Day 2 - Lom

Saturday started off with a wonderful breakfast before we boarded our bus for a 3 hour ride into a city in the north called Lom. We drove through the center of the country through mountains as high as the clouds, then traveled on past fields and fields of sunflowers. When we finally entered Lom we were taken to a small cafe that served us the most spectacular lunch. i really dont think any of us were prepared for how amazing the food has been. (This is a missions trip?) After lunch we took a tour down to the Danube river where we broke out into spontaneous praise. We were greeted by two sailors who wanted to join our celebration.

Georgian asked if they would like us to pray with them and they said "oh but we are Orthodox Russians." "Thats alright" said Georgian"its the same God". "Well okay, but we have to leave soon" they said. Georgian thought they were just trying to get away from us. And in what Georgian later described as a terrible job of speaking Russian, he led a simple prayer as we all held hands and prayed with the Russians who kept their eyes wide open watching us all with big teary eyed smiles accross their faces. As soon as Georgian was done praying, the sailors boat whistled and off ran happily waving goodbye to us and thanking us for the prayer. So it turned out they really were in a hurry!

From the Danube river we travelled about 5 minutes into a Gypsy community where we unloaded our instuments, banners, noisemakers, streamers and flags. The townspeople, unaware of what we were there for, soon were appearing out of everycorner, and running down the streets to meet us as we entered the ramshackle town singing, playing our instruments and waving our flags.

Once a large group had formed around us Georgian introduced us and our group. He then introduced Mitko, the pastor of the gypsy church in Lom. Mitko led us in prayer and then the parade continued. We danced and played on down the dirt streets of the small village until we joined up with Mitko's worship team that had set up stage in the middle of a field. The people continued growing all night. Some keeping their distance up on a hill, most getting as close as possible to view this curiously joyful group.

The children had no problem jumping into the celebration - dancing and singing as we handed out instruments and stickers. They were soon followed by the adults. As the makeshift stage, which appeared to be the cement foundation of a house that no longer stood, filled with dancing running jumping people. The presence of the Lord fell intensly. A gypsy woman had fallen to the ground in uncontrollable laughter and crying and was soon joined by her friend, as they rolled and screamed with joy and laughter.
Later in the afternoon she shared with us that she was crippled and unable to walk. When she saw our parade passing through the town she knew that she had to join us. Calling her friend to help her, she was carried down into our field to see what we were doing. As the group danced and praised the Lord around her, she felt a fire shoot through her body. She fell to the ground and couldnt stop laughing in joy. When she stood, her legs no longer hurt her - her feet were suddenly dancing, and she was running and jumping and dancing around with all of the children. The joy of it all had blown her and friend away that they kept falling to the ground in laughter and tears of thankfulness.

That was the first of many healings that evening. These sweet gypsies were pulling at our clothes and grabbing our hands begging for our prayers. As each of us layed hands upon these people miracles were exploding all over the place. A young girl whos eyes hurt her terribly, which made it hard for her to see, was delivered of the pain! A woman who had had terrible head pain for years was healed. Many spoke of fire shooting through their bodies as the Lord set them free of the crippling pain and sicknesses. The look of dumbfoundedness on these sweet villagers faces as the Lord healed them one after another was unforgettable. And all the while, the wild celebration continued around us.

These people are so devastatingly poor - that when they have an injury or an ailment - its for life. There is no money for doctors. infact even if they had the money, there are no doctors to treat them. Their community is rejected and ignored by the Bulgarians. There are no programs or state assistance to help them out.

They are true outcasts. But not in the Lord's eyes. To see the love of the Lord reaching in and touching, healing, and joyfully changing these peoples lives for eternity was miraculous. I dont think anyof us will forget a single face or expression. The love of the Lord had taken over and you didnt care how dirty or smelly any of them were. Unabandonly we held them and hugged them, layed hands on them and cried with joy with them.

This continued on for hours until the sun started setting and a hard rain storm poured down on us.
Soaking wet, we returned to the cafe where we had enjoyed lunch, and feasted on a wonderful dinner as we exchanged stories and testimonies of all the amazing miracles the Lord had done that very day