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“You Dance over me while I am unaware. You sing all around but I never hear the sound. Lord, I’m amazed by you. Lord, I’m amazed by you. Lord, I’m amazed by you. How you love me! How wide! How deep! How great is your love for me!”
Dear Friends and Family.
At home now. Back to the land of Reality T.V., English speaking, Wal-Mart, fast food restaurants around every corner, hamburgers, I-Phones, mindless entertainment and, of course, two slobbering golden retrievers. I have been home for about a week-and-a-half now, wrapped up in the comfort of my newly-decorated bedroom (thanks Mom!), and I have taken time to reflect on my six-week adventure in a little Eastern European country called Bulgaria . . . a land of rolling green hills, endless fields of dancing yellow sunflowers as far as the eye can see, and the beauty of God’s Creation around every bend and crossroad . . . Bulgaria, a land that is nestled securely in my heart and a land that has become my second home.
As I sit and reflect on the work that the Lord has done, I ponder where He has led me and what He has done in me. My tongue is still a contorted, discombobulated mess and my mind is still slightly fried after weeks of speaking mainly Bulgarian and I find that I am still occasionally thinking in Bulgarian, dreaming in Bulgarian and mentally translating everything I say and hear into Bulgarian (exhausting!:) . . . but I thank God for speaking in me and through me and for giving me the ability to communicate in this difficult, obscure language. I marvel at the wonder of where He has led me and the plans that have unfolded before me in my 33 years of life and I stand amazed at the experiences that have shaped me, molded me and made me who I am. And I know there is so much more to come and so much work left to be done, yet (despite my exasperating insecurities) I have to continually learn to trust. I pause to reflect on all of the adventures, experiences and special moments of the past six weeks . . . from watching “Doctor Electronica” fix even the most complex gadgets in Panagyurishte, to telling countless stories and singing songs with adorable children at the Montessori School in Sofia, to worshipping God and praying with pastors in the Roma (gypsy) village of Banya, to reuniting with my Bulgarian sister and Baba in the village of Boshulya, to loving orphaned children and whispering, “Jesus loves you” in their little ears. I thank God for each blessed encounter and for allowing me to be His hands and feet . . . one little footstep at a time.
I am humbled to consider all of the amazing families that took me in this summer . . . accepted me as one of their own, stuffed me with delicious delicacies until I was ready to pop, invited me into their lives and conversations, made me feel right at home. God has given me the privilege of meeting so many different people and the honor of forming so many unique relationships; He has given me the freedom to embrace new cultures and traditions and the opportunity to sit at the tables of so many diverse families and partake in lives that are worlds apart. I embrace these relationships whole-heartedly and I feel so blessed to have sat at the tables of those who have so little, yet are so hospitable and selfless. I go with the desire to serve, yet I always get so much more in return. As I have sat at many a tables–surrounded by “family” and stuffed to the gills with grape leaves stuffed with rice, gyuveche casseroles, piping hot moussaka, soft palachinki crepes filled with sweet chocolate, and fresh shopska salad with juicy tomatoes and cucumbers straight from the garden–I have watched with awestruck wonder as God’s plans have unfolded little by little. WOW . . . I stand amazed and humbled.
When my six weeks in Bulgaria were drawing to a close, I became anxious about returning to my family, my “comfort zone”, my snuggly bed and even “snugglier” golden retrievers, and my job as a kindergarten teacher. My last day with an amazing team was spent touring Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. There was one last thing I had hoped to accomplish on this summer adventure, but it just hadn’t worked out for various reasons. I had hoped and prayed about re-connecting with this amazing man of God named Dobri. When I look at Dobri, I can picture what Moses must have looked like . . . strong hands, long white beard and flowing hair, wise old eyes that take you places and tell stories when you look into them. Dobri used to be a guard for the king of Bulgaria when Bulgaria had a king and now he spends his humble days begging for money at churches to restore Bulgarian Orthodox Churches all over his beloved Bulgaria. He is an amazing man of God filled with so much wisdom and insight and I got the privilege of meeting him and translating for him during my last visit to Bulgaria in 2008. Dobri is a legend in this country, lovingly refered to as “Dyado Dobri” . . . “Grandfather” Dobri. I yearned to find Dobri somewhere along the journey, but God saved that for my last day in the country. I was overjoyed to see him when our group entered the Alexander Nevsky Church, the largest Orthodox church in Bulgaria, sitting by the door of the church clutching his money cup and prayer beads. As first, Dobri struggled to hear my excitable Bulgarian and his memory of our last encounter was foggy . . . yet, when I returned with pictures, recognition and remembrance flooded his wrinkled face and he instantly lit up and began to smile and hug me as we reminisced. I was convinced that God had led me to Dobri as this journey drew to a close, as I listened to the mumbled speech of this amazing man of God comment on the good works of a gracious Heavenly Father . . . Yes, I am humbled and I am awestruck by this amazing journey called life. It certainly always succeeds in taking me by surprise every step of the way.
As I said goodbye to a beautiful land called Bulgaria, to the relationships and the experiences, I once again promised to return. In my mind, I watched as a sea of faces, new foods, experiences and adventures, rolling green hills and fields of smiling sunflowers danced before my eyes; in my heart, I longed to return to each memory for just a moment as more of my heart was once again deposited in the fertile Bulgarian soil. My thoughts and prayers are now consumed by this journey; my desire to serve and be His hands and feet are what continues to inspire me and set me on fire. As a bright, yellow sunflower dances silently in the wind, he dances over me when I am completely unaware.
Keep Dancing,
Chantel
Editor’s Note: Chantel started a daily blog to document her time in Bulgaria. If you wish to read about her adventures, head over to this website: http://chantelsloan.wordpress.com. Chantel teaches kindergarten at Oracle Ridge Elementary School in Oracle. She is already back at Oracle, hard at work, but we had a few more of her stories to share with our readers. This is the final story in the series.
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