Updates from Eastern Europe
Dear Friends, March 3, 2010
It's hard to believe that it's March already. It is Bulgarian tradition to give a gift to your loved ones on March 1st. It is red and white and is usually a bracelet. These are called Martenitsas. These are traditionally worn until the storks return for the summer. When one sees a stork, they take off the Martenitsa and hang it from a tree or plant. This brings good luck to the tree.
March is referred to as "Baba Marta", which means Grandmother March. Baba Marta is known for being moody. Sometimes she gets mad and turns you over to Grandmother Winter. Other times she is nice and lets the sun shine. The people believe these things because they are very superstitious.
We have just begun the yearly flour distribution, and the people are encouraged and thankful for it. As always, there has been some difficulty (people yelling and shoving to make sure they don't miss out), but it has been a wonderful thing, too. Two days ago we gave out 11,000lbs of flour and about 125gallons of oil to two of the nine churches I go to. Praise the Lord.
In the next several weeks, I will have many testimonies to share from the flour distribution, but I would also like to begin a series in my emails, highlighting each church I go to, and the prayer needs of each.
This week I'd like to talk about the church in Novi Pazar (pronounced No-Vee Puh-Zahr). It is a house church, in a room attached to the house of Ismael (Ees-mah-yel), the National Pastor. Novi Pazar is a small city with many Turkish speaking Gypsies residing there. They have a many small stores, a Post Office, a nice hardware store, a couple restaurants (though you wouldn't want to eat there), a mosque, and even a hotel (though you might not want to stay there).
Every Monday evening, 30-40 believers meet in a large room, some sitting on couches and many on the floor. The little old lady who lives there is always lying by the woodstove. Every time they meet together, they sing hymns for about an hour, followed by a season of prayer, testimonies, and preaching. After a final prayer, they sing a song and then fellowship a while. Each of these people are poor, but they have love and joy in their hearts, which makes them very rich indeed.
Last night was a particularly good service. During the singing, Ismael's oldest son, Sezgin (Sez-gheen), and his wife, came in and sat down across the room on the floor. After a few minutes she got up and came over to sit on the floor near Ismael. Sezgin got up next and came and sat by me. I shared my hymn book with him and he sang every song loudly from his heart. Tears were running down his face. When the service was over and most had gone home, Ismael told me that this was the first time Sezgin ever came to the church. He was so happy that his son had come. The Lord is working in Sezgin's heart. Please pray for him. He and his wife and children live in an adjoining house. His three children range in age from 5-14.
Ismael's other son lives in an adjoining house on the other side. They have three children as well. Sinem (See-nem), only five years old, had a lung tumor last year that was successfully removed. Her prognosis is good, but right now she's in the hospital with bronchitis. Please keep her in your prayers, as well as the rest of her family.
The little old lady (we all call her "Baba", which means Grandmother) is about the same as previous emails. When we were giving out flour a few days ago, she somehow got out of the house without anyone noticing. She was wearing no shoes or socks and was trying to walk to the road. Sometimes she tries to pull up on the hot woodstove to stand up. Sometimes her mind is sharp and she thinks of her son, who resides in Germany, and she cries for him. Please remember her in your prayers.
Ismael's wife is Nazie (Nah-zee-ay). She has diabetes, but even in her poor health, she cares for her aunt (the lady we call Baba) and feeds around 30 kids every day. She could use your prayers for health and strength.
From this church, there are 5-6 who faithfully go with me to all the other churches. They would go to church all day, every day, if they could. They are a blessing to the other churches as well as their own.
In closing I want to thank you all for your faithful prayers for us and for this ministry. It is my hope and prayer that these updates will bring you closer to this work. I hope you can see what is going on through my eyes and pray for all the needs we face. Thank you.
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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March 1, 2010
In Bulgaria March first is something of a holiday; they celebrate the coming of spring. Things certainly look springy here. We've had nice weather for a week or more.
We're praising God that once again we received our visas without any problems. This time we only applied for a six month visa. Within those six months, though, we should apply for and receive our permanent visas. Please pray with us about this. It will be a major expense.
We were able to get out to the regular meetings this week. It's always a blessing to see how the Lord blesses the new churches. It seems like there's usually one meeting that is about empty, but another one is packed. There's been some new people coming in the church that is furthest from us. Saturday we visited several people from the "empty" meeting, and they all promised to come. There may be some other problems there that we need to pray about.
In the first of our two Thursday meetings there were some people visiting in the house where we have church. The man told us that several different groups of believers had been to his village over the years, but they ran them all off. He tried to get us to leave, but Brother Alish got him to calm down and at least listen during the meeting. In the meeting Alish gave his testimony of how he came to be a believer.
Brother Alish had been working away from home, in the city of Sofia when his wife got saved. At that time there was great opposition to the gospel, which produced strong believers. Although he threatened his wife every way he could, she stood firm in her faith. In the end, he told her that he was going back to Sofia to work (for six months or so) and that when he came home he didn't want her there. After a week of working in Sofia, Alish got sick. He went to the doctor, and the doctor gave him bad news. So, he came back home to ask his wife to pray for him. She was scared to see him come home so soon, but after he explained things to her, they both went to the doctor. The doctor turned out to be a Christian. The doctor gave him a prescription, but made it clear that the medicine would not guarantee his recovery. "Only God can make you healthy again," the doctor said. That night Alish got on his knees and prayed for the first time in his life, alongside his wife. Early the next morning he awoke, completely healthy. Everyone in the village had said that Alish would be the last one to ever become a believer. He had had a reputation of being the biggest drunk and gambler around, but God changed him overnight.
After hearing this testimony in the meeting Thursday, the visitors said that they had never heard of such a thing, and they believed that we really were sent by God. Then they invited us to their village to preach.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Dear Praying Friends, 2-22-10
We're glad to be able to report again. After several weeks of snow and bad weather, we're finally able to get out and get to the meetings again (and to an internet connection in town). Last week we were busy applying for visas, and traveling to Sofia to get little Levi's application for a passport. Thankfully, it's all gone well, so far. We should receive our visas this week, as well as the new passport. Then, we'll have to get Levi a visa. They say that a baby born in Bulgaria gets an automatic temporary visa; otherwise we would have to go to Washington DC.
The churches seem to be doing well. We've had some prayers answered, but still so many more that need to be answered. People continue to leave Bulgaria for work in Western Europe. We're sad to see them go, but know that they take the gospel with them. It also reminds us that we only have a certain amount of time to reach people.
In the first meeting Saturday we saw one of the believers get a special blessing. She happily testified that day that her daughter was expecting a baby. After the closing prayer she cried and struggled to find words to say that she just knew that the Lord was in the room during the prayer.
Brother Nasuf recently had surgery. He's in recovery, but in a lot of pain. Pray for him. We had a good meeting with his church yesterday.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Dear Praying Saints, 2-20-10
Winter has given us a break for a few days and we are all enjoying the sun. The kids have been excited to get outside and run a while. This morning they hurried through their chores so they could play "Army" outside.
This has been a rough winter. So rough, in fact, that the news said the Varna region was in a state of emergency for the amount of snow. Snow plows were out in large numbers (unusual for this area). They kept on top of it, but, unfortunately, they destroyed the roads. Deep pot holes are everywhere, especially on the autobahn where cars fly at 90mph. It's dangerous. For every 400 holes I miss, I usually hit one or two. It's unavoidable.
The churches are doing fine. The one in Kaspichan was in the home of the lady I wrote about recently who passed away. For now her daughter is gladly letting the church stay in the same home and the believers are still coming in large numbers there. They are still hurting over the loss of their dear friend. Please pray for them.
On Sunday, Ismael and I plan on going to the village of Hirsavo to pass out DVDs. This village is in between Tsirkvitsa and Nikola Kozlavo, both of which have churches. Ismael tells me that Hirsavo has a large population of Milet, so we want to pass out DVDs there for them. These DVDs are a powerful evangelistic tool because many (if not most) of the Milet cannot read. These DVDs contain preaching, singing of hymns, and testimonies of other believers. If we give one to someone without a TV at home, they go where there is one and play it there. We have heard testimonies of villages where several families gather in one home everyday to watch the DVDs. Praise the Lord for the fruit!
The coat and sock distribution is finished for this year and it was such a blessing to so many! It helped so many people get through the worst winter in recent history. Praise the Lord! Already we are encouraged that next year will be just as good if not better. Our home church has begun a sock drive in the Sunday School classes. Already the kids have bought a few hundred pair of socks, with plans of gathering many more, to be sent over this fall. What a blessing it is to sit back and watch God work among His people.
Please keep us and all the missionaries in your prayers. This time of year is difficult and so many are struggling. But the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much! Your prayers hold eternal value. Thank you for your faithful prayers!
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr
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Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. February 11, 2010
Praise God for being good to us all. The Lord has blessed us greatly this last year in the work of God.
The 8 churches that I am pastoring are doing well. The Lord has put of His Spirit there and He is working. It is a blessing to see the Lord work. A lot of people are getting help through the local church. The church attendance in 4 of my meetings has doubled this last year. Also I have given out thousands of DVDs and a lot of these people get there folks together and they keep on watching the services on these DVDs. Please, keep on praying that these new souls get saved.
I am continuing to work day and night on the Bulgarian Bible Translation. Once again thank you all for buying me that lap top computer. It has been a great help for me for the Bible work.
The churches over here are praying for you all. We all thank you a lot for the flour money that you have sent. For the last month the winter has been rough on us. It snowed a lot and I could not go to meetings on regular basis, because of the snow most of the time being 3-4 feet. In the village of Kamenar the snow covered the church housetop, which is 13 feet high. Most of the time temperatures have been minus 10 to minus 20 Celsius. 50 km from where I live the temperatures have dropped to minus 29 Celsius. My car died also. Most of our church folks are out of electricity, food and wood, and no money, but debts, so this flour and oil will be a great blessing for them. But most of them are happy in the Lord and thankful to Him for being good to them.
A lot of times people invite us to go to their houses for prayer. Most of the time they will get 20-30 people and we would go there and have a 2 hour service. We would see tears rolling down their eyes. We went to this one family after our third service for the day and there were about15 women that waited on us. We started singing and we sang for two hours till we lost our voices. Those ladies cried the whole time and wanted us not to stop singing. What a blessing. All of them were from a very rich family too. They got a taste of the real riches.
As soon as the spring comes we will get out and give out some more DVDs. A month ago we moved out of Varna and now we are living in a village and we thank God for this. May the Lord bless you all richly in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Brother Mitko, Bulgaria.
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Dear Praying Saints, February 4, 2010
After being snowed in for a couple weeks, things have thawed enough to be able to drive again. However, another winter storm is expected this week. Fortunately, they're not predicting more frigid temperatures and we're all glad for that.
On Saturday I was able to get to Kaspichan to pass out the last of the coats. This was the best distribution yet. The people were so grateful that we had come. The small room filled with people who came in shifts so we wouldn't have too many at once. And in the end, there were enough coats and socks for all who came. It couldn't have gone more smoothly. I tried to attach a few pictures, but my computer is acting up and won't upload them. I'll try again another time. The pictures are not good quality because I took them with my cell phone (my help meet was not with me to take pictures with the camera. She and the children stayed home because of the bad roads). Nearly a hundred people were given a coat, a pair of socks, and the gospel on DVD that day. Praise the Lord!
