Wycliffe Associates Fills Hearts with 'Amazing Grace' in Bulgaria

Nearly 100 million people have still not read the Bible in their native language. Bible translation experts from Wycliffe Associates are working to bring that number down, and they're finding innovative ways to speed up the process in many areas of the world. One of those places is Bulgaria. 

Bulgaria is known for its rich history, natural beauty, and blend of eastern & western culture. It's also home to layered love stories. You can find those stories in the country's people, like Tony & Inna Chinkov. Tony is from Bulgaria, and Inna is from Ukraine. They met in college, married, and are now in Christian ministry. 

"The people in Bulgaria, they identify themselves as Christian I would say, but not a lot of them really dedicated, understand what God really wants from them and what does it really mean to go to church and to follow God," Inna told CBN News.

Bulgaria's history includes communist rule from about 1946 to 1989. That period, and its politics, pushed Roma People, who are often called Gypsies, into ghettos. That has left many feeling despised, dejected, and separated. It's a reality that exists on several levels today, long after communism has ended. It can be found in just a short drive from the charm of the country's capital. Sofia's beauty fades into a picture of poverty.

There are about 12,000 people who live in one impoverished area called Risto Botev – a place where Tony Chinkov and his wife founded Amazing Grace Church. It's a ministry with a mission to bring the Gospel to all who live there.

"I didn't want to be a pastor because I saw how many people treat the Roma pastors and the Roma people, the gypsy people. But then one day I had a meeting with the heart. I had a lot of prejudice when somebody told me, 'God spoke to me' and I said, 'come on.' Okay. But then it happened to me," Tony told CBN News. 

"I was alone in my car on the way back to my home. Then I heard the voice behind me, but told me, 'Tony, stop turning back to my people, your back to my people.' And I started to cry, and I felt the presence of the Lord in the car," he continued.

Now Amazing Grace Church is celebrating 6 years of service in a big way by partnering with Wycliffe Associates to distribute Bible boxes to Roma children. The Bible boxes are complete with lessons in their native language Yerli. It's something Wycliffe associate Mark Roberts says is important.

"If they are not able to read scripture in their heart language, how will they know things like, 'Come to me all who are weary.' How will they know the comfort of the Psalms. 'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,'" he shared with CBN News.

We paid a visit to the heart of the Bible Box assembly at Amazing Grace Church. The boxes are packed with contents children are sure to love. They include crayons, a lesson on exactly why scripture is important, a bookmark, and a coloring book filled with Bible stories and scriptures. 

Wycliffe associate Steve Martin is excited for the partnership with Amazing Grace Church.

"One of the beautiful things that God has provided for us here in Bulgaria is Pastor Tony. Pastor Tony has a heart for the Roma people. And his heart is beyond just reaching them with the message of Christ but reaching them with the word of God. And he has helped us to be able to go far beyond anything we could have done as an organization, as he has opened up various Bible translation projects", Martin told CBN News.

Wycliffe's latest Bible translation project is also part of Amazing Grace Church's six-year celebration. It is the New Testament translated into Yerli. Church members spent more than two years working together to complete the translation. For church member Milan Milanou, it was something that gave him fulfillment.

"This is what I do for my people. This is what I do for God as well, and this is how I feel satisfied for all this process," he said.

For Tony and Inna, the church is a love story that is filled with God's amazing grace.

"Most of our brothers and sisters are new in the faith. They're really new. And according to the water baptism we gave last year, since beginning of this year, we see that these people never been part of any church. And this is a new believer actually. So I'm really happy to see how God works. That's amazing," Inna told CBN News.

"That's my family. So we have our family with Tony and our kids, but I cannot separate our own family with the church family. We are one big family. The people, the new people who come. Every time we have a new people, that's a family. That's a real family," she continued.  

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