Shocking (Bulgarian) Confession #6

My recent email exchange with Konstantin got me thinking a lot about my summer mission trip to Varna, Bulgaria when I was 17.

Unfortunately, that summer holds both some of the high and low points of my teenaged years.

The obvious high point is the fact that, as a 17 year old, I planned and raised money for a mission trip to a foreign country so I could work with the wonderful people at the church in Varna.

The low point came when I, along with my accomplices who shall remain nameless, threw waterballoons at those same wonderful people on the street from our 3rd story balcony!

I know - not exactly the typical behavior you'd expect from Bible-totin', God-fearin', God-preachin' teenagers . . . in a foreign country only 3 years removed from Communist rule, no less!

Since our flat was not air-conditioned, you had to sleep with the windows and balcony door open. Normally, it was quite comfortable other than that we were 1 block away from the cinema/restaurant/night life district of Varna.

So we were woken every night around 1 AM by sounds of loud pedistrians (who were often drunk - but who's judging!) on the street below.

After a couple of weeks of this nightly interruption, I had finally had enough of a group of people directly below our balcony. I tried shoo-ing them away but apparently "shoo!" doesn't translate very well in Bulgarian. That's when I remembered that a water balloon was universal language for "Go away!"

Something funny happens when you throw a water balloon at a group of unsuspecting, drunk Bulgarians. (1) It suddenly becomes quiet again - that is, after they've left but not before hurling an unintelligible verbal assault of their own. (2) You realize how much fun it was - which, remember, is a typical response you'd expect from a 17-year old. (3) As a 17-year old, you begin planning your next blitzkrieg of .10 cent water balloons!

But now I'm a grown adult amidst confession so I should reiterate that this is not something I'm proud of . . . eventhough I fight back my own snickering as I write this post.

But it's good that I get this off my chest. It was really poor show to be "God loves you!" by day and but then "Bombs away!" by night! We justified it by saying it was God's wrath on international drunkenness!

I can say that it gained a slightly more redeeming quality when it turned into vigilante justice after we witnessed an out-of-control taxi nearly take out a couple as they walked across the street. Besides, the taxis were far more challenging to hit . . . and therefore worth more points!

So if you were suddenly soaked by snickering schoolboys while walking through Varna in the summer of '93 then I would like to say (1) I'm truly sorry . . . and (2) you were being too loud too late!