2018 Events

December 31, 2018

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
We have been enjoying a wonderful time here in Texas. Our son, Isaiah, and his fiancee, M.J., flew in from New York to spend Christmas eve with us at the home of our daughter, Hannah Elise, and her husband, LaMarque. This was the very first time we have all been together in the same place! On Christmas Day, Isaiah and M.J., traveled with us to visit with John’s mother, Carole, and most of the rest of the Putman family. We praise God for gathering us together this year and hope that all the pastors and church leaders of Bulgaria and their wives and families have also been able to enjoy the season as individual families and as the family of God. We look forward to the New Year ministering in Bulgaria!

 

 

November 20, 2018

Meet our first mission team in Bulgaria! One of our board members and a pastor in the San Antonio area, Doug McQueen, and his father, Van, a pastor from Illinois, spent an intensive week sharing from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians in a study entitled, ‘Freedom in Christ.’ In Blagoevgrad and another location (undisclosed), Doug and Van worked alongside of three Bulgarian ministers. It was a great tribute to the message of God’s grace through Jesus Christ, that all God’s people, no matter the ethnicity, are serving the Lord together. Over 20 pastors and lay leaders attended the conferences and over fifty others attended special meetings open to all. Pray that these will experience God’s freedom found in Jesus Christ and will turn and accept others as God has accepted us.

 

November 8, 2018

This is a great week in the life of our ministry here in Bulgaria. In two days, our first mission team will arrive from the states: our fellow board member, Doug McQueen, his father, Van McQueen, and a family friend, Tim Davis! We are excited about their coming, but even more excited about what God has led them to do. In two areas of the country, they will teach from the book of Galatians on “Freedom in Christ.” For security purposes, the exact locations need to remain undisclosed until after the conferences, but rest assured, these men will be doing a great and much-needed work for pastors and church leaders. We are praying that God will use these conferences to release the leaders from any strongholds that hold them back from their very best, and that they will, in turn, share God’s freedom with their church members, and all those around them who need to be freed in Jesus Christ. Pray with us, won’t you? Also, if you desire, you may help us with the cost of this conference by donating to T&F International, by post or PayPal. This is a great work and well worth your consideration. Thank you for praying for us!

 

November 3, 2018

We praise God for our time in Moldova at the end of October! John taught Christian Ethics at Moldova Bible Seminary, four hours each morning for two weeks. The class is made up of Christian students from Chisinau, from other towns in Moldova, and even one young man from Uzbekistan! All of these young people play a strong role in the ministry of their home churches. It is such a joy and privilege to help in some small way in the equipping of each of these servants of God. We ask you to pray for them as they grow in knowledge and in faith, and that their work will be a light that shines in this world for Jesus Christ!

 

October 13, 2018

This is Chișinău, Moldova, one of our ministry hometowns! We are here for the next two weeks with John teaching at the Moldova Bible Seminary. For the past year we have been visiting pastors, church leaders, their spouses and families in Bulgaria as they serve the Lord in their own church communities. Now pray for us as we encourage and train these future pastors, teachers, and leaders prior to their being sent out. May this be a blessed time of learning for them and may they open themselves to the Lord’s leading in ministry. By the way, as you look at the photo, we once lived in a building just past the one you see on the left – on the sixteenth floor!

 

October 6, 2018

This week John had the honor of attending the 110th anniversary of the founding of the Union of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Bulgaria. This conference brought together about 50 pastors and leaders from the Baptist churches all across Bulgaria. What is special to us is that of all those attending, we have been ministering to about 20 of them! They were all so welcoming and appreciative. And John was blessed to see them enjoying being all together, this one time in all the year. We praise God that He has raised up these leaders and we ask that, at this time next year, there will be more new pastors and leaders to attend as the Lord raises up new church planters and workers! Pray with us!

 

September 30, 2018

Last week we went to southwest Bulgaria to visit five pastors, their wives and families. Each is doing significant work for the Lord Jesus. We encouraged them all, spoke God’s truth in counsel to them, and are helping each with specific needs in ways that the Lord allows us. In the coming days, we will introduce each to you, but for now, pray for all pastors and church leaders, their wives and families in southwest Bulgaria

 

September 24, 2018

On Saturday, September 22nd, Bulgaria celebrated its Independence Day (from the Ottoman Turks in 1908). While some were enjoying the historical moment and others the start to a long weekend, about 3000 Protestant and Evangelical believers gathered in the Kolodrome in Plovdiv, to celebrate the First Annual National Prayer Day! We were privileged to join our friends, Vlady and Katya Raichinov, as we traveled to this momentous event. For three hours, over thirty men and women led us in prayer for the nation of Bulgaria, its churches, its families, and its future impact on the world, and the people were so excited – like they were at a festival for our God!. What an honor it was, also, for us to participate with our new friends from Plovdiv, the Morikang family. Pray for the nation of Bulgaria.

