 In the summer of 2004, Advocates for Life affiliated with Heartbeat International, our first-ever affiliate in Bulgaria. Lucy Popova, the director of Advocates for Life, attended Heartbeat International’s 2004 Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina and she shares her story and her vision for pro-life work in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria is facing a difficult post-communist period. Forty-five years of communism and atheism left shattered hearts, broken families, a poor economy, and an erosion of our moral values. Young people become sexually active and consider abortions as early as age 13. They view abortion as birth control rather than the destruction of a human life. In Bulgaria, there is hardly any information on the topics of abortion and post-abortion syndrome. Women in Bulgaria do not receive any information about actual abortion procedures or the physical and psychological consequences that follow. Therefore, women often find themselves in need of professional help when they cannot identify the source of their post-abortion suffering.
Bulgaria is also facing a serious demographic problem. The country has a population of 7,500,000 and 160,000 abortions are performed annually. We have a negative reproduction rate of only 43,000 births a year and a significantly high rate of emigration. If these trends continue, I fear that Bulgaria will be no more in seventy to eighty years.
Bulgaria’s tremendous need for information on abortion and its consequences motivated me to become involved in pro-life ministry. I am grieving for the millions of lives destroyed by abortion and for the suffering souls of women all over my country. I am committed to helping in whatever way I can. To oppose the cultural practices in Bulgaria is an enormous challenge, but I strongly believe that Christ inspired me and gave me a great passion to serve in the pro-life field. I am determined to assist those who suffer and to stand against the taking of so many innocent lives.
In 2002, for every dollar that was spent to encourage abstinence, the government spent 12 dollars to promote contraception, according to the Heritage Foundation. These spending priorities are exactly the opposite of what parents say they want taught to their teens. In a recent Zogby poll, only eight percent of parents surveyed said that teaching teens how to use a condom is more important than teaching teens to abstain from sexual activity. Instead, an overwhelming majority (85 percent) said the emphasis placed on abstinence for teens should be equal to or greater than the emphasis placed on contraception.
 I hope to make my pregnancy center a place where everyone can find accurate information on abortion and post-abortion syndrome. The center will also offer compassion, emotional support, counseling, and the love of Jesus Christ. My dream is to eventually be able to train others and to establish more centers all around the region and country.
My center’s greatest need is to find funding to cover the rent, utilities, and the printing of brochures and other materials. I also need help in providing free pregnancy tests and organizing educational presentations on pertinent issues. Please do not forget to keep me in your prayers. I believe that this colossal undertaking will only be successful through God’s mercy, provision, and your support. Your prayers can make a difference in my country!
Heartbeat International’s conference was inspirational, highly educational, and a true personal blessing. It helped me to understand the areas I need to focus on and it prepared me to organize and run my pro-life center. It was wonderful to meet so many remarkable people who have similar ministries all around the world and it was encouraging to hear their stories. Learning from them, about their successes and their problems, was beneficial to me and we built friendships and established an international prayer network. Our hope is to be able to change lives for the better and to save the unborn future generations – a task that can only be successful with God’s help. Please pray for us and thank you in advance for your support.
Heartbeat International is honored to be partnered with Lucy as she spreads the pro-life message across Bulgaria. Please keep her and all of our international directors, staff, and volunteers in your prayers! For more information on Heartbeat’s International Program, contact Nathan Burd.
Learn more about individual International Pregnancy Centers... |
