Barb In Moldova

An End and a Beginning

2011-01-04T03:46:00.003+01:00

Dear friends and blog-followers,

This is the last entry in my 'Barb in Moldova' blog as I am no longer in Moldova. But for those who for some odd reason would like to continue keeping track of me, I have begun a new blog called 'The Next Chapter'. You will find it at http://www.barbbackincanada.blogspot.com/ and I welcome you to join me as I seek God's next adventure for me. Please feel free to comment or question or make suggestions - or offer me a job!

Each of you are special and I am especially thankful to those who have offered words of encouragement from time to time. I am also thankful for new friends I have met (at least online) through this Moldova blog. It will be interesting to hear from you also how God is leading you in mission and ministry.

Thank you for your interest and may the Lord bless you wherever you are.

Happy new year 2011!!

Your friend,

Barb

Still Re-Entering

2010-11-26T00:24:00.003+01:00

Well, here I am at the end of November and I'm no closer to knowing what I'm doing than I was a month ago. I have been in Toronto for the last month, able to unpack my things in an apartment for the whole month. That has been a blessing. I've had time with friends and time with my son and his girlfriend and time with my church. But on Saturday, I'm moving out of the apartment. I have made a decision - to go to British Columbia and stay there. Hopefully, once I'm there and making myself known to the appropriate people in the appropriate circles I may be able to find an appropriate position. This morning I was packing boxes (again) to return them to my storage locker until such time as I know where I will be living permanently. But there was one item I decided I really need to keep with me to serve as a constant reminder. It's the stone plaque someone gave me five years ago, with the verse from Jeremiah 29: "I know the plans I have for you." How wonderful to be assured that even when I don't know what lies beyond the next bend, God does have a plan and it is for my good and for His glory. And so I continue, confident in Him.

Re-Entry

2010-10-21T03:02:00.009+02:00

I have missed the coloured leaves each autum

and this year they have been a highlight for me.

As the seasons change here in Canada, so my life is moving into a new season and a new chapter. Right now I am in British Columbia, Canada trying to be patient and diligent in seeking a job and in helping my mother also transition to a new reality.

After some travel time (which I think I will start another blog to document!!) in Europe, I returned to Canada at the beginning of October. I made a presentation at a mission fellowship in my church, celebrated Thanksgiving (with LOTS of turkey and pumpkin pie!) and spent time with friends, with my son Ben and his girlfriend Shawna, niece Peggy and with my sister Beverly.

Bev and I met in Hamilton to get my mother packed and ready for her big move to the west coast, no small thing for a 91-year-old! It was a very special time with Bev and an emotional time for us to watch our mother say goodbye to her husband(who has Alzheimer's and no longer knows her) and her home, even though she did not seem to be fully aware of all that was about to happen.

Bev saying goodbye to Mom at the Toronto airport.

The week after I arrived in Ontario I was on a plane accompanying my mother out to her new home on the west coast of Canada. So this week I have been busy getting Mom settled and organized and communicating with the staff at the wonderful Westminster House and with my brother Bob and his wife Jan.

Jan tucking Mom into her new bed.

It has been fantastic to spend time with them and their family and to share together in getting Mom settled in her new place. It has also been great to visit with my son Josh who even took Jan and me to see his new apartment!

Jan visiting with Josh in his new apartment.

This coming weekend I am excited at the prospect of a visit from Marah and her entourage - my grandbabies!! Mom will have the opportunity to meet her great-granddaughter Mikayla for the first time.

While there is lots to do it is challenging to be in the situation of being unemployed. Aside from minimal cash flow, just the sense of not always knowing what I should be doing next and what direction I should be heading in my job search. The fact that I have no car and no computer also is a very odd reality! Most of my internet time has been the one hour daily allotment at the local public library!

I am feeling a bit like a leaf floating in a river, carried by the current and not really sure of the direction. And even when I do start looking at possible job positions I begin to feel overwhelmed and uncertain if I can actually do the job or whether I want to do that job. However, I keep coming back to God, who is my Rock, and to the certainty that I have that HE has my next assignment well in hand. I may have to work to discover what it is but it is HIS assignment for me and I just need to be sure that I am indeed fully at His disposition. For now my role has to do with family and I need to just focus on that and be thankful that I can be here at this time and in this place. As always has been in the past, the Lord will open the right door at the right time. The only question is whether I am really listening for His voice or so busy filling up time that I don't take the time available to just spend with Jesus.So this morning I walked out the front door of the place where I am staying (free of charge!) and this sunrise met my gaze. How could I worry when the Creator of such beauty is my Father?

Making Juice

2010-09-13T23:49:00.010+02:00

My friend Corinne bought a house and while it was being renovated there was a huge harvest of grapes in the arbor of her yard. She decided to make grape juice and asked a friend how to do it. Following her instructions, Corinne picked many clusters of grapes and put them, stems and all, into a barrel-like container. She crushed them with a stick and then left the juice to sit for several days. I was visiting on the day she remembered that she had to strain the juice and boil it.

She was a bit concerned that the juice may have ‘worked’ a bit, as she had left it longer than intended but it seemed to be fine. (Honest!) I helped her to strain the huge amount of juice, lifting out colander after colander of skins and stems, carrying them to a corner of the backyard and dumping them while the other person began straining the next lot. Once it was all strained, we poured the juice back into the barrel and transported it to Corinne’s apartment. There we poured it into pots and Corinne boiled it, skimming the top from time to time.

She then poured the juice into large bottles that she had sterilized previously and left them to cool. While it was still hot I enjoyed a lovely glass of the fruitful drink.

The next day we went together to Corinne’s new place with the jars of cooled and sealed grape juice and took them down to her storage cellar, placing them on the shelves that would – in true Moldovan style – soon be filled with jars of fruits and vegetables and juices put up for the long winter ahead.

Coming to an end

2010-08-30T22:58:00.012+02:00

This might possibly be my last blog entry as a missionary in Moldova. Tomorrow is my last official day as a member of this mission team. It's been an amazing five years! Last week I travelled with my team to Romania for our annual team retreat in the mountains of Transylvania. We had a wonderful time together and an opportunity to see some beautiful sights.

We travelled to the village of Sinaia and went up a cable car to the top of the mountain there. We took a team photo on the mountain top. Many of my team members walked back down the mountain - and the next day almost all of them were very sore. I had the good fortune of accompanying our guest speaker back down the mountain in a cable car and then doing a bit of shopping in the town. (Picked up some very cute Romanian things for my grand-daughters!) I also had the opportunity to go and see the nearby Castle Peles - one of the most beautiful castles I have ever seen! I took the regular tour which was just the ground floor - and that was well worth seeing. Someday I would love to go back and see the whole thing!

Besides sight-seeing we spent time in Bible study with our guest speaker, Dave. Dave is an old-timer with our mission and he has a lot of wisdom. His presentation of Scripture is always provocative and challenging and we were blessed by a look at Jonah with him. On the last evening he told us some stories from the "old days" when he was involved with smuggling Bibles into the Soviet Union. Arrested many times, Dave is full of fascinating stories of the adventures of earlier missionaries who took great risks to provide Bibles for the underground church.

Our last evening was not only Dave's stories but some hilarious skits about those of us who are leaving the team. I was in stitches over Matthew's portrayal of me (with his British accent!), with enough truth to make it embarassing but enough exaggeration to make it hilarious. After the laughs there was prayer for those of us leaving.

Can it really be true that the time has come to say farewell? Over the next weeks I will be doing some travelling and visiting in Europe before I leave for Canada early in October. It will be good to get home and see my mother and my darling children and beautiful grandchildren, but I will so much miss my friends here. I'm glad for this in-between time to be able to process some of my experiences and debrief a bit with my travelling companion. But I will always hold in my heart those who have journeyed with me these past years.

Five years ago, Dana and Claudia and I arrived in Moldova together.

A sad note to add: my friend Corinne left her dog Silas with a friend rather than bringing him with us to Romania. Silas ran away in the middle of the week and there has been no sign of him since. Please pray that he will find his way either back to the friend's place, or home to Corinne.

Come back, Silas!!!

It's Inga's day!

2010-08-16T21:11:00.004+02:00

Little Jamie points out the obvious - it's Inga's birthday!!!

Sometimes into one's life God sends a friend who is special. I have been blessed in my life to have many special friends - some of them are women whose soul has embraced my own with unwavering affection and caring concern. My friend Inga is one of those people and today, August 17, is her birthday. Of course I didn't remember in time to send a card and I'm too leary of the postal system here to send a gift. Sorry, Inga. But I can do something better than that. First of all I will NOT put your photo on my blog because I don't want to upset or embarass you. (You're welcome.)

Secondly, I will talk to our loving Father and ask Him to give you a birthday that is filled with good things and the overflowing joy of His presence with you. And I will remind you that all the gifts that you have given to others have brought joy to many hearts and thanksgiving to many lives.

Thirdly, could anyone who knows Inga and reads this please give her a BIG hug from me today and wish her a very happy um...30th (????) birthday!

Nistru River, Moldova

Belles, Balls, Bubbles, and Beads

2010-08-08T22:26:00.009+02:00

All summer long we have had teams coming from various countries, seeking to share the love of God and the good news about Jesus Christ with the people of Moldova. Last week I had the opportunity of going to visit one of our outreach teams - to encourage them and to see what kind of ministry they are involved in. This was a group of Irish girls, with one British guy added in so the team leader wouldn't be the only guy! These girls were awesome - never stopped talking! - but they were full of the joy and love of the Lord. I went with them one afternoon as they visited a nearby village to do a children's program.

They divided into two groups; one went with the pastor to teach English in a nearby village, and the other went to another village to do a children's program. Eugen was the only guy on the team and so he went with balls and nets and sports equipment to gather the guys in the group. They flocked to him and in no time he had 40+ young guys doing drills and soccer skills and having a great time playing their favourite sport, soccer (known as football here!). Some other of the older kids played some volleyball.

Some of the girls on the team gathered the rest of the children to do a variety of activities. The younger children did some crafts, sang some songs, learned some English words and heard a story about Jesus.

They also really enjoyed blowing and chasing bubbles and later had their faces painted. Children in Moldova have very few

planned activities in the 3-month summer holiday. Mostly they are left to fend for themselves and find their own entertainment. So when a group of young people arrive with a program for the children, they gather round in no time!

The older girls were excited about making jewelry with the plastic beads that the team had brought. One of the Irish girls just sat down on the ground with them and showed them how. It was hard for her because she didn't know the language but she just tried to communicate the best she could and for sure the girls appreciated it. It was nice to be there that day, and to see how a lively group of Irish girls could interact and share the love of Jesus with about 80 children in Moldova.

The People you meet

2010-07-27T21:21:00.009+02:00

At the wedding I attended on Sunday, I met a woman - close to my age, I think - who has been in this country for 3 years, sent by her church to be a missionary on her own. And so she came, sensing God's call in her life, and here she has worked to open and run a home for the elderly. If you had seen some of the conditions in which pensioners here live, you would well understand why there is a huge need for such facilities. I was impressed by this lovely British lady, whose love for God was obvious and whose dedication to her task is exemplary.

