The city they call home is a beautiful and broken place that serves as the capital of Bulgaria and is home to almost 2 million Bulgarians. The Haun family are serving here with the goal of helping to start churches that become part of a church planting movement that they believe God has in store for this great city. The Hauns believe that the Kingdom of God is coming in Sofia, Bulgaria, and are excited to be a part of the redeeming work of Christ as it transforms one neighborhood at a time all across this great city. Joshua and Katie have been married for 12 years and they have served in the Church of the Nazarene since that time. Katie grew up in Manchester, Tennessee, and prior to becoming a Nazarene missionary, graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a teaching degree. She taught elementary education for 5 years in Tennessee teaching 3rd and 4th graders English and Social Studies. She also served as the NYI secretary for the East Tennessee District for many years. She loves spending time hosting in our home, baking, and sharing life with friends. Katie is currently a huge part of our ministry here in Sofia where she leads a women’s bible study and teaches the children each Sunday during church. She is also charge of the mission finances for Bulgaria. She recently began her journey to ordination as a deacon in the Church of the Nazarene and is excited to see where that journey takes her. Joshua grew up in Cleveland, Tennessee, graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University and Nazarene Theological Seminary, and spent 10 years pastoring and church planting on the East Tennessee District. He loves to read a good book, explore his surroundings while running, and he enjoys having coffee meetings with friends. Since living in Bulgaria, Joshua has found a love for hiking and being in the mountains. Joshua is currently pastoring the first church plant here in Sofia, The Home Church, and spends a lot of his time preparing sermons, translating materials, and discipling new friends. Joshua and Katie have three children amazing children. Jude is their energetic 4-year-old (soon to be 5) boy. He loves Hot Wheels, monster trucks, and basically anything with wheels. Jude also loves playing soccer or basketball outside, riding his bicycle or scooter, and being with friends. He loves to sing and showcases his voice as loud as possible in the car on the way to school. Kate is their sweet and sassy 3-year-old girl. She loves sips of Daddio’s coffee and snuggles any time of the day! You can often find her coloring, reading a book, or playing with her baby dolls. She also loves swinging at the playground and singing. The Frozen soundtrack or movie is always on repeat in our house. Jude and Kate attend preschool here in Sofia and have made amazing friends. They are improving daily in their knowledge of Bulgarian language and traditions. Each day when they are picked up from school their teachers brag about how much Bulgarian they are using and how well they are progressing in all of the subjects. We are so thankful that they are immersed in the culture and learning new things every day! The Haun family also added a new addition to their family on Christmas Eve in 2022. Levi is their newest bundle of joy and they are thrilled to have such a blessing in their lives. Levi is eating and sleeping well and loves the attention he gets from his brother and sister. His smile is contagious and he’s just discovering his voice! The entire family has been so smitten and can’t wait to see all that he becomes! In their first year of marriage, Joshua and Katie felt called to serve in Bulgaria as volunteer missionaries as a part of Joshua’s education with Nazarene Theological Seminary. They served in Razgrad, Bulgaria, for 10 months. When they left Bulgaria, it was with a passion for this place, the people, the culture, the language, and the ways in which they experienced God moving. That passion never died. They are overwhelmed that now, 12 years later, they get to live in this wonderful place with their dear children, and participate in the movement of God all over again. Joshua and Katie are passionate about church planting. They believe that God’s favorite way for individuals, families, and neighborhoods to discover the love of Christ is to discover the love of the Body of Christ; the church! They have a passion and a vision to see local expressions of the body of Christ penetrate and begin to transform the city of Sofia, one neighborhood at a time. They cannot wait to see what God will accomplish while they continue “Serving in Sofia”. The want to say an enormous THANK YOU to everyone who prays, gives, and supports the mission of God through your partnership with the Church of the Nazarene. They believe in the movement of God through the people of God and are excited to be a part of it. Thank you for all the ways you enable missionaries, like the Haun family, to serve. Would you continue to pray with the Haun family and for the Haun family as the Kingdom comes in Sofia, Bulgaria!