TESTIMONY From Secret Service to Kingdom Service
By Pastor Yanko Dobrev
In the Army
The Beginning of my Conversion
On April 1st 1983, my two years of army service ended and I returned to my home town, Silistra. I can’t explain how but I ended up working for the Secret Police. I was just a pawn in this monstrous organization that was crushing everyone who had a different opinion from that of the Communist Party or ‘posed a threat to our national security’. One of the intentions that Communists had for Bulgaria was that by the year 2000, there would be no one who believes in God.
In March 1981, I joined the army and served for 2 years as a specially trained driver in the army headquarters. My mission was top secret; in case of war I was to drive the officers to a secret command centre. It was well hidden and carefully guarded. In case of war the primary task of the enemy would be to discover this place. If they succeeded, that would mean there will be no one in charge, to give orders, supply food and weapons for the army and ultimately, hungry and weaponless, we would lose the war. Our mission was this serious and so our training was very serious too. The Bulgarian army had always been very disciplined and well trained. I would like God’s army to be like this. 20
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At this time, a friend gave me a New Testament but I shared a house, my housemates brought their girls around all the time, they smoked, drank and so I could not read. I decided to move in with a friend from the Church, who lived about 5 miles away from Silistra. There I was able to read and keep my notes.
In Quest of Truth
I read the New Testament in order to find out what I should do to have eternal life. I got excited most when I read Acts chapter 2, about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I was thought that if Jesus has risen and if He is alive today that means that I can be baptized in the Holy Spirit and speak in other tongues. The words of Jesus: “Except a man be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” did not give me peace day and night. I was
January - March 2019
praying: ”Lord I want to enter Your Kingdom, but I do not know how. Please, teach me!” Very soon, God answered my prayer. A friend from the Secret Police told me that 2 years ago they found a group of about 5 women who were reading the Bible and speaking in other tongues. They belonged to a certain dangerous sect. He said that a criminal whose name is Paul Ignatov from Sofia was their leader. Once he had been to Silistra to visit this group and the police wanted to get him but he escaped. Then the police threatened to imprison them if they didn’t stop meeting. My friend told me that one of these women worked in a food store and her name is Ruska. I went to this store and found her. I told her that I am reading the Bible and want to visit their meeting. She told me that they did not have services in Silistra anymore but on Sunday she could bring me to Russe (a big city about 70 miles from Silistra), where they have underground meetings. The name of the Church was “Church of God”. I anticipated this day. Next Sunday morning we met in the apartment of the pastor, in Russe, there were about 50 people. Exactly at 10:00 the Church service started with praise and worship, then there was prayer and some people had visions and they shared them with us. The pastor preached, after that he prayed for the sick people and they