In the course of this summer, our team is hosting over 150 short-term missioners. Each outreach begins with a day of orientation for the visiting teams. Last week as we guided a large group through the cross-cultural sensitivity seminar, team-building games, a seminar on ministry with children in Moldova, and an introduction to our mission organization, I was impressed with the calibre of young people who have come. I was especially pleased to talk with a Dutch family who have come here with their two children, to give them a different kind of summer vacation. How wonderful to meet Christian parents whose desire for their children to grow and learn is walked out in sacrificial service to others as a family. Their children will never forget this experience.

Forgotten Places, Forgotten People

2010-07-01T21:39:00.014+02:00

First of all, I want to wish everyone a very happy Canada day!! I hope that my Canadian friends have had a wonderful day of celebrating the beauty and peace and freedom and prosperity of such an incredible country. Canada is worth celebrating. I understand that better each day.

Today I was thinking and speaking of Canada even as I enjoyed the beauty of Moldova, appreciated its people, and grieved for its deep sorrows.

I travelled with a colleague to the little village of Pripiceni to visit a summer day camp being conducted by our local ministry team from Rezina. After spending the morning with the children at the day camp, I went together with two of my team members to visit an elderly lady who is bedridden.

We were guided through the village roads and forest paths to a dilapidated house in the woods. We had to wade through shoulder-high undergrowth to reach the front dooryard of the house.

Let me share with you this lady's story so that you can weep with me and pray for God's mercy on her and so many others like her in Moldova.

Efemea is probably in her 60's and she has a husband and two sons and several grandchildren. One of her sons lives and works in Russia and she doesn't hear much from him at all. Her other son was married but his wife died after the birth of their second child. Efemea cared for the one grandson but the other one was severely handicapped and he has been cared for by another family. Efemea also cared for the two children that her son had by his second wife because that wife left her husband and children. So for probably eight or so years this woman raised these three grandchildren, even though their father was not around much and often drank too much. Her husband also is alcoholic. And her son right now is in prison. But three years ago Efemea had a stroke and was paralyzed, unable to leave her bed or to care for her grandchildren. Social services took the children away and now two of them are staying in an orphanage in the town where our local ministry team lives. I think the other child is living with a family. Efemea was left virtually alone in this isolated house, uncared for and even physically abused at times by her son when he was drinking. She developed horrendous bedsores and it was only recently that some sisters from the local church began to visit her, clean her, bring her food and care for her. The wife of the local orthodox priest also comes and cares for her regularly. Efemea might possibly be able to go to a home for seniors where she could be better cared for but if that happened, the little pension that she receives would go to the care facility and her husband would not be able to stay in the house where they live, as her pension helps to pay for that.

And so she remains in unthinkable conditions, lying alone day after day and thrilled to have visitors come to encourage her. When we arrived she was very happy to see Aurica and these foreign visitors who came with her. She wanted a song and we sang a song to the Lord. She asked Aurica to tell her a story and she shared a missionary story that the children had heard at the day camp. We reminded her that God loved her and that He would never ever leave her. But I have to confess that as I stood by the bed of this helpless woman and tried not to think about the unpleasant smell that had accosted us as we entered the room, I couldn't help thinking that maybe God had left. Quite honestly, if I were that woman I think it would be easy to believe that God had abandoned me. Her children had left her and her grandchildren had been ripped from her arms and her health had been lost and she was alone. And as I thought angrily about her children who had left her in such conditions and didn't care for her who had raised and cared for them, I thought of my own mother.

Although physically my mother's conditions are much much much better, she also feels alone and possibly sometimes abandoned. But hopefully she knows that her children love her and sees that we have done what we can and are continuing to do what we can to care for her. Knowing that in spite of that she still feels lonely, at the same time I am feeling angry at the children of this poor soul before me, I sense my own responsibility to return home and be present for my mother in her old age.

I want my mother to know that she is loved and respected and appreciated. But I also want Efemea to know that she is loved - if not by her family, certainly by God. My eyes took in the dark dinginess of the room, the grubbiness of the bedding, and the brokenness of this suffering friend. We told her of God's love for her and faithfulness to always be with her. And although it would be easy to doubt that, who but God could move the hearts of those who came regularly to care for Efemea? Because of the Lord, she did have people who, out of love for Jesus, also loved her. I understand that as we stood in that forgotten place with a woman forgotten by many, God was present. "I was sick, and you visited me." said Jesus in Matthew 25. The One who bore our sins and carried our sorrows identifies with all who suffer. Today we visited a broken, sufferning woman and Jesus was present. Thanks be to God.

There are many more stories and realities very similar to this one. Care for the elderly in Moldova is desperately lacking. Through our mission we help churches to provide meals for seniors and to take food parcels. I'm glad we are able to do something. But for every one that we help, there are many more who remain forgotten and isolated and believing that God has abandoned them. Only when God's people show up are they likely to begin to understand the presence of Jesus in their suffering and the redemptive power of our living Lord.

Summer has begun...

2010-06-21T19:10:00.007+02:00

...and with it, heat, outreach programs, and lots and lots of short term visitors. Last week we had a group of 10 Americans who came to work with a church that some of them had worked with previously. My department (Personnel) is responsible for running the Orientation day so we were able to hear from them about their hopes and expectations for the week coming. Their plan was to build a playground in a village and also run a day camp for whatever children showed up. By the end of the week, they had lots of stories and excitement to share with us as we conducted the debriefing session with them.

For the last months, Ianosh ( a member of our team) has been working hard on getting a bunch of bicycles across the border into Moldova. The bikes had been donated by someone and were to be used for the new summer outreach we are initiating this year - a cycling outreach. Dealing with all the documents that were required and just the logistics of getting the bikes here was no small feat but with the Lord's help, Ianosh managed to do it and so today the cyclists had opportunity to try out the bikes and choose which one each will use. Last week at our prayer meeting we also prayed over these bikes and for the villages through which they would travel.

Today, my personnel team conducted an orientation day for the first-ever cycling outreach. Nine brave souls will venture forth to cycle from village to village sharing the good news of the gospel and encouraging and assisting the local churches in their ministry. The team is being led by newlyweds, Vlad and Veronica, and they are excited about this opportunity. (Hopefully, they won't have trouble deciding which direction to go!!) The group, consisting of Germans, Moldovans, an American and a Brit will have a challenge to communicate with one another and to work together in presenting children's programs in the different villages. Moldovan children have three months off school in the summer and there are not many planned activities in small villages. The arrival of a foreign team will be a source of great excitement and the programs that will be run and the attention the teams will give to the children will be a source of great joy. Today the cyclists learned some Romanian children's songs as well as began to put together dramas for the programs they will do. We know that the children in each village where they go will be thrilled to have this team among them. When they all come back, I'll post some photos of this exciting outreach.

It's a Girl!!

2010-05-26T00:14:00.005+02:00

On Sunday, May 23 at 10.45 p.m. we welcomed into the world my newest grandchild, Mikayla Emilia Perez. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20 inches. It was my joy and privilege and blessing to be present throughout the birthing process - what an amazing experience! Marah and the baby are both well. Daniel is pleased as punch. Alejandro is proud to be a big brother to two little sisters and Eliana is fascinated with her new little sister. Grandma is burstin' buttons! :-))

Lady in Waiting

2010-05-20T00:37:00.014+02:00

So here I am in Kamloops, BC, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, enjoying a warm Canadian spring with my daughter and her family as we await the arrival of grandbaby #3. But said grandchild seems to be in no hurry to make an appearance. In the meantime we are enjoying family time and getting to know Marah's friends and my grandchildren getting to know me.

Saturday was the day that had been identified as my daughter's due date. My son Josh came up to visit, hoping to be present for the "blessed event". Instead, on our way to pick him up at the bus station, Marah and I and the kids had a flat tire! I was very grateful, in fact, that she didn't go into labour at that particular moment! Marah's husband, Daniel was at work, so we waited by the side of the road for the nice man from Marah's church to come and help change the tire. (I am so grateful that she too has people that she can call for help when needed. She and I are both blessed that way.) Eventually we did get Joshua and it was so nice to have him around for the weekend. The kids had lots of fun playing with uncle Josh and this mother was grateful for even such a short visit with my favourite firstborn son. Saturday came and went and now it is Thursday. Still no baby. It's not easy to wait when you are expecting something of such incredible importance to happen any day. But waiting seems to be an integral part of life, doesn't it? We can either sit and do nothing while we wait, or we can carry on with life, preparations for "the event" and occupying our time with whatever the Lord has set before us to do.
I am blessed in that this waiting time is giving me a chance to spend time with my grandchildren, as well as my daughter and son-in-law. Just being part of their lives for a couple of weeks is pretty special. I'm washing lots of dishes, meeting many of their friends, getting to know the grand-darlings, and gaining a sense of what Marah's family's life consists of. On Sunday evening we had a lovely time at a backyard barbecue hosted by Dawn(lady with kids on back) and Stacey(lady with Alejandro in her lap). These young women are friends of Marah and Dan's who are also providing me with accommodation during my time here. I am not surprised to find that Marah has such wonderful friends, being a wonderful and encouraging friend herself.

Other friends at the barbecue were Marah and Dan's "twin" family, Randy and Jess, - another couple with whom they are close friends and with whom they are keeping up in child-producing. Randy is the guy socializing with Daniel over a chess board.

The little blond up in the tree with Alejandro is Noah, who is 6 months younger than him. His little sister is a month older than Eliana. And their third child is now 2 months old. In fact Jess is going to be Marah's 'doula' for the birth of this child, hopefully.
The difficult thing has been that everyone was battling colds for a few days, but thankfully now most of us - well, all except me - have recovered. Guess I don't have antibodies for Canadian germs any more!!
Another plus is that with my Canadian cell phone, I am able to text message friends and family in Canada. Especially, this means I am hearing occasionally from my favourite middle child, as he texts occasionally to inquire whether his new niece or nephew has arrived yet.
So here we sit, waiting and living in balmy Kamloops. When there is news, I will let you know. Or little miss drama queen Eliana will present to you her new baby brother/sister!

Catching up

2010-05-09T02:27:00.015+02:00

When was the last time I told you about my life? Blame Facebook! I keep forgetting to blog because FB distracts me. Well, there are other distractions in my life as well! We have been so busy recently and I cannot tell you how happy I am that I have a few weeks vacation starting now. Tomorrow I will go to Canada to be there for the birth of my third grandchild! Can you imagine!! Awesome!!

It's lilac season and the lovely aroma of lilacs can be appreciated

everywhere. And it seems that there are enough lilacs for everyone to take a bouquet home!!! Besides lilacs, let me show you a few other things that have been happening in April and May here in Moldova.
So before I leave I just want to share some photos with you from recent weeks. Before too long it will be grandbaby photos I will be posting!!

