Our Goal As Missionaries
Our goal as missionaries has always been to partner with nationals and help and support them in any way needed with discipleship, training, mentorship, etc. We decided from the beginning of our journey of faith that we were not there to build “our kingdom”, but God’s. Our philosophy has always been that nationals can reach their own people much better than we ever could. When we arrived so many years ago, We built close connections with both Bulgarians and Roma/Gypsies. We began to build strong relationships and deep friendships with them by doing life together. God formed such trust and love between certain ones of us over the years and we were all the better for it. We began to hear their heart on their vision and what God had put on their hearts. They had such a burden for their people and the great needs they saw in their communities daily. God had given them vision and ideas of how to meet the needs of the people…spiritually, physically, mentally, socially, financially, etc.
|
ANSWERING God's Call |
|
|
|
|
Human Trafficking Awareness
Empowering The Roma People To Fight Injustice
Many years ago a missionary that works closely with a day school/orphanage for very poor children and has worked here in Bulgaria for over 20 years, brought the issue to me of girls going missing from this school and the fact that the school ended at 5th grade for the girls. She asked me to help to find a safe place for these girls to go after the 5th grade, which is the worst time to not have accountability and safety for these girls. The age of 11 when they are just beginning to develop and when the marrying age, stealing of brides age, and selling of daughters is most prevalent. This comment began my involvement in the issue of trafficking in Bulgaria. I began gathering information, networking with other anti-trafficking organizations in Bulgaria, and most importantly…praying.
We walked the steps each day that God put before us. We created an NGO or foundation to operate legally in Bulgaria, we began to talk with the Set Free Movement in the US, and we began speaking with leadership about how we could implement this prevention/safe home for girls.
Somewhere deep inside, there was a great fear and insecurity in me. I knew that this project was too big for me alone. As we went back to the US in 2015, God began to put on the hearts of several people to come along side and help. We now have a single lady in her 20’s and a family with 3 girls packing up and moving everything to Bulgaria to help with this project. I am confirmed every day that this is the heart of God. God was beginning to build a team. I knew that this home was a God thing and the pieces of the puzzle He was putting together. I now knew that I was not doing this alone, and God was sending helpers…. but still something was amiss in my heart.
It became clear in a recent conversation with a colleague that has the same motto as we do, of empowering nationals, that I began to see that in every project we have been involved in, it was a vision/heart of a national. The girl’s home was me. This was going against everything we stand for. This left me unsettled and confused. I prayed and asked God for wisdom. Later, I talked with my very wise 18-year-old daughter about my thoughts and she replied, “You’re going at this alone, Mom, gather the women to come together with you.” This was such simple wisdom on one hand, but not an easy task on the other.
We walked the steps each day that God put before us. We created an NGO or foundation to operate legally in Bulgaria, we began to talk with the Set Free Movement in the US, and we began speaking with leadership about how we could implement this prevention/safe home for girls.
Somewhere deep inside, there was a great fear and insecurity in me. I knew that this project was too big for me alone. As we went back to the US in 2015, God began to put on the hearts of several people to come along side and help. We now have a single lady in her 20’s and a family with 3 girls packing up and moving everything to Bulgaria to help with this project. I am confirmed every day that this is the heart of God. God was beginning to build a team. I knew that this home was a God thing and the pieces of the puzzle He was putting together. I now knew that I was not doing this alone, and God was sending helpers…. but still something was amiss in my heart.
It became clear in a recent conversation with a colleague that has the same motto as we do, of empowering nationals, that I began to see that in every project we have been involved in, it was a vision/heart of a national. The girl’s home was me. This was going against everything we stand for. This left me unsettled and confused. I prayed and asked God for wisdom. Later, I talked with my very wise 18-year-old daughter about my thoughts and she replied, “You’re going at this alone, Mom, gather the women to come together with you.” This was such simple wisdom on one hand, but not an easy task on the other.
Some facts about trafficking in Bulgaria
- Bulgaria is primarily a country of origin and transit
- 10,000 girls a year end up in prostitution
- Majority are Roma girls
- We have 9 to 10 girls stolen every month from our village
BULGARIA'S TRAFFICKING PROFILE
As reported over the past five years, Bulgaria is a source (origin) and, to a lesser extent, transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor. Bulgaria remains one of the primary source countries of human trafficking in the EU. The government and NGOs report a steady rise in Bulgarian men subjected to labor trafficking. Bulgarian women and children are subjected to sex trafficking within the country, as well as in Europe, and the Middle East. Several NGOs assert internal trafficking is increasing. Bulgarian men, women, and children are subjected to forced labor in other European states and Israel, predominantly in agriculture, construction, and the service sector. Bulgarian children and adults with disabilities are forced into street begging and petty theft within Bulgaria and in Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Romanian girls are subjected to sex trafficking in Bulgaria. Government corruption creates an environment enabling some trafficking crimes, and officials have been investigated for suspected involvement in trafficking.
