Dogs

Last week in Bulgaria, a man was mauled to death by a gang of dogs.  Wild dogs are quite common here in the city, but usually they keep to themselves.  They are often seen traveling in gangs of 3 to 5 and they are usually quite nice to humans as they realize that humans produce their food (garbage usually).  However, from time to time they turn mean.

None of us have ever been bit thank goodness.  The most frightening experience we have ever had happened one day when I was picking up Sophia from school.  Suddenly about 12 dogs appeared from all over and ran at full sprint barking down the street as if they hadn't eaten in weeks and there was a big pile of kibble waiting for them at their destination.  It shocked me and caused Sophie to cry, but there was no sign that they meant anyone ill will.

Last weeks incident was first time I have ever heard of a human being killed by dogs.  It is a clear sign that the dog situation has gotten out of hand.  I do not like the idea of Sasha taking one of the girls out for a walk only to be attacked by a gang of dogs, and on more then one occasion, while running, I have had dogs come after me.


As a child I had a fear of dogs.  This ended when I read Call of the Wild.  (Read chapter 2 if you want to learn why people don't need to fear dogs.)  That being said, the thought of my family being attacked like the Bulgarian man last week finally pushed me to get a collapsible baton for Sasha to carry on walks.  Hopefully she will never have to use it.

Home At Last

We still have many boxes to unpack, but our new house is starting to feel like home.  The girls love our new neighborhood, and they have spent a good deal of time in the yard looking for a hedgehog that has been reported to live there.

I really like this neighborhood.  Not only is it closer to the city center and full of people, but there are local shops on almost every block which make it easier to get by without the use of a car.  There are also several parks nearby which make for a good escape from the crowded streets when we need a little time in nature.  Many of Sophie's classmates also live in the neighborhood as we are only a few minutes walk from her school.

Ministry activities are resuming bit by bit.  As you may remember, one of our frustrations with the move was that it brought our work to a halt just as it was starting to take off.  Please pray that we can quickly get back the momentum we had before the move.