Hi Hill Street!

It is tremendous being back in Bulgaria again. Our time in Lurgan and London was just right, even though it was rather tiring trying to see so many folk.

It was great to renew acquaintances again with so many dear people. We were certainly privileged to be at Ken Nelson's Licensing Service and to attend the Installation of our new minister Nigel McCullough.

Met Nigel for a few minutes up at the manse and thought "He'll do"!!

From what we gather Bulgaria has certainly changed over the last 13 years.

Under the Communists people had to queue up for bread and there were no supermarkets. Sofia we understand was dirty and run-down with no bright street lights. That has all changed now and there are supermarkets just like Tesco's.

The infrastructure has still a good way to go to come up to the standard as at home, such as the health care. Old people seem to come off the worst. I get surprised to see so many of them on the streets begging. I asked my friend Stanislav, who works among the Jewish community, why so many old people are begging on the street corners, he said, "Because they can't live on their pensions".

I find the Bulgarians very friendly, when you get to know them that is! Back home people invite you in for a cup of tea and some tray bakes, while here they give you the works.

Not so long ago Gwen and I went down to the other end of our village to get some pure cows milk. The old couple knew we were coming and as soon as we sat down the wife comes out with a tureen of hot potatoes in their jackets and put them on the table. Chatting on as best we could in our broken Bulgarian, she then comes out of the kitchen with a plate of choux pastry with mottled white cheese in the centre. While we were talking to the husband again after about five minutes she comes out again with four small cups and pours thick black coffee into them. We didn't know how to tell them we don't eat this much. But to make it worse, he gets up and comes back with three small tumblers and a bottle of home made brew and it tasted like whiskey, or was it methlyated spirits!! I tried to tell them that we don't drink whiskey, but the way I tried to explain it in Bulgarian, meant we drink Whiskey, but not this time of the morning!!

The village we live in is called Marchaevo and is about half an hour east of Sofia up in the Hills and is much cooler than down in the capital. As far as we know there are no Christians in the village.

There is an orthodox church up the road from us, but from what we hear the priest is often drunk!

Gwen and I go every day to the forest just behind us to do our prayer walking and pray for every house that we pass - "Lord let there be light in this village". We are still in touch with our language teacher and her husband and are praying for them. They both came one Sunday to the little church we attend in a beauty salon and heard the Word of God preached for the first time.

There is not much we can do in relation to witnessing to people, but we seek to go about doing good. Hope to get in touch again with the Betel ministry that seeks to help the drug addicts. In the hostel there are about 16 men.

Some have come to know the Lord.

As the Lord reminds you, do continue to pray for us and particularly as we continue on with language.

Every blessing in Him we serve,