Set Free Movement: Bulgaria from Andy Yardy on Vimeo.
Hello all! My name is Meghan Shuffett and I am from Alabama. In December of 2016 I graduated from Samford University with my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. During college I really focused my studies on issues of human trafficking and women’s rights, both of which I am very passionate about. In August of 2017 I will start my Master’s of Social Work at the University of Georgia in the hopes of working in Anti Human Trafficking work in the future. This summer I have had the opportunity to stay with the Galloways in Bulgaria for a month. It has been a fantastic experience where I have learned so much.
While here, I was able to stay a few days with Katherine Long in Sofia and learn about trafficking here in Bulgaria. Katherine works at Daughters of Bulgaria, which is an outreach ministry for women in prostitution. She also works with the Rose Garden Project, which is an aftercare facility for women who have chosen to leave prostitution. It provides them with a place to live, counseling, and job training. Ministries in Bulgaria are doing a great job of helping address human trafficking through aftercare, intervention, and coming soon - prevention! The Galloways are in the process of purchasing a home for vulnerable young Roma girls, the St. John’s home. This will give these girls a place to live where they are safe, are loved, and can finish school. It plays a huge role in preventing these girls from falling into the hands of traffickers.
This week in Bulgaria we focused on Human Trafficking Awareness, primarily in the Roma communities. I have had the opportunity to speak at 6 churches in 5 different cities, and also at a youth conference. Through talking with Dee Dee, learning from Katherine Long, and from my own research I made a presentation that I used to help Bulgarians become aware of the problem of human trafficking in their communities. Human trafficking is a huge problem here in Bulgaria, as Bulgaria and Romania are the top places victims are found in Europe. Around 10,000 Bulgarian women a year are trafficked in Europe. Traffickers look for vulnerable girls. Those who need jobs, don’t have a lot of money, and/or do not have a good home life. They use these girl’s backgrounds to lure them into trafficking through relationships, false job advertisements, the bride market, drugs, blackmail, etc. So, what I did first was help those listening become aware that human trafficking happens in Bulgaria - in their communities. And second, make them aware of the tricks traffickers use to lure them. This is important for young women to know, and also for others so they can look out for their friends, family, and communities. Third, I shared what people can do to help! This includes prayer, volunteering at places like the St. John’s home, creating safe places where people can address their addictions (as addictions such as drug, sex, porn, etc. play a huge role in trafficking), and in helping out at churches and youth groups to help care for young girls in their communities.
I worked with a great group of women this week who are passionate about helping equip these communities to recognize and combat human trafficking. Petra, Pastor Lubycho’s wife, led us in prayer and gave her insights into the subject. Dee Dee talked about the St. John’s home and her experiences with women in prostitution and girls in vulnerable positions here in Bulgaria. Hollie Wells closed us in prayer and provided Biblical insight into God’s plan for this home and these churches. Borislava, Pastor Stanamir’s wife, did a fantastic job translating for the Americans and making sure everyone understood these issues. This week has been a great example of different women - Roma, American, and Bulgarian - all coming together to further God’s kingdom.
My hope for my talks this week is that by shedding light on the issue of human trafficking, it will allow those in the community to take a stand and say no more. No more will I allow my friends and family to be exploited, no more will I allow this issue to remain in the dark, no more will I allow myself and others to sit by and do nothing. This week I have gotten different feedback from different churches. Many see this happening, and decide that this issue must be brought into the light and talked about. Some had no idea this was happening, but came forward at the end of the talk to express their want to make a difference and help. And some churches I got very little feedback, but I know that we have planted the seeds. I am very humbled and grateful that God has given me the opportunity to come into these villages and help spread awareness of human trafficking, and I pray these communities will commit to protecting their young women.
While here, I was able to stay a few days with Katherine Long in Sofia and learn about trafficking here in Bulgaria. Katherine works at Daughters of Bulgaria, which is an outreach ministry for women in prostitution. She also works with the Rose Garden Project, which is an aftercare facility for women who have chosen to leave prostitution. It provides them with a place to live, counseling, and job training. Ministries in Bulgaria are doing a great job of helping address human trafficking through aftercare, intervention, and coming soon - prevention! The Galloways are in the process of purchasing a home for vulnerable young Roma girls, the St. John’s home. This will give these girls a place to live where they are safe, are loved, and can finish school. It plays a huge role in preventing these girls from falling into the hands of traffickers.
