Hristomar’s Story
In Nova Zagora in Bulgaria many of the people live in poverty with no work or means of income. Mission Without Borders approached the pastor of a local church. Together we launched a community centre program providing a Soup kitchen for those who would otherwise go hungry and a computer class to give people the skills to provide for themselves.
27-year old Hristomir needed these computer skills to get the simplest job, but of course having no job the courses were too expensive for him. It was a Catch 22 situation. Then he heard about the course in the church. He grasped this chance and enrolled.
In the beginning he lacked self-confidence. It almost looked as if he wasn’t taking anything in and wished he was somewhere else. Gradually, he built up confidence with the computer and started to open up with his fellow students and volunteers from the Church.
He then decided to attend a church service and has not stopped going since. Hristomir was asking deep questions and soon after surprised everyone by asking to be baptized. The pastor spent quite some time with him to discern how sincere he was. Despite Hristomir’s previously quiet and sullen ways, his excitement about God was clear for all to see.
Hristomir was then baptized.
Not long after leading a new life for Christ, Hristomir married Plamena. Together they have dedicated their home and lives in ministry to the Lord and to serving others.
There was one major concern however. Hristomir’s father used to be in the State Secret Services in the Communist regime and a sworn atheist, like most of Hristomir’s family. There was a real fear that they would not attend his wedding as it was of course a church ceremony. The church prayed. On the day of the wedding, a great surprise to everyone, Hristomir’s father and family walked into the church, attended the ceremony and listened to the word of God. His father even thanked the Pastor for a “wonderful and clear ceremony.”
Hristomir’s whole life has changed, and possibly his family’s, because of the computer course. It would have been so easy to discount Hristomir in his sullen ways. We may judge a person from the outside, but God sees the heart.