This was the final coat distribution (unless the Lord changes things), but I will be taking a trash bag full of socks to Stoiyan Mihailovski as soon as I can. They are one of the poorer villages that I go to, but they are also one of the more rowdy ones. I anticipate a crowd of grabby but appreciative people. The socks will be such a blessing!
We didn't keep an exact count, but our closest estimate is that when all is said and done, this winter we will have given out 200 coats, 300 pair of socks, and 25 pair of shoes (our local feeding center kids). There has been much rejoicing over these items and the people are praising God that they were there for them.
Soon we will be a part of the winter flour distribution for the whole Bulgarian work. This is always a blessing and comes right on time for so many who have nothing. I will try to take some pictures of this distribution as well. Pray that the weather clears up so the missionaries and national Pastors can get the flour to all the people, even up in the mountains where the roads are so bad this time of year.
The widow I asked you to pray for is still holding on. Please continue to pray for her.
Thank you all for your prayers for this work and for our family. It's not always easy to live on the mission field, but I am thankful to God that I get to be here. And I'm thankful to God for you and the help you are to me and this ministry. You are a blessing.
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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Dear Praying Friends, Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Rule number one for a missionary: Be flexible! This has rang especially true in the last couple of weeks.
About a week ago, a winter storm hit, leaving a nice, even layer of snow on the ground. It was beautiful. The children and I went out and played in it for a while. Then a cold front moved through, bringing wind and frigid temperatures. The roads were drifted to a meter and a half in some places, with patches of ice in between. The temperatures dropped to around minus 10-13F. We stayed indoors as much as we could.
Thursday night was particularly bad. Friday morning I couldn't get my van through the village to get to morning prayer meeting, so I walked. Carrie asked that I pick up some bread at the center store (which is about the size of an American convenience store) on my way home, but there was none. The delivery trucks had not made it through. So I stopped at another store (much smaller than the other one) where bread is made fresh daily. As I got closer, I saw many of the older people walking to get bread. They were leaning on their canes and wearing thin rubber shoes on their feet. I was cold with my winter coat, hat, and boots. I couldn't imagine how cold they were.
Saturday was no better. In fact, it was colder. I called Ismael and told him that we would not be able to get out to go to the meetings and he agreed. But later into the evening Ismael called to tell me about a death in Kaspichan. He needed to get there, but we weren't sure how we would be able to. We decided that we would wait until morning and try to get there.
Kaspichan is hilly in and of itself, but the area where the Turks are is in the back and up a large hill, which is one of the last to be scraped and salted. I wasn't sure we would make it up the hill to the funeral, IF I was even able to get out of my own village.
Sunday morning the roads were still not plowed. But we had to get to the funeral. We made it there, praying all the way. When we got to the church, I was surprised to see that it was the lady of the house where the church is. She was in her mid-60s and had a lovely spirit. I saw her just last week and she was in good health.
At her home, people gathered. I would estimate that around eighty people were there. Final respects were paid and then it was time for a ceremony. For this, the Hoja came. I'm not sure if it was her Muslim family's wishes or if it is standard procedure in order for her to be buried in the Gypsy cemetery. The Hoja was Turkish and well groomed. He had on nice clothes and a coat under a white robe. On his head was a tall white and red hat.
He gathered everyone into the street where the body, in a green casket was put in the back of a horse cart. He then chanted over the casket and on cue, people from the crowd shouted. This went on for about ten minutes and then the horse cart began to move (pulled by men and not a horse) to head to the cemetery. The wail that went up from the women in the crowd was chilling.
I stood there in the crowd, deeply saddened. First that this kind lady was no longer with us. Her presence will be missed. And second that she was not receiving the funeral she would have wanted. But knowing that she was with Jesus gave me comfort, and not just me, but the believers that were with me. I knew that in her life, she had been touched by the love and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for His great salvation!
I took the believers home and then headed back to our village in time to make it to the afternoon church service. A few blocks from the church, my van got stuck in the snow. The water meter man walked up just then and wanted me to pay my water bill. I told him that I would get it to him tomorrow and could he help me get my van unstuck. He tried, but after a couple minutes, walked away. Finally a couple of the believers came along and helped me. Between there and the church, the van got stuck two more times. After going all day to a funeral and back and not getting stuck, I got stuck three times in my own village. But we had a good church service and the Lord moved in our hearts.
The temperatures are supposed to go up a bit in the next few days and the Turks are relieved. Many of them have no firewood and the ones that do are running low. Thank you for praying for them!
In closing I want to thank you all for your prayers for us and for this ministry. Many lives are being touched by the love of Jesus and you have a part in that. Thank you!
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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Dear Friends, 1-22-10
The temperatures are frigid. It is supposed to dip down to minus 11 Fahrenheit for the next three nights, plus wind. Many of the Gypsies don't have firewood. Please, please pray for their safety during this time!
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach
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1-18-10
The Lord
has sent more snow. Not a lot, just enough to hinder driving. Most of our
meetings are in villages at a higher elevation, so we probably won't make it out
this week. Yesterday Brother Alish narrowly escaped an accident driving in the
snow to the meeting. Only the Lord prevented it, like He usually does. We
always have something to be thankful for.
My computer that had burnt up is now fixed. Well, the critical part is fixed.
The repair man failed to check the DVD drive. It's not working, but can be
replaced. At least the information on the hard drive is not lost.
Verity and little Levi are both home, healthy and content. The other children
continue their schooling, and I the proof-reading. Pray for us. We always
need it.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Dear Praying Friends, 1-16-10
Things are back to normal after the holidays. The past couple of weeks have been unseasonably warm, though it looks like winter will reintroduced itself this weekend.
The children are doing fine. They are starting to get cabin fever and look forward to spring. But they are doing fine with their studies and music lessons. The older four can play the piano and mandolin. Jonathan spends his time drawing and writing stories. Hannah writes letters and makes up recipes. Joshua acts like a clown, making us all laugh. Esther writes stories and clowns around with Joshua. Cherith is sweet and funny and likes to hug everyone. Carrie stays busy with home school and house chores as well as working with the coat distribution. I enjoy them all so much.
Today we set out to pass out the last of the coats from this year's coat drive. On the way we realized that we had forgotten the bag of DVDs. Then when we got there, no one was expecting us. I told the Pastor last week, but as language difficulties can cause mix-ups, the message wasn't conveyed to the people. It all worked out and the people are expecting us next weekend and will bring their children and grandchildren.
The widow I asked you to pray for a few weeks ago has declined. She lays on the floor by the woodstove all day. Some days her mind is sharp. Others, she doesn't talk and can't do anything for herself. The other day she was sharp and the things she said to me were precious. She told me how much she appreciated me coming to the church. She said that I was like a son to her. Since then, each time I've seen her, she's been worse. Today she didn't even wake up. She's eighty-six. Please pray for her as she prepares to cross over. And pray for her niece as she cares for her; it's getting more difficult.
Thank you all for your faithful prayers. We need them.
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry
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December 28, 2009
This week we saw a sharp change in the temperature. The sun came out and melted all the snow. Saturday the thermometer read fifty-eight degrees. This week, though it looks like things are getting back to normal, as it snowed hard for about an hour today.
As Verity's due date draws near I'm staying home more. We'll have an hour's drive to the hospital in Varna, maybe more, depending on the city traffic. For her last delivery we had an hour's drive to the hospital, then the baby was born thirty minutes later. So, I'm staying close to home these days, and proof-reading the Turkish Old Testament.
Saturday we went to two nearby villages and had good meetings. It's odd the way the Lord works sometimes. I hadn't really studied or prepared a sermon to preach that day, but in both meetings I was able to preach for forty-five minutes with great liberty. I'm preaching through the book of John. The people were attentive and receptive. In the first meeting I could have preached much longer, but we had another meeting to get to. Then, in the second meeting I could have preached a lot longer, but Lazarus got out of the tomb, so I figured it was time to quit.
Remember to pray for us. From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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From Bulgaria. December 21, 2009
A week of bad weather.
That's what we've had here. It started with rain, then freezing
temperatures made driving all but impossible. After that we got more snow,
more freezing rain, and then more snow, and strong winds. Today the roads
have been scraped, so there is a smooth layer of snow packed on top of the ice.
At least they have been salting the more hazardous places on the roads - hills
and curves.
I was able to make it to three meetings this week. When we left our
village I though for sure we would have to turn around, but we just kept going
and made it. I'm glad we did. In the one village about a dozen people had
gathered. We're oft tempted to complain until we see what other people
suffer. The family that hosts this little church doesn't have any
electricity or running water, yet they never complain. Even giving us a
cup of coffee must be a financial difficulty, but they insist on doing it
whenever they're able. Pray for them.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Dear Friends, December 12, 2009
Greetings from snowy Bulgaria. Today we were able to pass out coats, socks, and the Gospel on DVD in the small city of Novi Pazar. We were told to expect around 40 kids there, but at the end of the day, around 70 coats were given out. What a blessing! Most of the coats went to kids, ranging in age from 3 to 13, but some went to the Pastor's family and a couple widows. The Pastor's wife told us that these kids have been excited for days, often asking when we were coming. They worried that the icy roads would keep us from coming. It was about 20 degrees today and many children were wearing only sweaters.They were so happy to get a coat! I have attached a few pictures. Esther and Hannah worked the camera, so of the many they took, these are some of the nicer ones. I hope they are a blessing to you!
When all of the kids had gone and we sat down for a few minutes to rest, Esther told us that she was going out to the outhouse. But when she went to put her boots on (it's customary to take one's shoes off before entering a house), they were gone. We looked all over for them before deciding that they had been taken by one of the kids that came. Esther was a good sport about it, laughing and telling us she had been "robbed". And when I carried her to the van to go buy her a pair of shoes, she said, "Oh boy! If I had known that losing my shoes would mean that Daddy would carry me, I'd lose them everyday!" And later when we got her the only pair of shoes in her size, which happened to be bright, shiny red, she said, "Somewhere out there a Gypsy looks American and now I look like a Gypsy." She has a great sense of humor. It has been great for our kids to get involved with helping others.
Thank you all for your prayers! Knowing that you are praying means so much to us! In closing I'd like to ask you all to pray for a widow at the Novi Pazar church. She is 86 and is quite ill. Her health is fading fast and the family is just waiting. Please pray for her and for the family. And please pray for future coat distributions, as well as for those who have already received. Thank you so much!
Because He First Loved Me, Larry Leach, Jr.
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Dear Prayer Warriors, December 9, 2009
Today was cold and rainy----a good time to begin the coat distribution among the needy children. We planned to give today to the kids at the feeding center in our village. But first we needed to organize everything. So we worked as a family to get everything separated and in individual bags. Then we headed to the center. Gulbush had a nice meal prepared for us when we arrived. But while we were eating, kids came. Many, many kids. They ran from the school to the center and ate hurriedly so they could open their gift. These were the smaller children who attend school right in our village. The older children attend school in the next village over, so they would come later.
