This is me, in the university, 1991Pieces of life
The first thing I ever remember from my life, is my grandma holding me, and me watching the cliffs of the village of Nisovo. We have plenty of rocks there. I never imagined, that 20 years later I will know other rock (Daniel 2:35). My parents worked in the city, and I spent my first years at that village. It was what they call 'nature'. I wish every little child could have such a nature around to live in. The big rocks, green grass, the big trees, the fresh air, all types of animals around and the songs of the birds are much closer to what God has planned, than the big cities, full of noise, crashing cars, dirtiness and grey cement buildings. I lived there most of my first years. I liked to be alone there. I still like that place so much. I learned to read before any other child, and I really liked to read books. At that time, there was no Internet, and the TV was still black and white. The people used to go to libraries, and borrow books to read. Yes, I was quite a reader. I have read hundreds of books in my life. It gave me knowledge. Much knowledge. Maybe the humans forgot to read books nowadays. Most of all, I liked to read old books. I like old, yellow pages, stamped with the stamp of the time. Once, I have found such a book. It was old – from 1924, all yellow pages. It was odd, I wondered – so old, but yet called “The New Testament”. Believe me, that book was like no one I have ever seen. It was full of some numbers, and the text was so strangely formed in columns, instead of normal rows. Now, what is that? My mother said she don’t know where that book came from. I started to read, and I mentioned the name of Jesus. Ahh, I knew that good man. I have heard of him. I continued to read, but oh, dear… I couldn’t understand even a bit. What was that all for? It was misty secrets for me, and I really wanted to unlock it. But alas, I couldn’t. I didn’t give up, and I really have read much. But yet that was such a mystery. Finally, almost given up, I opened the Contents. And I saw there the title “Revelations”. Now, that’s it! That guy John will reveal it to me. I quickly found that part of the book, and I started to read it. But alas, that went even worse than before. The part called “Revelations” was full of monsters, strange horsemen, beasts and wars. Well, such an odd book - “The New Testament”. I put it back on the book shell.
I remember, it was right before the university. I had my first salary, and I went to visit some friends in their town of Varna, right on the sea coast. It was hot summer, I had money, and I was walking with a girlfriend down the main pedestrian street in that touristy attractive town of Bulgaria. The usual crowd was making ambient noise all around as the sun was going down. The life was good, wasn’t it? I had no any problems, had money, had girlfriend, had cloudless future in the university… As we were talking and walking hand by hand, I noticed a poor old beggar sitting on the ground, with his hat put down for mercy. I felt so uncomfortable on that moment. A thought in my mind was asking me why I have this good life, and why that man has it not. It was so disturbing, that thought. I felt so ashamed, and then I remembered I have some money in my pocket. I knew they were much, but even without counting them, I grabbed all the banknotes I had, and I gave them to that poor old man. My wish was to run away quickly, coz you know, the beggars begin to thank you so much and so much, and I did not want to be thanked for. So I managed to depart quickly. But, on that very moment, that beggar said something that grabbed me on my back, and I could hear him even today, 16 years later. He did not address me at all. He did not say ‘thank you’, he did not say any word of thanking the beggars use to say. Instead, he shouted loudly, and the whole pedestrian street heard the strange words “I know, I know alive is my Redeemer on the heaven”. We were communist country, you know, and being such, no much religious people we had. The religion was for the old grandmas and some old grandpas in the villages. So, speaking about Redeemer was not so common thing on the main pedestrian streets in Bulgarian cities. Anyway, I forgot what I was talking to my girlfriend, and I was so absent-minded, thinking about the words I heard, that my girlfriend asked me if I am still aware of her presence with me :) I did not forget that words. And guess what… I found them years later in my Bible (For I know that my Redeemer live, and He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth – Job 19:25-27). Yes that were the same words of that unhappy beggar, I was even more convinced when I found another verse (But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth – Matthew 6:2-4). I do believe, that was my angel there. Yes, you may not believe that, but I really do. That event changed me in some way. I didn’t know soon I will be baptized member of the SDA church.
