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Meet Ceitci Demirkova-Harper

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Ceitci Demirkova-Harper.

Hi Ceitci, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised under communism in Bulgaria. At age 16, I witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany followed by the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and Bulgaria in November 1989. In 1992, missionaries from Germany came to my hometown, Veliko Turnovo, to deliver food and to share the Gospel. Because Bulgaria was a restricted nation until that time, no internationals were allowed in the country prior. During that time, I was studying to be a full-time German translator. Needless to say, I was extremely happy to speak with natives from Germany. The box they gave me was full of food, chocolate, bananas and on the bottom of the box was a Bulgarian Bible. This was the first time I have seen a Bible or heard of a God who loved me. Christmas was never celebrated under communism and anyone who believes on Christ during that time was either killed, placed in a mental institution or in a concentration camp. I was the first person in my family to give my life to the Lord. 

Starting in the book of Acts, I read about the miracles, signs and wonders that followed the disciples as they would preach the Gospel with boldness. Although I was shy and insecure as a teen, I felt like this would be something I could do for the rest of my life. That night I told the Lord that I wanted to be a preacher, to travel around the world and to help as many children find a hope and a future. The main reason I wanted to work with children was born when my younger sister died in the hospital shortly after birth due to a medical mistake; I had made a promise to myself and to whoever I thought could be watching me from heaven (I didn’t know Christ at that time) that one day I would help children have a better life, and a brighter future in honor of my sister. A year after that, at age eight, the little boy our family tried to adopt died in the orphanage from malnutrition and lack of physical touch. You could say the tragedies I experienced as a child defined my future and became a stepping stone for what I do today. In the summer of 1994, upon graduating from the German High School, I was invited to come and study in America at a Bible College. 

Through a series of miracles like getting approved for a student visa and getting funds for a plane ticket, I arrived in the USA on Dec. 5, 1994 with $100 and 100 words of English. Big dreams and big impossibilities were a part of my new beginnings as I learned how to navigate through a life and a culture very different than what I was used to. God has done some incredible miracles in my life and for this ministry. While still in college at age 19, I started full-time ministry and with the help of the church that sponsored me, I formed our non-profit organization. Since I had absolutely no funds in the beginning (not even for myself), I began supporting an orphaned boy in Bulgaria with $1 per month. That’s all I had, but I was willing to give it all in order for God to use it as a seed and bring forth provision. I have always believed that you have to start with whatever is in your hands, otherwise you never begin. This year we are celebrating 26 years since the founding of our non-profit Changing a Generation. We reach over 1500 children each month through our programs in Bulgaria and Africa (Uganda and Ghana). Our primary focus is Bulgaria and Eastern Europe. I have been able to travel and speak across the entire United States and hold up to 300 speaking engagements per year. Over the years, I developed various business courses and seminars, online eCourses and coaching materials and have authored six books. This is still the beginning of the many dreams God has places in heart to pursue. I have chosen to live life to its fullest and to never allow the impossibilities or losses to define me and my future.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing that I have personally achieved or for us as an organization has come easy. I would say, without God’s help, His grace and wisdom we would have never come this far. As a foreigner (especially in the beginning) my biggest challenges were connected to adopting to a new culture, new mindset, new lifestyle and learning the language. I started from nothing. No one knew my name, and I could barely stand in front of people to speak. I had to overcome not only my shyness but also the shame I was carrying from being raised under a dictatorship system. The biggest breakthrough was the day when I no longer saw myself as a victim of a system, rather a redeemed woman chosen by God to transform nations. Starting out full-time ministry at 19 as a speaker and also fundraising for our nonprofit had a lot of challenges at first. I learned quickly that it will take consistency and showing up with a good attitude even if people didn’t care about me or the needs of the children in Bulgaria.