But in the short amount of time between crowds, Rocko came by himself. He wasn't ill, so we weren't sure why he skipped school. It didn't take long for us to find out. He wanted to come by himself because he had something on his heart to say to us but didn't want to say it in front of his peers. Gulbush told us he had something to say, so we waited for him to talk. He couldn't. So he followed her into the kitchen and asked her to speak for him. She returned and said, "Rocko wanted to tell you thank you very much for his coat and the one for his Grandma. And thanks to Jesus for sending them. But he couldn't say it. He also said that he wanted to give Larry a hug but couldn't make himself do it. He is very thankful." We rejoiced in this. And when Rocko tried on the shoes we gave him and they fit perfectly, he lifted his head to say something but choked up. So he turned away. God is working on him, softening his heart more and more all the time. This is not the Rocko of a few months back.
Just then, the older children arrived on the bus. They ran through the gate, nearly knocking down anyone or anything that was in their way. They pulled up a chair and slurped down their soup faster than anything we had ever seen. Then they were ready for their coats. This crowd was rowdy and difficult to keep enough in order to get everything to the right person. After a half-hour of that, we were exhausted, but thrilled to have been able to help these kids and give them a small Christmas.
When it was all over and Gulbush invited us in for coffee, she told us that the kids were also thrilled to have received a DVD. One boy didn't see his in his bag and ran and asked her why he didn't get one. She dug through his bag and found it. He was so happy. 25 kids went home with the Gospel today. Praise the Lord!
Tired, we left and headed for home, thinking we were finished for the day. Not so. Our doorbell rang for an hour afterward. Older boys from the center came to ask for coats for their little brothers. Fortunately, we had just enough to give to them to take home.
The coat distribution is coming at a perfect time. Snow is expected this week. We thank God for his faithful provision.
Please pray for these kids. Pray for their families (many are Muslim). Pray for their salvation. And please pray for all future distribution. We expect to be quite busy with the coats for the whole month of December. Pray for all those who will receive. Thank you all for your faithful prayers!
Larry and Carrie Leach
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December 7, 2009
Greetings from Bulgaria. We're enjoying an unusually warm December here. Brother Alish said that the Lord's having mercy on all the poor people that don't have firewood.
Today we're recovering of two days and a night of ministering. Saturday morning I got a call about a funeral. We went to our regular meetings that day, then drove out to be with Brother Nasuf that night at the wake of sister Anife. She was only forty-eight years old. For years the believers in that village met in her house. She left behind her husband, three daughters and three sons in law, and a couple grand children. All that night we sang and testified to the small crowd there, then the next morning Brother Alish preached to a crowd of over one hundred gathered on the street at the funeral. Pray for her family, some of them are not saved, but close.
After the burial we drove back to one of our normal meetings, but with a van full of believers from the funeral. Although it is a small meeting, there were some visitors there that day that got to hear testimonies from six preachers. The church was greatly blessed. After the meeting they fed us a meal - four bowls of lamb stew, but with no forks. We took turns sopping with the bread, the way Jesus ate with his disciples.
Another recent blessing is the delivery of some coats and socks. Fellow missionary Larry Leach got burdened about the condition of the poor children here during the winter months. After relaying this need to some churches they sent him a thousand dollars to buy coats and socks. Along with the clothes, he's giving out DVDs, so even the ones that don't come to church can see a man preach the gospel. One widow woman, after receiving her coat said with tears in her eyes, "This isn't the Muslim way." Pray for her and others like her who will see the love of God through this ministry.
From Bulgaria,
Zachary LeFevre
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Dear Fellow Laborers, December 5, 2009
I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving gathered around the table, thanking God for all His goodness!
Life here, in all its busyness, just got a little busier. Yesterday Carrie and I went to Shumen and picked up a van load of coats. We also got a big bag of socks to go with it. I asked Gulbush (the village Pastor's daughter who runs the feeding center) to get the sizes of all the kids at the feeding center so we could get the right size of coat and socks for them. Then this morning we took a big bag of coats to the Pastor's family. Attached is a picture of Carrie and the Pastors wife and another of Carrie and the Pastor's great-granddaughter, Darya. 7 coats were given among the Pastor's family. After we were finished there, we went with Gulbush to the home of Rocko's grandmother (I mentioned her a week or two ago). We met her yesterday and asked her if she had a coat. She said that she didn't and told us that she was all alone, raising this one boy. We guessed at her size when we picked up the coats. And this morning when we gave it to her, if fit perfectly. With tears she reached out and took my hand. Then she kissed my cheeks. But what really struck me was her words. She said, "This is not the Muslim way!" She has been so helped by the charity of the believers and she clearly sees that the love of Jesus is so much better than Islam. We invited her to the church. Please pray that the seeds of love sown in her heart will bring forth fruit to salvation. Attached is a picture of her with Carrie and Gulbush.
On Wednesday we hope to have everything ready to distribute coats and socks to the kids at the feeding center in our village. Please pray that all goes well as we pass them out along with the Gospel on DVD. Please pray for these kids and for their parents/grandparents. Pray for Gulbush as she not only feeds them, but teaches them about Jesus. These kids count on her.
Please pray for us as we do what we can to reach the lost and feed and clothe the poor and widows. I appreciate all your prayers and support!
Because He First Loved Me, Larry Leach, Jr.
Dear Friends,
What a whirlwind of activity the last few days have been. Between all our regular stuff----homeschooling, chores, wood cutting, etc----we have begun the coat distribution! My heart is leaping for joy to be able to help these kids.
Yesterday we did the shopping. It took quite a while to find a store with as many coats as we needed to buy. There were looks of shock and more than a few laughs, but in the end, we ended up with a van full of nice coats! Socks were a little more money than I expected, but then again, I did buy the thickest I could find. In the beginning I didn't think to pass out socks, but when I talked with our senior missionary, he said to be sure to hand out at least a pair of socks with each coat. And after seeing the looks on everyone's faces this morning, the socks were a much appreciated addition!
If this morning was any indication as to how this coat drive will go, we are in for a huge blessing! The experience with Rocko's grandmother touched my heart more than she will ever know. She hobbled out to the gate to greet us, wheezing as she came. Then when I held out the coat, she was speechless. I helped put it on her, holding my breath because at first it looked a little small. But when she got her other arm in and it was a perfect fit, I let out a laugh of joy. Overjoyed, and with tears, she grabbed me and pulled my face to hers. She kissed my cheeks and thanked me over and over. I told her that it was from Jesus. I buttoned it for her and asked if I could get my picture taken with her. She fixed her head scarf for the picture. This is a picture I will treasure! As we walked away, I couldn't help but cry.
I'm excited about the coat distribution at the feeding center on Wednesday. I want these kids to know that Jesus truly cares about what they are going through. Please, please pray for them. Maybe the village's next Pastor is among them...
A special thanks to all those who gave and all who prayed for the coat drive! And if the people could thank you themselves, they would. But since they can't, I'll say it for them. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
With Love to All, Carrie M. Leach----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings from sunny Bulgaria. November 24, 2009
We've had another good week here. Wednesday I preached again to a room full of people in the new village. Again they were receptive. This week they are planning on feeding everyone that comes to the meeting. We've seen this many times over the years - when someone comes to the Lord, or when the Lord comes to that person, the natural response is joy, and a desire to spread that joy to others.
Saturday was a blessed day in both meetings. The little group in the first village sang the hymns for an hour at least. Then, each one had a good testimony. Kiymet continues to improve, and she credits our prayers to God as the reason. Another woman told about an incident at the baptism we held in the summer. While she was waiting in line to get baptized there was man and woman watching. They were new to the meetings, but wanted to believe. She encouraged them, and the man decided to get baptized. The preachers talked to him, and a few minutes later he waded out into the water and professed publicly faith in Jesus Christ. Now, two months have passed. The woman from that village said that she had run into them man somewhere this week, and the man said, "I wish I'd a become a believer years ago. My life's different now." His wife said that she also believed, and was sorry that she had not got baptized with him that day.
Last week we prayed for a dying woman. She was lying on her side in bed, gasping for breath. The doctors in the hospital had sent her home without treatment. That night we prayed for her. The next night we went to see her. She was breathing better. She got out of bed and sat up while I preached from psalm 90 about the number of our days. This week we went to her village again, and the woman had further improved. Please pray for her salvation.
In our village we had a man come to the meeting for the first time. A few years ago he had a small business, and was considered one of the wealthier men in the community. Now he's lost his family and his business, and his hearing. He started coming to the children's feeding, asking if he could eat the leftover food. The night he came to church he told us that he hadn't eaten anything in three days but the apples from his tree. Gulbush, the woman that feeds the children, gives him any leftovers and witnesses to him on a regular basis now. Although he doesn't understand any Turkish, he came to the meeting. He couldn't participate in any way, except for the prayer. After church he was too emotional to talk about it. The next day he told us that he had never had a better night's sleep in all his life. We expect the seed sown in his heart to blossom into eternal life before long.
From Bulgaria Zachary LeFevre
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Greetings from cool, sunny Bulgaria! November 21, 2009
Fall began with rain and mud and it looked like the rain was going to carry us right through to the snow, but the last couple weeks have been rather nice. We've been able to buy, cut, and stack wood for winter. We were also able to do some insulating of the house. The kids were able to take some walks and play at the new little park in our village. We appreciate the good weather. We still have roses in bloom.
The work is going strong. The churches are praising God for salvation through Jesus Christ. They testify about their life while serving Mohammed and how Jesus changed everything so completely. He gave them love. He gave them peace. He gave them grace. Slava Na Boga!
One part of the ministry that gives the people strength is the morning prayer meeting. In our village, we meet together each morning. We sing a few songs, pray, and fellowship. On one recent morning, the Pastor's daughter told us of some of the people she has told about Jesus. One lady, a "clean Turk" from Shumen, asked her one day why she prayed to Jesus. She told her all about Christ, salvation, and unconditional love. The lady said she would think about it. Well, one day the lady got sick. The Dr said her condition was grave. She called the Pastor's daughter and said, "Pray to Jesus for me. I need to know that He hears prayers." God heard the prayers and answered. Now the lady is a believer.
Another story is of a man in our village. He used to have wealth, but lost it all. He lost his wife, his children, his cars---everything. Today he has no job, no wood or woodstove, and no family. He is an alcoholic. The Pastor's son-in-law is a friend to him. He invited him to church. The man, Miglen, said that an alcoholic couldn't go to church. He said that he was ashamed and thought that the people would tell him to leave. The son-in-law kept after him that he would find love in the church. He promised he would come. That was last week. He didn't come. But they are still inviting. Still reaching out. Still showing him kindness. It is our prayer that he will come to know the Lord as his personal Saviour. Pray for Miglen.
The last story was about Rocko's grandmother. Perhaps I've not mentioned Rocko before. He is a young teen, born in prison to parents who are inmates. At birth he was taken from prison to live with his paternal grandmother. She is a poor widow in our village with barely enough to care for herself, let alone a child. As Rocko grew, he became an angry, bitter young man. He hated everyone and every thing. He caused many problems in the village. By the time he was ten, he had a small gang. Many were afraid of him.