This week in Bulgaria we focused on Human Trafficking Awareness, primarily in the Roma communities. I have had the opportunity to speak at 6 churches in 5 different cities, and also at a youth conference. Through talking with Dee Dee, learning from Katherine Long, and from my own research I made a presentation that I used to help Bulgarians become aware of the problem of human trafficking in their communities. Human trafficking is a huge problem here in Bulgaria, as Bulgaria and Romania are the top places victims are found in Europe. Around 10,000 Bulgarian women a year are trafficked in Europe. Traffickers look for vulnerable girls. Those who need jobs, don’t have a lot of money, and/or do not have a good home life. They use these girl’s backgrounds to lure them into trafficking through relationships, false job advertisements, the bride market, drugs, blackmail, etc. So, what I did first was help those listening become aware that human trafficking happens in Bulgaria - in their communities. And second, make them aware of the tricks traffickers use to lure them. This is important for young women to know, and also for others so they can look out for their friends, family, and communities. Third, I shared what people can do to help! This includes prayer, volunteering at places like the St. John’s home, creating safe places where people can address their addictions (as addictions such as drug, sex, porn, etc. play a huge role in trafficking), and in helping out at churches and youth groups to help care for young girls in their communities.
I worked with a great group of women this week who are passionate about helping equip these communities to recognize and combat human trafficking. Petra, Pastor Lubycho’s wife, led us in prayer and gave her insights into the subject. Dee Dee talked about the St. John’s home and her experiences with women in prostitution and girls in vulnerable positions here in Bulgaria. Hollie Wells closed us in prayer and provided Biblical insight into God’s plan for this home and these churches. Borislava, Pastor Stanamir’s wife, did a fantastic job translating for the Americans and making sure everyone understood these issues. This week has been a great example of different women - Roma, American, and Bulgarian - all coming together to further God’s kingdom.
My hope for my talks this week is that by shedding light on the issue of human trafficking, it will allow those in the community to take a stand and say no more. No more will I allow my friends and family to be exploited, no more will I allow this issue to remain in the dark, no more will I allow myself and others to sit by and do nothing. This week I have gotten different feedback from different churches. Many see this happening, and decide that this issue must be brought into the light and talked about. Some had no idea this was happening, but came forward at the end of the talk to express their want to make a difference and help. And some churches I got very little feedback, but I know that we have planted the seeds. I am very humbled and grateful that God has given me the opportunity to come into these villages and help spread awareness of human trafficking, and I pray these communities will commit to protecting their young women.
Soccer Player Visits Bulgaria
|
|
|
Spring Arbor University soccer player Janum Sailor visited Bulgaria for a cross cultural experience this month playing in a tounament in a local Roma village. Janum was able to encourage our church plants to work together in unity in a fun and challenging way!
Discipleship Training/Church Plant Project
|
The Church Plant project consists of taking mature leaders from existing churches with their pastor's love and blessing and sending them to cities or villages and empowering them to take the gospel to where they know God is leading them (where they have a heart for a certain people group). We commit to train and support the church planters for two years with discipleship training and leadership development by bringing groups and leaders from around the world to share their insights and gifts. The way to start changing broken communities is by starting with healthy pastors and leaders that will bring the light, truth, wholeness and healing to the people.
|
6 New Churches Began March 18th, 2017 |
2017-2018 Church Plant/Discipleship Project |
-Bulgaria Church Planting starts in March 2017 (Started March 18th) |
2015-2016 Church Plant Project
Churches Planted |
Pastors and Leaders Trained |
Church Plants Impact |
Pastors and Leaders Impact |
9 |
60 |
500 Disciples |
Over 1000 Disciples |
Pastor Lubcho also has a big heart to feed the hungry in his own neighborhood of 12,000 where there were many families going hungry. Many women having to rely on prostitution just to feed their children.
We are also in process of building a kitchen to begin the feeding program.
We are also in process of building a kitchen to begin the feeding program.
The Agriculture project is a multipurpose project to help meet the many needs of the people herein Bulgaria, both Roma and Bulgarian. Those needs are mainly hunger and joblessness. The team here felt an agricultural project could provide an opportunity for people to learn how to farm that were without work and the food produced could be used to supply our food kitchen designed to feed the poor in the Roma village, feed the ever growing elderly population in Bulgaria, and also to sell the items to help self-sustain the project. We were given the money to purchase the land last year and this year received enough money to begin. Our goal this summer is to put up the fence, dig the well, and install several greenhouses. We currently have enough funds to begin with 2 greenhouses, but we would eventually like 4-5 on the property. The 2 will be up by September and we will begin a fall growing season.
