Our expectations were exceeded in 2005 which was the first time we took the Spearhead tent to Plovdiv in Bulgaria. Hundreds of Roma Gypsy people responded to Jesus for salvation and healing. Since then doors have opened and relationships have been established in other communities.

Signs of Bulgaria’s entry into the EU are all around: new buildings, improved roads, higher wages and living costs. However, the very poor and marginalised Bulgarian “Roma” and “Turkish” people are discriminated against by white Bulgarians and remain ostracised. Old traditions prevail with many young people marrying by the age of thirteen; few are able to further their education. These are the communities that we have been invited to work amongst.

In September of this year Tim, Steve Randell and Martin Wade returned to Bulgaria, seeking to strengthen and encourage leaders in and around Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Vidin to be people of faith and character, able to lead their people to maturity in Christ. God has made the poor rich in faith but we are seeking to increase expectations that God wants to lift them out of their current and historic situation. We encouraged them to forget what lies behind and press on to all that God has for them. A key scripture during the trip was ‘”I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope”’ (Jer 29:11).

The church in Stara Zagora invited Tim to preach one evening in the streets of a Gypsy village where they are seeking to plant a church. Many responded for salvation and as we prayed for the sick, a deaf and dumb girl immediately received her hearing from Jesus.

We finished in the far north west where Vidin, on the southern bank of the River Danube, borders Romania. Unemployment there exceeds 40% and the church we work with is financially poor but our hearts were stirred when they took up an offering for a poor congregation in Calafat on the Romanian side of the Danube. We joined the leaders, some of whom are unemployed, as they took the gifts to Calafat and gave them to the pastor after a gathering in their small church. It was amazing to see how they gave out of their poverty and we knew that the lessons of faith were mutual.

It’s a privilege to work with these people. God is active amongst them and we would encourage you to join us for the tent missions in 2009!

Report by Martin Wade

‘Many are the plans in a man’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.’ (Prov 19:21)
This verse proved true for our mission to Bulgaria which was one of surprises for us but not for the Lord.
Tim had been invited to Stara Zagora by a pastor who had been to last year’s mission in Plovdiv.
We erected the tent on a Monday in May and for two days had a wonderfully fruitful time of ministry.

On both the Monday and Tuesday evenings, the tent was full to overflowing.
So many came forward for ministry that on Tuesday that we had to form a prayer tunnel and feed the people through. The power of God was incredible.
During the day there were teaching sessions for local pastors and also children’s work. Many children joyfully participated in the fun, teaching and ministry.
The first surprise for me was the joy that the Lord put in my heart, a joy I had not experienced for a long time.
The second surprise was that we had to take the tent down on Wednesday afternoon as unbeknown to us permission had not been given for the mission to take place!
The Lord however was not surprised and had other plans for us.
Crag Sibthorpe, who had helped organize the previous missions to Bulgaria, was at a pastor’s meeting on Wednesday and arranged for us to minister to the churches around Plovdiv for the next four days.
Many people were saved, healed, filled with the Holy Spirit and released in moving in the gifts of the Spirit.
We came back from Bulgaria with a great sense of fulfillment knowing that the Lord’s will had been done.

by Terry and Jacky O’Neill