Bulgaria is a land that is accustomed to change. Thousands of years of world history have left so many archaeological wonders, incredible discoveries, and plenty of unsightly scars, too! Yet, through it all, Bulgaria continues to march forward.

This year (2025) saw Bulgaria, a long-standing member of the European Union, also join the Schengen Zone. For many of us who regularly travel to Bulgaria from other Schengen nations, this was a welcome transition as it makes things much quicker at the airport (no passport control!!).

Welcome doors as one enters the terminal from the tarmac. There are separate doors for passengers coming from locations outside of Schengen.

Next year (2026) stands to see Bulgaria also join the EuroZone, the nations in this region that operate with the Euro as their currency.

Again, for many of us who regularly travel to Bulgaria from other EuroZone nations, this is a welcome transition as it will mean one less currency (Bulgarian Lev) to possess and trade in.

However, as one can imagine, this is a pretty big transition, and one that could have massive consequences on the Bulgarian people.

Other nations that have switched to the Euro from their native currency have observed a learning curve, as prices sometimes increase dramatically (not to mention much quicker than people expected or could comfortably deal with).

To that end, we covet your prayers on behalf of the many members of the Bulgarian Church of God! Here is a link to a giving page for a Bulgarian ministry that we fully endorse, Agape Faith United. Any gifts will help create a cushion for them, in the face of any unforeseen price hikes. GIVING LINK HERE.

In addition to the changes that 01 January 2026 will bring, recent weeks have seen LARGE protests in the nation’s capital, Sofia. These have not been directly in relation to the coming currency transition. But I can’t help but wonder if the tension and angst related to that is manifesting in other concerns. Without making a political statement, it seems that much of the recent protesting has been in response to governmental persons/agencies profiting from budgets, while many ‘normal people’ suffer with low salaries, pensions, etc. At least that is what the protestors have stated! From what I’ve observed, most of the protests have been relatively peaceful. And they have achieved their desired result as the government has stepped down. With this in mind, pray for peace and a smooth road ahead for the nation!

Another way that all this tension is affecting the people, though, is with regard to having confidence that they can make the financial transactions they need to survive, be that buying groceries or paying rent/mortgages.

One lady I spoke with recently (December 6th) shared that a lot of people are expecting a Y2K-esque scenario to occur, with banking and credit card systems not seamlessly transitioning to a different currency. With that in mind, there is currently a rush on the banks, as people stockpile cash to make sure they can make their necessary purchases and payments. However, as the lev is the current currency, that is what is mostly available from the ATMs. As they are transitioning out of that currency, though, it is in a limited supply! So some people are finding it difficult to physically access money in their bank accounts. In fact, every ATM machine I came across on my recent trip had a line of customers waiting (hoping!!!) to do business.

As the holidays rapidly approach, keep Bulgaria in your prayers.

And as the New Year begins, continue to keep Bulgaria in your prayers!

And if you are able, consider making a year-end gift towards Agape Faith United,

a truly world-reaching ministry!