Mission News:

May, 2002

This letter recently arrived from Viktor and Teresa Kostov who are living in Bulgaria with their two boys.

"This year we have found ourselves struggling with the Lord, "How can we love our enemies? How can we continue to bless those who curse us? How can we continue to do good to those who hate us? And how can we continue to pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us?"

I am sure you are all familiar with those words spoken by Jesus out of Matthew, the end of the 5th chapter. In these verses, Jesus challenges his followers to not only love their neighbors, but to also love their enemies. For it is in doing this that we are 'sons of our Father in heaven.'

"In Bulgaria, we are finding that our 'neighbors' are often our 'enemies'. This past month we had our third incident since arriving in Bulgaria with a neighbor who, refusing to communicate his frustrations, did harm to our physical property as though it were a type of 'teaching method'. Although it was a minor incident, the anger we have felt at this consistent display of viciousness has left us feeling somewhat defeated. We have felt the depth of our lack of love for our enemies, and even for the very people we seek to serve. In our frustration we have questioned God if anything good can come out of Bulgaria.

"We are praying and ask that you, too, pray along with us. As we come face-to-face with the malice, the incompetence and the oppression that define much of life here, that we would be able to keep our eyes focused on the Lord until His mercy reaches us. That we would not break under the pressures applied to us nor live with anger and bitter scorn at the vile things we see around us. We desire the Lord's Spirit, which will allow us to come against these things in the opposite spirit: that of love, patience, peace, humility, and gentleness."

With the warmest of regards, Viktor, Teresa, and the boys

Back to top