I was at the university. It was my second year, when other guy came to our group, transferred from other faculty. He was a newbie, and he used to stay silent, coz no one knew him and nobody talked with him. I wanted to help him, and we became friends. I used to copy my homework from him, haha. That’s what messed the things up. One Sabbath, I went to his dorm to copy the homework project. It was hard to find him free, coz he used to study much, so I asked him if he is free at the moment. He said ‘Yes, I am free now’. I asked him if he will help me with my homework project, and he said “No, I cant help you now”. Hmm, that was strange. He just said he is free. Then he told me he is Seventh Day Adventist, and on Sabbath they use to go to church, study the scriptures and do many other things, but not homework projects. Still unable to understand him, I was wondering if he is all right, when he invited me to his church. He said he and his roommates use to go there every Friday or Saturday, so whenever I wish I could go with them. Well, time has passed, and one Friday evening I was free. I wondered what could I do, and where could I go, then I remembered the invitation. I knew when they used to go, so I went at the dorm right on time. They were on the door, going out. Right on time, I said. My friend begun to excuse himself, coz they were leaving. He didn’t know I wanted to visit their church. So, believing he will be glad to know I agree to join them, I smiled and said I will go with them to their Seventh Day Adventist church. Ohhh, he made some strange face when he heard me. Now what, I wondered. They wanted that I go with them, but now they made such a faces. What is going on now? They were so strange people that Seventh Day Adventists, weren’t they? “Well…” - said my friend, “Why don’t you come tomorrow morning or tomorrow evening?”. I asked if there is a problem visiting the SDA church on Friday evening. “No, no, it is open for everyone, always”. “So, I will come now, and tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening too”, I decided. Then they gave up, and we went all together. Later, years later, they told me, that they were upset with me, because it was Friday evening’ prayer service, and I was totally new to such a things, so they were afraid how would I take almost one hour prayers. The first impressions, you know… But I really liked it, coz I felt that people pray with desire to help. That’s what dragged me closer - they were honest people, that Seventh Day Adventists. I visited not just that 3 services, but I begun to visit it weekly, asking all the questions I had from that old, yellow paged New Testament book. It was a puzzle which I was unable to fix, but now I begun to see details from the whole picture. Piece by piece, all was setting up well. I was amazed to reveal the story of our Father in heaven, the sacrifice of Jesus for all of us, the sinners. Oh, that was really touchy. I had no Bible, so a young man from the church gave me his own. As I was a reader, I did read much, much, much. Ahh, what a puzzle, and how it fits perfectly when you study it. I was hungry for knowledge, and soon I had many books for the Bible. I do remember reading Uriah Smith’s “The Prophecies of Revelation” for less than 24 hours, and that were whole 450 pages. I got baptized after 7 months, and the church was really glad about me, coz they knew my desire to learn everything. I was unstoppable reading machine. Soon, I decided to be vegetarian, coz I do believe the plan of God never included killing animals for food of other creatures. God never planned death. He is the Life-giver. I gladly accepted Ellen White’s books too, coz the spirit I recognized within, was the same spirit I knew from the Bible.
