Written by: Dony & Kathryn Donev

A friend of our ministry started a church in Georgia not long ago. He promised his parishioners that if the congregation reaches a certain number by a certain date, he will preach from the rooftop. He sent to my cell a picture from his pulpit before preaching on Sunday.

Traveling Schedule | Follow us on Twitter | Ministry Website | The Volvo

Written by: Dony & Kathryn Donev

All pictures made on Nokia 5800XM courtesy of the Mobile Ministry Magazine

Traveling Schedule | Follow us on Twitter | Ministry Website | The Volvo

Written by: Dony & Kathryn Donev

We have left the building … well, the one in Atlanta that is. Some 7,000 miles lie ahead of us in this epic trip to #BibleTech and back. Weather is looking nice, at least for the next week or so. Hopefully there will not be much snow up north. After much preparation and anticipation, the great 2010 cross continental driving has finally begun under the great slogan: #BibleTech or BUST.

Our first stop is the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives in Nashville for a meeting with leading Baptist historian Dr. Albert Wardin. We have travelled to Nashville to consult with him on several occasions in the past few years, as for the purposes of our research on the life and ministry of Ukrainian Pentecostal missionary Rev. Ivan Voronaev. Now that the final paper is ready to be presented at the 2010 meeting of the Society of Pentecostal Studies in Minneapolis, we are having one final meeting with Dr. Wardin to calibrate the details of our findings and touch up on the upcoming presentation.

All pictures made on Nokia 5800XM courtesy of the Mobile Ministry Magazine

Traveling Schedule | Follow us on Twitter | Ministry Website | The Volvo

Written by: Dony & Kathryn Donev

Arriving in Atlanta. Finally. There was one flight that was actually on time. Ours. But does it have to be so cold again? This global warming mambo jumbo seems to be bringing the worst out of the winter.

It is quite strange to interact with fellow Americans again. We will have to adapt back to our natural mannerism and tap back into the Southern drawl lingo. Ya’ll. Fix’n. And BTW, these are not universal words at all.

But before this, we need to check on ourVolvo, which needs to get ready for some 7,000 miles of cross-continental interstates ahead of us. It has been waiting for us all this time, while we have been ministering overseas. It cranked up – always a good sign. Now, if someone could point me to the biscuits and gravy, I’ll be on my way – to #BibleTech that is. For this may seem like the end of our journey, but it is only the beginning …

All pictures made on Nokia 5800XM courtesy of the Mobile Ministry Magazine

Written by: Dony & Kathryn Donev

Landed in America. Finally. It seems like forever since we left on this mission trip, but we are finally here. First things first. Found the flight to Atlanta. Seems this one will finally be on time. Now, where are the burgers? I can smell them, but don’t see them. Wait! Is this a welcoming party or what? Our flight leaves from Gate A6 and right across from it shines the big bright red sign of “Five Guys.” Plus two hours till take off. Heaven, I’m in heaven.

Do they have double-pounders on the menu? And Mello Yellow with free refills. I have forgotten there was such thing as free refills. What a thrill for someone whose only hamburger experience in the past year has been a somewhat done Big Mac with an extra special sauce, if you know what I mean, and watered down, fuzz-free Coke.

Hi, I follow you on Twitter. What toppings do I want on my burger? Ha! How about everything you got? Yes, you can call me a “Five Guys Fanatic.” Sorry for the detour, #BibleTech. You can judge me all you want, but I’m waiting in Washington right here @Five_Guys across from Gate A6.

All pictures made on Nokia 5800XM courtesy of the Mobile Ministry Magazine

Written by: Dony & Kathryn Donev

When technology does not work, prayer still does. This is our hope landing in Paris at 12:30 with a three-hour delay from Bulgaria. The flight attendant says we have missed the 12:50 to Chicago, hands us a couple hotel vouchers and waves goodbye.

First time in Paris, ha? It is as cold as it could be. My carry-on has all the computer equipment I could carry, but no razor, no toiletries, nor anything else that could be considered a threat to security and hygienically necessary at the same time. And then, among all of the hotels with familiar English names and extra-large “Free Wi-Fi” signs, the shuttle takes us to the one and only hotel without free internet. They have it in the office area but it costs a buck a minute. I should start charging that much for online support.

But the Goal is clear: BibleTech or BUST … so we grab our laptops and head down the windy and winding streets praying in Paris for … a connection. I can handle the winter okay, but I doubt I can handle it without some internet. Postmodern pilgrimage or what?