For the whole month of April the Transit Team was with us, helping with various kinds of work wherever there was a need. They enjoyed working together with the Bus4Life ministry as this huge vehicle travelled from village to village bringing good literature and giving opportunity for children's programs to be run and elderly to have something interesting to do.
I was glad to be able to have them over for a meal to my place one evening.

As well as that team, I also had the opportunity to go to a village to visit one of our outreach teams with the missions training course. It was a beautiful day and they were working in a garden for an old woman, Sora Dunia. As they planted seeds in the ground, they were also planting spiritual seed of the gospel in the villages where they serve.

Sora Dunia was happy to share with me about her life and some of the problems she has had.

I met another very lovely and interesting sister in the Lord recently - sister Valentina. (see lady on left in photo) Valentina has made some slippers for us, for our little project. She is a cancer survivor who I think is still battling cancer. She had to rent her home in a village to come and live in Chisinau to obtain medical treatment. She and her daughter are living in a one-room "apartment" in a highrise where the lift is questionable. Their single room has no amenities and very little space. The only good thing about it was the view from 2 large windows out over the city.

One of the most noteable events recently was Vlad and Veronica's wedding on May Day. The bride was beautiful and it was a lovely day for a wedding.

There was all manner of Moldovan delicacies on the tables. Some are things we opt not to eat, if you can imagine that! But most was delicious and well-received. There were a lot of our team members there so it seemed like a real family affair.

I have to go and catch a plane now, so that's it for this post. Next one could be a birth announcement!!

The Sick and the Stranded

2010-04-18T15:42:00.008+02:00

Well, whoever would have thought that a volcano in Iceland would affect my life in Moldova? But there you go - stuff happens and people's lives are affected.

It was another Thursday evening. I had spent the day hosting some new friends who had come from the UK. Wendy is a doctor, and along with her daughter Emily, she came to see the realities of life here in Moldova, specifically in regards to medical care, and to offer whatever help she could. So we had spent the day with the dynamic Sora Sveta visiting an elderly home and then a hospital. I was pretty tired from translating all day but I had also offered to host our British students for supper that evening so we were making plans to head out for pizza, as I had not prepared anything and had no groceries in the house. Then someone told me that one of our Moldovan students had passed out that morning while leading worship and she was still not well. Would Wendy have a look at her? So Wendy did and we decided that in the morning we should take her to the clinic to get some tests.

Then just before we went for supper, I received a phone call from a member of the Transit team, who had flown home to England for a wedding and was due to arrive back that evening. "My plane is delayed," she said. "Why?" I asked. "A volcano erupted in Iceland and all the flights in Britain are grounded," was the astounding response. "What???!! Are you serious?" I was disbelieving at first, but now, a few days later the whole world knows how disastrous volcanic ash can be to the airspace commonly used by airplanes. Last time this particular volcano erupted it wasn't a problem. Of course, that was 200 years ago. New inventions: new problems.

So, the last few days have been spent with intermittent phone calls, texts and e-mails related to Amy's being stranded in Britain and also Lilian doing all he could to avoid being stuck in Germany, where he was attending a conference. Now for him, and I wonder how many others, there is another question involved. That is that he, being Moldovan, needed a visa to go to Germany. His visa was going to expire on Monday and the possibility of a return flight before then was not looking promising. If he doesn't return before his visa expires, he will get a black mark in his passport and it could affect future efforts to obtain visas. So there's no waiting around for flights. He's on a train on his way back to Moldova. Instead of a 2-hour flight, he'll be riding the rails for 2 days. But I wonder what happens to other people who get stuck because of volcanic ash and have no options to enable them to get home before a visa expires. What happens to them? Oh - we Canadians have it so easy when it comes to travelling freely!

Anyway, before the evening was out we had another phone call related to our sick girl. She seemed worse - so our evening was cut short for Wendy to return and help her out. The next morning was spent also caring for her and eventually sending her to a clinic for some tests. Albina, one of my people, spent her day accompanying the young woman to the clinic. We're still not sure of the exact problem but it's probably some kind of infection that was causing a fever and for which she will have an antibiotic.

So, just briefly, to go back to our visits on Thursday. Together with Sveta, who is a nurse who often helps our team in any way she is able, we went first to visit a seniors' residence and then to a hospital. The seniors' residence is run by the state and is one of the better homes for the elderly in Moldova. Sveta goes there regularly with some other women to visit people and share about the love of Jesus. She took us first to meet the director and to get permission for us to see the place and visit some of the patients. This is a new director and he was very welcoming and helpful and sent us off with a head nurse to show us around and answer our questions. We visited people who are still reasonably mobile and then we went and visited in the section where people with far less mobility were cared for.

At the bedside of one really old lady was an Orthodox sister who was caring for her - feeding her and reading to her on a regular basis. We chatted with her for a bit and then the others left the room just ahead of me. Before I left the sister said, "She wants to bless you. Lean your head down." As I did so, the lady reached up with her very shaky hand and placed it on my head. She then held out her hand to me and the other lady said to kiss her hand. I did so and although this is not my religious tradition, I sensed a holiness in the moment and the presence of the Lord in a way that brought tears to my eyes. The sister said, "You are very honoured to have been blessed like this." And I felt it was true. I thanked the woman sincerely and left the room feeling a sense of wonder at what had just happened.

In another room there were a couple of old men playing cards. One of the men had no legs and the other one got up and left when we asked if we could take their picture. Interestingly, the man with no legs didn't mind at all. I made a mental note of the fact that the cards they were playing with were very tattered. I have several decks at home that a good Baptist in Moldova probably shouldn't have. Maybe I'll give them away...

Another gentleman we talked to loves to write and recite poetry. We were asking him about how things were in the residence and whether he was content here. He said he was very grateful for the day he came there and that he had a poem about it, which he started to recite. I think it was about 4-5 stanzas, most of which he totally remembered and all of which expressed appreciation for such a place to live, where his needs are cared for. (If you had seen some of the conditions of the elderly living alone in this country, you would know how right he is to be thankful.) We thanked him for sharing the poem, and with that encouragement he launched into another one. It was obvious by the expressions on the faces of our guides that this could be a looooong visit. We gently extricated ourselves from further recitations and made our way to visit some others.

Once our tour was complete we returned to the director's office and he ushered us, together with the medical chief of staff, into a conference room. He wanted to hear our feedback and to respond to any questions we might have. The medical director was also curious to ask some questions about medical facilities in the west. I did my best to translate but wasn't always totally following as she kept forgetting to stop for translation. One of the things that was interesting to hear regarding staffing - in England, Wendy shared, the ratio of nurses to patients would be about 1/6 or 8. In this facility, the staff/patient ration is more like 1/22. I couldn't really say what it is in Canada as I know we do have a nursing shortage but have no idea what the ratio is. Maybe somebody can enlighten me. Of course, it depends on the kind of facility too. The other interesting thing to hear is that since the communist party is no longer in power, the new government in Moldova is making some very promising changes that will affect medical care. There is a vision for change that only requires the finances to make it possible. For example, in touring this seniors' residence there were parts where renovations obviously had begun but probably had been started a long time before as it was clear that nothing is currently happening. Lack of funding is a very visible reality in Moldova.

Before leaving the residence the director ensured that we should see the program room and as we entered we met a lady who also was eager to tell us her story. First of all, she showed us the photo albums she had put together, all organized by year showing all the programs that she had organized for the residents. She herself was a retired teacher and at age 80 is living in the residence and making herself useful by organizing all kinds of programs, from concerts to choir recitals to Christmas programs. She was very positive and very enthusiastic and encouraged me to come and enjoy one of their concerts sometime.

As we left, my doctor friend told the medical chief that she had brought some medical supplies and medications that she wanted to give them. They asked if she had brought any adult diapers, which is a huge - and of course constant - need. She went out and bought several packages and gave them, along with the medical supplies, to me to take over to the seniors' home next week. How humbling to be able to help, even in this small way.

Afterwards we went to visit a hospital but it was not quite such a successful visit as we couldn't find the director to get permission to visit the wards. So we walked through and Sora Sveta, in her bold and loving way, sat down and started sharing Christ with a woman who was just sitting waiting for an appointment. We heard her life's story, and her troubles and Sveta shared some literature with her and lots of encouraging words about the love of God and the need to pray and to believe. Sveta has no fear, and her faith and her smile and her encouraging words seem to leave even the most troubled person with a smile on their lips and - hopefully - new hope in their hearts.

Blogless

2010-04-10T00:17:00.009+02:00

Oh dear - I have become so lazy about my blog and I must apologize. There always seem to be a hundred other things to work on at the computer... or, I confess, play. Yes, I do spend more time than I should playing mindless games just to unwind.

Of course, I have had a few things on my plate, such as preparing to lead a Bible study at our DayCentre workers training conference, and now preparing a study on 2 Timothy for the leadership level of our Challenge into Missions course. With huge recruiting needs on our team, I have also been spending time in corresponding and connecting with potential new team members and meetings to discuss how we will deal with upcoming vacancies on the team, including my own.

Last week we prepared to welcome two teams who were arriving on the same day. One team - the Transit Challenge team - have been driving across Europe in a van and were coming to spend a month here in Moldova, being involved in various types of ministry. On the same day in which they were to arrive there was a Swedish team of 25 young people flying in to Chisinau for a one-week missions experience. Our team had been preparing to host these groups and in particular my department was responsible for the logistics and program of the Transit team.

On a rainy muddy Thursday evening, just as all the Swedish kids were walking in the door of the mission centre, informing us that 14 of them had NOT received their luggage upon arrival at the airport; at the very same moment I received a text message that the Transit team had been turned back at the border because of some problem with documents for the vehicle. A moment of crisis and panic that gradually unfolded into problem-solving mode as various people lent their wisdom and help to deal with both situations. With several phone calls and lots of prayer the Transit team were successful in obtaining the necessary documents and successfully crossing the border on their second attempt. By Saturday, the Swedes' luggage had arrived and was picked up by a fellow team member and safely delivered to the group who by now had gone to the south. It was one of those situations in which our team all pulled together to help handle the crises and everyone went the second mile to ensure that our guests were cared for. As stressful as such times can be, it is always satisfying and encouraging to see the generosity expressed by my team members in their dedication to the Lord.

On Friday, after a long day of delays, I travelled with the Transit team in their van to visit our Local Ministry Team in the north of Moldova. It was great to visit our team there and also fun to see the two teams working together on some practical work to help and encourage the church there. I came home on Saturday and on Sunday the team presented some children's programs, as it was Easter Sunday.

Dana and I and others on our team were involved in providing orientation and later debriefing and evaluation for the Swedish team, who spent their week building a playground in a village in the south of Moldova. Meanwhile our Challenge into Missions students have been out on outreach and they will be returning this weekend for another week of study at our mission centre. At the same time we will be hosting another visit from the Bus4Life, a big bus that goes around to different villages and presents programs, sells books and does outreach in various communities.

It is definitely a busy time and in the midst of all of this I am becoming more and more aware that I will be serving here for just 4 more months. Can this be possible?! It feels like the time is already beginning to fly.