Then he started going to the church's feeding center. At first he was angry and treated everyone at the center badly. If he was having a bad day, he would throw his food and yell at everyone. When hymns would be sung, he would mock. Then one day things changed. As he was yelling at the lady who was feeding him, she answered him softly. She remained kind. He saw something in her that day that he wanted. He went away that day and didn't come back for a while. When he did return, he was different. He showed kindness to all and wouldn't allow his friends to be mean, either.
That was a few months ago. Now he waves to us as we pass. When we are at the park, he comes over and talks to us and wants to play with our kids. He has volunteered at the center to help with any work that may come up. It's night and day difference.
A couple weeks ago, Rocko got the flu. He was very sick. The Dr told him to stay home and not go to the center because he could spread the illness to the other kids. But, if he didn't go to the center, how would he eat? His main source of daily nutrition comes from the center. So he went early one day and asked for food. The lady gave him a jar of soup to take home. She also sent a jar for his grandmother. Day after day for a week she sent a jar of soup to their home. Finally the grandmother came to the center (hunched over, walking with a cane) to thank them for feeding her. She'd never been treated so kindly. The cook asked if she wanted to come to the center daily and eat with the kids. She said no. She said that it should be for the kids. But when the cook insisted she take home some soup, she didn't turn it away.
The feeding center is feeding the poor, the widows, and the fatherless. What a blessing! Thank you all for your prayers and support to reach these people for Christ. You have been more of a help than you know! Glory to God!
I hope these testimonies have been a blessing to you! Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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Nov 16, 2009
We're still enjoying warm weather
here. We haven't had to heat the house this fall.
Good news from the villages. This week I was able to preach in a new
village. In a strong Muslim area. About fifteen people came to the
meeting, all friendly and apparently open to the gospel. As I preached
from Acts chapter sixteen they all nodded their heads "yes" and even said
"Amen". Pray for the people in this village. The opposition will be
strong in that area.
In other places we see the meetings filling up again as their summer work has
ended. Many of the people are glad to be in church again.
Brother Nasuf has started a new meeting in one of his villages. At the new
meeting there was a woman that had been to church years ago. He said that
they had been evangelizing in another village and, of course, preached then
prayed for any who wanted special prayer. This woman had
requested prayer for her physical ailments, and made a complete recovery.
Now years later she has moved to this village where they're starting a church.
Although we may lose contact with people, the Lord never does, and he gathers
his children in.
Also this week we learned that the Lord is providing three new DVD duplicators
for the work through the saints at Brookside Baptist (Charity Baptist Mission)
in Bristol, TN. And, some funds have come in for shipping the duplicators.
Prayer works.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Dear Brethren, November 15 2009
Today was like none other in my history as a missionary. On my way to prayer meeting I got a call from Ismael that one of the believers had died. The "Baba", they called her (which means old lady or Grandmother).
I went on to prayer meeting where I received the full details on what would need to be done to conduct a funeral and go to the graveside.
First, we needed to find a white sheet material for grave clothes. Then we needed to go to the Dr's office and get a death certificate. From there we would go back to the Baba's house where the cloth would be sewn and last respects would be paid.
Of course the usual stores did not have the white cloth, so we walked around Novi Pazar looking for it. As we walked around Novi Pazar, we met up with other believers, who all wanted to pay their respects. It was quite a van full.
Then, because it is Saturday, the Dr was not at his office. We called him and he said he would come to the office right away. He wanted to examine the body himself, so he joined my van full and we headed to the village. By the time the van had completely unloaded, the Dr was ready to go back to his office to write up the death certificate.
After waiting a while outside the Dr's office, the certificate was finally ready. Ismael and I headed back to the village to have the funeral. We sang and prayed.
At that time a makeshift room was built outside where the women would wash and dress the body. They took a lot of time making sure everything was done properly. It reminded me of the women who looked after Jesus' tomb.
Then it was time to go to the cemetery. The wrapped body was put in the back of a horse cart and taken to the cemetery. Only the men went.
When we got there, the hole was already dug. It was about 4ft deep and at the bottom, the hole was inset. In that inset, the body was laid. A mud brick wall was built to enclose the body in the inset. Then the dirt was put back, leaving a mound. From death to end of burial was 14 hours.
One blessing that comes from days such as these is that any lost who gathered got to hear the Gospel. They heard one Pastor at the grave announce, "She's not here! She's in Heaven with Jesus!"
Also, while we were gathered in the house, singing about Heaven and about Jesus' resurrection and Amazing Grace, it set in strongly that as a missionary, all ministry to this one lady was over. But as I looked around the room, my heart was challenged once again to reach as many as I could. Please pray.
Thank you all for your faithful prayers. It is because of your prayers that missionaries stay on the field, telling the world about salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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"The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow." Ps 146:9 November 11, 2009
Greetings from the saints in Bulgaria. As the cold weather has come and summer work is ended the churches are filling back up. We’ve had a good summer. Now Isaac is attending a Bulgarian kindergarten in the mornings and doing first grade school work at home in the afternoons, while Maggie has started preschool at home. The older girls study at home and take violin lessons twice a week. .Verity’s due date is January seventeenth. Pray for her as this date approaches.
Once again it is our privilege to thank God for providing us with a new
vehicle. Last week I bought a seven passenger Dacia Logan. Not only will it
fill the needs of our family’s travel, but we’ll be able to carry more believers
with us as we visit the village churches and evangelize. Thank you all for your
prayers and financial contributions.
I drove my new car to the cafe in Shumen to write this message. The van surely is a blessing, especially for the children. It's not easy to fit four children and two adults into a five passenger car. Saturday I was able to drive the new car to the meetings. On the way to the second meeting we were stopped at a barrier in the road and told to take a detour. That detour started out as a dirt road and ended up as a mud path through the fields to the next town. Good way to break the new vehicle into the work. We made it to church safe and sound, an hour late. There were a dozen believers there waiting on us, including Kiymet.
The little girl from Brother Nasuf’s meeting that we had prayed for is doing better. The doctor’s don’t have any explanation, but her condition has temporarily stabilized. In the mean time we had a young woman come to the meetings in a nearby village. Several young women were coming to the meeting there, at first out of curiosity, which led to them liking the meeting, which will in turn lead to their faith in Christ. Kiymet knew that she needed some help from God, and seemed more serious than the others. She complained of frequent head aches. When she went to the doctor they found a tumor on her brain. She was operated on in Varna, but not given any hope of recovery. The doctors told her there was no hope to live, but now she's still alive. I think they gave her three months to live. Her family took her to a bigger hospital in Sofia, the capitol city, where she was operated on again. Again the doctors predicted she would live only a couple months. Now, two months have gone by. She’s recovered from the surgery, on her feet again, and even able to walk about a mile to the church. Everyone is amazed at her progress, and they say that it is due only to the prayers. Her mother came to church for the first time last week. She said that Kiymet began to recover the night we visited her and prayed for her. Lord willing, it's only a matter of time before her mother comes to know the Lord. She's already seen what he can do. Please pray for this family, as we preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to them.
One morning about a month ago I received a phone call from one of the believers in nearby village. There was a man there who had committed suicide that morning, and they needed help in the funeral. He had been mentally ill for sometime. They said that because of the economic crisis, which has left many people without work, he wasn't able to support his family, and he was ashamed that his children had to go to school hungry, and without new shoes. His wife had often told us that she wanted to come to church, but her husband strictly forbade it. Their children have been coming to the feedings. At the church in that village we've been feeding the poor children for about a year now. This family is so poor though, that many days the only food the children ate was at the church. I'm glad that we can feed them. Now, his wife has been coming to church. She’s found a heavenly father faithful to meet their needs.
We continue to receive requests for cds and DVDs. The Lord is using these discs to take the gospel into places we cannot go.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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November 11, 2009
Greetings from sunny Bulgaria. I drove my new car to the cafe in Shumen to write this message. The seven passenger Dacia Logan surely is a blessing, especially for the children. It's not easy to fit four children and two adults into a five passenger car. Saturday I was able to drive the new car to the meetings. On the way to the second meeting we were stopped at a barrier in the road and told to take a detour. That detour started out as a dirt road and ended up as a mud path through the fields to the next town. Good way to break the new vehicle into the work. We made it to church safe and sound, an hour late. There were a dozen believers there waiting on us, including Kiymet. The doctors told her there was no hope to live, but now she's still alive and walking to church (about a mile). Her mother came with her. Lord willing, it's only a matter of time before her mother comes to know the Lord. She's already seen what he can do.
While I was busy in Sofia with the car Brother Alish was in the new villages. He had good testimonies about some people there wanting to come to church. Before writing more, I'll go meet with them this week. We've prayed a lot for these new villages this year, but so far haven't seen much improvement, but the one meeting in that area that we weren't worried about has continued to grow (without our prayers). I guess the Lord of the harvest decides how and where to work.
More good news. The wife of the man who had committed suicide has begun to attend the church services in her village. She testified that while her husband was alive they struggled just to survive, but since starting to come to the church God's taken better care of her. She said that in some respects her life as a widow is actually better than when her husband was alive.
"The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow." Ps 146:9
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Dear Faithful Brethren, November 7, 2009
The weather has turned nice once again, so people all around our area are taking the opportunity to prepare a little more for winter.
A man down the road is gathering fallen limbs and sticks for firewood. I saw a man in Shumen gathering plastic bottles from dumpsters to burn for warmth. A missionary brother is putting on new roof tiles and hoping to be moved in before Christmas. As a family we have been cutting wood and doing some winterizing on the upstairs of the house. The upstairs is still not being used because it's unfinished. So it must be closed off for winter. We appreciate each little project because it gets us that much closer to a finished house. Having lived for a while with gravel floors, holes in the walls, and showering in the barn, we are very thankful to have a warm house. We appreciate everything our supporters have given to help us get where we are.
As attention is turned to the needs of winter, I ask that you pray and give as the Lord leads. Of priority is the yearly flour distribution. During this distribution, around 1,500 families will each receive a 110lb bag of flour and 5 liters of cooking oil. $25 will help one family survive the harshest winter months.
Also, the feeding centers will have greater needs during the winter. Because of the lack of work, more children are coming to be fed. The feeding center in our village is one of the newer ones and is lacking in monthly support. It needs a little more money monthly for potatoes, noodles, rice, beans, and bread. Over 20 children eat at this center daily.
And lastly, for the missionaries. Winter is especially hard because the needs are so great. Also, the dollar is low and gas is on the rise. Hopefully it will stay under the $8 mark it hit last winter. Some of our missionaries spend $1,000 each month on fuel to get to the meetings and distribute food among the feeding centers. Additionally, car repairs are common because of the number of miles traveled and the bad roads.
As Thanksgiving approaches, we think even more about you all. You have been such a blessing to us in so many ways. Your faithful prayers have given us the strength to go on when we were sure we couldn't take another step. Please know that as we sit around the table on that traditional Thursday, we will be saying a thanks to God for you. Thank you for everything you have done for us and for this ministry.
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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November 2, 2009
It looks like the Gypsy summer
(warm weather in the fall) is over. There's ice in the watering buckets
every morning now. We're so thankful for the work done by Brother Toby and
friends - they carried the firewood into the house.