 

September 10, 2018

This past weekend, September 7-9, we took our “mobile training center” to Lom, Bulgaria, to give the pastors in the region an opportunity to sharpen their skills as preachers and to deepen their trust in God’s Word. We had a total of fourteen pastors and other church leaders attend. Each man works a second job, ministers to the church members, and tries to take care of his family as well. Pray for these men as they pursue God’s best with limited time each week for preparation. Our goal is not to make them “great preachers,” but preachers who are faithful to God’s Word.

 

September 3, 2018

We begin our Fall ministry in the city of Lom, where we will hold a weekend Sermon Preparation Training for about 10 pastors. Please pray as we share how to strengthen our preaching ministries, that we may always present God’s Word as it should be, and that all our ministry will revolve around bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who need God’s ultimate blessing! Pray also as Sylvia leads the pastors’ wives in a mini-retreat to support and encourage them in the very difficult role as support for their spouses.

 

August 16, 2018

This past weekend we visited with Kenneth and Svetlana, two church leaders in the town of Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria. Ken is from Cameroon and Sveta is from the Ukraine. God brought them to Bulgaria as missionaries, but they are becoming Bulgarian citizens and raising their three young daughters to be so as well. Their church is unique in that it is made up of medical students from outside of Bulgaria. So, during the summer, there is no congregation, but when the fall university semester begins, Ken and Sveta have a full-fledged church of about forty Christian believers, who require their help in leading them spiritually while they are away from their home countries. Please pray for Ken and Sveta, for their children, and for the people that the Lord has called them to serve.

 

July 29, 2018

This weekend John and his interpreter Radi traveled to the neighborhood of Rakovitsa, in northwest Bulgaria. The leader of the church, Petko, had asked for training for its young preachers and we were glad to serve them. Over six sessions, eight men (including two who had traveled a far distance) went through seven basic steps in how to prepare a sermon from the Bible. We praise God that these men are following God’s call to preach His word, and we thank you for praying with us over these men and the congregations that they serve. May they each accurately handle the word of truth!

 

July 16, 2018

This weekend we were in Varna, Bulgaria on the Black Sea. John led thirteen pastors, preachers, and teachers from the Varna and Bourgas area in a seminar on sermon preparation. It was a great time of delving into how to best anchor one’s teaching in the Bible, and also how best to communicate it to one’s group or congregation in their context. Everyone was challenged (including the instructors) and we look forward to hearing what God has in store for those who will sit under these Christian leaders’ future teaching. Thank you to Pastor Lubomir Shivarov of Zion Church for hosting and organizing the event. Pray for these leaders as they work to “accurately handle the word of truth” and to “remind them of the truth of the gospel.”

While the pastors and preachers were studying in the sermon preparation training, Sylvia and the wives of these pastors were taking a much-needed break. On Friday they met together for dinner and Saturday for a short excursion up the coast from the city. This provided a day away from ministry and their work at home, together with others who can understand all that they each go through. This rarely happens, so they enjoyed their time together and recognized their need to get away more often.
When we visit pastors and church leaders across Bulgaria, we always ask to include the wives in our meeting, so that we can let them know that we know how ministry works – it is a team effort, the pastor, the pastor’s wife, and even the pastor’s family are all involved, and often the work of ministry takes priority over simple family life together. Each time, Sylvia brings the wife something, a small gift or some Scripture promises, to encourage her personally, but also to help her stay strong in God’s work through her and her husband.
In Bulgaria, the pastor’s family is the prime example to the community of what Christ has done in people – pray that each family will be a shining beacon of the gospel of Jesus Christ to their small part of Bulgaria.

 

June 15, 2018

Last week, John was invited by one of the pastors he met in central Bulgaria to attend a meeting in which evangelical and mainstream pastors, and catholic and orthodox priests, gathered to act in unity. It is not an ecumenical movement of all religions, but a first time agreement of Christian leaders of various denominations to act in faith and Christ’s love, according to Jesus’ prayer that we see in John 17:21 –
“…that they may all be one, even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they may also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
The meeting closed with priests washing the feet of pastors and pastors washing the feet of priests, as you see in the photo. It was a historic moment in the Bulgarian Christian movement and it reminded us that we are part of this as well, as we travel the country to encourage pastors (and, maybe, one day, even priests) of all denominations. May the Lord use Bulgaria as a bright shining light of Christian unity for the world to see!