This project is overseen by Stanimir Zahariev.
This project is overseen by Stanimir Zahariev.
Loving Bulgaria
Teens, Working With Kids And Baptisms
|
|
|
|
Discipleship
Discipleship Development:
Mentoring Others Into Spiritual Maturity
Knowing God -We want to help develop people's faith in a loving God and to become loving persons with successful relationships with others. We desire for people to become Kingdom minded and exchange selfish behavior (pride) for selfless behavior (humility). Our desire is for people to live in the freedom through Christ that He provides and to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
Image- We want to thoroughly develop people with a true image of their identity in Christ. This image will help to develop a Christian worldview, a sound theology, a strong knowledge of the Bible, and the ability to use the Bible in their everyday walk in life and ministry. Our desire is to develop wisdom, discernment, a strong stance on truth which provides an unwavering faith and a resistance to false teaching and doctrine.
Teaching Others- We want to develop people that can successfully teach others and for them to have the ability to: lead and pastor others, teach effectively, disciple others, and evangelism. Spiritual growth is never complete when it only benefits us. We are created to give love through serving others.
Mentoring Others Into Spiritual Maturity
Knowing God -We want to help develop people's faith in a loving God and to become loving persons with successful relationships with others. We desire for people to become Kingdom minded and exchange selfish behavior (pride) for selfless behavior (humility). Our desire is for people to live in the freedom through Christ that He provides and to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
Image- We want to thoroughly develop people with a true image of their identity in Christ. This image will help to develop a Christian worldview, a sound theology, a strong knowledge of the Bible, and the ability to use the Bible in their everyday walk in life and ministry. Our desire is to develop wisdom, discernment, a strong stance on truth which provides an unwavering faith and a resistance to false teaching and doctrine.
Teaching Others- We want to develop people that can successfully teach others and for them to have the ability to: lead and pastor others, teach effectively, disciple others, and evangelism. Spiritual growth is never complete when it only benefits us. We are created to give love through serving others.
Article on Chance and Dee Dee Galloway
Galloway Family Walks by Faith as They Advance God's Kingdom in Bulgaria
By Allen Allnoch
In 2011, Chance and Dee Dee Galloway sold everything they owned, boarded a plane with their four children, and moved to Bulgaria to serve as full-time missionaries.Not exactly pursuit of the American Dream – but for this family from Christ Community Church, a lifestyle of obedience to God has led them on a far more fulfilling adventure.“We’ve always done things a little differently,” says Dee Dee Galloway. “We live life out there on a limb. When you’re comfortable, you feel like you’re in control. When you’re not comfortable, you tend to let God be in control.”
ALWAYS ON A MISSION
Chance, a Phenix City native, and Dee Dee, who is from Columbus, have long been passionate about helping broken people – the ones often overlooked by society, but not by God. As newlyweds some 20 years ago, they jumped right into homeless ministry, working and living on site at Columbus’s Valley Rescue Mission. They also started a family; their first child, Mitch, arrived in 1995. Soon they were expecting again, then illness struck: Dee Dee was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The doctor recommended an abortion so he could treat the cancer, but the Galloways refused. Their first daughter, Catherine, was born in May 1996, and Dee Dee ultimately beat the cancer. After several more years in ministry, including a stint managing a drug and alcohol rehab center, Chance went to work as a painting contractor and Dee Dee began a teaching job. During this time they faced another season of trial, in the form of a failed real estate venture. They lost their home and much of their finances. They also experienced some church-related hurt and ended up seeking a new church home, eventually landing at Christ Community. Even as they walked through these trials, God was planting the seeds for their move to Bulgaria. One was through a 2007 conference Dee Dee attended. The topic: teaching overseas. “I came home weeping,” she recalls. “My heart was starting to stir for overseas missions.’”
Meanwhile, Chance was challenged by a community group leader to go on a short-term mission trip. His heart was less submissive than Dee Dee’s: “I said, ‘I’ll show you. I’ll go on a mission trip and it won’t change me one bit,’” he says, laughing now at the memory. CCC was planning a construction-oriented mission trip to Greece in June 2008 and the Galloways signed on. A last-minute itinerary change added a brief side trip to Bulgaria, home to a large population of Roma people.
