This post is a follow up story and report we first shared with you in a previous post. You can find the first post here.
More than 70 farmers attended two agricultural seminars in rural Bulgaria last month to learn first-hand how to obtain European Union subsidies as well as practical farming techniques, including preparing good soil, making liquid fertilizer and composting. Hosting these seminars allowed the team in Bulgaria to survey farmers in both regions to better understand their challenges and interests.
Our partners now have a better picture of how to direct their efforts and engage farmers during 2012.
Perhaps one of the greatest immediate results of the seminars was expanding relationships within the agricultural sphere. Our partners now have more than 20 new contacts who have requested that someone “follow up” with them during the winter months. This directly supports the group's multiplication strategy, which is to make disciples through rapidly reproducing churches. Follow up with these farmers will be part of an evangelistic push by national ministry partners and will hopefully lead to new discipleship multiplication groups in these locations.
The locations for the seminars were chosen very intentionally. The first seminar, which took place in Kardjali (located in south central Bulgaria), attracted farmers from a variety of villages from the surrounding area. These participants were diverse in background, as Kardjali is ethnically split between Bulgarians, Bulgarian Muslims, Turks and Roma.
The second seminar was held in Vidin, located in the northwestern tip of Bulgaria on the Danube River, and was attended by farmers and those interested in small farming. Different from Kardjali, these participants were less interested in methods of how to produce on a large- scale and more excited about “maximizing” their smaller pieces of land for their own personal benefit. They were especially interested in homesteading techniques and practices.
At least a fourth of the participants have expressed an interest in meeting with the team one on one! In addition, they have been asked to return in order to carry out more agricultural projects as well as pursue other community development initiatives.
Pray for the team in Bulgaria as they discern how to follow up with each of these 70 farmers. Pray these seminars bear abundant fruit and lead to new discipleship groups and churches. If you are interested in serving with GEM’s team in Bulgaria or giving to this initiative please email us here. God is moving in Bulgaria, the Balkans and beyond!
Countries: Bulgaria
Categories: Evangelism, Discipling