With the cold weather here the churches are filled.
Work in the fields has ceased. God was good enough to send the financial
crisis to Bulgaria. People here NEED to pray. Many are without
firewood yet or other necessary winter provisions. At the campmeeting at
Brookside over five thousand dollars was raised to help buy flour for the
churches here this winter. Please pray about this, we will need at least
thirty thousand more. God is able. It's always exciting to see him do big
things.
Last week I was able to help Brother Frank Cornelius a couple
days to finish the work on his roof. It reminded me of all the work we did
on our house, and how thankful I am for fellow missionary Matt Welch that did
all the carpentry work free of charge. May the Lord richly bless all those
that have helped us!
This week I'll be traveling to Sofia, Lord willing, to pick
up our new vehicle. After praying and waiting for two years we're excited
at seeing the realization of our prayers. There will be some extra costs for
registration and insurance, but my God will supply the need.
Another need to pray about is the DVD ministry. We
can't make them fast enough. Each of the pastors want to distribute them
in the towns and villages where they have church, not counting new villages.
Many people have commented that they loved watching the DVDs and want to come to
church. It costs less than twenty cents to make a DVD, but we could use at
least two more multi-burning machines.
I hope you'll pray about all these things. In the weeks
ahead, by faith we'll give a good report of answered prayer.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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October 28-09
Dear Preachers, Pastors, and Brookside,
We greet you in the blessed name of the great God and our saviour Jesus Christ. Mercy unto you, and peace and love be multiplied. Last Sunday we had a church service in a new village called Kamaravo. It was a blessing how we came to be there, but may it suffice to say we could tell that God had opened the door and it was a blessing to enter into a home where God was already in attendance.
Hassan, the national Pastor, was so excited to start the new meeting that he didn’t sleep the night before. He started the church service with many gospel songs, which touched the peoples hearts, and many cried as God’s Spirit started to deal with them at the point of their needs. After the singing, Hassan began to preach from Mark chapter 1 on the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it had changed his life, giving him a new life. What joy was expressed as he went over what Jesus had done to save him from his sins and place him in the family of God! He preached for about twenty minutes with joy unspeakable and full of glory, all the time accrediting God for his goodness. Suddenly he stopped and asked for the believers to give testimonies how they had been saved and had come to know the Lord. Something was wrong as it was evident Hassan was becoming ill, and by the end of the service it appeared it might be the onset of a stroke. We prayed and excused ourselves and drove to the hospital. The doctors said Hassan was indeed having a stroke and admitted him. Today we are thankful that he is doing much better. We ask for your continued prayers, and covet them, that God would bless his work here and the preaching of the gospel of Christ, for which we are not only ambassadors, but your servants to make known the riches of Christ in the regions beyond. Please pray for us, your missionaries, and the national pastors, that God would strengthen us for the work he has called us to.
May God continue to bless your camp meeting and may his face shine upon you and draw us all closer to him.
Your missionaries in
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Dear Fellowlaborers, Greetings from Bulgaria! Oct 28, 2009
Yesterday I was able to email an update on the work. Today I wanted to take a minute to update you all on the Leach Family.
Carrie and the children are doing fine. They stay busy with home school and chores. Hannah's foot that had a bad cut that wouldn't heal, has healed and is doing fine. We are thankful for that, as it took over a year to finally be well.
Our visas came through this fall with no troubles. Praise the Lord. We have another year of residency.
The van has been through a major overhaul since summer but it looks like we're seeing light at the end of the tunnel. After over $3,000 in repairs since the beginning of summer, I only have a couple repairs, to the tune of $400, to take care of for it to be in good shape. Having a good vehicle is so important in this ministry. It was such a blessing to have for all the baptisms this past summer. At times it was so full of people that it looked like a clown car.
Further progress on the house has been slow because of the vehicle repairs, but we're doing fine with it. We know that it will all come together in time.
I want to take a minute and say to you all that God has been good to us! He has been faithful to take care of our needs and give us the encouragement we need when we felt we couldn't take another step.
Thank you all for playing a part in this ministry with both prayer and financial support. Without you, we could not be here. We thank God for you. You are in our prayers. Hope you have a good camp meeting.
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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Dear Fellowlaborers, Oct 28, 2009
I hope this letter finds you all well and having a good camp meeting. I wish I
could be there to listen to the preaching and singing and to fellowship with you
all again. But the needs of the work are great and I am honored to be a part of
it all.
Bulgaria has felt the effects of a world-wide recession and many are leaving to
other parts of Europe to find work. While we miss them, we know that God is at
work because they are taking the DVDs with them and distributing them among the
Turks in other countries. The DVDs have been a wonderful evangelistic tool. More
than we may ever know.
The churches are doing well. They are still singing, praying, testifying, and
preaching. One widow who goes with me is in her 80s. She gets up and testifies
in all the churches, often jumping up and down with joy as she tells of all God
has done for her. Another widow who goes is 85 and she has the sweetest spirit.
Sometimes she doesn't know where she is, but she just wants to be around God's
people.
Please keep Brother Hassan in your prayers as he had a stroke this past week.
From what I hear, he is getting better, but could still use prayers. Please
remember the churches, national pastors, and missionaries in your prayers. The
opposition in this Christian life gets heavy and we need the prayers of the
saints to lift us up.
And lastly, pray for the new villages that are opening up. Pray that their
hearts will be open to the Gospel and that many souls will be saved.
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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October 26 Update
We hope this report finds you all
earnestly contending for the faith and rejoicing in hope of eternal life.
Over here we've been busy this week preaching in the churches, working on
videos, dvds, and doctor's visits. Verity had some blood work done this
week, but won't get the results until her next doctor's visit. She
sometimes feels faint of a morning, but not alarmingly so. Continue to
pray for her.
This week I was able to travel up to Romania for the Sunday morning meeting with
the two other missionary families up there. Also, Brother Frank Cornelius
came from Bulgaria, bringing his family. It was an unplanned day of
fellowship and blessing. While there we learned that Brother Nathan Reed
is returning to the states for a short furlough. He will be trying to
raise money for the work. Last week, he said, they didn't have money to
pay for fuel to get to the villages. There's twenty-five village meetings
up in Romania right now, and fuel costs close to six dollars a gallon.
Pray that God would bless Brother Nathan in his travels, representing the work.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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October 20, 2009
Greetings from cold, rainy Bulgaria. We've had a good week here, with our visitors from Columbus, Ohio. During their eight day stay we were able to visit Northern Greece. Not only did we learn about the Turkish population there, but we were able to enjoy the warm climate. Then, a few days later we traveled up to the Romanian mountains where it was snowing. In between these two trips we were able to visit eight of the churches here, and that turned out to be the biggest thrill.
The brethren here were thrilled to see the American believers that had prayed for them and supported this work for years. It was like Timothy bringing greetings from the Apostle Paul. They loved hearing the testimonies of the Pastor Cambron, Brother Scott Lincke, and fifteen year old Joshua Cambron. They resolved to pray more for their church, hoping these men will come visit again next year.
Not only were the believers here edified, but the American believers were touched by seeing the love and joy in the churches despite their poverty. Brother Toby said he could have stayed another week and done nothing but visit the churches. We're thankful for the time we had together, and the fellowship. Brother Toby and his church paid for all of our expenses during the trip, and gave us a love offering.
While I was busy traveling and visiting other churches Brother Alish stayed faithful to our weekly meetings. The young lady we have been praying for has recovered from her surgery. She's now up on her feet and able to do some housework. I'm not sure about the cancer tumor in her head, but at least she's doing better, and her family is thankful for the prayers. Brother Alish's car is in need of some repairs that will cost him a couple hundred dollars. He's sixty-five years old, skinny as a rail, and not able to work outdoors in cold weather. When his car broke down last week it was the first time in a couple years that he's missed a village meeting (he goes to eight a week). He's very faithful. Pray for him. They also need some firewood for the winter, and his roof is in need of repair. We are able to pay for his fuel, but he and his wife live off of their pension, which is about a hundred and fifty dollars a month.
Verity's doctor continues to insist she is carrying a baby boy. This baby will be here in three months. Verity goes this week for blood testing.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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October 5 Update
After a nice September we got our first day of autumn weather. It rained here all night Saturday and then all day yesterday. The temperature had dropped and Saturday there were strong winds.
We had a good day yesterday preaching in three villages. This week we found out that a man from one of the villages passed away right after church the previous week. He had been to our meetings several times and heard the gospel preached. He was fifty-two years old.
The young woman we've been praying for is back home in her village. She had been operated on in Varna and in Sofia, but both times the surgeons said there was no hope. There is some type of tumor on her brain. They've given her just a couple months to live. For the time being she is not in much pain, but sleeps a lot. She's in good spirits, though, they said, and wants us to visit her. Lord willing we'll get out to see her today or tomorrow. She's twenty-nine years old. A week after our battle with the local imam there's no sign that anyone in that church has been intimidated. Continue to pray for that church.
We continue to make and distribute at least one hundred of the evangelistic dvds a week. At least once a week we hear about people going to work in Western Europe and taking the dvds with them for church. From Bulgaria,
Zachary LeFevre
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September 29, 2009
Praying Friends,
Wednesday morning I got a phone call from one of the villages. A man there had hung himself, leaving a wife and four small children. They said that because of the economic crisis, which has left many people without work, he wasn't able to support his family, and he was ashamed that his children had to go to school hungry, and without new shoes. His wife had often told us that she wanted to come to church, but her husband strictly forbade it. Their children have been coming to the feedings. At the church in that village we've been feeding the poor children for about a year now. This family is so poor though, that many days the only food the children ate was at the church. I'm glad that we feed them. Pray for this widow and the fatherless.
One evening this week we had some visitors come to the meeting in one of the new villages north of us. It was the local imam, the Islamic minister that came to try and close the meeting. After Brother Alish preached and we prayed, closing the meeting, we let him ask any questions he wanted. We argued there for two or three hours. I thank the Lord for Brother Alish and his family that are strong in the faith, and didn't fear any of his threats. He said that anyone who professed that Jesus was the son of God would no longer be considered a Muslim, and would be ostracized from the community, including the Muslim funeral in the cemetery. Brother Alish asked him, "Why are you so concerned with the body, anyway? It turns back to dust. We're concerned with the souls of men that will live in heaven of hell."
In the end, the man was friendly and asked for some literature about the Bible. None of our new believers seemed to be moved by his arguments. We're only in this village once a week. Please pray for them the other six days.
Yesterday I went to Brother Ismail's regular Sunday meetings. There's three right now, and we're trying to organize a fourth one. The first meeting of the day is with a small group here referred to as the Kopenars. They are ethnic Romanians, and still speak the language, but seem to speak Bulgarian better. Imagine their surprise when I stood and preached to them in Romanian, their mother tongue. They were thrilled.
Brethren, pray for us. From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. September 25, 2009
I thank God for the living God we are trusting in and serving. As the days are going the Lord keeps on blessing. The meetings are doing well. There are new souls coming to the house of God looking for help. We appreciate your prayers for us and for the churches over here. We for sure see the Lord working in the lives of the believers.
