by Anika H. (9th Grade)

My dad is a missionary who helps to create software methods to improve Bible translation and teach new recruits how to implement such devices. So, when assigned a job where he would have to be situated somewhere in Eurasia, there were honestly a bunch of cool options. Eventually he and his wife chose Bulgaria because their friends lived there already, and encouraged them thusly. One of their daughters (a fabulous one, by the way), at this time aged almost four years old, had a broken limb on the flight to Bulgaria, but contrary to what many people might say about a plane trip with 3 young children, “It was super smooth.” This was back in 2016; his fourth child was born a year later, after his family had already settled into a Bulgarian routine.

While Bulgaria may sound exotic and far-off, the fact that my family used to live in Cameroon made this easily a much simpler time in comparison. In Cameroon, things like electricity, running water, and other things we get used to here in the city are much more scarce. Transitioning to a city much more akin to a place he was used to was not as difficult as it might have seemed in the first place! Especially as Sofia, the capital, is much more bountiful in the plumbing, electric, and heat departments than many other rural parts of Bulgaria.

Some of my dad’s favorite things about Sofia include the fact that you don’t have to drive to get anywhere, as public transit is cheap and easily accessible, and that there are many grocery stores. My dad grew up in the States, so not having some of the stores and places he knew so well was a bit sad, at first.

My dad moving to Bulgaria might have seemed like an odd choice, but it ultimately turned out to be great. He helps his team use the software implemented for Bible translation, and goes to many workshops in various places around the world, making his job pretty unique but incredibly impactful. It turns out that moving to Sofia was also a fabulous choice because although it might not have Whataburger, a burger place called Smashcore does not disappoint.