Even more imminent, however, is the impending arrival of my third grandchild. I was not really planning to go home for this event and was actually beginning to feel kind of depressed about it one morning on my way to work. As I travelled in the mini-bus, wondering why I was feeling so low I made the decision that yes, I will go home for the coming of the baby, even if I couldn't afford it. The Lord gave me a wonderful peace in my heart upon making that decision. That evening I wrote a note to my missions committee asking if anyone could donate some airmiles to me. The next morning I received a response indicating that a woman in my church would be happy to give me her airmiles - enough to cover my trip to Canada, all the way to Kamloops!! I waited for April 7, Marah's birthday, to tell her the good news - that was her birthday present. And I think she is as happy as I am about it!

So now I am starting to sift through my belongings so I can take home a load of things with this visit and not have to get rid of so much or deal with so much stuff at the end of August. Moving house isn't so easy when all you can take is a 50 pound suitcase!!

So, dear friends - and especially Inga :-) - this is what I have been busy with lately and why I have been blogless. Meanwhile, spring is arriving in Moldova and Easter has come and gone. The Lord is risen! Hristos a inviat! In adevarat a inviat. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Wedding season

2010-03-14T15:05:00.010+01:00

Last Monday evening we had our last session of the marriage preparation course I have been leading. It was a great group and we had a good time together and hopefully each couple has gained something to help build a stronger marriage relationship.

This weekend the wedding season started as I drove south to attend Lilia's wedding. Lilia and Viorica at one time were my roommates during my time here in Moldova. Lilia eventually returned to her village, Gotesti, and became involved in the ministry of her local church there. She also met a guy there who she married yesterday.

Viorica went off to Angola to serve the Lord there and returned last year as she was unable to get a work permit renewed. Meanwhile she also began a relationship with a Namibian guy, Frans, and he has been here visiting over the last month. They have been able to participate in the marriage preparation course as well and as soon as they can get all the necessary documents in order their plan is to wed in Viorica's home church in Tintareni. Then they will return to Africa to begin their marriage in Frans' home country of Namibia.

Anyway, although a bit chilly, it was a beautiful sunny day for a wedding. Lilia's pastor is from England and the service was conducted partly in English and mostly in Romanian. Outside the church people lined up to greet the couple and to give them flowers and gifts. At some weddings it is predominantly envelopes of money that are given at this point but being in a poorer village, probably flowers are more appropriate for all to give.

Meanwhile the benches were being cleared from the church, the tables set up and laden with food for the wedding feast. It can seem like there is no more space on the table for food and the ladies would come out with two or three more dishes of food that had to find a space somewhere. The previous plates of food were never removed, just added to. By the time dessert arrived, plates were being stacked carefully to make room for the additions. I enjoyed sitting next to sora Lilia, the wife of the pastor from Vadul lui Isaac, a church that I had visited with some team members not too long ago. We came home stuffed but having enjoyed a lovely celebration and so happy to have been able to add our best wishes for the bride and groom. Congratulations, Lilia and Sergei!

LMT - South

2010-02-27T20:13:00.009+01:00

On Thursday afternoon, together with Alida, we took one of the team cars and drove to the tiny village of Paicu in the south of Moldova. For a while I have been promising to pay a visit here and the opportunity has finally come. We have a Local Ministry Team of five women who are serving the Lord here and in the surrounding villages. The stories from this village are stories of broken lives and tragic situations as well as stories of God's grace at work bringing new life, reconciliation and hope for the future.

(l to r - Tamara, Alida, Kate, Denise, Rita, Stefanie)

As we worshipped that evening with the small church in their new building I was especially touched by the testimony of one young man who stood up and shared just a few brief words. I knew that a couple of years back, one of our team members had spent time with him regularly teaching him to read. As he stood before the church, he gave thanks to God for the courage and the voice to stand up and testify. Then he did an amazing thing - he lifted up his Bible and read a verse from John 14 - 'Nu va voi lasa orfani, Ma voi intoarce la voi.' (I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.) He read the verse. Just a couple of years ago he couldn't even read. Living in a home with alcholic parents, he had not gone to school as he had to stay home and help around the house while just one of his siblings attended school. Even now, I was told, alcoholism continues to play havoc in their home, where he is trying to live as a Christian. For all intents and purposes these children had been abandoned by their own parents, not given the love and nurture and encouragement that every child should have. But one day he had discovered that his heavenly Father had NOT abandoned him. Though he might have felt like an orphan, he was not an orphan.

His is just one of many lives that have been transformed in this community over the years since the beginning of the church there. Now there is a church, a community centre/church building, a Day Centre for children, a meal program for the elderly, food packets being delivered to the poor. Our team serving there alongside the fledgling church is reaching out to the community itself as well as several other communities in the area. Among many other things, each week a few of our team members go to the local kindergarten to conduct a brief program for the children there. It was my privilege to go with the team to the kindergarten to observe their involvement and even to help out a little by playing the guitar. It was a joy to see the darling children and to meet their teachers and be able to invite them to the upcoming women's event for the International women's Day on March 8. The event will actually be on the 7th. How do I know that? I know that because I have been invited to share my story on that day. I pray, and I ask you to pray for me, that the words I share will help to convince others that they are also not abandoned or forgotten or forsaken by the Lord, but rather loved, cherished, and precious in His sight, just like the children are.

Walking down the muddy street in Paicu, I gave thanks to the Lord for all the ways He is bringing hope and new life to this village.

Slipper Project

2010-02-27T16:44:00.007+01:00

My dear friend Inga has initiated a project. I can't tell you all the details as I don't want to spoil the surprise for women who may be on the receiving end of this effort at the Baptist World Alliance Women's Leadership Conference this July. Anyway, the project is one of partnership with Moldovan and Canadian women and it began with a believing widow in the small village of Milestii Noi in Moldova. Sister (sora) Sofia lives all alone in a typical Moldovan home at the top of a hill near the edge of her village. Today, Viorica and I went to visit her. Viorica is helping me with this project because in the past she has worked with women's groups in Moldova and she knows more about wool and yarn and crafts and patterns and such, than I do. This week she bought the yarn so we could deliver it to Sora Sofia.

I had been to visit Sofia once before with a group of people (see my blog of November 21, 2009 - 'Blessed') but I wasn't driving and didn't pay attention to where it was. So today the pastor, Yuri, met us in the village to take us up to her house. Although the road was incredibly muddy I was amazed at how, following Moldovans, they were able to find a fairly firm path through and around the muddy road and me and my boots arrived at the house relatively unmuddy. We stepped into her home and immediately felt the lovely warmth of the fire in the woodstove in the corner, as well as the warmth of her smiling hospitality.

We sat down as I explained to her the project that we are asking her to help with. She went and got a bag of slippers that she has been making since last I visited and once more I have come home with a new pair of slippers, and so did Viorica. We discussed the details of styles and sizes and quality and quantity and cost of yarn and she was more than willing to help. With few visitors and not a lot of outdoor activity in the winter months, she can make a pair of slippers a day with no problem. We have another sister in the city, whose help we will also be enlisting.

This was my second village visit this week and as in the previous village, gas is being piped into the community for the first time and homes there will have access to gas heat. Sora Sofia was enthused about her new gas hook-up and she was pleased that we came at a mealtime. After we had discussed the project and given her the yarn, she quickly sat us around her table for a delicious meal of homemade pelmeni (similar to ravioli) and rich, thick smintina (sour cream). All the time she was thrilled to have someone to talk with and chatted away happily as she rarely gets visitors. Her two sons live in Europe and her daughters in Russia and her best company seems to be the assembly of dogs and pups in her yard, who are obviously all related. I was sure to get her phone number before I left so that we can keep up on progress - and develop our new friendship - and next time I visit I won't need Pastor Yuri to play the middleman.

Mind you, today I was glad he was there, along with brother Elie because on the way to the village in Corinne's car we drove over a pretty muddy road that was much too close to the underbelly of the car. A part of the front fender had come unattached en route (whoops! sorry, Corinne!!) and would need to be repaired before I could drive back over that road. Yuri and Elie left the house before we did. Sofia walked with Viorica and me, as we chatted and sauntered at a leisurely pace down the muddy incline back to where the cars were parked. By the time we got there the men had repaired the damage and assured me that there was nothing more I would need to do to fix it once I got back to town. One of my favourite things about Christian brothers in Moldova is that they are always ready to serve and they all know how to do "stuff" that I don't know how to do!

Proud sister(me)/missionary sister (mine)

2010-02-17T00:05:00.004+01:00

I'm not the only missionary in my family. My sister Beverly (you'll remember her from my January blog of my trip to England as well as the photos of the beautiful quilt she made for me) is getting ready this week to take a short-term mission team from her church in Fredericton, New Brunswick (Canada) to the country of Belize. This is Bev's third time taking a team to Belize, including a group of puppeteers that she directs. It's exciting to see how God is using her gifts to help organize and plan and motivate not just the team, but the whole church to be involved in this mission outreach. They are a wonderful model of how God intends churches to unite in mission with a vision of sharing Christ's love in the world. If you want to follow their journey, check out their blog at www.2010belizemission.blogspot.com. If you or your church are thinking of being involved in a short-term mission, this blog is worth checking out if you want to get some ideas how it should be done!
Cu Domnul, Bev. (That means, the Lord be with you.) And with the Belize teams, both home and away!

Extra Hats

2010-02-06T15:51:00.008+01:00

My life has been non-stop recently as I try to fill more shoes than just my own; or wear extra hats, if you will. It's been challenging and exhilirating and frustrating and humbling but definitely not boring. Good thing, because I simply don't do boring. So, I haven't been bored. But I have been learning more about what it means to depend on the Lord and to draw from the strength that only He can give. And I have been growing in my appreciation of the awesome team I work with, especially some of the people who work side by side with me in leadership and who are such an incredible encouragement. One of the exciting things on our team at this point in time is that we are rapidly developing national leadership and watching our Moldovan brothers and sisters assume major responsibilities is a wonderful answer to prayer.

So although I am acting Team Leader right now (hat #1), I am not alone in that, with Eugen right by my side helping in every challenge that arises and bringing a wisdom and maturity beyond his years. And although I lead the Personnel Department (hat #2), each member of my team shoulder their responsibilities competently and willingly accept whatever I delegate to them. Next week we begin to run a marriage preparation course for the suddenly many couples on our team who could benefit from some input, especially related to cross-cultural romances. My personnel department stepped right up to the plate to help with this program, planning to prepare a meal for each of 5 evenings to facilitate the 'date nights' for these couples.

And although I have been assigned oversight of the Training Department (hat #3) due to the recent unexpected departure of their leader, again there is a team who are familiar with their responsibilities and open to share and to work together in the way that will best accomplish the goals of this department. They're prepared to handle the training course that will begin next month and are already presenting and recruiting for it through this month. All I have to do is help to coordinate things and approve what needs to be approved.