Because they don’t identify with a specific country or region, the Roma have long been treated as outcasts in Europe. Nazi Germany tried to eliminate them, right along with the Jewish people. Even today the Roma are discriminated against. When the CCC team visited a Roma village, the Galloways were dramatically touched. “I don’t how to explain it, but I just felt a love for the Roma people and the country of Bulgaria,” Chance says. “That’s when my life changed.”
By this time the Galloways had recovered from their financial troubles. The next year they joined another CCC team in Bulgaria, this time with 14-year-old Mitch along. When they got home, all three felt like they would return there to live one day. “It was hard knowing my friends would be back home doing teenager things and I wouldn’t be there,” Mitch says, “but I knew Bulgaria was where we were supposed to be. It was not something I was afraid of.” Catherine and her sister, Jessie, needed some convincing, but eventually everybody was on board as Chance and Dee Dee went through a long process of praying, fundraising, filling out paperwork, quitting jobs and selling possessions.
Finally, on November 2, 2011, the Galloways left America with only a few pieces of luggage – and nowhere to live when they arrived.
‘WHAT HAVE WE DONE?'
Al and Dianne Mellenger, the Free Methodist Church’s directors for missions in Bulgaria and Greece, were the Galloways’ initial hosts. As they drove away from Sofia International Airport, Chance was struck by the poverty he saw in every small town and village they passed. “I was thinking, ‘These people have been here thousands of years. Who do we think we are? We can’t come in here and change anything.’” At their hotel that first night, the Galloways closed the door, looked at each other, “and just started bawling,” Dee Dee says. “We said, ‘What have we done?’ Chance remembers. “But one of the great truths of Scripture is that God’s mercies are new every morning. The next morning we got up and had peace and knew we were supposed to be here. Al Mellenger recommended the Galloways live in a small town or city because it would offer better opportunities than Sofia, the capital city, to assimilate into Bulgarian and Roma culture. He had contacts in Kyustendil, a city of 45,000 in the southwestern part of the country, so they started there.“I didn’t even know Kyustendil existed before we drove to it that day,” Chance says. “But right away it felt like this was where we were supposed to live.” Within three days of arriving in the country, the Galloways had signed a lease and were moving in. From discipleship to pastor training to working with women, children and teens, their ministry has been multi-faceted from the start. And with the help of a Bulgarian couple, Borislava and Stanimir Zahariev, they have adapted to the culture and built relationships in both the Bulgarian and Roma communities. Borislava, also known as Bobbie, frequently translates for Chance and Dee Dee (see sidebar). The families often dine together, and recently they launched a church that meets at a small hotel in Kyustendil. Says Bobbie, “We encourage each other through good times and bad times, pray for each other, and little by little are building a healthy community in which to bless others and bring others to the Lord. I think that’s what ‘s been missing here the most in the Church – a healthy community that does life together. With the new church, that’s what’s in our hearts.”While much of Chance and Dee Dee’s work overlaps, they also have their own unique ministries. For Chance, it’s discipleship and pastor training. The Free Methodist approach to world missions is to equip locals, and he has excelled in that realm. The Galloways have helped plant seven churches and expect to have 15 in place by January 2015. A similar approach will be used in a new agriculture ministry Chance and Stanimir are preparing to launch. On two acres of fertile farmland (funded by a church partner in the U.K.), they’ll teach their Roma friends to farm. The produce – tomatoes, cucumbers and the like – will supply a food bank. “It’s the ‘teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime’ approach,” Chance says. Dee Dee, meanwhile, has been involved in a teaching venture of her own. “If you can learn English, your opportunities are greater,” she says. “I’m a teacher, so I naturally want to help people learn the language.” Her first year in Kyustendil, she taught English to Bulgarians in the town’s community center. She began teaching in the Roma village the next year and has been encouraged by her students’ progress, particularly among teenagers and young adults.Dee Dee also assists another missionary couple, Jack and Elsabe Louw, at an orphanage for Roma children. She and Elsabe have a vision to open a home for vulnerable teenage girls. Bulgaria ranks high among EU countries as a source for women and children who are trafficked as sex and labor slaves.
“I pray for these girls,” she says. “Men come and snatch them and they are not seen again. That home is huge on my heart right now.”
THE FAITH OF A CHILD
Just as God is using Chance and Dee Dee to build His kingdom in Bulgaria, He has given each of the Galloway children a unique ministry.
