Trip Information

Servant Life partners with a group of pastors and Bulgarian nationals and missionaries who oversee a network of 50+ churches and church plants. With only about 2% of the country being Evangelical Christian, there is a deep need for the name of Christ to be known and worshiped. Racial tensions have divided Bulgarians for many years, even among self-proclaimed Christians. The darker-skinned Roma people are looked down on and treated as the lower class of society, forced to live in poverty in the margins of society. Our ministry in Bulgaria has a specific focus in church planting among the Roma people, many of whom are Muslim.

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We seek to partner and strengthen with these Bulgarian churches by sharing the hope and love of Christ through many different platforms including children's festivals, food distribution, orphan care, worship services, and Christmas shoe boxes. God is doing great things in Bulgaria and it is exciting to see Muslims turn from their faith and surrender to the Lordship of Christ. Short-term teams have played a tremendous role as a catalyst in these events, and God is changing the hearts of the people in Bulgaria.

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What will my team be doing? 

Short-term teams are one of the best means for native church planters to engage their community.  Teams will be traveling back and forth from the capital city of Sofia to a few outlying regions to work with local churches. This will primarily involve ministry to the Roma people through community-wide ministry and outreach. When a team shows up in a village or a community, it causes much of the village to come out and participate, where they will not only see your team acting with the love of Christ, but will have the opportunity to hear about the love of Christ as well. We often show up in a community and host an exciting kids festival and entire families will come out to join us, but we always conclude that time with a gospel presentation and invitation to a church service (sometimes later that same night, which your team could be part of). Whether your team is helping with a food distribution project, leading games and crafts through a children's festival, spending time with orphans, teaching English to children, or helping to put on a worship service, you can expect numerous opportunities to show and share the love of Christ .

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What does a general weekly schedule look like?

• Monday. Depart from the U.S., typically in the evening.

• Tuesday. Arrive in Bulgaria after lunch. Introductory English-Bulgarian exchange with local kids. Get settled in at lodging facilities. 

• Wednesday - Monday. Ministry: Kids festivals, feeding programs at the local church, English lessons, etc. There will either be a "cultural" day devoted to visiting the market, sight-seeing, etc., or it's possible that you will do some of this sight-seeing "as you go." When traveling to different villages to work with different church plants, you will have the opportunity to stop through some historic European cities and enjoy the rich culture.

• Tuesday. Depart from Bulgaria early in the morning; arrive home to U.S. that evening.

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What does my cost include?

• In-country transportation. From the moment you land at the airport until the moment you leave, we will take you everywhere during the week. You will not need to arrange your own transportation, but teams should be prepared to do some walking as we navigate different villages and communities.

• Housing. Your team will sleep in bunk bed style accommodations with access to hot showers and bathrooms.

• Meals. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, every day! (Note: You need to pay for your own meals at the airport, while traveling, etc.)

• Supplemental Traveler's Insurance. In the event of a medical emergency, you'll be covered with an international policy!

• T-Shirt. Every participant gets an awesome mission trip t-shirt.

• Pre-Trip Training Material. We provide training sessions, trip overview documents, assistance from our team of mission trip experts, and communication with in-country missionaries to make sure your group is fully prepared for your trip.

• Pre, During, and Post-trip Devotionals. This 4-week printed missions journal will help every team member grow and encounter Christ.
   

Airfare is not included in the trip cost, but will be taken care of by Servant Life's travel agent who gets humanitarian rates and often free baggage. You may book on your own if you prefer to do so, but we ask to approve the itinerary first.