One sister testified that there are 13 people in her house and nobody is employed. She said that she has 6 grandchildren living with her and every morning when they get up they are looking for food. She said that despite their poverty the Lord is providing for them. She praises the Lord for providing for them.
Another sister that is a widow testified in church that a few months ago the church prayed for her. She could not hear with her ears. Now the Lord opened her ears and she can hear. Her daughter asked her which doctor she visited and she said that she did not go to any doctor, but the church prayed for her and her ears got opened. She praises the good Lord for hearing her prayer.
We thank you for feeding the children over here. It is a great blessing to see hungry children and even adults get fed. As it is hard to find work and the economic situation getting real hard and the government not helping much a majority of families do not have food for their children on regular basis. There is this little child that used to come to one of the feeding places. He was an orphan and one time the sister that feeds the children heard him pray: God give me strength to work and feed my granny that takes care of me. As the boy grew up he started lifting weights and last year he went to a weights lifting championship in Japan and won a few medals. Now he is able to take care of his granny that raised him up. The Lord really hears prayer.
We have been giving out a lot of DVDs and the Lord has blessed greatly. We give them out quickly. Recently we gave some to a brother that works in Serbia. Also these DVDs are going all over villages, towns and cities not only in Bulgaria but all over Europe. A few weeks ago I gave a ride to a lady in Romania. As we started talking it turned out that she was a Turk. I gave her several DVDs to give out to her neighbors and relatives.
There is this one sister that is really poor but she can give away all the DVDs that we can give her. Recently I took her to a market and gave her 200 DVDs. When she got off the car she said: I am going to faint. And I asked her why. She said that she did not have any money for food. As soon as she got some food she brightened up and for 5 hours she gave discs away and testified the gospel to the people.
Please, pray for my wife and children because they are sick. May the Lord bless you all. In Christ, Brother Mitko.
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Greeting From Bulgaria, September 18, 2009
I wanted to tell you all about a man I met in our village yesterday. As is my routine, I was in my van on the outskirts of the village, reading my Bible and praying, when a new shepherd came up and tapped on my van window. He just wanted to talk. We talked about the weather and family. Eventually he asked what I was doing here and I began to talk to him about the Lord. He is Muslim and said that when he prays, he feels clean. I told him that salvation could only come through Jesus Christ. He wanted to know more. I didn't have one of the ministry DVDs on me (gave them all away at a big meeting in Novi Pazar the other night), so I told him to come by my house in the evening and I would give him a DVD. Then he asked me if I could hold on to his big bag of corn so he wouldn't have to carry it around with him all day. Last night after he took his herd home, he came by to pick up his corn and the DVD. He then told me that he didn't have a TV or DVD player, so he would take it to his son's house and watch it there.
Please pray for this man and for all those who would see the DVD at his son's house.
Because of the busyness of missionary life, I have been remiss at keeping in touch with you all on what is going on over here. But I have made a resolve to get better at communicating with you all as to what God is doing here in Bulgaria. I thank you all for your faithfulness for souls here.
Slava Na Boga (Glory to God), Brother Larry Leach
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September 7, 2009
What a difference! Saturday we started
transporting people early, about nine o'clock, from their villages into town,
where the bus was waiting. Two fifty-five passenger buses carried about a
hundred and thirty people to the large church house for our last baptism of the
season. While we were driving it felt like the hottest day of the year, then
Sunday morning rain clouds moved in and put an end to summer. It's rained all
night, with strong winds. We have no picnics scheduled today, to say the least.
There were close to two hundred and fifty people at the meeting Saturday night.
Twenty-four new believers got baptized. If I counted right, that makes about one
hundred and forty-eight baptized this year. The meeting ended at daybreak Sunday
morning when we ate breakfast. I preached at about two o'clock that morning, but
had to lay down at four to get a little rest before driving people back home. We
heard a lot of good testimonies, but also have some serious prayer requests.
One young lady has a brain tumor and the doctor said she doesn't have long to
live. Just this summer she started coming to church. Another one of the
believers has a child that is very sick, and the doctors don't really know the
cause.
Today the children started school, all four of them. They older girls are
studying at home this year, but will be going to a Bulgarian school for music
lessons twice a week. Isaac will be going to Bulgarian kindergarten again,
but maybe not every day.
Verity went to the doctor again last week. They're still claiming the baby is a
boy, but as we can't agree on a boy's name, I'm thinking it might be a girl.
From Bulgaria,
Zachary LeFevre
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Greetings from Bulgaria. August 31 2009
We had a good week here. Wednesday and Thursday we went to our regular meetings. Although most of the people are out working now, the ones that did come are doing well. Thursday night especially we had a good meeting in one village. Brother Alish's son and daughter-in-law were there. It was their last meeting before returning to Holland where they live and work. Both of them gave clear testimonies of salvation and requested prayer that God would provide them work in Bulgaria so they could stay in the church. The daughter-in-law requested prayer for her side of the family. None of them are saved. Also in the meeting there was a young lady that used to come to church, but hadn't been in a long time, ever since she's been married. She cried during the hymns, cried during the preaching and cried during the prayer, and even after church was over she sat with her head bowed down and cried. It's good to see God touch people.
One day we went to a nearby town where there's been a church for several years. I had prepared over two hundred of or evangelistic dvds and we gave every last one out. Ninety-nine percent of the dvds will be watched (if not one hundred percent). Some of the people there said they didn't even know we had a meeting there, and they would be happy to come. Right now I've got about a hundred and fifty more dvds ready. We'll canvas another town this week.
Fellow missionary Larry Leach is having problems with his vehicle right now. He's praying about whether to sell it or keep on repairing it every other month. Pray for his needs. While he is not able to drive, I'm taking Brother Ismail to his regular meetings. There's nine villages that he goes to, including the church that meets in his house.
Saturday we're planning another large meeting. There may be a few that will want to be baptized. This time we're bringing in the villages that Alish, Ismail and Nasuf pastor. Brother Ismail's got a fifty-five passenger bus reserved. We could fill another one.
Pray for my brother, William, as he has just started deputation.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Greetings from Bulgaria. August 24, 2009
We've had another good week in the regular meetings. I preached eight times this week. One day I went with Brother Ahmet to three of his villages.
Yesterday there was a man at Brother Nasuf's church that had just returned from Spain. He, like many others, had gone to Western Europe for work. He testified that it was a blessing to be back in his home church again and hear hymns and preaching in his own language. He said he goes to a church in Spain, but due to the language barrier has no fellowship with any other Christians. He asked for special prayer for his wife. She's had mental problems for fifteen years, and the police wanted to lock her up, but he says he still loves her and will never give up on her.
In one of Brother Ahmet's village churches the woman that hosts the church in her house told her entire testimony. She and her husband were traveling on the highway one day in their horse-drawn wagon when a truck hit them from behind. They were taken to the hospital. In the ambulance she was with her husband. His mouth was full of blood, and her arm was broken. Neither of them was able to speak. At the hospital she was taken to one room and her husband another, where he died. Her family chose not to tell her about his death at that time, fearing it might harm her own recovery. After a week she came home where several friends and relatives were waiting. The whole room of people was crying, she though, for her. Eventually someone told her that her husband had died and had been buried. She fell out in the floor crying. Then someone came to the house. The children went to meet them. It was Brother Hasan and his wife, out evangelizing in that region that day. They came in the house and told everyone that the Lord had sent them to that village to start a church. The woman said they definitely needed God to help them, so she invited the preacher to come back every week. That was three years ago, I believe. She got saved and got her life straightened out in one sense, but still had many difficulties. Without her husband, and no other income, she was unable to pay her utilities and had the lights and water cut off. They were terribly poor and suffered greatly, but God always took care of them. This year an attorney contacted her and told her that she is entitled to a settlement from her accident. They've given her close to twenty-thousand dollars! Her family started to rebuild their house, which was falling down. She actually didn't seem any happier about the money than she was the Lord's continual blessing over the last few years. She's learned to be content no matter the circumstances.
We would like to ask you all to pray for the family of our dear friend, former missionary Ricky Bolick, who passed away this week. When I first came to visit the mission field I stayed with Brother Bolick. He was a blessing and an inspiration to all that knew him.
The believers here are terribly sorrowful, but not without hope.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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July 28, 2009
Greetings from sunny Bulgaria.
This week we've had several days of one hundred degree weather. Saturday night an electrical storm came in with heavy winds and rain. A store in the village was hit by lightning, leaving the village without power for a while. Sunday the daytime temperature was about seventy-five, though.
We have good reports of the after effects of the baptism meeting. Some of the new believers came to that meeting to be baptized, even though they were scared about going into the water for the first time in their lives. In one of our villages the man and wife that host the church in their house were both baptized along with a grown daughter. Since that time, they said, God has taken good care of them. Normally they could only earn about five dollars a day, but now they're getting close to twenty dollars a day. A happy excitement was present in the church service in their village. The new believers have joy, but don't fully understand why. We can say along with John Baptist when he saw his followers leave him to go to Jesus, This my joy therefore is fulfilled.
I had meant to write more about the meeting we had the night of the baptism. Knowing that I had to drive a couple hundred miles in the morning, I could only stay at the meeting until about four o'clock in the morning. Some of the others continued to sing until breakfast. During the testimony time that evening two men especially gave good testimonies of how they had come to Christ. Their stories were similar. Each was sick, with unbearable pain. After weeks of suffering they came to the church and bowed their knees to the Lord. Both men recovered from their illnesses speedily and left the doctors and nurses asking how it could be. They told about how God had come into their hearts, taken away the desire for alcohol, and the things of this world, and given them a desire to come to church to sing praises to Jesus. The congregation wept tears of joy while listening to these men tell what God had done for them.
Tomorrow we will be traveling, Lord willing, up to Romania for five days of fellowship with the other missionaries. We will be meeting twice a day to have church services in English. Remember to pray for us.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Greetings from Bulgaria. July 21, 2009
Hope that you all are doing well, and praying for the work here. Our purpose in writing these regular updates is to give people good news. These days the devil is trying to wear out the saints of the most high. We hope that our weekly updates can be a refreshing and an encouragement to those who are persevering in prayer.
This week we have more good news. Saturday we had another big meeting and baptized forty-three new converts. These people came from probably twenty different villages all over southeastern Bulgaria. Each year we have a baptizing in the summer months for those who have been saved throughout the year in the various villages. This year we were not able to bring in all of those that wanted to be baptized so we had a second meeting. So far this summer we've had over a hundred baptized. There may be a few more. We'll meet with the pastors again next month to see about having another meeting.
Last week I worked with Brother Mitko proofreading the Turkish New Testament. In three days we read from Matthew through I Timothy. Today we should go through Revelation. Ever read the Bible eight hours a day?
Thank you all for your prayers and support.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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July 13 2009 update
Had another good week here. I was able to preach nine times this week, mostly go groups of five and ten people. In the village’s people stay busy most of the summer, then are at home for the winter. We've got some new believers that want to get baptized this Saturday.
