I was born
in Sofia, Bulgaria
in 1969 in the family of doctors. The thing I
remember the most about growing up in a
Communist
nation was the feeling of disconnectedness,
fear and lack of hope for a better future.
I grew up wondering who made the stars. I wondered about life and death. It didn’t take long though, before I found out that in Communism you’re not supposed to talk about such things.
Growing up I thought I will become a doctor like my parents. I even graduated a specialized school for a lab worker and enjoyed working temporary jobs at different hospitals. It gave me the chance to meet many suffering people and to see death from up close.
Around Christmas of 1988 I ended up in a very scary situation after a night of drinking and using drugs. While coming back from the party I fell flat on my back and hit my head on the ice. This caused my breathing to stop. I felt like I was dying, unable to call for help or even move. I looked up at the stars once again and said in my mind, feeling like this was my last: “God, if you are real, give me a chance and I will serve you”. My breathing unlocked immediately.
Less than a year later some of my friends and I got in touch with a church, which at that time was part of the underground expression of Christianity. We went to a meeting so we can hear and see these unusual people, who by definition were clearly defying both the traditional Bulgarian Orthodox religion and the Communist regime. My buddies and I, we found ourselves in this obscure place somewhere in the outskirts of the city. I’ll never forget what I saw in the eyes of those people. Life. Hope. Determination. Willingness to suffer. Desire to learn. Love. Humility. Joy. Jesus.
The pastor preached a sermon of which I didn’t understand a whole lot. I only knew Someone was giving me another chance and nothing was going to stop me from making my move. I cried with tears as I felt the warm embrace of a loving, invisible presence, which seemed to permeate the air totally beyond my control.
When the right time came, I went forward, kneeled and have never looked back. To serve the bleeding King from Nazareth has filled my life with purpose and passion like no other cause could ever do. I’m most grateful to the Father for my family, spiritual mentors, friends and all those who have believed in me the last 19 years in my journey of faith.
And the best is yet to come!
I grew up wondering who made the stars. I wondered about life and death. It didn’t take long though, before I found out that in Communism you’re not supposed to talk about such things.
Growing up I thought I will become a doctor like my parents. I even graduated a specialized school for a lab worker and enjoyed working temporary jobs at different hospitals. It gave me the chance to meet many suffering people and to see death from up close.
Around Christmas of 1988 I ended up in a very scary situation after a night of drinking and using drugs. While coming back from the party I fell flat on my back and hit my head on the ice. This caused my breathing to stop. I felt like I was dying, unable to call for help or even move. I looked up at the stars once again and said in my mind, feeling like this was my last: “God, if you are real, give me a chance and I will serve you”. My breathing unlocked immediately.
Less than a year later some of my friends and I got in touch with a church, which at that time was part of the underground expression of Christianity. We went to a meeting so we can hear and see these unusual people, who by definition were clearly defying both the traditional Bulgarian Orthodox religion and the Communist regime. My buddies and I, we found ourselves in this obscure place somewhere in the outskirts of the city. I’ll never forget what I saw in the eyes of those people. Life. Hope. Determination. Willingness to suffer. Desire to learn. Love. Humility. Joy. Jesus.
The pastor preached a sermon of which I didn’t understand a whole lot. I only knew Someone was giving me another chance and nothing was going to stop me from making my move. I cried with tears as I felt the warm embrace of a loving, invisible presence, which seemed to permeate the air totally beyond my control.
When the right time came, I went forward, kneeled and have never looked back. To serve the bleeding King from Nazareth has filled my life with purpose and passion like no other cause could ever do. I’m most grateful to the Father for my family, spiritual mentors, friends and all those who have believed in me the last 19 years in my journey of faith.
And the best is yet to come!