BULGARIA
The Salted Café “F or years my sister and I dreamed of creating a place where people felt comfortable and that reflected our artistic and Christian lifestyle values. A place where we could reach out to people and make friends for Jesus,” says Antoniya. Recently, Antoniya and Silviya launched the Salted Café in the city of Sofia, Bulgaria. Silviya, an architect, describes it as a new concept of place. It combines unique features under one roof, including a café, a juice bar, a bakery, a Christian library, a bookstore, a venue for social events, and a screening room. “Our secular society views believers as outsiders,” says Silviya. “They see us as people who either keep to ourselves or, on the other extreme, are annoying in our attempts to persuade them to believe what we see as truth. We don’t believe we’ve shared the gospel simply by telling people the truth. We want to follow Jesus’ example of mingling with people and meeting their needs and only
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then inviting them on a journey with God. “We also want to show society that you can be modern and innovative, appreciate and create aesthetic design, and still be a Christian with God at the center of your life.” When Antoniya and Silviya created the Salted Café, they’d never heard Ellen White’s concept of establishing centers of influence to reach urban people for Christ, but through study and prayer, God gave them the idea to create just such a place. “We secured a building and made the necessary renovations, but when it came to thinking of a name for it, we were stuck,” says Antoniya. “We both kept thinking of Jesus telling us to be the salt of the earth and decided on the name the Salted Café. We want to be the salt that makes people thirsty for Christ.” Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, has a metro population of approximately 1.7 million people. With its universities, businesses,
and cultural centers, it teems with young people. It’s a very beautiful but secular city where only a
