The Founder — Elena Markova

My name is Ellie Markova, I was born in Bulgaria during its years of communism. My parents were raised in communist atheism and worked as teachers. In 1989, when I was 6, the restrictive regime fell and a deep hunger for God pervaded our nation. A spiritual revival swept across the country and drove people through the doors of newly reopened churches. My family was among them.

Church became my second home. I accepted Christ during a Christian summer camp in 1993 and got baptized later. God miraculously healed my mom of depression and diabetes and restored my parents’ marriage. They left the security of their teaching professions and became full-time missionaries with Cru, serving God for over 25 years now. I loved helping them in their ministry with the Jesus film, church planting and outreach among students.

In 2004, God called me out of my homeland to America to train me for the ministry He had for me. Here, I obtained a Master’s degree in Christian Counseling and a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies that were not available in a post-communist country like Bulgaria.

God led me through difficult circumstances and through seasons of scarcity, homesickness, loneliness, burnout, restoration, and waiting, all to grow in me faith, endurance, trust and obedience to Him, and to bring me to a place where he has equipped me well for the mission ahead.

In 2015, during my very last class at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary-Charlotte, God spoke to me in a particular way. He repeatedly placed before me a specific text from Is. 2:2-5- a grand vision of the nations flowing to God’s house in pursuit of His salvation, wisdom and guidance. 

The Holy Spirit was moving in my heart. God spoke in unmistakable ways through his Word, Christians and circumstances to place a personal call for ministry among the nations to which I committed.