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Bulgaria: Meeting for ministerial wives

'It is about fellowship, encouragement, and spiritual uplift'

Bulgaria: Meeting for ministerial wives

Traditionally, each year in the Adventist church in Bulgaria, the ministerial wives get together for their annual meeting. The meeting is held over a weekend designed around fellowship, encouragement, and spiritual uplift.

Although the meeting is for ministerial wives in active service, over the years we have benefited from inviting the wives of our retired ministers along with the widowed ministerial wives.

 This year, the retreat was held in the spring, in a Christian health center where we could benefit from a vegan cuisine and fresh air, surrounded by nature.

The topics of our discussion were centered around the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver, with a special guest speaker Elvira Wanitschek (current leader of the ministerial wives’ department in the Inter-European Division). In our discussion time, we were pondering intriguing questions such as: Can spirituality be a burden? What does it mean to communicate with God and what does it look like? Does a life or denial of all earthly pleasures and persuades indeed lead to a life closer to God? What are some real obstacles in our ability to really connect with God?

When Jesus rebuked Martha, He did not deny her service of love and dedication. Instead, He was trying to warn her not to allow worry about the daily activity to consume her. He was highlighting the idea that service without spirituality can bring disappointment and exhaustion.

Over the weekend, we also enjoyed handcrafted workshops, which invited creative expression and turned out to be a fun time shared together as a team. During one of the workshops, we were encouraged to create handmade cards with a written blessing that was than gifted to one of our fellow colleagues at the meeting. Another workshop allowed for some fun in making personalized fridge magnets.

 In the Christian tradition we often use symbolism. One of the most well-known symbols centers around butterflies. Generally, we all find the idea of a caterpillar off-putting and unpleasant. In the caterpillar, however, there is a hidden beauty; in time, it is transformed into a butterfly. We often see butterflies as a symbol of spring and beauty. A positive transformation is almost always accompanied by discomfort and, often, pain. To experience real transformation and learning, one must be brave to challenge the routine of comfort. Real learning often happens by taking a risk and experiencing something new. Are we ready for a new experience with God or are we just looking for reassurance of what we already know?

“It is a blessing for me to see how, through the conferences of pastors’ wives, their fellowship among one another is expanding,” said Elvira Wanitschek, EUD Shepherdess director.

“Encouraging encounters and open conversations take place with much joy and growing trust.

Through spiritual themes, which especially concern pastors' wives, we experience a lot of encouragement and mutual support among each other.

With new courage, we say goodbye and look forward to seeing each other again.”