 

June 9, 2018

Last week John attended a conference in central Bulgaria, held by a vital evangelical denomination for 45 of its pastors, ministry leaders, and their spouses. Two pastors from Pennsylvania led the conference on how to use three key aspects of leadership in the church based on Jesus Christ being king, prophet, and priest. The need for multifaceted leadership in the church resonated with many of these leaders. Pray for all the leaders who attended this conference, that they will purpose to instill multi-facted leadership in their own churches as they return home. John was also able to meet key leaders in the denomination, including the general director, and we have begun to prepare for our own conference to be held in the fall for about twenty of these same leaders. We will lead a workshop on “Freedom in Christ.” Pray for this event which is planned for November of this year.

 

May 19, 2018

We are returning to Bulgaria!
Thank you to all who have been praying for us during the past four weeks! Though we had to return to Texas for a sad reason (John’s father passed away), the Lord still received great glory. The memorial service for Jim Putman was more a celebration of his life and faithfulness to God than a time of mourning. Afterwards, we were able to discover that Sylvia’s health problems were indeed due to stones in her gallbladder. She was able to have the necessary surgery last Friday and is healing well. We thank God for providing for all our needs!
John will return to Bulgaria on Friday, May 25th, so that he may attend a conference of Bulgarian ministry leaders starting on the 26th, and Sylvia will return two weeks later (so she can have a follow-up visit with her doctor and continue to recover before leaving Texas). Pray for our flights and continued health!

 

April 21, 2018

We want to share with you that yesterday, my father, Jim Putman, and a T&F International emeritus board member, went home to be with the Lord. He will be dearly missed, but we would not want to take him back from the glory he now enjoys with Jesus. For him, there is no more sorrow, no more pain. We claim this victory that is his, and ours, in the Lord Jesus Christ!

When we started T&F International, I did not think of another person to be on our board before my father and my mother. This was not nepotism in reverse, but a genuine knowledge that no one was better suited to help us get started as a fledgling ministry. He has always supported what we believe the Lord has led us to do, but in this case he was willing to participate as well, and this ministry is the better for it. His love for the Lord and his determination to follow Him has always been a shining example to me, my family, and to our ministry board members as well.

 

April 20, 2018

This is Petko and Verka, two of the church leaders in the town of Rakovitsa in the region called Montana in northwest Bulgaria. Petko and Verka have three grown children Their church does not have a pastor at this time; three couples work together to lead the church. They have asked us to help in training young men for preaching. The region of Montana is known as the poorest area in all of the European Union. Many people have left the area for work in Western Europe. This church in Rakovitsa was once a thriving community, but the numbers of people have dwindled. Still the people from this community keep in touch from wherever they are and many want to return. Please pray for Petko and Verka, their children, and for the people the Lord has led them to serve.

 

April 5, 2018

This is Pastor Anton in the town of Sandanski in southwest Bulgaria, about fifty miles from the border of Greece. Anton (Tony) and his wife lead two churches in the area. They have four children, one teenager and three little ones. Tony also works construction to provide for his family and the church’s needs. Please pray for them, their children, and for the people the Lord has led them to serve.

 

March 30, 2018

These are Pastors Nicholas and Nasko from the town of Damyanitsa in southwest Bulgaria. These men lead a church among many Roma people. The area is economically stressed and many church members come and go as they find seasonal jobs outside the country. These troubles make the ministry more difficult. Please pray for them, their families, and for the people the Lord has led them to serve.

 

March 27, 2018

This is Pastor Metodi from the town of Blagoevgrad in southwest Bulgaria. Metodi and his wife, Zoya, lead a new church in a neighborhood of Blagoevgrad where many Roma (gypsy) people live. They are seeing many people seeking after Christ, so much so that their services are often crowded with people, and other churches in the area are bringing their own people there to join in the revival. Metodi and Zoya have two young children. Pray for them, their children, and for the people the Lord has led them to serve.

 

March 21, 2018

This is Yulian and Maria from the town of Blagoevgrad. Yulian is the pastor of two churches, one in Blagoevgrad and one in Kiustendil in southwest Bulgaria. Maria participates fully as worship leader in both as well. They are both very funny and enjoy every moment with others. They have two sons, one at university and the other will graduate high school this year. Pray for Yulian and Maria, their boys, and for the churches they are serving.