All pictures made on Nokia 5800XM courtesy of the Mobile Ministry Magazine

Written by: Mobile Ministry Magazine

Just a reminder that you can meet up with Mobile Ministry Magazine (MMM) and many other bloggers, ministers, teachers, and organizations from all over the world at this year’s BibleTech Conference. There are tons of topics being covered over the two day event, and if anything like last year the backchat (Twitter, Facebook, and in the hallways) will be just as engaging.

This year, MMM’s topic will be Mobile’s Christ-Led Encounters (last year’s was called Mobile Technology and Connecting Communities) . Here’s the presentation abstract/summary:

Mobile has now taken hold as a main fixture within the regular consciousness of most mainstream technical thought. From sociology to psychology, transportation to entertainment, Facebook to the Good Book, mobile is now at the tip of every tongue in being that next great area of opportunity, engagement, division, and law. Still a new media, mobile suffers from the same growing pains centering around the question: “what’s its relevance?” Through the Body of Christ, we can point to some examples of mobile taking root in engagement, evangelistic, and opportunistic measures. We will look at some of these areas as a means to describe what has happened, but also in light of what can still be explored with mobile. It is from this lens that we can engage audiences towards utilizing their mobiles-in-hand as a handshake to open the door for an engaging Christ-encounter.

Hopefully, that has you a bit excited towards what’s to come – and not just from MMM. Be sure to register and get your hotel reserved as soon as possible. There’s a conference discount for the room, and you don’t need to worry about food. It will be in San Jose this year, and so we might get more than the 20min of sun we saw last year

Looking forward to reconnecting with many of you, and seeing some others for the first time in person. But, don’t let conferences be the only time you choose to connect with MMM. We are on Twitter, engage the local Charlotte, NC community with Digital Disciples, and are available for other presentations and engagements through Inner-Linked. Suffice to say, we’re mobile – and at BibleTech, you’ll hear more about this mobile lens and how you can respond to it. See you there!

This post originally appeared on Mobile Ministry Magazine

Written by: Dony & Kathryn Donev

Monday morning. Sofia, Bulgaria. The snow flurries are gently falling and covering the airport. The clock is slowly ticking to what it seems to be an eternity and what otherwise would have been the perfect winter picture is now turning to a three hour delay announced just after the airplane had been fully and successfully pressurized.

Some 100 already nervous folks have nowhere else to go, but back to their blackberries, iPhones, GSMs and whatever they may have with them as a cell-component. And there begins the most tremendous symphony of human voices, languages, ringtones, text message notifications, TV and radio, playing videos and what seems to be some intermediate level of language communication between the human and the machine. I am referring to the sound of the clicking of hundreds of little electronic buttons that seems to dictate the rhythm of this new music style. If I had a way to monetize all of them in Google clicks, perhaps it should be enough to pay for a new Volvo to make the trip with.

I’d also like to calculate if the combined consumed energy powering all electronic devices onboard can defrost the airplane. Instead, I am calculating if the growing delay will affect our next connection in Paris? This journey begins three hour later than planned and I only hope we can make it up in the air. This time it seems that nature proves stronger than technology.

All pictures made on Nokia 5800XM courtesy of the Mobile Ministry Magazine

Written by: Dony & Kathryn Donev

We’ve been following my friends @ mobileminmag and @ linne trying to get their airfare tickets for #BibleTech. Cool. Hope to see you there. We, on our part, are in a search for a new Volvo. Anyone out there with a V70 XC that needs to be dully tested for durability across the US? It’s tax deductible. Here is our updated traveling schedule: http://ourvolvo.com/in-a-search-for-a-v70-xc/

All pictures made on Nokia 5800XM courtesy of the Mobile Ministry Magazine

Written by: Dony & Kathryn Donev

Got our tickets from Sofia, Bulgaria through Paris and Chicago to Atlanta from where this story should start. But it begins further back with the long preparation for the new Bulgarian translation of the Bible over two decades ago in a small dormitory room in Pravetz, Bulgaria only to finish as a presentation on the topic of Bible and Technologies at the 2010 BibleTech conference in San Hose, California. When I look back in time I am amazed of what a distance to go both physically and spiritually. And I cannot but ask myself how long does it take to envision a journey, to plan a journey, to start a journey and essentially to complete a journey? And which one is really more important: the final destination or the journey? Or perhaps, the journey is the destination itself?

All pictures made on Nokia 5800XM courtesy of the Mobile Ministry Magazine