different from the camps Hitler used
in the Second World War. We would
have been murdered or died from
exhaustion.”
Only through the miraculous
intervention of his father’s boss – a
dedicated Communist – was Kiril’s
father set free. The family continued
their undercover mission to
distribute Christian literature until
the Communist regime finally fell in
1990.
THREE MILLION BIBLES
Today, the contrast could hardly be
more evident.
Bulgaria’s Minister of Education has
cleared Kiril to distribute children’s
Bibles in state schools for students
who are in grades first through
seventh – the only place in Europe
where this is currently happening.
“We call it the Bible Project. It
started in 2005, and to date, we
have imported more than 3,000,000
Bibles,” he says. Through the Bible
Project, Kiril also places Bibles
with teachers, politicians, doctors,
Many office buildings like this recall the days
of the Communist regime and have seen little
improvement since.
18
municipalities, and government
departments. He notes, “The
amazing thing is that all the officials
took the Bible with honor and
respect.”
It’s a measure of Bulgaria’s return
to its Christian roots that the same
freedom to distribute religious
literature has not been extended to
the country’s 1.2 million Muslims
– despite directives from the
European Union to do so.
“Twenty years ago, the Bible was
burned,” Kiril says. “Now it’s
accepted everywhere. We see that as
an open door for evangelism.”
SCIENCE FICTION AS EVANGELISM
That open door is precisely why Kiril
highly values his Haggai Institute
training.
A gifted communicator, he returned
from his training to lead evening
sessions at two summer camps.
“I used that time to speak about
evangelism and discipline. I also
spoke at our first National Training
Seminar held in Sofia, as well as our
Balkan Haggai Institute Training
Seminar.”
He is also turning his love for
science fiction into a tool for
evangelism. For his own generation,
and even for teenagers, the Star
Wars movies are so embedded in
Bulgarian culture that Kiril can use
them the same way as Jesus used
parables.
“If during my lifetime I see the
Bulgarian nation changed – this will
be an answered prayer,” he says.
He stays in contact with his own
H.I. classmates from as far away as
Mexico, India, and Egypt. He also
plans to extend his evangelistic work
by holding seminars on topics like
evolution, apologetics, and abortion.
His only limitation is time.
His verdict on the Haggai Institute
experience: “Every Christian who
wants to grow in his faith and be
used as a tool for evangelism and
discipling should have Haggai
Institute training.”