Deeply Devoted Brothers and Sisters
Borislava – aka “Bobbie” – and Stanimir Zahariev are native Bulgarians who have become Chance and Dee Dee Galloway’s closest friends in their adopted country.
Though the Galloways are thousands of miles from Christ Community Church, their relationship with Bobbie and Stanimir personifies their home church’s “Connect” mission of “sharing authentic life together around Jesus.”
Here Bobbie (pictured at right with Chance, speaking in a Roma church) shares some thoughts on what the Galloways have meant to her, her family and the local community in which they live.
Found in Translation
In 2011 I was going through a time of depression. I had lost my job, I was struggling financially, emotionally and in my family life, and I remember I thinking, “It’s not working – faith and church are just hollow words, and God doesn’t care.” At first I thought God had brought these Americans so they can take my children and look after them.
Then I became their translator and they started Bible lessons on Saturdays. We were going to a very law-driven church back then. I remember how I translated for them preaching and at the same time listened to God tell me, while I translated, that He loves us and His will is actually that we are happy, and not to punish us. That was totally new to me.
The more I listened and studied God’s word, the more I got out of the darkness and depression I had fallen into. The Galloways were the lifeline I grabbed hold of for my very life and the life of my family. When I look back to that time, I marvel at how faithful God has been to us, how He provided, and continues to provide, for us right at the perfect time. He is so faithful. Now I translate for them, but they are also our best friends as a family, and mentors too. DeeDee is not only my best friend, but also an example to me as a wife and a mother.
Shining for Jesus
As foreigners in our town, where people know each other, the Galloways stick out. They are loved for their big smiles, for always waving at people, and for the hugs they give you when you meet them on the street.
There is a doughnut place where we often go to buy dessert. The man there once stopped me to ask about the Galloways. He said, ‘Who are they? Where are they from? They always smile at me, they are never in a bad mood. I have never seen such people around here. I’d love to get to know them more.’ Not that they always have perfect circumstances, but the Galloways just stick out in Bulgarian culture. Our culture is one in which people, because they grew up under communism, often don’t smile and tend to complain and blame, even on a daily basis. They are not used to seeing love, but that’s what they see from the Galloways. They shine for Jesus.
They are big givers. Saturday and Wednesday are market days at the farmers market, and they have a friend, an old lady who sells vegetables from her garden to support herself, who they regularly buy from. People know them at the market. Chance is always waving to them as to old friends, and making people wave and smile back. He is teaching them to smile.
Though the Galloways are thousands of miles from Christ Community Church, their relationship with Bobbie and Stanimir personifies their home church’s “Connect” mission of “sharing authentic life together around Jesus.”
Here Bobbie (pictured at right with Chance, speaking in a Roma church) shares some thoughts on what the Galloways have meant to her, her family and the local community in which they live.
Found in Translation
In 2011 I was going through a time of depression. I had lost my job, I was struggling financially, emotionally and in my family life, and I remember I thinking, “It’s not working – faith and church are just hollow words, and God doesn’t care.” At first I thought God had brought these Americans so they can take my children and look after them.
Then I became their translator and they started Bible lessons on Saturdays. We were going to a very law-driven church back then. I remember how I translated for them preaching and at the same time listened to God tell me, while I translated, that He loves us and His will is actually that we are happy, and not to punish us. That was totally new to me.
The more I listened and studied God’s word, the more I got out of the darkness and depression I had fallen into. The Galloways were the lifeline I grabbed hold of for my very life and the life of my family. When I look back to that time, I marvel at how faithful God has been to us, how He provided, and continues to provide, for us right at the perfect time. He is so faithful. Now I translate for them, but they are also our best friends as a family, and mentors too. DeeDee is not only my best friend, but also an example to me as a wife and a mother.
Shining for Jesus
As foreigners in our town, where people know each other, the Galloways stick out. They are loved for their big smiles, for always waving at people, and for the hugs they give you when you meet them on the street.
There is a doughnut place where we often go to buy dessert. The man there once stopped me to ask about the Galloways. He said, ‘Who are they? Where are they from? They always smile at me, they are never in a bad mood. I have never seen such people around here. I’d love to get to know them more.’ Not that they always have perfect circumstances, but the Galloways just stick out in Bulgarian culture. Our culture is one in which people, because they grew up under communism, often don’t smile and tend to complain and blame, even on a daily basis. They are not used to seeing love, but that’s what they see from the Galloways. They shine for Jesus.
They are big givers. Saturday and Wednesday are market days at the farmers market, and they have a friend, an old lady who sells vegetables from her garden to support herself, who they regularly buy from. People know them at the market. Chance is always waving to them as to old friends, and making people wave and smile back. He is teaching them to smile.