In a sense, I am glad about these challenges because they caused me to press through and to learn, to stay disciplined and to view myself the way God saw me, even if people ignored me. Often, people (especially young people) want everything in life to work according to ‘their’ plan in order to avoid the pain of disappointment or rejection. As someone who has had to rely on no one but God and has walked through seasons of valleys, my encouragement would be to always remember who is for you and who is against you – personally, I have chosen to believe that Christ is always walking on the path of this life with me and He is for me, therefore no matter what comes my way, I will be able to overcome it. Challenges are so common for me that if they didn’t exist, I would think I am not on the right path. I choose what others often label ‘the impossible’ because I am confident in God’s ability to show up and perform a miracle. In one of my latest books, “Motivated by the Impossible: Recognizing Your Invisible Mentors” I actually share various personal stories and principles with the readers to help them view their impossibilities as mentors so they can learn how to overcome them. It’s about perception, perspective and introspective discoveries, as well as learning to ask ourselves the right questions so we can find the right answers.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a CEO and the founder of a nonprofit organization Changing a Generation. Since I began very young, I learned how to wear many hats and manage multiple projects simultaneously. I specialize primarily in public speaking, writing books, personal and business coaching and fundraising. People know me for my personal stories filled with humor, reality and inspiration, bringing audiences and readers to a deeper understanding of God and living a life filled with joy, personal freedom, value, courage and peace. When it comes to external accomplishments, I am proud of all the work our organization does today in Bulgaria and Africa as we provide for the physical and spiritual needs of the kids: through food and clothing distribution, special Christmas outreaches, educational programs, scholarships, monthly sponsorships, building water wells and as of a year ago opening playgrounds in extremely poor villages and cities across Bulgaria. 

Additionally, I am proud to say that by utilizing my cultural upbringing (treating everyone like a family) I have developed a vast network of people, churches and businesses across the USA and other nations, who partner with us because they believe in the vision of what we do, and because we treat everyone with value and dignity. My friends and partners know that they can count on me to return their calls, to show up when they need help and there is nothing more important to me than to be remembered as a woman of integrity who brings hope and encouragement. When it comes to what sets me apart from others, I would say that I am the first woman from Bulgaria to come by herself to the States shortly after the fall of communism, at age 19, with a $100 and not knowing anyone, to one day become a minister, an internationally recognized speaker, entrepreneur, and a bestselling author. When I first stepped at the JFK airport in New York, I told myself “Although I have no one and don’t have money, if I have God, I have everything I need.” That is how I approach life each day, God is my everything and He has all I need. I hope the simplicity of my faith and trust in God inspires others to do the same.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up under communism, I was really shy and insecure. Because of the oppressive environment, I became very depressed and suicidal by the time I turned 13 years of age. We lived a very simple life, and I would often use the words “the dark ages” when trying to explain to someone what it means to live under a communist government that demanded to be worshiped and never opposed. The word ‘dream’ did not exist in our vocabulary. However, my family loved me very much and we worked together on the field, taking care of our animals and land. I was left-handed and under communism, you were not allowed to be different. That is why the teachers always shamed me and the kids bullied me. But I loved art, and since my mom was a clothing designer and a teacher, I learned extra creativity from her and her students. After the fall of communism in the fall of 1989 freedom began to seep into our environment and culture. 

Shortly after getting saved, I got involved in drama and arts at the church and became very active in all the outreach activities. My ultimate desire definitely was to learn how to speak in front of a large audience and travel the world. It was like the impossible dream; my family and relatives had never lived anywhere outside our area, so to dream of going to another nation, especially America, seemed so unimaginable and out of reach. My favorite part of living in an area surrounded by mountains was to sit outside on our balcony enjoying the view and looking at the castle where our kings had lived and protected the nation prior to communism. Although life was simple and it seemed like someone had already made the choices for us, I purposed to remember the best from my childhood experiences by utilizing the level of discipline and perseverance I learned then in what I do today.

Pricing:

  • $19.95 Motivated by the Impossible: Recognizing Your Invisible Mentors (book)
  • $39.95 Invisible Mentors (online eCourse)
  • $15.95 Exposed to Hope (latest book – featuring the stories of our children from Changing a Generation in Bulgaria)
  • $30 Motivated (Sweatshirt)
  • $20 Motivated (t-shirts)

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Image Credits:
Mike Tedford, Hannah Calhoon

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