The youngest, 11-year-old Alan, has thrived in the local school he attends. He’s quickly becoming fluent in Bulgarian and isn’t afraid to tell others of his faith. Bobbie tells this story from the class Alan shared with her daughter Nadezhda: “The teacher asked him about the cross he was wearing around his neck, and he said, ‘This is the reason my parents and I came to live in Bulgaria.’ The teacher was caught by surprise – she’s never had such a student like him before, an American boy who is also a Christian.” For Jessie, 16, it took a 2011 mission trip to New Orleans to prepare her for the move. An adult leader from another church – someone she did not previously know – spoke a word of prophecy over her. “She said, ‘God has a purpose for you in Bulgaria separate from what your parents are going to do,’” Jessie recalls. That word was fulfilled as Jessie found a role in sharing her testimony and praying with visiting mission teams. She also loves working with Roma children, and they clearly love being around her. Mitch, 19, has thrived in helping his father in the work of pastor training. “The prospect of helping build local churches and see those grow is really exciting,” he says. Three years of mission-field experience can only help in his next venture – he’ll begin theology studies this fall at Charis Bible College in Birmingham, England. Likewise, Catherine, 18, recently left Bulgaria; she’ll start college this fall in her native Georgia. She too has benefitted from life overseas. “I see such a change in myself from when I first moved to Bulgaria,” she says. “Living there helped me see how beautiful another culture can be. I've met people who were able to pour into me, and I have been able to help other people in return.
“While the move did have its ups and downs, I wouldn't give up my time in Bulgaria for anything. I think that no matter what my future holds, God is going to use me to do great and mighty things, and that my time in Bulgaria will serve as a stepping stone to the next big part in my life, whatever it may be.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Back in Kyustendil, Catherine’s family continues its adventure “out there on a limb.” The latest challenge: Funding. Their budget is more than $13,000 short for the remainder of 2014. Soon, “serious discussions have to be made,” Dee Dee wrote in a recent newsletter to supporters. Still, she said, “We know we are called here and will continue the work here. We just need wisdom from God how to proceed. Whether we need to return to the States for a time to fundraise or not, we will do whatever is needed to continue this work.” And whatever that next step is, the Galloways will maintain their faith in the One who has been faithful from the beginning. “I see God’s hand in everything we do,” Dee Dee says. “We could fill a book with the things we’ve seen Him do.”
By Allen Allnoch
In 2011, Chance and Dee Dee Galloway sold everything they owned, boarded a plane with their four children, and moved to Bulgaria to serve as full-time missionaries.Not exactly pursuit of the American Dream – but for this family from Christ Community Church, a lifestyle of obedience to God has led them on a far more fulfilling adventure.“We’ve always done things a little differently,” says Dee Dee Galloway. “We live life out there on a limb. When you’re comfortable, you feel like you’re in control. When you’re not comfortable, you tend to let God be in control.”
ALWAYS ON A MISSION
Chance, a Phenix City native, and Dee Dee, who is from Columbus, have long been passionate about helping broken people – the ones often overlooked by society, but not by God. As newlyweds some 20 years ago, they jumped right into homeless ministry, working and living on site at Columbus’s Valley Rescue Mission. They also started a family; their first child, Mitch, arrived in 1995. Soon they were expecting again, then illness struck: Dee Dee was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The doctor recommended an abortion so he could treat the cancer, but the Galloways refused. Their first daughter, Catherine, was born in May 1996, and Dee Dee ultimately beat the cancer. After several more years in ministry, including a stint managing a drug and alcohol rehab center, Chance went to work as a painting contractor and Dee Dee began a teaching job. During this time they faced another season of trial, in the form of a failed real estate venture. They lost their home and much of their finances. They also experienced some church-related hurt and ended up seeking a new church home, eventually landing at Christ Community. Even as they walked through these trials, God was planting the seeds for their move to Bulgaria. One was through a 2007 conference Dee Dee attended. The topic: teaching overseas. “I came home weeping,” she recalls. “My heart was starting to stir for overseas missions.’”
Meanwhile, Chance was challenged by a community group leader to go on a short-term mission trip. His heart was less submissive than Dee Dee’s: “I said, ‘I’ll show you. I’ll go on a mission trip and it won’t change me one bit,’” he says, laughing now at the memory. CCC was planning a construction-oriented mission trip to Greece in June 2008 and the Galloways signed on. A last-minute itinerary change added a brief side trip to Bulgaria, home to a large population of Roma people.
Because they don’t identify with a specific country or region, the Roma have long been treated as outcasts in Europe. Nazi Germany tried to eliminate them, right along with the Jewish people. Even today the Roma are discriminated against. When the CCC team visited a Roma village, the Galloways were dramatically touched. “I don’t how to explain it, but I just felt a love for the Roma people and the country of Bulgaria,” Chance says. “That’s when my life changed.”
