Source: The Health Connection Newsletter | 1St Quarter 2026
Sofia, Bulgaria | Inter-European Division (EUD)
After years of planning and translating materials in Bulgarian, the Adventist Union of Churches in Bulgaria convened young leaders from across the country near Sofia from March 13 to 15, 2026. They came to be trained as facilitators of the 12-step, Christ-centered Journey to Wholeness addiction recovery and emotional healing program. Participants learned about the prevalence of addictions in Bulgaria, the cycle and process of addictions, the roots of emotional pain that lead to addiction behaviors, but also about biblical principles for emotional healing, and resources from Adventist Recovery Ministries to use in support groups of recovery. Many youth and young adults attended, and some shared their personal stories of addiction recovery and transformation through God’s power. “I am so thankful that God allowed us to launch this now, and seeing the facilitators inspired to be used by God in this way tells me our hard work in the translation and preparation was all worthwhile,” reported Plamela Stoimenova, Health Director for the church in Bulgaria.