So, I was baptized on 1992. Now what? After the political changes in the whole Eastern Europe, many sects entered that ‘new found’ area. They were in Bulgaria too. And being so, my mother was so afraid for me. She used to say “You were normal till yesterday. Now what happened?” Religion was not a common thing in our communist country. It was unknown thing. There were no Bibles, no books on that topic. I could understand my mother. Her whole life was within the communist regime ruling our country for almost half a century. But she was not aggressive as my father. His first reaction was as it is some nonsense – all that churchie things, but soon, he got mad and more mad on it. I had a whole book shelf full with our biblical books. The pentalogy of Ellen White, my Sabbath school lessons and many others were there. One day, on the morning, my father got so mad, and he told me that he is leaving the town, but he will return on the evening. He said, that he wants that I throw away all that books and bibles from the apartment where we lived. He said he don’t want to see them anymore. If I don’t take away all that books, he, personally, will throw them down from the balcony. So, he repeated I have time till that evening, and he left. Now what? We lived on the 5th floor of a big 15 floors building. There lived many peoples. I imagined my beloved books thrown from the balcony, and it ashamed me. I wondered what should I do. If I remove the books from my shelf, then it means God is not powerful enough to defend his child. For sure He was powerful. I did not want to give up. But… what if my father throw them all? Whew… tough question. I decided to not do anything. Just nothing. God could find a way. So, I prepared to leave to the university. My mother asked me to remove that books before I go, so on the evening we will not have troubles. I said God can take care of it, so don’t worry. And I left. All the day I was praying that God will find a solution. And finally, the evening came. I returned home, and guess what… My books! They were gone! The shelf was totally empty. Ahh, what a disaster. I run to the balcony, looking to find some books on the ground, but alas, there were no any. I thought they are already thrown in the garbage. I asked my mother what happened, and where are my books. She just pointed below my bed. Oh, dear… they were all there, peacefully laying below my bed, wondering why are they there. My mother told me, that she did not want risking troubles, and she removed them from the book shell. Well, I think that was a lesson for her, rather than me or my father. My mother saw I will not step back, and she got the impression of my belief. She knew now, that I really mean it when I believe, there is God almighty who could find a solution. That was experience for her. She started to read our books, and she read the Bible too.
The years in the university were rolling on and on. There were exams on Sabbath, and I missed them all, explaining the professors why I want to change it on other day. I had no problems with that, I just stayed firmly. But that was a civil university. What about the military service? When I graduated, I was 26 years old. And I had a military service to complete. It was 2 years long in the time of the communist regime, then after the changes, they reduced it to 1 year. As I was university graduated, I should go for 9 months only. Well, 9 months containing 4 weeks each, means I will have troubles with the Sabbath keeping. Many people, many Christians do not understand the meaning of the Sabbath, why it is so important, and why at all the Seventh Day Adventists are so sensible on it. I entered the military service on Wednesday, 7 of January. Immediately I asked for the officer that was in charge, and I explained him that I do not keep my ordinary work on Sabbath. I asked him for understanding, and that he help me in transferring my duties from Sabbath to other day. That officer just took a bored look at me, then he said, for sure, I will not have troubles for that. I was glad, and it seemed so easy :) Well, the first Sabbath came, and as it was the first week after the celebrations of the New Year (in eastern Europe we do celebrate 31 of December as New Year eve, instead of 25 of December as Christmas), the first Sabbath was working day to compensate the celebrations. So, the officers said we will go to study as usual, and that everyone should be on the yard after breakfast with his proper automat gun. Nice… Well, that was just the 3rd day since I was in. I couldn’t eat my breakfast calmly that day. After that, I went to the officer’s room, and I asked for permission to stay at my room. The commander took bored look at me again, and he said that we will not work at all, and that I will be able to just sit on my desk. Well, he would not help. I left and went directly to my room. While I was praying, I could hear the ambient noise of the mates on the yard below. They were expecting the commander who should lead them. Soon, I heard the proper shouting commands, then a verification begun. I was listening to that many names, and everyone used to say “I” when his name is pronounced. I knew my name will soon come, and yes, it really came. The one, that was shouting names shouted “Stoyanov”, and then no one answered. He thought someone did not hear, so he shouted again “Stoyanov!!”