For the past two weeks since I returned from Germany my days have been filled to the brim. But I am so grateful for what God is doing. The other day while helping our head of Relief to put together a project report about the Day Centres that we help the churches to run for poor children, I discovered that through this project 27 Moldovans are being employed full-time! In a country where so much of the employable population has left to work in other countries, this is a huge blessing for these families. And as I hear stories and reports from our ministry teams I realize that all the leadership and coordination of various departments is simply the background fabric of what God is accomplishing here in Moldova through His people who have chosen to dedicate their lives to serving Him by serving the poor. I am humbled to be part of such a team . The picture on the left was taken during Christmas outreach programs by our local ministry team in the north of Moldova. You can see that even though there is a woodstove in the back of the church, everyone still has their coats on. This has been and still is a very cold winter and when you are living and working in the villages you are just ALWAYS cold!

My life in the city of Chisinau is easier than those who live in the villages. My apartment is not especially warm but it is warm enough and can be quite cozy at times, especially when friends come to visit. The other evening I had some friends over for supper. Melanie has just arrived from the US for three months to serve with our team here, hoping to find some ongoing direction for God's call in her life as she serves in the villages of the north with our team there. Cristina is a Moldovan woman who used to be on our team and will soon be heading off to Costa Rica to marry a man there and settle in a new country. She is full of excitement and nervous anticipation of the new life that lays before her. Alida is from Holland and serves on our team in communication and in relief ministries. Alida has been in Moldova for about 2 years now and always has good stories to tell and an enthusiam that is contagious in her youthful forthrightness. She is helping out in our department right now while Claudia is on furlough and it's great to have her nearby to share moments of laughter and to ask for help with this or that from time to time. We had a great evening together and I just thought it was an interesting assortment of people - one coming, one going and one staying - all with hearts open to know and serve the Lord. I really really am ever so blessed.

Human Trafficking

2010-01-30T12:32:00.001+01:00

http://www.rferl.org/content/A_Crime_That_Should_Shame_Us_All/1499349.html

My Quilt

2010-01-28T23:33:00.004+01:00

My sister not only flew across the ocean to visit with me but before she left she had made me an incredibly beautiful quilt. It is lovingly handstitched with butterflies and flowers and a blue that I love. And of course with the very cold weather we have been experiencing, such a blanket is cosy to bundle up in on those chilly evenings. Thanks, darling sister!

More travels with my sister

2010-01-10T01:59:00.009+01:00

Not that we're doing that much travelling - mostly back and forth in between Bromley South and London and all over London. So we're becoming familiar with the trains and the tubes and today we progressed to buses so we could stay aboveground a bit more. The London transportation system is fantastic! And everything is communicated so clearly - we have been very impressed.

So yesterday we went on a boat cruise on the Thames in the morning and then in the afternoon we met up with Naomi and Ben at Trafalgar Square. They drove in from another part of England to spend time with us and given the snowy conditions, unfamiliar to the Brits, we were very honoured that they made the effort. We had a great time together, poking around the National Gallery a bit before we went looking for a place to have supper.

Eventually we ended up at the Anchor Pub, near the replica of the Golden Hind and not far from the Globe Theatre, and had a great meal of fish and chips. But even better than the meal was the wonderful time that we had together and good conversation with this young couple, who we really appreciated. They were good sports, in spite of the bitter cold weather.

Today (Saturday) we met up with my good friends, Kathleen and Said, who I haven't seen in 4 years. They are now living and working in London and we had a very happy reunion. It was wonderful to be together with them and they showed us a fantastic time! First we had coffee, then wandered a bit around Covent Garden, then headed to another part of town to find a Lebanese restaurant. It was super having Said take us there, order for us and explain all the different dishes to us. The meal was really delicious - baba ghanouj, falafel, pita, chicken, vegies, mint tea, baklava and great company. I don't know how long we were there but we talked for hours and hours before we finally headed back out into the cold.

We took a walk through an Arab neighbourhood and were very interested in the different shops that Said led us to. I ate rose petals. My sister tried on perfume that cost 10,000 pounds a bottle. We sampled Lebanese ice cream, smelled frankincense, and we learned about how a hookah works. Then it was off for a quick peak at Fortnum and Mason before seeking warmth once more in a British tea place.

There is still lots of fuss about snow and cold here in Britain and much uncertainty about whether trains are running on schedule or at all. In fact, we're beginning to wonder how our flights will be on Monday and whether, in fact, we will be able to fly out!

Travels with my sister

2010-01-09T02:36:00.010+01:00

I didn't know I would have such a gift but right around Christmas I received an e-mail from my sister to say that she would be joining me in England. I had a week of vacation time which I had decided to spend visiting friends in London. To have my sister fly across from Canada to be with me was a wonderful Christmas present. Both of us are now big fans of air miles!!

So here we are in jolly old England and wouldn't you know it, Bev brought Canadian winter weather with her! But how were we to know that the Brits would not welcome it with the delight and pleasure that a Canadian does a significant winter snowfall? Let this be a warning to any Canadians thinking of bringing our delightful winter weather to any country unfamiliar with the beauties of snow, that they must also bring along snow tires, boots, winter clothing, salt (GRIT), and snow plows or people will be overwhelmed for days with the 'adverse weather conditions' that assail them!

Anyway, we are having a delightful week in London, in spite of the "weather problems", only sorry that one of my friends was unable to get into London for a visit because of the snow. And I was really looking forward to seeing her. :-(

Nevertheless, we have got around quite a bit, which my feet can testify. My sister, though older and shorter of memory, is in far better physical condition than I and so at the end of each day I am dragging myself behind her trying to keep up and wanting only to be home with my feet up. If I have lost any of my generous build next time you see me, you will know it is Bev's fault! She never stops and especially not when we are passing any kind of shop that wafts the delightful aroma of a sweet delicious dessert. sigh.

So on Tuesday afternoon we visited a friend of Bev's who works at St. Mark's church in Clapham Junction (http://www.stmarks-battersea.org.uk/). He showed us around this very alive Church of England church which is incredibly active and involved in the community and it was exciting to hear about what God is doing there and what God has done in Dave's life. I really like the sign that you see in the windows behind Dave and Bev in this photo.

That evening we had a wonderful time attending the musical 'Oliver' at London's Royal Drury Lane Theatre.

The next day we had a real treat, as it gave us the opportunity to meet cousins whom we never knew before. Their grandmother and our grandmother were sisters (making us second cousins) and they still live in the area Grandma grew up in. One of my cousins lives in a very interesting building that used to be the water pumping station but looks like a castle! The turret is part of her apartment - very cool. The four of us braved the winter weather and spent the day talking and talking and getting to know each other and learning more about each other's culture and backgrounds. How amazing it is to have family halfway around the globe and to share a common history with people you have never met before!

Thursday we started to do more touristy stuff, like the city bus tour. The highlight of that day was seeing St. Paul's Cathedral. What a beautiful and incredible place! Now I want to read up more on Christopher Wren, who was the very gifted architect of St. Paul's and other significant buildings in London.

New Year greeting

2010-01-01T13:04:00.000+01:00

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T02:22:00.007+01:00

Nothing special this year. I mean, last year I was in Poland for Christmas - that was very special. The year before that I was in Canada - that was extremely special. But this year I'm in my own apartment in Chisinau having a very low-key Christmas. We had our team Christmas party last night - went out to a restaurant and then back to our base for dessert and some fun together. It was nice just to all get together - there were lots of laughs. By the end of the evening, though, I was exhausted and so glad I got to sleep in this morning.

Tomorrow I will go to church in the morning and then have some friends over for a meal late in the afternoon. I spent most of this evening preparing food for that - and more to do tomorrow. After Christmas I will relax.

The main thing, though , is that this is Jesus' birthday. I'm going to take advantage of the 'low-key' aspect of this Christmas to do some personal reflection on and nurturing of my relationship with Jesus. Ever since I went to Israel my time in the Scriptures has taken on a new depth. I love it when God seems to speak to me very clearly through His word, opening up new insights and drawing me closer. On this Christmas eve as I think of the Babe of Bethlehem, I also think of all my dear friends, for whom Jesus also came as a child, lived a sinless life going about doing good, and then died on the cross. His death brought forgiveness for our sins and His resurrection from death gave us victory over the grave. Truly, Joy to the World!!

Moving towards Christmas

2009-12-19T20:26:00.003+01:00

The gray has turned to white. No, not my hair - in fact today a nice man at the salon helped me to turn that in the other direction. :-) No, I am speaking about the weather here in Moldova. The mild gray days have turned to bitterly cold white days.

It takes more energy to do everything, but each day the roads are more passable and the taxi and rutiera drivers a little bit less grumpy. Today, even with -17 C. temperatures, the sky was blue and so somehow things weren't so bad.

However, yesterday was another matter. We had teams going out to the villages to conduct children's Christmas programs. But the snow was falling like crazy and even with our monstrous new "tank" (as it is affectionately dubbed) the snow was a bit much to handle. The team got there and back safely, praise the Lord, but had a bit of an adventure through the snowstorm. Look how deep the snow was!

Alida reminded us how difficult it is for folks in the village who, even in this weather and in -20C temperatures still have to make their way outside to the toilet facilities. Need to keep a shovel handy if you want to get there in time!! Next time you take a few steps in your slippers to your warm bathroom and turn on hot running water, please pray for the folk in Moldova who are living in the villages with only an outhouse. They need to go to the well to get water which they heat using a woodstove in the house.

Gray

2009-12-12T10:44:00.003+01:00

The sky is gray. The days are short. The air is cold. The trees are bare. And reflecting the grayness around, people begin to feel low. I felt it the other day, that creeping depression. And I know that others are beginning to feel it. Life is hard. Sometimes one just feels so lonely - no matter how many people are around or how busy your life may appear. Gray. Depressed. And I can't help thinking that if those of us who have faith, who have come to this poor country to serve, who have a hope and a degree of financial security, who are part of a community of faith... if this creeping grayness affects us, how do they manage who have no hope? What of the elderly in the villages who are all alone with no one to visit them or care for their needs? What of the children whose parent or parents have gone to another country, leaving them with friends or relatives or sometimes an abusive or alcoholic parent? What of them? What of the unemployed whose efforts to find work have led only to discouragement and despair and maybe a couple more drinks each day? Into what inner resources do we reach to be able to offer encouragement to those living in the shadow when we ourselves feel that we too are succumbing?

People are living in the land of the shadow. Living in grayness...and many in darkness. We long for light; even the brightness and whiteness of newfallen snow would be a help to break the grayness. But the reality is that grayness in our souls goes deeper than that. Each of us have places in our soul that are vulnerable to the darkness. Though we may rise and protect those tender vulnerabilities with the light that comes in our relationships and our work and the things we do that feel significant, even still there are times when the creeping grayness enwraps and intensifies those soft spots, leaving us feeling that we ourselves are insignificant and will easily fade into the darkness.