By this time the Galloways had recovered from their financial troubles. The next year they joined another CCC team in Bulgaria, this time with 14-year-old Mitch along. When they got home, all three felt like they would return there to live one day. “It was hard knowing my friends would be back home doing teenager things and I wouldn’t be there,” Mitch says, “but I knew Bulgaria was where we were supposed to be. It was not something I was afraid of.” Catherine and her sister, Jessie, needed some convincing, but eventually everybody was on board as Chance and Dee Dee went through a long process of praying, fundraising, filling out paperwork, quitting jobs and selling possessions.
Finally, on November 2, 2011, the Galloways left America with only a few pieces of luggage – and nowhere to live when they arrived.
‘WHAT HAVE WE DONE?'
Al and Dianne Mellenger, the Free Methodist Church’s directors for missions in Bulgaria and Greece, were the Galloways’ initial hosts. As they drove away from Sofia International Airport, Chance was struck by the poverty he saw in every small town and village they passed. “I was thinking, ‘These people have been here thousands of years. Who do we think we are? We can’t come in here and change anything.’” At their hotel that first night, the Galloways closed the door, looked at each other, “and just started bawling,” Dee Dee says. “We said, ‘What have we done?’ Chance remembers. “But one of the great truths of Scripture is that God’s mercies are new every morning. The next morning we got up and had peace and knew we were supposed to be here. Al Mellenger recommended the Galloways live in a small town or city because it would offer better opportunities than Sofia, the capital city, to assimilate into Bulgarian and Roma culture. He had contacts in Kyustendil, a city of 45,000 in the southwestern part of the country, so they started there.“I didn’t even know Kyustendil existed before we drove to it that day,” Chance says. “But right away it felt like this was where we were supposed to live.” Within three days of arriving in the country, the Galloways had signed a lease and were moving in. From discipleship to pastor training to working with women, children and teens, their ministry has been multi-faceted from the start. And with the help of a Bulgarian couple, Borislava and Stanimir Zahariev, they have adapted to the culture and built relationships in both the Bulgarian and Roma communities. Borislava, also known as Bobbie, frequently translates for Chance and Dee Dee (see sidebar). The families often dine together, and recently they launched a church that meets at a small hotel in Kyustendil. Says Bobbie, “We encourage each other through good times and bad times, pray for each other, and little by little are building a healthy community in which to bless others and bring others to the Lord. I think that’s what ‘s been missing here the most in the Church – a healthy community that does life together. With the new church, that’s what’s in our hearts.”While much of Chance and Dee Dee’s work overlaps, they also have their own unique ministries. For Chance, it’s discipleship and pastor training. The Free Methodist approach to world missions is to equip locals, and he has excelled in that realm. The Galloways have helped plant seven churches and expect to have 15 in place by January 2015. A similar approach will be used in a new agriculture ministry Chance and Stanimir are preparing to launch. On two acres of fertile farmland (funded by a church partner in the U.K.), they’ll teach their Roma friends to farm. The produce – tomatoes, cucumbers and the like – will supply a food bank. “It’s the ‘teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime’ approach,” Chance says. Dee Dee, meanwhile, has been involved in a teaching venture of her own. “If you can learn English, your opportunities are greater,” she says. “I’m a teacher, so I naturally want to help people learn the language.” Her first year in Kyustendil, she taught English to Bulgarians in the town’s community center. She began teaching in the Roma village the next year and has been encouraged by her students’ progress, particularly among teenagers and young adults.Dee Dee also assists another missionary couple, Jack and Elsabe Louw, at an orphanage for Roma children. She and Elsabe have a vision to open a home for vulnerable teenage girls. Bulgaria ranks high among EU countries as a source for women and children who are trafficked as sex and labor slaves.
“I pray for these girls,” she says. “Men come and snatch them and they are not seen again. That home is huge on my heart right now.”
THE FAITH OF A CHILD
Just as God is using Chance and Dee Dee to build His kingdom in Bulgaria, He has given each of the Galloway children a unique ministry.
