Kevin and Sarah Pfister are currently serving with the sending agency Operation Mobilization (OM) in Ruse, Bulgaria, as Marketplace Workers.
Their journey began when Kevin received his first job playing the bassoon in an orchestra in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Herzegovina. While he was there, he fell in love with the Balkans and the idea of sharing the Gospel amongst the people there. Kevin met many missionaries in the city, which helped him discover his calling to continue serving as a tent-maker style missionary – playing in the orchestra and doing music ministry. Between his first and second years in Bosnia, he met Sarah, who felt called in the same direction!
While the opportunity to continue serving in Bosnia long-term did not come to fruition, the Lord brought a new opportunity for them to serve in Ruse, Bulgaria beginning in 2017. Their current ministries include shining the light of Christ and spreading the Gospel amongst colleagues in the Ruse State Opera orchestra, serving as the music ministers at a church plant in the city that is being led by a local Bulgarian pastor, and leading a music education program for children and parents based on Christian principles.
Some of their long-term ministry visions include building a larger missions team in Ruse, growing the local church through outreach events and discipleship programs, as well as seeing local Bulgarians rise up in faith to preach the good news and lead the local church.
Both Kevin and Sarah have Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Performance and have a passion for using music to worship, build bridges, and preach the Gospel wherever the Lord leads.
Ministry Update
We have personally experienced how important relationships are for building trust and a right to be heard here in Bulgaria. That is why we feel that one of the best ways to reach people with the Gospel here in Ruse is to live and work amongst the local population, continually grow in our understanding of the history, culture, and language of the country and find ways to personally connect with individuals around us. Over time we pray that we would reflect the love of God through our words and actions to those around us. We hope that Bulgarians would no longer be afraid or indifferent towards Christianity but rather would earnestly desire to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Now that 30 years have passed since the fall of communism in Bulgaria, we also see the growing number of people who have never lived under communist rule. We believe that this new generation of young adults and students is the way of the future for Bulgaria as they are open-minded, curious, and desire to see and effect positive change in the world. Our hope is to see the birth of a new generation of strong Christian believers in Bulgaria who will faithfully serve God and proclaim truth throughout Bulgaria. To achieve this, we hope to continue our work with children and find more ways to connect with students and the youth in Ruse in the coming years in order to share with them the Gospel, disciple them as they come to faith and encourage them as they live out and seek to share the Good News with others.
Within the church, we understand the struggles and discouragement that believers feel here in Bulgaria as a minority group within the country. We are continually humbled by the opportunity to encourage and support believers and church leaders in Ruse through our service in the church and our presence within the body of believers. We look forward to being a part of the growing church here in Ruse and experiencing God at work within the church, the city of Ruse, and Bulgaria at large.
To learn more or partner with Kevin and Sarah in ministry, please visit: Kevin and Sarah Pfister – NALC Global Workers.