When I begin to succumb I don't always know what to do. Sometimes I withdraw into that inner loneliness, allow the tears to flow and don't tell anyone what I'm going through. Wiser are those, I think, who reach out and ask for help and prayer and someone to help them rise out of the darkness.

When I read the Bible I see that God is very much aware of the darkness we battle, the darkness all people have battled over the course of time. And so He sent prophets. I think the prophets more than any found themselves in that cosmic struggle for light in dark places. In their darkness people were looking in all the wrong places for light - consulting mediums and spiritists and not seeking God. And the prophet Isaiah said of them, "Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness." When we look in the wrong direction and focus on the grayness and darkness it does increase and Isaiah recognized that and so continued on with words of hope.

"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress...

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

Centuries later another prophetic word would be spoken by Zechariah as he held his newborn son John in his arms and spoke of his mission in life:

'And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;

for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the path of peace.'

Zechariah, an old man who surely had experienced times of discouragement and despair, spoke of a new dawn with words like forgiveness and mercy and peace. In our times of darkness, we long for such realities.

And Isaiah spoke into his times with words of encouragement and hope:

'You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy...

you have shattered the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor.'

In times when his country and countrymen were facing crisis and disaster greater than they had ever before faced in their history, Isaiah continued to speak words of hope and called them to trust in the God who alone could save them. "His role was ever that of inspiring and challenging the drooping spirits of the men of Judah at times when hope seemed dead." (www.theobamber.co.uk/prophetic/sermons/Isaiah)

Isaiah was a prophet, a seer and maybe that's what we need in the times of creeping grayness. We need to be able to see another reality, to see what God is doing beyond the darkness, or to have someone stand with us and tell us when we can't see it for ourselves. How reassuring is the verse in Psalm 139 when the psalmist too felt himself being enveloped in darkness:

"If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you."

In the gray of winter and the days of loneliness and the slide into depression we need prophets - people who will play the role of inspiring and challenging drooping spirits; we need to be prophets for one another; speaking of the Kingdom realities that lie beyond the darkness and greater than the darkness. In the most difficult times of his country's history, Isaiah rose up and brought words of hope that have inspired generations - not for the words themselves but for the truth they pointed to. The truth and hope that there is One who knows our darkness and who has the power to overcome it, to bring peace, and to establish and uphold justice and righteousness.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace

there will be no end.

It is gray now. But true Light has come. And the more we look to the Light of the world, the more we will be able to reflect His light. We need not fear that the darkness will overcome us because it is when the darkness is most profound that the light shines brightest. Wherever you find yourself, even if in grayness or darkness, may the Light of the world, the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ guide your feet into the path of peace. And then may you be a prophet for another, helping them to see the Kingdom reality beyond their darkness.

Have a very blessed Christmas!

** Scripture references: Isaiah 8:22; 9:1,2-4, 6-7; Luke 1:76-79; Psalm 139:11,12

On the Road again

2009-12-06T20:57:00.012+01:00

Just because my car died doesn't mean I never get around anywhere. In fact this week I've been on the road almost more than I was in the office! A group of us drove to a little village in the north of Moldova to discuss a new project proposal for that village with the church leaders. It was an interesting time together and always exciting to move ahead in the new things that God wants to do through us. We need lots of wisdom to hear His voice and follow His leading. These are some of the key leaders on our team, standing in front of our new vehicle. The pastor of Mateuti church is on the far left.
Coming back into the city that evening, I suddenly realized that it was December. For the first time that I can remember, Moldova is starting to pretty up for Christmas long before the end of the month. With "Old Christmas" (the Orthodox celebration) being on January 7, in the past little has happened early in December. But now that politics is moving Moldova westward, Christmas is starting earlier too. The Christmas tree is up downtown and the lights are shining over Stefan cel Mare and I need to spruce up my apartment for Christmas now, don't I?

Just the next day, I was again travelling, this time with Matthew and Claudia and Tanea, to the village of Razeni. We had been invited to help the pastor celebrate his birthday by joining him for a 'shashlik' (barbecue). I was a bit surprised to discover that it was fish - great big ones!- that were being barbecued on the grill. We stood close to it to stay warm - it's not freezing cold yet but when you stand outside for a while you do get chilled. We also were able to visit with the Challenge into Missions student team who were working with the church that week, helping to build their new building. Matthew took lots of pictures of the walkway and park that his church group had worked on when they were here in the summer for a short term mission. He will be going to England on furlough soon and be able to show the church how great everything looks now.

On Sunday I was on the road again, this time travelling with two of our team members who were going to their home church to give their tri-monthly report. This is one of the fun things I get to do that gives me the opportunity to see different churches in Moldova, to meet the leaders and people in the church and to meet the families of the team members I am helping to care for. Visiting Vadul lui Isaac with Aurica and Slavic was a very pleasant time. They attend quite a large Baptist church and afterwards we had lunch at the home of Aurica's sister, whose husband is an elder in the church. I also discovered he is the Youth leader for the Baptist Convention and I had conversed with him on the phone before - nice to put a face to the name! One of the other things we do on these church visits is to sell books. Recently we have re-vitalized our literature ministry and are getting more shipments of Romanian books to sell to Christians in the villages who rarely have access to Christian books that will help to build their faith and encourage them. We buy the books and distribute them at hugely discounted prices that make them affordable to the average Moldovan. This is a really significant ministry and it was very satisfying to see the excitement with which people swarmed around the booktable after the service. We went back with very few books left in the full box we had taken.
On the way to Vadul lui Isaac on Sunday, Lilian was our driver. We travelled in the new vehicle that OM Moldova recently bought. It's quite the car...um..truck... um...vehicle! It is a Defender LandRover and the only one of its kind and size in Moldova. People stare as we go by - and that's quite something when you consider some of the other vehicles you see around here!
On the way home, I had my first opportunity to drive "the tank" or "the monster" (we still need to find a good name for it!). So don't feel sorry for me that my car is no longer. During the week I ride public transport and sometimes on weekends you will see me cruising in the Defender - missionary vehicle par excellence!

Grandma's Brag

2009-11-21T17:47:00.005+01:00

My daughter sent me some pictures that made me very proud. She and her husband, Daniel, had completed a 'little project' for their son (my grandson) Alejandro. They built him a bed!! And it's beautiful! I am really really impressed and I can't help telling everyone how proud I am. I'm sure that Alejandro will enjoy this great bed!

And of course, I also want to take the opportunity to show you how beautiful my grandchildren are - and how much they are growing!! Alejandro is now 3 years old and Eliana is 1 1/2 and looks just like her big brother. Aren't they just the cutest? And, that's not all! There's going to be another little one joining their family in May. Grandma gets to keep on bragging! :-)

Blessed

2009-11-21T17:04:00.007+01:00

This week I have been multiply blessed. An e-mail from a friend reminded me of one of those blessings. My friend had mentioned the Needlework Guild in Toronto who gather homemade articles by the thousands to give to various organizations and helping agencies. It made me think with appreciation of all the work so many women do with their hands to bless others. And it reminded me of a lovely visit I had this week with one such woman in the village of Milestii Noi.
I and my colleagues were hosting some visitors from Holland whose agency provides financial support for many of the projects that we run here in Moldova. We took them with us to see some of the work and projects that they are funding. We went to visit the village of Razeni, where one of our student teams was helping the Baptist church in their new church construction project. The pastor was showing us around and telling us about his vision for this church and for the churches he is seeking to plant in the surrounding villages. The two Dutch brothers who were with us were interested to see some of the projects that their agency was supporting. One of those projects is the regular delivery of food parcels to elderly people who are struggling to get by. The situation of seniors in Moldova is incredibly difficult and those who don't have children or family to care for them are sometimes in the most shocking and horrendous living conditions.

We went together - four of us and the pastor - to visit sister Sophia and to deliver a food parcel to her. This lady is a Christian sister, a widow who lives all alone in a small village where there are only a handful of believers. They meet in various homes and sometimes in her home. She is very lonely as her 4 children all live elsewhere in Europe - places where there are jobs to be had.

In this particular case, her living situation was not all that bad, but that's not to say she was not in need. But she was not a needy person, per se, in the sense that, from the moment we walked in , this delightful faith-filled lady was giving to us who had come to give to her! As soon as we walked in she greeted us with a huge smile, and pulled out the table and chairs and started putting food on the table. We sat down together and had a meal and tea with her while asking about her family and her life in the village. She was delighted to tell us her story and answer our questions and tell us about what she does with her time. The Dutch brother asked if she reads the Bible every day and she answered in the affirmative and that then she spends time making things each day, such as the round chair pads we were sitting on. She jumped up to go to the other room and came back with a whole bag full of little slippers that she had made. Each one of us was given a pair for ourselves and for our family members. Our visiting Dutch friend has 3 children at home and she found slippers for all of them and for his wife. He mentioned that that day was his daughter's birthday and the pastor said that sister Sophia had just celebrated her birthday recently so we should sing happy birthday. I admitted that my birthday was to be in 2 days and so we all stood and sang the Moldovan version of the happy birthday song for Naomi and Sophia and for me. Sophia was still asking people who else they needed slippers for as we went out the door and I was able to restrain myself from mentioning my grandchildren, as she had already been so generous.
It was a wonderful visit to a dear lonely sister in Christ and we came away feeling very blessed and knowing that she felt blessed to have had us visit her! My feet right now are warm and cozy in the slippers that she gave me - a pair that she chose for me that fit me perfectly!

October Penance

2009-11-06T23:47:00.016+01:00

I must apologize. I was kidnapped. Borne away from blogger by the seduction of Facebook. All my facebook friends have seen photos and had updates that many of my faithful blog readers know nothing about! I repent in dust and ashes... or, at least in a flurry of blog updates to get you up to speed.

You heard about the wedding, but you missed Corinne's birthday party. You saw photos of the park but you didn't accompany me on Stefan cel Mare street on the day of the civic holiday. So let me share with you some of the highlights from October:

October has been a pretty busy month, with Thanksgiving and all. In Moldova they don't celebrate Thanksgiving on a certain date as we do in Canada. Rather, each church chooses a Sunday in late September or early October to thank the Lord for the harvest. I didn't want to totally miss my Canadian Thanksgiving so I filled my apartment with the best aroma imaginable by making pumpkin pie. It was so good!

Besides Thanksgiving, October is also a month of birthday celebrations. My sister's birthday is October 16 - Happy Birthday, Beverly!

and my friend Corinne's birthday was on October 17. In true Dutch fashion Corinne invited me and some of her friends and neighbours to her home for her birthday party. We had a great time. Corinne had made a delicious Dutch soup - kippa suppe - and we all enjoyed that and birthday cake and a true Moldovan celebration. Moldovans are very earnest in their offering of birthday greetings and very devout even in their celebrating. Several of the women came with poetry to recite or read and flowers to present, along with a blessing. At one point in the evening we sort of played a game - 'Name the Psalm' - as one of the sisters recited entire psalms and then asked us to say which one it was! I knew a couple of them, where they were from - but I certainly couldn't have recited them like she did.

