little more than an hour to the town of Vidrare, where there is another handicap orphanage. The Morristown team has been there in years past, although they didn't spend much time there and didn't know too many of the children. It is a very different home than Berk 4. It's in the middle of town and is colorful and well kept. They have a very engaged director (who speaks English quite well) and also a music and arts director.
And what a treat we were in for! June 1 is the International Day of the Child, so in celebration, they put on a music program. It was a big production, and we weren't the only guests. There were many folks in from the community, and the mayor sent greetings. There was also a mission group from Trevecca University in Nashville and a group of nursing students from Shorter University in Georgia. Upon arrival, we were greeted with piping hot, fresh baked bread with Bulgarian spices, and everyone was given a small bouquet of flowers cut from the garden.
All the children were in their best clothes -- the boys all had black pants, white shirts, and red bow ties, and the girls had on their best dresses. There were songs sung, poems recited, and dances performed. It was an impressive show! They actually take shows on the road sometimes and recently even entered a talent show of area schools. They shot fireworks for the grand finale. The whole program was outside, and it was perfect weather.
Afterwards, we got to spent time playing with children, rubbing backs, and holding them. It is such a joy to be with such special children. In addition to the children who performed (who were the ones able to do so), there were many more children outside with us. We were also able to spend some time with the director, and we prayed with him as a group before we left.
This is a great home, and Paul and Judy have a great relationship with the director. They have also hired someone through Bulgarian Child who lives there and works there.
In the afternoon, we headed back to Sofia and went into the city for some touring. We ate at our favorite Chinese restaurant and then arrived at Hotel Jasmine, where we have stayed in the past. We debriefed and had our devotional and decided to work tomorrow on packing logistics -- everything that came over that needs to get to orphanages and the manger scenes that the Berk 4 residents make that need to get to the U.S. to be sold. We were just too tired to do it tonight! We were excited that our eleventh bag finally arrived today from the airport.
Tomorrow we take an excursion over to the city of Plovdiv. It is the second largest city in Bulgaria and was once a Roman city, so there are lots of Roman relics still there, including a large amphitheater still in use.
Signing off from Sofia,
Team Bulgaria
And what a treat we were in for! June 1 is the International Day of the Child, so in celebration, they put on a music program. It was a big production, and we weren't the only guests. There were many folks in from the community, and the mayor sent greetings. There was also a mission group from Trevecca University in Nashville and a group of nursing students from Shorter University in Georgia. Upon arrival, we were greeted with piping hot, fresh baked bread with Bulgarian spices, and everyone was given a small bouquet of flowers cut from the garden.
All the children were in their best clothes -- the boys all had black pants, white shirts, and red bow ties, and the girls had on their best dresses. There were songs sung, poems recited, and dances performed. It was an impressive show! They actually take shows on the road sometimes and recently even entered a talent show of area schools. They shot fireworks for the grand finale. The whole program was outside, and it was perfect weather.
Afterwards, we got to spent time playing with children, rubbing backs, and holding them. It is such a joy to be with such special children. In addition to the children who performed (who were the ones able to do so), there were many more children outside with us. We were also able to spend some time with the director, and we prayed with him as a group before we left.
This is a great home, and Paul and Judy have a great relationship with the director. They have also hired someone through Bulgarian Child who lives there and works there.
In the afternoon, we headed back to Sofia and went into the city for some touring. We ate at our favorite Chinese restaurant and then arrived at Hotel Jasmine, where we have stayed in the past. We debriefed and had our devotional and decided to work tomorrow on packing logistics -- everything that came over that needs to get to orphanages and the manger scenes that the Berk 4 residents make that need to get to the U.S. to be sold. We were just too tired to do it tonight! We were excited that our eleventh bag finally arrived today from the airport.
Tomorrow we take an excursion over to the city of Plovdiv. It is the second largest city in Bulgaria and was once a Roman city, so there are lots of Roman relics still there, including a large amphitheater still in use.
Signing off from Sofia,
Team Bulgaria
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MAY 2009: BULGARIA
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us -
yes, establish the work of our hands.
~ Psalm 90:17
establish the work of our hands for us -
yes, establish the work of our hands.
~ Psalm 90:17