A lot has been going on here since my last blog entry, but this entry will not be about those things. Our kids are on spring break and unlike most of the other missionary families, we opted to stay in town. It has become increasingly obvious that having a car will be very helpful with upcoming ministry opportunities, so we decided to save our money and prepare to make a purchase. Still, we wanted to have some vacation-like experiences so we have been getting out and exploring the city. For instance, today we visited an ancient art museum in the basement of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, where 16th century church related pieces were common place. Joshua mixed it up with the locals riding his skateboard in the park. Yesterday we found a different park where we drew a lot of attention from the locals playing our version of wall ball. It was great to get out and have fun, but prior to locating the perfect wall ball site, I got a little ahead of everyone else in a desperate search for a public bathroom. As I came to a dead end where I would have to turn right or left, I decided that I would need to stand still and wait for the rest of the family to catch up. As I was looking down the street, a very well dressed man walked up to me and asked a question. When I told him that I didn't understand, he switched to English and asked for the time. I told him and then he walked around the corner. A few seconds later he returned and said, "Let me give you my business card." I took it and before I read the first word, he said, "We have the most beautiful girls in Bulgaria." I promptly handed his card back to him and told him that I wasn't interested.
I told Susan about the incident and said that I wish I had been a little quicker on my feet. I would have liked to have asked him how they find their girls and how they retain them. You see, Bulgaria has a huge problem with international sex slave trafficking and prostitution. Our team is involved with an organization called Daughters of Bulgaria that is working to address this problem. Our team members have been involved in prayer groups and reaching out to some of the girls who have been working out on the streets. Some of them choose this lifestyle and some are deceived or sold into it. It is very sad. Please pray that God would work powerfully and that unimaginable changes would come and break the back of the sex trafficking and prostitution industry in Bulgaria.
While I was in the shower, Eli and Paul were busy at work. Paul came and knocked on the door and asked, "Is 99 high for a dog?" What?!?! I had no idea what he was talking about and so I quickly finished my shower and yelled out, "What are you talking about?" I opened the door and Paul was standing there. He said that Eli held down Happy, our dog while he, Paul checked his temperature with the ear thermometer. I first chose to deal with the scientific inquiry. "I don't know what a dog's temperature should be." Then I asked the parenting question, "Why did you do that?" When the response came back, "We wanted to see if he had a fever," well, I had nothing to say. I guess I was impressed. No, I was more than impressed - I was down right proud of their inquisitive minds. Imagine what they could do with a college education. The more I thought about what they did and the more I imagined what the scene must have looked like, the more I smiled. We have been searching for a Vet's office closer to our apartment. Who knew that Johnston & Johnston Vet Clinic was already opened for business?