Corinne's birthday is also the same day she celebrates the birthday of her closest friend and canine companion, Silas. So even he had a gift or two to open.

During my visit to Corinne we went one day for a walk in the woods. It was a lovely fall day and the path was covered with newly fallen leaves. Silas had a great time exploring in the forest as well.

In October there is also a municipal holiday celebrating the anniversary of the city. There were all kinds of festivities in downtown Chisinau and I went down there with Natasha and Viorica and a visiting Brit and a visiting American! It was all about dancing in the streets!

Last Sunday I travelled with a couple of people to the village of Anenii Noi. Natasha was making her presentation in the church there, seeking to raise financial and prayer support for her upcoming journey to central Asia. She is shown in the picture below with another girl, another Natasha, who used to work with our team as well. That young woman is working with the church there, reaching out to young women and to the elderly. Another young woman who went through our training program is now working with her church and reaching out to street people. Such a blessing to see good fruit from the work we are doing....

cross-cultural communication & homonyms

2009-11-06T22:12:00.003+01:00

So last week I was having some friends over for dinner. One of them, Ana* (*names have been changed to protect the innocent) asked if she could bring anything. I assured her that I thought I had everything I needed. She really wanted to know if there was something she could bring so finally I said, 'Well, you can bring flowers if you want.' Later that evening my guests arrived. Ana had with her a grocery bag with a big bottle of pop and some other things. She handed it to me and I took out the pop thinking the rest were her own groceries that she was going to take home. But she said, 'No, this is for you.' She lifted a 2kg bag of flour out of the bag. 'You said you needed flour.' For a brief moment I was uncomprehending, until suddenly I realized that I had told her to bring flowers! I burst into laughter and we spent the rest of the evening teasing Ana and laughing over yet one more cross-cultural blunder. But I did promise to make something for Ana with the flour the next time she comes over!

Saturday in the Park

2009-10-11T21:43:00.002+02:00

Being a lovely fall day on Saturday, and having one of our new recruits - Denise - as a houseguest, we decided to go for a walk in the nearby park.

It was so lovely and many people had decided to do the same thing, taking advantage of the cooler but still comfortable weather to enjoy the beauties of God's creation.

There were families and mothers with babies and young people with various wheeled conveyances but mostly it was just a peaceful stroll.

On this Thanksgiving weekend, even though I may be missing the magnificent fall colours we enjoy in Canada and the turkey dinner with all the fixings around the table with family and friends, this was a special time of just appreciating God's creation and all that He has given me. This may be a poor country economically but the wealth of its beauty cannot be calculated.

A Rainy blessed wedding day

2009-10-11T21:02:00.011+02:00

So last week was Eugen and Dana's wedding in Slobozia. It was truly a Moldovan experience! They had hoped to have the wedding outside and so the inside of the church was all set up for the meal and festivities afterward. With the rain and all, everything had to move into the church and so we sat there with the food spread before us as the service got underway. There was barely space between the tables for the wedding party to walk down the "aisle" but they were all lovely in any case. Getting from the parking space across the muddy street to the church was the first challenge. But Dana and Eugen appeared to just be happy that the day had finally arrived and everyone was rejoicing with them in the beginning of their life together.

Hannah, Lydia, and Rachel were junior bridesmaids - so lovely in the dresses that Natasha had made for them!

Rafael escorted Dana in, and his son Philip was the ring-bearer.

The day didn't start out too well for me. I was supposed to take a carload of people with me but as you may remember, Rosie doesn't like the rain and last time she was in that part of Moldova she broke down and had to be towed home. So, before we ever left Chisinau (thankfully!) Rosie just stopped running. I managed to pull off the road before the engine completely died and ended up travelling, along with my passengers, in the team van to the wedding. Cozy but we got there.

There was lots of food at the wedding. I mean the table were full from the time we first sat down and by the time the ceremony was over and we were able to eat, we were hungry. So people start eating and filling up. Then Corinne leans over to me and warns me - there's more food coming; this is just the appetizers. Sure enough before too long there are plates of hot meats and stuffed green peppers and sarmale and clatite - all the best of Moldovan fare. Delicious but by the end of the time, I was certainly stuffed! It was amazing how the girls who were serving were able to squeeze between the benches and tables to bring all these platters of food to set before us.

A Moldovan wedding is a fairly spontaneous affair with lots of opportunity for anyone who wants to contribute something to the program. Some recite poetry, some sing , in this case some of our guys even did a little drama about Dana and Eugen. People are invited to make remarks or bring greetings and they had a great MC who even had games in which the guests participated. The bridal party were asked to come up with ideas of what makes a man a man and a woman a woman. There were some very interesting answers such as, "a woman knows how to iron", and "men like football"... you get the drift. One lovely moment in the celebration was when the pastor invited a couple from the church who had been married for 50 years to come to the front and share their secret and give some advice to the newlyweds. That was pretty special and then Dana decided to honour the woman by giving her the bridal bouquet. Later, the dear lady came to Dana and returned the bouquet to her so that she could throw it to all the single ladies who were hoping to catch it!

By the time the eating was all done the sun had come out and so it was possible to continue outside with the cutting of the wedding cake and taking of photos. Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with the couple and so they did. I'm still waiting to get picture that someone took of me with the newlyweds. It really was a lovely and joyful day! Congratulations, Eugen and Dana!

Harvest Time

2009-09-28T17:35:00.008+02:00

I just came back from a visit to Paicu, a small village in the south. Every year they have a harvest festival and every year Tamara has invited me to come. This was the first time I was able to make it. The young church invites the whole village to a thanksgiving service and then a harvest feast. The women of the church worked all night the night before preparing all kinds of Moldovan delicacies - salads, potatoes & chicken, stuffed green peppers, clatite (a kind of crepe), wafer biscuits with honey - it was all lovely and delicious. Somebody in the village had donated grapes - lots and lots and lots of grapes - and I brought a big bag of leftover grapes home, as well as a bag of fresh tomatoes and a couple loaves of bread that weren't used. Harvest season in Moldova is really quite wonderful. On the way home today there were many roadside fruit vendors with watermelon, squash, grapes and tomatoes. Truly God is to be thanked for the abundance of the harvest.

And at the same time as the village has shared the physical blessings of the harvest, they have planted the seeds of the gospel - generosity, compassion and caring, hope, the love of God, and the word of God.

"As the rain and snow come down from heaven,

and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:10,11

This morning as I led a Bible study on John 17 with the women of the church, I encouraged them to continue to do God's work of making Christ known, sharing His word, praying for those in their sphere of influence, and reflecting the glory of God in all that they do.

A chance to good to miss:

On the way home today we saw this sight and it was too good not to share with you. I was glad that Kate was with me to jump out of the car and go running to snap this photo. The driver thought she was crazy: "My car broke down - what do you expect me to do!?!" I never cease to be amazed at the ingenuity and practicality of Moldovans. See folks, I shouldn't be worrying about Rosie and whether she'll start or not - I should just get myself a horse!

Romance Capital of the World...

2009-09-15T19:23:00.015+02:00

... too bad the romance wasn't mine! Well, never mind - it was the next best thing: I was invited to co-officiate at the wedding of my dear friend Emma. She and Alan had decided that they wanted to get married in the most romantic city in the world. I was so privileged to be a part of their special day! Not only did I get to be with them but I also met some more of Emma's family members, as well as Alan's parents. Emma comes from a large Italian family and it was fun seeing these wonderful people together - so vibrant and full of life and love and laughter.

On the day before the wedding, after we met with the pastor at the American Church in Paris, where the wedding was held, I spent the afternoon with Emma's brother Paul, and his wife Barb. We did one of those hop-off/hop-on bus tours and had a great time together. It was so nice to be able to see the sights with someone else to share them. Driving past the Place de Concorde we noticed that Emma was not the only bride getting married that weekend!! Can you count the brides in this photo?? We got off at the Champs-Elysees and had some lunch at one of the many cafe/restaurants. Later we ended up at the Eiffel Tower and went all the way to the top - what a view! One of the things that for some reason surprised me about Paris was how flat it is. I never really had thought about it before but somehow didn't expect that. The only real hill is Montmartre and I didn't have time to go there... oh well, next time!

The wedding was on Saturday at noontime (very approximately!!!) and the reception wasn't until the evening so in the in between time I went and saw a few more things, including the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. What a huge museum!!!

In the evening I was back with the family for the celebration together and we had such a nice time. It was fun to get to know the sister who lives in Ireland with her Danish husband, and the other sister and the aunt who came from Italy and the friend who came from England. Alan's parents had come from Toronto and Emma's brother and wife came from Manitoba. Paris is a beautiful city for an international gathering like this!

Now, I must mention somewhere in here that there was also a certain amount of frustration in my otherwise beautiful weekend. You may know that I studied French for a total of 9 years in school and university. I used to be able to speak it passably. I know the grammar. I have a reasonable amount of vocabulary. But in many ways French is similar to its Romance language cousin, Romanian. So I spent the weekend totally tongue-tied, twisting the tip of my tongue in circles trying to untangle the sentences that came readily in Romanian but one excruciating word at a time in French. Travelling on the Metro and the bus I found myself painfully putting together the correct French-only sentences and questions in my mind that I might possibly need, stumbling to find a pronoun or a verb that jumped headlong in Romanian into my mind but refused to show itself in French! Tongue -tied, I was - and so relieved to return to Moldova where I can actually put sentences together all in one language at a time!!

On Sunday I spent most of the day on my own visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral and the bookstalls nearby. I found an English used-book store there called Shakespeare & Co. (?) and went in to buy a copy of Victor Hugo's novel about the Hunchback, of course. It was an awesome store and I also found a very special book for my grandchildren but I won't say here what that is. (Marah, you and yours will just have to wait!) Anyway, the store put me in mind of John Doull's used bookstore in Halifax. The woman at the cash was obviously a native English speaker so I asked where she was from. I was expecting the usual answer - the United States but she totally took me aback. "Nova Scotia", she said. I was dumbfounded. Can you believe it? Turns out she knows my friend John Doull and she worked also in the Box of Delights bookstore in Wolfville, which of course I am familiar with. How cool is that?

Before meeting up with all the wedding people again I went on a boat cruise on the River Seine. It was lovely seeing all the sights of Paris from the water - so many beautiful buildings and so much history and lovely music to go with it. One of the most delightful things I saw en route was the people dancing on the quay, apparently a common past-time in Paris at this particular spot. Paris is definitely a romantic city. (Mr. Right, if you're out there, just put yourself in this picture and let me know - I'd be willing to go to Paris again!!) After the cruise I met up with the wedding crowd, including the new bride and groom, and we all went to an Italian restaurant to have supper together. It was a nice way to finish up a lovely weekend in Paris.

Love Moldova

2009-08-23T17:55:00.006+02:00

From the time I returned from Canada, I have been visiting teams who came to participate in our summer outreaches. In the course of the summer over 120 individuals came from many different countries. There were a lot of Dutch folk, as well as British, German, Swiss, American and even a few Canadians! Before each outreach we would conduct an orientation day and at the end of their two week outreach we would hold a debriefing day. These were part of my responsibility, as well as visiting the teams in between time.