We were able to help Nasuf make some needed repairs on his car. He's able to drive to his own meetings now. For three weeks he rode a bike to the nearby villages. I found out that the vehicle we want to buy is on sale right now. We lack about six thousand dollars. I may make a down payment to reserve one at the sales price. Help us to pray in the rest of the money. There's a child from Brother Nasuf's church that is very sick and in the Varna hospital. The doctors are still doing tests. Please pray for this family. I forgot to mention in last week's update that one of the ladies pictured is paralyzed, but still wanted to be baptized, so they carried her into the water.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Greetings from Bulgaria. July 3, 2009
Trust you all had a good Independence day celebration. Here we met with other missionaries for a meal, singing, and fellowship. It rained harder than any other day of the year. On the way to Brother Welch's house we saw one car turned upside down. Most of the cars on the highway had pulled to the side of the road because of the heavy rain. That was the first real rain we've had this year. In the evening, though, it cleared up and the children were able to play outside.
I was able to attend the regular meetings with Brother Alish this week. These village meetings need prayer. We are no longer facing opposition from unbelievers, but attendance is down due to the work opportunities of the summer months. We were able to meet with one family that had not been to church in a month or more. They had been sick, but promised to come back and bring several more people with them.
I have attached some pictures from last week's baptism. There were sixty-four new believers baptized. Later in the month we'll have another meeting and baptize any who missed the first meeting. Normally we start the meeting around noon, and preach about the meaning of baptism, then go down to the river. In the evening we'll have a meal and then meet for church until about midnight when we take a break. Usually most of the believers stay and have church all night after that. At five or six in the morning we serve breakfast and take the people back to their villages.
Hope you enjoy the pictures. Pass this message on to your friends. Thank you for your prayers.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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July 1, 2009
We had a good week here. I was able to preach again in Brother Nasuf's new village. Those new believers are a blessing to preach to. They're so ignorant of spiritual things, yet eager to hear. Thursday I went to our regular villages. The family that hosts the church in their house is moving. Pray that the Lord will open a door for us to meet in that village.
Saturday we had a baptism. There were two vans full of people from Brother Ahmet's villages. Then, the other preachers each brought in a car load. Others came on their own. Over fifty new believers were baptized. Many of them had never been in the water before, and were scared to death. Today I was talking with some of them and they told me how peacefully they slept that evening, and how happy they are today. There are still some others that could not come to this meeting, so we're planning on baptizing them later, probably next month.
This month we were able to help Brother Nasuf make some much needed repairs on his vehicle. Your prayers for the purchase of a new vehicle are not in vain. This month again we received some more money. Please continue to pray.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Hello from Sofia. May 25, 2009
I took a bus to the capitol city today to get a new passport. My old passport is still valid, but all the pages are filled with visa stamps. I even had new pages added a couple years ago.
We had a good week here, preaching in the usual villages. One lady testified that her daughter that we've been praying for is doing better. Her daughter has some kind of thyroid problems, but her mother is now a believer in Jesus as a result of our answered prayers. In another village where we've been disappointed week after week things were different. We had a good church service without any problems. In spite of our doubts, the Lord may establish a church in that village. Pray for them.
I've been able to recover at least one of the video files that we thought were of no use. We may be able to use that recording for distribution, as the whole church service was evangelistic. We're preparing some other recordings to distribute this summer. Continue to pray for us as we persevere.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Greetings from Romania.
I came up here Monday morning to spend about a couple days and preach in some of the meetings. However, an evil stomach virus has prevented me from my goal. After a day of rest I'm able to get out. Today I'll preach at a meeting in Constanta, then head on home from there. Another reason for coming was to see sister Ayshe. She's been faithful to the Lord for several years and is now fighting her final battle. I'm glad I got to see her one last time.
Recently Brother Ralph printed about fifty new testaments for all the preachers and other men in the churches that wanted them. Many of these men are happy to have a Bible for the first time. Pray for them as they begin to read the word of God. The Turkish dialect spoken in Bulgaria is different, so it's difficult for the beginner.
At this time of year many of the people have begun to work out in the fields and in the mountains. We're preparing some DVDs to distribute this summer with hymns and preaching. We are also planning a baptizing in June.
I want to thank those of you who have prayed for our vehicle situation. Last month we had a couple thousand dollars extra come in. It's exciting to see God work. Continue to pray for the remainder to come in quickly.
From Romania, Zachary LeFevre
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April 21, 2009
This week in Bulgaria things are warming up. It won’t be long until many of the people in the villages will find summer work, and the meetings may slow down some. Although we feared the possibility of the enemy closing certain meetings, we are still meeting in those villages. Things have calmed down some, and now there are new problems. I suppose there always will be. At least the door is still open.
This week we had a woman touched during the preaching. I had preached from the first fourteen verses of John chapter one. It was the most truth she had ever heard about God. She asked for special prayer for her daughter. Next week we expect good news from her. In another village it looked like there might only be two people come, but this week the woman had invited her neighbors, and they came. They seemed excited to come to church and promised to come again next week. In our northernmost village the people are very anxious to travel with us to other villages and open new churches. Pray that the Lord would open the doors up there.
Our daughter Katy is doing well after a bout with pneumonia. The other children have also made a good recovery. Thanks for your prayers.
Whenever there’s a computer involved, it seems there’s bound to be some problem in the job. We’ve worked on some new DVDs, but can’t seem to get them to record properly please keep this part of the work in your prayers as well. These recordings of our church services are our best evangelistic tool at the moment.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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March 31, 2009
We would like to thank all of you who prayed for us during the illness and passing of my father, Clyde LeFevre. The Lord has been gracious to us in these difficult times. We sorrow not as others that have no hope.
I was able to fly back and make it for the funeral. My family stayed here in Bulgaria. After a two week visit I'm back home now.
Although the time change has my days and nights mixed up, I've been in two meetings since I've been back. Sunday we had a good meeting here in our village. Brother Alish gave a good testimony from one of our new villages. We had prayed for a sick person, though I don't recall what the specific need was. Apparently that person got better and is praising the Lord now. This type of testimony shows the new people that we are of God and that the Lord answers our prayers.
Yesterday we went to a new village about thirty miles from here. They had never heard the gospel before, and they are slow to believe. The one that had invited us to come changed her mind and said she doesn't want a church now. We left some of the evangelistic DVDs and some hymnbooks. Some people outside said they would come if we had a meeting there.
Tomorrow we are going up to Romania for a week of fellowship with the other missionaries and English church.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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Monday, March 10, 2009
Spring has just about come to Bulgaria. The sun is shining and daffodils are blooming. Before too long people will begin work in the fields, so we're going to as many meetings as we can while the people are still home.
In the northern region where things have been more difficult we have seen a little progress. One lady told us she would come to church if we had one in the village, but she was not willing to host the meeting in her house. Another family had claimed to be believers but did not want to host the meeting, either, because of the opposition. In another village we heard how the man of the house stood up to the unbelievers who were against him. He told them the local Islamic religious leaders were all hypocrites that did nothing but wait for people to die so they could perform funerals and make some money, and that what he did in his own house was none of their business. Thank God for giving this man the strength to stand.
In another village the family told us not to come back, because they couldn't stand the pressure from the unbelievers, the day before church they called us on the phone and asked us to come. Several people came and met with us, and agreed to have us come back next week, although they admit to being fearful. We're praying that God would fill their souls with joy to outweigh their fears of persecution.
In two other villages, both new for us, we had short meetings with only two people present. There may be a few more Turkish gypsies in these villages, but not very many. Pray for these individuals and their villages this week.
On Wednesday we took a family with us to visit a church pastored by Brother Alish (the younger). There were about thirty people there that sang and testified for about two hours before I preached. Alish had prepared twenty hymn books for our village churches which will be put to good use.
Again, we appreciate your prayers for my dad. He is growing weaker. The hospice nurses are amazed that he is still living. I spoke with him briefly last night. He wasn't breathing well, but sounded happy.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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March 18, 2009
Dear Brookside,
I was riding down the road today and the Lord really touched my heart strong about writing a letter to the church. I hope this letter will be a blessing and an encouragement to all of you. It is a few testimonies of how the Lord is blessing over here in Bulgaria.
Monday night we had a service in the town called Novi Pazar. A young lady came into church for the first time. This young lady was well known in the town as a prostitute and a drug addict. She would stand out on the highway with other prostitutes picking up men. She came into church Monday night for the first time, heard the gospel, fell on her knees and the Lord saved her. God sure is good!
Tuesday night in our service in a village called Zlatina, an elderly lady (full of joy) stood up and testified. She said that she lives all alone. She said that she has buried her mother, father, all her sisters and brothers and her son. She said she has been to ten funerals over the years for her family. She said she lives all alone and has nobody. But she said that she has joy from the Lord. She said that sometimes she will wake up during the middle of the night and pray, and that Jesus comes to her and fills her full of His joy and everything is alright. I am glad Jesus said that He would not leave us alone, but that He would come to us.
I hear these Turk gypsies testify a lot about how they have all kinds of problems in this world, but when they pray, sometimes in the middle of the night, Jesus comes to them and fills their heart with joy. What a wonderful, loving Saviour we have!!
Also, I hear them testify about how much joy they get when we come and have church with them. I have seen them testifying with tears thanking the Lord for sending us every week to come and have church with them. I have one young man in one of my villages I go to every week who is crippled. His feet are turned all the way out to the side. He has to walk with two sticks and lives in a shack. But he is faithful to come to church. Most the time, he shows up early for church and is waiting on us when we get there.
I just want you all to know at Brookside that I hear these people pray for you all when we have church. I hear them pray for preacher Potter and some of the rest of you by name. They really do appreciate your faith and your labour of love for them. I hope this letter will encourage you all at Brookside to keep on. (Hebrews 6:10- For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister).
I really love and appreciate each and everyone of you in the Lord! May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you all!
In Christ, Frank Cornelius Bulgaria
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March 9, 2009
Spring has just about come to Bulgaria. The sun is shining and daffodils are blooming. Before too long people will begin work in the fields, so we're going to as many meetings as we can while the people are still home.
In the northern region where things have been more difficult we have seen a little progress. One lady told us she would come to church if we had one in the village, but she was not willing to host the meeting in her house. Another family had claimed to be believers but did not want to host the meeting, either, because of the opposition. In another village we heard how the man of the house stood up to the unbelievers who were against him. He told them the local Islamic religious leaders were all hypocrites that did nothing but wait for people to die so they could perform funerals and make some money, and that what he did in his own house was none of their business. Thank God for giving this man the strength to stand.
In another village the family told us not to come back, because they couldn't stand the pressure from the unbelievers, the day before church they called us on the phone and asked us to come. Several people came and met with us, and agreed to have us come back next week, although they admit to being fearful. We're praying that God would fill their souls with joy to outweigh their fears of persecution.
In two other villages, both new for us, we had short meetings with only two people present. There may be a few more Turkish gypsies in these villages, but not very many. Pray for these individuals and their villages this week.
On Wednesday we took a family with us to visit a church pastored by Brother Alish (the younger). There were about thirty people there that sang and testified for about two hours before I preached. Alish had prepared twenty hymn books for our village churches which will be put to good use.