The youngest, 11-year-old Alan, has thrived in the local school he attends. He’s quickly becoming fluent in Bulgarian and isn’t afraid to tell others of his faith. Bobbie tells this story from the class Alan shared with her daughter Nadezhda: “The teacher asked him about the cross he was wearing around his neck, and he said, ‘This is the reason my parents and I came to live in Bulgaria.’ The teacher was caught by surprise – she’s never had such a student like him before, an American boy who is also a Christian.” For Jessie, 16, it took a 2011 mission trip to New Orleans to prepare her for the move. An adult leader from another church – someone she did not previously know – spoke a word of prophecy over her. “She said, ‘God has a purpose for you in Bulgaria separate from what your parents are going to do,’” Jessie recalls. That word was fulfilled as Jessie found a role in sharing her testimony and praying with visiting mission teams. She also loves working with Roma children, and they clearly love being around her. Mitch, 19, has thrived in helping his father in the work of pastor training. “The prospect of helping build local churches and see those grow is really exciting,” he says. Three years of mission-field experience can only help in his next venture – he’ll begin theology studies this fall at Charis Bible College in Birmingham, England. Likewise, Catherine, 18, recently left Bulgaria; she’ll start college this fall in her native Georgia. She too has benefitted from life overseas. “I see such a change in myself from when I first moved to Bulgaria,” she says. “Living there helped me see how beautiful another culture can be. I've met people who were able to pour into me, and I have been able to help other people in return.
“While the move did have its ups and downs, I wouldn't give up my time in Bulgaria for anything. I think that no matter what my future holds, God is going to use me to do great and mighty things, and that my time in Bulgaria will serve as a stepping stone to the next big part in my life, whatever it may be.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Back in Kyustendil, Catherine’s family continues its adventure “out there on a limb.” The latest challenge: Funding. Their budget is more than $13,000 short for the remainder of 2014. Soon, “serious discussions have to be made,” Dee Dee wrote in a recent newsletter to supporters. Still, she said, “We know we are called here and will continue the work here. We just need wisdom from God how to proceed. Whether we need to return to the States for a time to fundraise or not, we will do whatever is needed to continue this work.” And whatever that next step is, the Galloways will maintain their faith in the One who has been faithful from the beginning. “I see God’s hand in everything we do,” Dee Dee says. “We could fill a book with the things we’ve seen Him do.”
Article On Stanimir and Borislava
Written by Allen Allnoch
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.
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.
Partnership
Partnership
Together, We Are Making A Difference.
Partnership is about us working together to change lives.
When we arrived in Kyustendil, Bulgaria, Dee Dee and I were given the scripture of Psalms 133 about unity. We have learned that we need all the believers working together to impact our region. Together we can make a difference! We travel across our region from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Skopje, Macedonia, teaching the gospel, as we are commanded to, "Go and make disciples".
On the ground, we partner with other churches and missions organizations with programs that provide such things as food, clothing, Christmas gifts but more importantly- love.
Our ministry is also resourcing and equipping the pastors of more than 30 churches and leaders throughout our region. We strongly believe that it is God’s heart that His people be fed and nourished by a local church, and we are doing our part by teaching 10 church plants starting January 2015.
Together, we are showing, that God's Love can really make a difference!
It will take all of us together, in order for us, to impact this culture, region and country. Partnership with us isn't about whether or not you give.We need your financial partnership, but partnership is simply this: It's saying "Yes! I'm partnering with you in faith." It's about praying for one another, standing together and changing this area for Jesus.
We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for joining with us on this incredible journey. Your love for the Lord and your dedicated support and faithful prayers make what we do in Bulgaria possible.
Thanks
Chance and Dee Dee Galloway
Together, We Are Making A Difference.
Partnership is about us working together to change lives.
When we arrived in Kyustendil, Bulgaria, Dee Dee and I were given the scripture of Psalms 133 about unity. We have learned that we need all the believers working together to impact our region. Together we can make a difference! We travel across our region from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Skopje, Macedonia, teaching the gospel, as we are commanded to, "Go and make disciples".
On the ground, we partner with other churches and missions organizations with programs that provide such things as food, clothing, Christmas gifts but more importantly- love.
Our ministry is also resourcing and equipping the pastors of more than 30 churches and leaders throughout our region. We strongly believe that it is God’s heart that His people be fed and nourished by a local church, and we are doing our part by teaching 10 church plants starting January 2015.
Together, we are showing, that God's Love can really make a difference!
It will take all of us together, in order for us, to impact this culture, region and country. Partnership with us isn't about whether or not you give.We need your financial partnership, but partnership is simply this: It's saying "Yes! I'm partnering with you in faith." It's about praying for one another, standing together and changing this area for Jesus.
We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for joining with us on this incredible journey. Your love for the Lord and your dedicated support and faithful prayers make what we do in Bulgaria possible.
Thanks
Chance and Dee Dee Galloway
