The past few months have been filled with intense but blessed events for BCSU. Students from our partner movement in America, InterVarsity, arrived in Bulgaria. Twelve students and four workers spent three weeks in Sofia for our "Love Your Neighbor" project, where, together with BCSU students, they served in various communities, organized events and showed God's love through deeds and words.

    They helped renovate the "Petko Slaveykov" private school, regularly visited the "HESED" organization centers, where they played and helped children with their studies, visited the children from the "Hope for the Little Ones" organization, went on a picnic with them and had fun together. Almost every evening, the volunteers initiated various events in the beautiful Giraffe Cafe-Bookstore, shared the good news with the people they met, prayed together, studied God's Word, and applied it in their lives. The last days of their stay ended with a visit to the Rila Monastery, where they practiced the discipline of silence and enjoyed the atmosphere, reflecting on all the events of the past weeks and the friendships they had made.

   Shortly after their departure, the big event for IFES this year took place—the European Student Festival. About 30 Bulgarian students took part and spent an unforgettable week in Jelgava, Latvia. There they met young people from dozens of countries, participated in seminars, worship and Bible study, as well as a day of evangelism in the streets and parks of the city. The Bulgarians brought their own flavor by teaching foreign students Bulgarian folk dances, participating in an open mic with bulgarian worship song, sharing testimonies, leading small impact groups, some of them taking part in the Mark Drama in English, and everyone had an unforgettable time that they will remember for a long time!  

The festival left a deep impression—a time for new friendships, growth in faith, and closeness among them. 

     We are grateful to God for the whole experience and despite the many difficulties and twists and turns along the way, God never stopped showing that His hand has not been shortened and is always with us! We pray that what the students experienced, heard, and discussed will not only be remembered but also applied in their lives and ministry.