Again, we appreciate your prayers for my dad. He is growing weaker. The hospice nurses are amazed that he is still living. I spoke with him briefly last night. He wasn't breathing well, but sounded happy.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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3-2-09
It's been a good week here. The snow has melted away. Even after a few days of nicer weather, some of the roads had three feet of snow that had been plowed aside.
The family that is in danger of losing their house is still there, thankfully. They got their electricity turned on, but the (rightful) owner had it turned off within a week. They're just thankful that they've not been thrown out in the cold, especially with a new baby.
In some of the new villages the people have gladly accepted us, but are fearful of the local religious leaders. There is a possibility that another family in the village might agree to have church in their house. If there were one family that would stand firm, in time the others would follow.
Here in our own village we had a good service this week. The pastor's son-in-law had been against the church and the believers for a long time. Over time, though, he's seen God work in different circumstances and seen his own family praise God for answered prayer. He just recently started sitting in the meeting. They told me that last night he sat through about half of the meeting then got up and went in the other room where he could cry in private. The Lord has a way of softening hard hearts.
Brother Nasuf is once again in need of a vehicle. His car was fourteen years old when we bought it, and that was four years ago. All of the preachers here travel a lot, and the Bulgarian roads are hard on vehicles. We're proud that he has just about worn out another car for the Lord, but we now have to pray about getting him another one.
From Bulgaria, Zachary LeFevre
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2-22-09
Dear Preacher and Brookside Church,
Greetings from Bulgaria and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I
am reminded how Paul told the Philippians about how their care for him was shown
several times. He also mentioned he desired that fruit would abound to their
account. I sure didn't want to worry anyone about my support, but I had seen
that for one month some didn't come in and made a inquiry to see if the economic
conditions in America might require me to try and raise more support. My faith
isn't always what it should be. I thank God on your behalf for how you supply
my needs from month to month. Without all of your prayers and support we
couldn't be here doing what the Lord has put in our hearts. I do hope to
encourage all of you of all of the things the Lord is doing over here. He has
blessed the believers once and again with flour and oil, and they are very happy
at how the Lord's grace abounds in the believers in America. They also only
have one place to look as do we, and they learn that they can trust the Lord to
be faithful as the rest of us are trying to learn. May God continue to richly
bless you with his grace and presence.
Love Robert Shrader
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Testimonies
Jan 17, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Dear Brother Fred and Brotherokside,
We continue to give out the flour. The mill we buy from delivers for free, so right now we are giving out only flour. We will come behind later and give out the oil. We couldn’t put both on the truck. The people are thrilled to get the flour. The crisis has hit Bulgaria and work is hard to find, so the flour and oil was right on time. The men are out again today giving out in five villages, one of them is new.
We should be able to complete the distribution within the next two weeks. Thanks again and greet everyone for us. Brother Ralph
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Jan 24, 2009 at 11:02 AM
The distribution of flour and oil is going well; the weather is fine for now. We hope to finish soon. We have seventy six (76) churches here in Bulgaria that we are giving out flour and oil through. We are in more villages, but the churches have not been established yet. We will be sending you some of the testimonies when they received the flour and oil. We give each family a fifty (50) kilo bag of flour and a five (5) liter bottle of cooking oil. They are amazed that we give them so much.
Brother Ralph
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Jan 24, 2009 at 3:36 PM
This testimony is from the village Velichkovo. Brother Ahmet is the pastor of the church in this village.
We arrived in the village with the truck loaded with flour and oil. One of our believers, a lady named Kiymet was coming from the local store with a loaf of bread and a piece of cheese. When she saw the truck with the flour and oil she began to cry. I am coming from the store and have just bought this loaf of bread and piece of cheese on credit. The man did not want to give me bread on credit because there is no profit in bread, but I begged him and he finally gave it to me. We have nothing in the house to eat. Thank God for the flour and oil you have brought to us. She went home rejoicing and thanking God for his goodness.
Brother Ralph for Ahmet and Alish
Jan 24, 2009 at 3:56 PM
This testimony is from the village of Dolni Chiftlik. Brother Robert and Brother Alish pastor this church.
This lady’s name is Abibe. This lady lives on a small pension. She had to buy wood with the money she receives, and had no money left to buy flour. She borrowed a small amount of flour to make her some bread. Another of her neighbors was also without food, and saw here with the borrowed flour. She asked her for part of the flour she had borrowed. The lady replied. Ok we will make a piece of bread together and share it. So they did. At this time she heard that we were bringing flour and oil. This lady Abibe said to the other lady she had shared the flour with. Don’t worry, God is sending us flour and oil, enough to get us through the winter. This other lady is not a believer, but she has now seen the goodness of God.
Brother Ralph
Jan 24, 2009 at 4:11 PM
This testimony is from the village Venelin.
This lady`s name is Elif. This lady was operated on a month ago. She had been taking care of her daughter in law and three children, her husband was dead, and her son was mentally ill and could not work. After the operation she was in the hospital for a month. They were without money because she could not work. The believers in the village had been taking care of her and her family. When she came from the hospital, and we gave her the flour and oil, she testified that the believers had taken care of them for the last month, but now God had helped them with the flour and oil.
Bro Ralph for Bro Ahmet.
Jan 24, 2009 at 4:27 PM
In general we have heard many testimonies of what a blessing this flour and oil has been. Many of these people work for 2 dollars a day. It is hard for them to feed their families with so little income. And now with the crisis there is very little work to be found. They are overwhelmed when we bring them the flour and oil. They continually thank God that we came and preached the gospel to them, and that they believed. Since we believed, God has blessed us above measure.
Jan 24, 2009 at 4:42 PM
There are two women, the one is blind and the other one is deaf. They share with each other what one sees and the other hears. When we gave them a DVD the one that could see was crying out what she saw. The one that was blind was telling what she heard. The one that is deaf can hear just a little, so if you yell loudly she can understand a little.
Though we are poor, we are rich in faith. Similar testimonies come from all the villages we go to. They cry and thank God that the gospel has come to them.
Brother Ralph
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We have an important need for the work in Bulgaria: October 2008
This December we plan on feeding 1,500 families in Bulgaria.
A 110 pound bag of flour along with 2 liters of oil will help supplement a
family’s food needs through the hardest months of the cold winter, when work is
scarce in the villages. Now is the time to begin preparations.
Presently the dollar has gained value overseas, gas prices are lower, and food prices are down! We don’t know how long this will last, especially if the winter is as hard as it was last year. In 2007 because of the harsh winter, the falling dollar, and rising gas costs, we were not able to buy cooking oil for distribution, but this year Brother Mitko tells us that oil is the cheapest he’s seen in a long time! Please pray with us about this need. The total cost will be about $43,500. Even with buying the oil, that’s still cheaper than last year.
1 bag of flour (110 lbs.) costs $25
1 bottle of oil (2 liters) costs $4
How
many families will you help us feed for only $29 a piece?
“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and
that which he hath given will he pay him again.”
(Pro 19:17)
This is the surest investment you will make this year. Please pass this information on. We have 1,500 families to feed. Thank you for your giving.
In His service,
Rev. Fred Potter
Founder and
Director
Charity Baptist Mission Inc.
News letter update from Bulgaria
“And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away:
And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters,
neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.” (1Sa 30:18, 19)
September 2008
Dear Churches and Praying Friends,
Greetings in the name of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Once again with joy we write to you of the Lord’s blessings in the fields of Bulgaria and Romania. As summer draws to a close we count the blessings that He has bestowed upon us and upon His work in the past weeks. Souls have been saved and baptized. The price of gasoline is down to about six and a half dollars a gallon. It’s a good day to drive to the villages and preach.
In August and September we’ve been having meetings every other weekend in Dabravino. People from the nearby villages come as they’re able, but from villages that are farther away we rent a large bus to carry them in. Usually the meetings start at about two in the afternoon and last til the next morning. This is our harvest time. The new believers get baptized in a nearby river. Older believers relate what all the Lord has done for them in the past year. Some people have new hymns that God has given them. The Turkish preachers seem to preach better every year. It is a great time of reunion and rejoicing. I believe there were about sixty people baptized this year. From these camp meetings, believers return to their villages full of joy, and the churches are further edified.
Aside from preaching in villages five days a week we continue to produce and distribute DVDs. These are made from recordings of church services. They include singing, testimonies, and a sermon preached from the Bible. We’ve heard many reports of people believing on Jesus through these discs. Most of them would not or could not come to a church service themselves, but are able to view the discs at home. As the young people in Bulgaria travel into Western Europe to work they take these discs with them to give to the other pockets of the Turkish gypsies scattered abroad. Only the Lord knows how many people have come to the faith through this ministry. We’ve heard of people meeting together to watch these videos and later continue to meet regularly for church in Holland, France, Greece, and Spain.
Rejoice with us in the Lord’s great provisions and spiritual harvest. Pray for us that the Word of God would continue to have free course. Night is coming when no man can work. Help us to do all that we can in the time that the Lord allows us. Thank you all so much for your prayers and financial support. Thanks especially for helping us in our recent flood disaster. God bless you all.
In Christ, Zachary LeFevre
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April
4, 2008
Dear Preacher Potter and Brookside,
Greetings from Bulgaria/Romania in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
Lord is really blessing us as we have campmeeting this week.
I believe this is the best campmeeting we have ever had.
We love and appreciate you and are truly thankful for your prayers and
support for us all.
I just wanted to write and share a couple
testimonies with you all. Last week
I went with Mitko to one of his meetings. This
village is called Kamenar where we started our very first Turkish church years
ago. We also feed the children in
this village. This village is about
the poorest village we go to. This
little church is literally surrounded by a garbage dump.
Before the meeting started the believer's were sitting around talking
about how they knew different people who had found some food in the garbage
dump. They were hungry and needed
something to eat. One woman found
some cake in the dump and was going to feed it to her children, but the
believer's told her not to. The
people who get food out of the dump end up getting very sick.
Thank the Lord we are able to feed the children here.
Remember, this church is literally
surrounded by a large garbage dump. In
the meeting last week a young lady who is a faithful believer stood up and
testified. This woman lives in a
small run down shack on the edge of the dump.
She is about as poor as you could possibly be. During the hymns I noticed she had tears running down her
cheeks. When she testified she
stood up and said I just want to thank God for being so good to me.
She said the Lord will never leave us, He loves us and has forgiven us of
all our sins. This really touched
my heart. The Lord said in 1 Samuel
2:8- He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the
dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of
glory. What a blessing that the
Lord put a church right in the middle of a garbage dump and feeds the little
children from the church.
Also, here in Romania we have a believer
named Ati. Her daughter is also a
believer and had a baby boy 7 years ago and named him Frank.
Well, here recently she had another baby girl and named her Barbara.
As soon as the baby was born they told her the baby was dead. They actually threw the baby away. They put her into a small container to throw her away.
Then they heard her start to cry and pulled her out of the container.
The Lord hears the cry of his little children.
The Lord sure is good!
I just wanted to write a couple of
testimonies and tell all of you at Brookside how much we appreciate your love
and prayers. Make no mistake about
it, the Lord does hear and answer your prayers.
I want you all to know that we all over here are praying for you.
We pray that the Lord would abundantly bless you all, especially during
campmeeting.
May the Lord bless you all.
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