 

March 16, 2018

This week John and Sylvia (along with interpreter Vlady Raichinov) made their first visits together to pastors and their families in the towns of Rakovitsa, Vasilovtsi, Lom, Montana, and Yakimovo in the northwest region of Bulgaria, called Montana. We were welcomed warmly by all seven pastors we met. One key area of concern in this region is its unemployment. Thousands of people and hundreds of Christians have left northwest Bulgaria just to be able to sustain their families. Pray that the Lord will change this situation for these people, and that the light from the believers’ testimonies will remain bright in this darkness. Pray also for each face you see here as they serve the Lord in their churches in northwest Bulgaria. We will give you more information on how to pray for each family in the coming days.

 

March 8, 2018

Happy International Women’s Day!

“Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” – Matt 26:13

This is Pavel and Elena from the town of Blagoevgrad in southwest Bulgaria. They have two children. Pavel has been a preacher of God’s Word since he was a teenager, when he, his father, and another preacher would take turns preaching at three services each weekend. Pavel is now preaching for the Blagoevgrad Baptist Church, though not as the pastor. He has a full time job as a machinist for a local company, and a young family he wants to care for, and he knows what it takes to pastor a church. Pray for Pavel and Elena, their family, and for the church where they are serving in Blagoevgrad.

 

March 3, 2018

This is Pastor Simon from the town of Blagoevgrad in southwest Bulgaria. He and his wife, Nadia, have four sons. Simon has been the pastor of the Christian Center Antioch for 30 years. Theirs is the largest congregation in Blagoevgrad with 80-100 attending. God blessed this body by allowing them to raise the money to build their building, without outside help, though it took them 27 years from start to finish! Pastor Emil is considered the elder statesman of pastors and ministry leaders in the Blagoevgrad area. Their four sons also help with the ministry of the church, both leading in the services and serving behind the scenes. Pray for Simon and Nadia, their church, and their sons, as well as for their ministry to the people of Blagoevgrad.

 

Fabruary 24, 2018

This is Pastor Emil from the town of Krupnik in southwest Bulgaria. He and his wife, Suzanna, have two grown daughters. They minister in the same town in which they grew up. Emil also is a regional director of Ministries Without Borders, in Bulgaria. God has recently blessed the church and ministry – they were down to “either buy the building or get out” – and the Lord provided the necessary funds at the last moment! Pastor Emil also understands the vision that God has placed in our hearts for encouraging pastors in Bulgaria. He has helped us to meet a number of new pastors in this area of the country. Pray for Emil and Suzanna, their church, and their children, as well as for their ministry to the people of southwest Bulgaria.

 

February 21, 2018

I learned four things from this great man:
1. There is one gospel – There is no other name by which we may be saved than Jesus!
2. We cannot know anything about God or His will apart from reading, studying, and meditating on His Word – the Bible.
3. Find what God wants you to do and do that with all your heart, soul, mind, and might.
4. Once you have believed in Jesus, you are no more and no less than God’s own child – don’t let anybody tell you differently.

Billy Graham (1918-2018)

 

February 17, 2018

This is apostle Lazar from the Lom area of northwest Bulgaria. He and his wife, Reni, have three children. Lazar works with pastors and leaders of ten churches in the area. Their ministry is to mentor and encourage the pastors and leaders under their care, similar to the work God has called us to do through T&F International. Lazar also participates with these pastors as they take turns helping each other in evangelical outreaches to their ten communities. Pray for Lazar and Reni and their children, as well as for their ministry to the people of northwest Bulgaria.

 

February 13, 2018

A day trip to show our daughter, Hannah Elise, the Rila Monastery followed by visiting Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Serdica Arena, all breathtaking! Our tour guide shared that during the Ottoman Empire that the Orthodox Church saved the alphabet, language, and Christian faith in Bulgaria. He also stated that most are not true believers including himself. He said “I am a biologist and Darwin is my guy and nature is my God” … what a statement of the condition of his heart! Please pray for him, Alex, and for the many like him who need to know about the True Life found only in Jesus Christ!

This is Pastor Boris from Mladenovo, just outside of Lom. Boris is the the pastor of a Pentecostal church. Boris and his wife Fila, have three children. Their church is very active in spiritual outreach and social care for children in the Mladenovo and Lom area in northwest Bulgaria next to Romania. Over the years, these children have grown up and some themselves participate in reaching out to other children. And many of the parents of these children have become believers in Jesus Christ through their ministry. Pray for Boris and Fila and their ministry to the people of northwest Bulgaria.

