Down Syndrome Support

At the close of our meeting, A lady in the group approached me and asked if I would be willing to consult with her on her 5 year old son.  I took her contact information and told her that I would like to help, but that I needed to talk it over with my team leader because of my commitment to language study this year.  I spoke to him earlier today and he gave me the go ahead, so a few minutes ago, I sent out an email to this mother to offer my help.  I do not wish to make her name public, but I do ask that you pray for her and her son.  Please pray that the grace of God would pour over the families here in Bulgaria who are raising children with disabilities.  There is still more to say about this meeting....

Parent Support Group

Earlier today I had an opportunity to speak to a Down Syndrome support group.  It was great opportunity to offer insights and strategies from my perspective as an occupational therapist.  Tanja, a missionary with Send is a member of the group and arranged for me to speak to them.  Susan and I prayed for the group before I went.  We also spent some time talking about doors that God is opening for us.  It has been a busy, tiring stretch, but one that has been full of joy.  All along the way, I have been reminded that God has been at work here long before we showed up.  It gives me great confidence to see his hand at work and to know that he has brought us here at this time for this purpose.  I suspect I will have more to say about this experience in the coming days.

A Man Like Job

Last night at bedtime, Eli asked if I would read to him from the Bible.  I said sure and then thought to myself, "What shall I read?"  I have been taking Eli and Paul through Sinclair Ferguson's Big Book of Questions and Answers.  My first thought was to pick out one of the passages from one of Ferguson's recent lessons, but instead I decided to read from the last few chapters of Job.  Scott Barber, an old friend and lawyer turned pastor once said of this section that it is the greatest cross examination of all-time.  I sat just outside of Eli's room using the hall light so that he could hear, but more easily drift off to sleep when the time came.  I began reading in chapter 38: "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?  Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me....."  Then began a long series of intimidating, no, overwhelmingly intimidating questions.  When chapter 39 rolled around, I was thinking that the point was well made, but the cross examination was only beginning.  At some point, Eli's attention waned.  I had hoped that he would fall asleep, but instead decided that he was thirsty and asked for a drink.  I allowed him to go to the kitchen and get some water, but I sat and continued reading.  I was amused when Job tried to end the barrage of questions by saying that he was of small account and would not speak any further.  In essence he was saying, "Maybe I should just keep quiet."  But God pressed further and in the end, when Job was faced with the greatness of God, Job was humbled and repented of his arrogance toward God.  Then God turned to Job's friends, and this is what really grabbed my attention.  He said to them that His anger burned hot against them because they have not spoken of Him what is right "as My servant Job has."  He tells them to go to Job and offer up a burnt offering for themselves.  "And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly.  For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has."

This passage reminds me to be still before God and know that He is God.  It reminds me that "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  Looking at God's advice to Job's friends, I am reminded that He "delights in showing mercy."  He was displeased with these men, but told them that they should get Job to pray for them because He would accept Job's pleas to show them mercy.  I have been reminded recently that my prayer life is not what it should be.  It is time for me to spend more time being overwhelmed (like Job) with who God is and what He has done.  At our team retreat, George Stulac preached a series of messages about prayer.  The theme that was repeated over and over was from the words of Jesus, "...apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5)."

So here I am - a missionary in a foreign land.  I don't know the language and there is much I don't understand about the culture.  My wife and children are here with me trying to adjust to a new life.  Our schedules are getting full and mixed up.  Tomorrow, Eli and Paul will be starting school (part-time) in a Bulgarian speaking Christian school. In the next few weeks I will be speaking with parents of children with disabilities.  One will be a private meeting.  The other will be a presentation before a Down Syndrome support group.  Our team is preparing for a new direction with lots of unknowns left before us.  What shall I do?  Apart from Christ, I can do nothing.  I need some serious prayer time and I beg you to pray as well. When you pray for these things, pray that our ministry would be marked by love and that God would use us to advance the gospel here in Bulgaria.

Life in Geo Milev

Riding the No. 5 Trolley, a daily event

Most of our team members are living in apartments a short distance from the Metro subway system.  When we began our apartment search, we also hoped to find a place near the Metro, but there were few places that met our criteria.  When our agent suggested a place in the Geo Milev District near the Pleeska Hotel, Susan and I were game, but knew that if we liked the place we would be moving away from the convenience of the Metro.  Not only did we really like the place, but it was also the cheapest of the options presented to us.  Now that we are in Geo Milev, we use buses far more frequently than the Metro.  They are not always the timely option, but they take us to more locations than the Metro.  And then guess what happened yesterday.  We were invited by Tonya, a missionary with Send, to go to her son's therapy session and meet his speech therapist.  Being pediatric OTs, Susan and I were naturally very interested in seeing the clinic and the approach of the local speech therapists.  We met with the executive manager, Nina who is also a speech therapist.  She has a large team of psychologists and speech therapists who engage in a variety of strategies to support children with disabilities.  She is committed to equipping others and improving her approach.  She extended an invitation to Susan and me to observe her team and provide training if we were interested.  The environment was very child friendly.  The children we saw were treated with much compassion.  Did I mention the location?  Geo Milev! I don't know what will come of this contact, but it seems very promising.  When I think of how we ended up in this apartment and Tonya's son receiving therapy just up the road from here, the one word that comes to mind is "providential."  It's almost like there is a god orchestrating all this! ;-)