. Dead silence. They did not know I was on the second floor, hearing them by the window. But the commander knew where I could be, so he sent one of the soldiers “Go and look if he is up there in the room”. The soldier run to the stairs, and I heard his boots booting on the stairs as he was coming up. He came hard breathing, and told me “Are you crazy? Don’t you know we are all down there on the yard? The commander is calling you”. I just told him that I would not get down, and that he is free to tell that to the commander. Then that mate just opened his mouth, and he was unable to say even a word. So after I repeated it, he finally went off. I stayed in the room, praying. The ambient noise ended, and I heard many military boots marching toward the other buildings. So, they left without me. Half an hour later, that officer entered my room. I was on the bed, reading my Bible, studying the Sabbath school lesson. I stood up and I greeted him as we do in the army, but he said that is not necessary now. He took a seat on the next bed, and he asked me with so friendly voice what is going on around with me. I explained him again who am I, and what am I. He listened this time. Then he said he should report for me on his commander, and left without any other comment. Half an hour later, another officer entered my room. This one was angry. He begun to explain me what kind of troubles I could expect if I am so stubborn. He was expressing himself with the help of bad perspective for me, and he was painting bad future if I refuse to obey. He said he don’t want to scare me, but indeed that would be scary enough. Then he left. Well, I knew that game. It was not new. Half an hour later, came the first commander again. And he played the ‘good cop’ again. Then half an hour later came again the ‘bad cop’. When they realized nothing changes, they called me in the officers room. This time there were 4 officers with different ranks. One of them had really glass made grey eyes. That was what they call in the movies ‘real cop’. Well, they started to ask me everything again and again, and they did not even listen to my answers about the church, the faith, the Adventism. They just wanted to confuse me. But I knew my God, and He did not desert me. I was answering calmly and easy. That grey eyed officer even tried biblical verses to convince me, that I should break the Sabbath. He mentioned that Jesus said if your donkey fell in the trap on Sabbath to get it out. At all, they wanted me to obey them and that I don’t make troubles on Sabbaths. The commander finally told me that he is aware of my Adventist belief, but I am in the military service now, and he wants that I do what everyone does on Sabbath, until my military service ends up. After that, said he, you could be Adventist again. Nice… Well, I was to be trained as a commander too, and I asked that commander what should I do if in an eventual war I get captured by the enemy. What if they tell me “you are Bulgarian officer, but now, as you are captured, cooperate with us, and when this war is over, you can be Bulgarian army officer again”. I asked my commander to tell me, how is that called. And I told him that the right word is called ‘betrayal’. So, I am sure he would not want that I betray, and so, let him not force me to betray my faith, and my church. That was God given wisdom to answer him like that, and no one of the 4 officers could answer even a word. They just said ‘dismissed’. One week later, that very same commander, called me in front of the whole battalion, and he asked that everyone look at me. He said that he, personally, gives me free Sabbath, and that no one ask me for any work on Sabbath. So, that way the Sabbath was invented in the battalion and many heard about it.
On the 40th day, we had a ceremony, where everyone gives official ‘promise’ to serve the Bulgarian army. The military service pays special attention to that event, and it is visited by the relatives of the soldiers too. A grand ceremony with much military band music, flags, marching battalions and so on… Every one of us, the future officers, was supposed to march out of the battalion, to reach the flag, to shout “I swear”, then to kiss the flag, and to get back. All that in front of the hundreds and thousands of watching eyes. Well, considering the flag as an idol, I refused. The same way, they wanted the three young friends to worship the golden idol (Daniel chapter 3). That flag was treated as ‘the mother and the defender of the army’, and it was as an idol. So, I refused, and I told my commander I will not kiss the flag. Then he really got mad, and he told me, that it is like personal offend to him. Whew… Now what? There were 5 days of repetitions before the grand ceremony. Every day of that 5, we should train marching, singing military