 

February 2, 2018

We are glad to announce that, as we promised in November, we have given half of the special donations (above regular gifts) raised through the end of the year 2017, $2500, to help with the needs incurred by the families of the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. Thank you to everyone who contributed! Though we are ministering directly here in Bulgaria, we are always excited to serve our home community in Texas. Thank you also to our T&F International board members, Doug and Debbie McQueen, who met with the pastor, Frank Pomeroy, to convey our prayers and condolences, along with the check. May God continue to open doors, here or there, to and fro, wherever He leads!

 

February 1, 2018

This is Pastor Nachko from Mladenovo, just outside of Lom. Nachko is the the pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Mladenovo. Nachko also works for Studio 865, a multi-media group that presents the gospel of Jesus Christ and messages on Christian values. He and his wife, Marusia, have one daughter, and are expecting their second child. Pray for Marusia and her pregnancy. Nachko is very active in reaching out to the community with the gospel, and helps other pastors to do so as well. He has a lot of energy and his love of Christ is infectious. But he also wants to lead the church in the right way. Please pray for Nachko and his family as they minister to a church of about 70-80 people living in a very poor economic situation. There are few jobs in the area and many have had to move outside the country for work.

 

January 28, 2018

This is Pastor Georgi from Lom. Georgi has only been a pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lom for one year. Georgi is a communications teacher in a local high school, and only became the leader of the church when the former pastor took a church in another city. He and his wife, Natalia, have two grown children, a son and daughter, and three grandchildren. Georgi has requested help in developing sermons, so we will help with this important part of his ministry. Please pray for Georgi and his family as they continue to grow into this new, vital role. Pray also for the church as they were quite dependent on the previous pastor and his wife for leadership in all aspects of the church. Pray that a new spirit of fellowship will grow amongst the members and that new leaders will step forward.

 

January 24, 2018

This is Pastor Dancho from Humata. Dancho has pastored the Humata Baptist Church for forty-five years. During the communist years, he was imprisoned and beaten, but when freedom came to the nation of Bulgaria, he returned to pastor the church. He and his wife, Sveta, have three grown children and three grandchildren. Dancho is 82 years old, but quite healthy, and is committed to serving the church during his final years. Please pray for Dancho, that he will be able to find and mentor the next leader of this church. Pray that all three churches in the village will work together for the sake of the gospel. And pray that repairs can be made to the building they meet in to keep the people warm and dry.

 

January 20, 2018

This is Pastor Vergil from Mladenovo. Vergil pastors the First Baptist Church in Mladenovo, and, historically, it is the first evangelical church in Europe planted by and for the Roma people. Vergil stands true to his Bible and desires that others will as well. He is not married, but hopes that he will be, and that they will provide a good example of a Christian family to the community. Right now, Vergil is working on getting a driver’s license so that he can get a job driving a taxi. Please pray for Vergil as he communicates the gospel to those around him, that he will be able to speak to and know the people as friends, and minister to their needs, especially their need for the Father.

 

January 18, 2018

This is Pastor Orlin from Kozloduy with his wife, Iliana, and their son, Emilian (Emmo). Orlin pastors the First Baptist Church in Kozloduy, only one of three evangelical churches there. Orlin is a worship-filled pastor, who leads his people with a bold and beautiful singing voice. Orlin also works full-time during the week at the only nuclear-electric power plant in the region. Please pray for Orlin and his family as he leads this small congregation of primarily Roma people, as well as two other small house churches in the region. Every Sunday and once during the week, he travels over 100 km to lead services for all three groups, and always with his great big, spirit-filled smile!

 

January 13, 2018

This week John and Vlady Raichinov visited pastors and their families in the towns of Kozloduy and Lom. We were welcomed warmly and spent 2-3 hours with each. Over the next week, we will share about each family’s ministry, but know that we were told several times how necessary our ministry is for them and others. In some instances we simply listened to their stories and encouraged them. For others, we gave biblical advice for specific troubles in their churches. And for a few there is training that we will begin with them. Praise the Lord that He has given this much-needed ministry! As you look through these photos, pray for each man or couple – wisdom, strength, comfort, and God’s own peace.

 

January 8, 2018

Tonight begins an annual seven-evening, “In Unity and Prayer Before God,” event here in Sofia. A number of evangelical churches of various denominations open their doors to each other for worship and prayer, including letting other pastors preach from their pulpits. It represents the unity of Christ’s body, as well as a dedication of the New Year to the Lord. Pray with these churches as they reach out and serve the city of Sofia!