songs and kissing the flag. Oh, boy… I agreed to be on guard duty all that days, but it was unable to be 5 days in a row. So, there were 2 days left to train repetitions. The first of them, I asked my friend to go instead of me. We were many soldiers in many rows and columns. So, if 2 of us change their places, no one will notice. He agreed, and he passed instead of me. I had the sympathy of many of the soldiers. But, the next day, it was the last day before the event. So, it was called General repetition day. My turn was coming, and I asked that friend to change with me again. But, he did not agree, coz as he said, there were many commanders and many high ranks watching there. He was afraid. Now what? Unwillingly, I watched till my column begun to march closer and closer to the flag. It was big flag indeed. And aside it, there was the second high rank in our battalion. He was watching the soldiers. The tribune was really full of ranks and little stars on their shoulders. The military band music was so loud. I wondered what would I do. I noticed that the one standing up next to the flag turned around, and stared at something. I wanted to pass quickly, as he was distracted. I did not march, I almost run toward the flag. Behind my back, I heard the lesser officers, who knew me well, and who knew that I don’t want to kiss the flag. They were making bets if I will, or will not kiss the flag. For my unpleasant surprise, that distracted high rank officer turned back again, when I was at the flag. He looked at me, bored from the ceremony seen many times in his life. Well, this one will not be the same as before, but he still did not know it. He stared at me, as I was shouting my words. But after that, when I should kiss the (not the bride :) flag, I just stood up a moment, then I continued marching behind the flag toward the battalion. “Hey-hey!!” shouted the officer. “Come back here”. Ahh, I knew it would not be easy… I went back, and he asked me, if I ever have heard in my life, that the flag is to be kissed. I said, that in fact I am aware of it. Then he asked me what am I waiting for, and he commanded me to repeat the ritual. Well, that was not so hard to do. I repeated the stupid words, then I stood for a moment instead of kissing the flag, and I continued, marching. You would laugh like crazy if you could see his face at that moment. He was one of the few officers who still did not know me, so he was absolutely unaware what am I. I heard the battalion laughing as much as they can do silently. That major called me back very angry. He insisted to know “why the heck” I don’t kiss that flag. Then I answered him that I don’t want to kiss it, cause of my religious beliefs. He almost felt down. The most high commander in rank in our battalion came to see what was this noise, and why there was a crowd (the next soldiers could not pass cause of me, and they stood up there waiting). When he saw me, he had some sparks on his mind, who could make the mess here, and he asked me “what is it now”? I told him about the flag, and he got angry. He commanded me with loud voice to KISS THE FLAG! And as I stood there, I heard the lesser officers to make bets if I would or not would kiss the flag. I was all alone there. No friends from the church, no brothers or sisters, no help. But I knew Daniel, and when he was in trouble, he was alone too. So, I continued to play dumb thorp, unexecuting any orders. The most high rank went red and yellow and blue on his face, because I was refusing to execute direct order in front of the battalion. He said “that’s it! – I will go to report you to the commandant of the compound”, and thus he did. I saw him going up the stairs of the tribune were the commandant was. And I was expecting real troubles. But guess what… Soon he returned, commanded me for the last time to kiss the bride :) and then realizing I do not even move, shouted “March back in the battalion”. So, I won. Again. That was witnessed by the whole battalion, and I am sure they will never forget it. God allows troubles in our life, so we could learn, that He can save. Blessed be His name. The rest of the military service was full of other experiences too. I remember that 9 months, and they really helped me grow up in the faith. I just did not step back from our faith. And the devil was helpless. I left many biblical books there in the military service. God has His people everywhere.
Nowadays, we manage the IRC channel #adventist on DALnet with sarita^^ and the other operators. Visitors come from all over the world, and our work is to represent them the Bible and our Adventist faith. God bless the field we work on… You are welcome to join us. We are there daily.
Some photos
This is me, in the university, 1991
This is my mother, soon after I got
baptized
The rock cliffs in my village of
Nisovo, where I grew up, and this is my son Kristian, 2005
The church in my home town of Rousse,
where I got baptized in 1992
My son (right) with other friends in
Valencia, 2004
My website www.adventistchat.net
My e-mail address spomen@yahoo.com
My Skype id is sstunny