In the villages, the teams had many different kinds of experiences as they worked with the churches there and stayed in the homes of the local believers. One team arrived in a village late one evening, hoping for supper, only to be informed that the first order of business would be for them to build themselves an outhouse! Such is the life of a missionary! (So glad I have never yet been required to do that.) Here is a photo of the outdoor shower that same team had the privilege to use that week.

But in spite of the challenges of basic living, the teams all came back with stories of how God had worked and of what they had learned during their time. It is always heartening to have at least 2-3 young people who are seeking God's direction in their lives and who come back from the outreach saying, "I believe God is calling me into missions." This is one of our goals in conducting these outreaches, as well as the primary goal of bringing God's love and mercy and hope to the people of Moldova.

In one village where I visited, the team was doing practical work as well as running a children's program for 140 children!! The women of the local church were feeding all these children each day. We were there for one of their closing programs and the children absolutely packed their current building. The church has already almost completed a new building that will have space to hold the children and also their parents and families!! We were very impressed by the vision of the pastor in this small community, who also preaches at 2-3 nearby mission points.

There was another group that was very large, consisting of a youth group from Holland. Along with our OM team members, they worked with a local church to run a children's program in the local park, and to build a playground near the church. When you see the state of the park where they were meeting with the children, you will appreciate that a new brightly-painted playground will be greatly appreciated. One of the highlights for this group of young people was that two of the group members committed their lives to Christ in the course of their time here. There was great rejoicing and these two young men were eager to testify to their new faith in Jesus.

Unfortunately on my way back from visiting one of the teams, Rosie, my car who had just returned to me from the repair shop, decided that she hadn't had enough attention. She wanted some more new parts and she wasn't going anywhere until she got them!! Sigh... we did eventually get home that night - Albina and I - but we left Rosie in Causeni to eventually be towed back to her own personal mechanic in Chisinau who apparently is the only one who can keep her on the road, as long as I keep paying for the parts!

This week I am going with my team to our annual team retreat so I won't be around for a few days. Thanks for stopping by to visit - please do feel free to leave a comment!

Summer Scenes

2009-08-16T22:33:00.018+02:00

In Moldova

Summer is a lovely season, with fields of sunflowers everywhere.

This is the time of year when we host many foreigners who come on short term mission trips to help with outreaches in the villages.

As part of my role in member care, I am responsible to visit the teams while they are on outreach so I do more travelling around Moldova in this season.
In this photo you can see Katie washing dishes while Snejana helps and Dana supervises. Good work, Katie! Notice the bucket next to Dana, which someone used to bring the water from the well in order to wash the dishes. Also, notice this is a typical church in Moldova, with a mural on the front wall.

The children are always enthusiastic as these foreign visitors who speak English come and do all kinds of activities with them, teaching them new games, telling them Bible stories, and showing them the reality of God's love.

Our team members lead the outreach teams and do the translating for the various aspects of the program. The teams go to a village for a week, staying either in the church or with a family, and work together with the local pastor and church to meet the needs of the community.

One morning in Milesti Micii, I watched as the outreach team led the children in warm-up exercises. Everyone seemed to be having a great time!

In Canada...

While in Canada on vacation I was able to spend a bit of time with my mother, who has made a good recovery from her surgeries and is doing quite well. Some of you have asked about her, so I wanted to share this with you. Thank you for praying for her! She is certainly in the Lord's hands, and continues to be an encouragement to me.

After a few days in Toronto, I was off to British Columbia with my son Ben. Arriving in Vancouver, we picked up my daughter and her children at the bus station and headed off to beautiful Vancouver Island. The ferry ride was lovely after the long hot wait in the van!

We had a lovely few days on the island, visiting some beaches, doing some swimming and playing and enjoying the summer weather.

The children really enjoyed Uncle Ben's presence and he was always playing and laughing with them. Alejandro taught Ben how to do Spiderman 'webs', and Ben taught Ali all kinds of fun and boy-type stuff.

After our island vacation, we picked up Josh in Vancover and headed back up to Kamloops, where we celebrated Eliana's first birthday!

Chillin' with the Children

2009-07-24T01:00:00.003+02:00

Sorry you may not see me here for a couple of weeks. God has blessed me with an opportunity to spend time with all three of my children AND my grandchildren somewhere on Vancouver Island near a beach. When I get back, there will be pictures! I hope you are all having some precious family time as well. God bless you!

Short Term Mission Teams

2009-07-13T10:30:00.008+02:00

One of the weekly highlights in our team, all year round, is our Tuesday prayer evenings. This is something we take very seriously, praying not only for our own ministries and country where we work, but also interceding for other countries and world needs and issues. We take turns preparing the program for our prayer evenings and each group tries to be creative in how we spend our four hours of prayer together. Last week Michaela and Kate hosted the 'World Report' and brought news and information and even an interview with Austin, one of our short-term participants. After each 'news segment' we prayed for the needs that had been identified.

One of the main things that we have been praying for over the past few weeks has been our Global Challenge program. Short term missioners have come to be with us for usually 2 weeks at a time and we are sending out teams to the many villages of Moldova where they will run children's programs, bring food parcels and visit the elderly, participate in sports outreach events, and worship together with the local church. This summer we are excited to have several families participate and on Friday I went to visit a team where a Dutch family is involved. These friends drove from Holland with their three daughters to be involved in our summer outreaches. They want their children to know that they have something to offer the Lord and that many people do not live such easy lives as those in the west. On Friday I went to visit the team that was working in a nearby village and it was great to see this enthusiastic family teaching a Dutch song to the Moldovan children who were attending.

On Sunday I had the joy of visiting another church where a group doing sports ministry are visiting and preparing to reach the village with sports activities. The team had a small presentation to make in front of the church. Then there was a presentation by Viorica, on furlough from Angola, about her work in Africa. Then Justin, one of our team members, brought the message. This also happened to be at the church where our team member Eugen is from. And it also happened to be on the day when Eugen and Dana were having their engagement officially announced in the church. I was really delighted to be able to be there for all this involvement on the part of our team but more than anything for the celebration of this dear couple' commitment to one another. Dana is a very good friend so I am just thrilled for her. She and Eugen have both made a very good choice here.

After the service in that church, and sharing lunch with the team, Viorica and I went on to another church not far away. This was the first time I had been at either of these churches and we also have team members from the other church. It seems that the Lord has really been at work in this church and despite their not having a pastor, the number of believers is growing rapidly. Our team member, Andrei, came back from visiting home last week to tell us that his mother had accepted Christ. When I arrived at the church I was really surprised to see how full it was on a Sunday evening. One of the women greeted me especially warmly and it turned out that she had attended one of our conferences for day centre workers, where I had been the Bible study leader. The young people filled the first few rows - and did a music program to begin with and then Viorica made her Angola presentation. The church listened attentively and again I was surprised by the fact that the men's side of the church was as full as the women's side! I love this photo of the men listening with so much interest to what Viorica was telling them about Angola and her ministry there. She will benefit greatly from the prayers of this church, I am sure.

After the worship service, my friend from the day centre conference invited me across the street to see their new day centre. Here several women from the church feed 20 children every day of the school year and provide them with care and Bible teaching as well. These same women also fed us that evening and we were blessed by their hospitality. The church is waiting in anticipation for one of our summer teams to come in a few weeks' time as the team will be building a playground for the day centre. It was exciting to see how our mission's partnership with this church over the years is bearing fruit. Not only is there meaningful care and ministry for children but the church is growing in number and spiritually as well.

What a special day I had seeing the things the Lord is doing in Moldova!

Goodbyes & Hellos

2009-07-04T11:38:00.006+02:00

Life on our team is always full of comings and goings. The only constant is change, and sometimes it is harder than other times. One of the most difficult recent changes was to say goodbye to the Christovam family. Vitor, Ivanir, Marina, and Joao have been with us for the last 5 years - since before I arrived - and I have worked closely especially with Ivanir. These Brazilians are precious friends who are full of life and love and a desire to serve the Lord. They have a been a huge blessing to our team and their absence is deeply felt. Before they left, we had a team day of prayer and saying farewell to them. We went to an awesome place called Orhei Vechi (Old Orhei) which has an old monastery as well as fascinating geological formations. It was a very hot day and the only shade was under the single tree on the hill. So we set up there for the morning and in the shade of the tree we prayed for this family as they return to Brazil, that they would continue to remain under the shadow of the Almighty. A few days later a whole group of us gathered at the airport at 3 a.m. to say goodbye to them.

Just a few days befor our team day at Orhei Vechi we said hello to our sister Viorica, who is on furlough from Angola. It's wonderful to reconnect with her, to hear her stories and to help her to prepare to return for ongoing ministry with children and young girls. One prayer evening Viorica made a presentation of her work, and here is a photo of her modelling a traditional African outfit.

For a while now we have been waiting to say hello to a new member of the team. Slavic and Snejana, who were married last summer, have been expecting their first child. Little Samuel was born on June 13 and I went with Jessie and Justin to visit Snejana and the new little darling in the hospital. What a beautiful child! Of course, this just makes me miss my own grandchildren even more! But it isn't hard to rejoice together with this young couple in the new joy they are experiencing.

Not long after saying goodbye to the Christovams we have bade our farewells to yet another family, Silas & Michaela Mullis and their little daughter Carmen. They had actually planned to leave at the end of the summer but their departure date was moved ahead for reasons related to visas and the new challenges created by strained relations with Moldova and Romania. Moldova now requires Romanians to have a visa to enter the country (and vice versa) and Michaela is Romanian. She had gone out of the country to visit her family and was planning to return but obtaining an invitation and a visa became increasingly difficult. Meanwhile, Silas was in Moldova finishing up his work and Michaela was in Romania and it was very difficult for them as a family to be separated. Finally, they decided to not continue trying but to just go directly back to the USA. So Michaela was not able to be here in Moldova for us to say goodbye to her and Carmen. We did the next best thing - had her join us on Skype, projecting the webcam image on the wall and giving the whole team an opportunity to say goodbye to the family all together.

And so goes life here in Moldova. People coming and going, going and coming. Today we are looking forward to the return of Dana, another Romanian who has been stuck without a visa longer than she wished. Today our first group of short term missionaries are leaving after two weeks in Moldovan villages. Tomorrow about 30 new short-termers will arrive. This week I said farewell to the four girls heading out to Central Asia for 3 weeks. Summer is a busy time here, and with the departure of Silas and Vitor, members of our leadership team, it means more responsibility for those of us who remain. Thankfully, we have a God who promises never to leave us, and who provides strength equal to the tasks He calls us to.

The Church at Prayer

2009-07-04T11:24:00.002+02:00

One of the girls on our team is from Transnistria, the breakaway region of Moldova. Olea came to our team speaking only Russian but in a short time has become much more fluent in Romanian than I am after 4 years here! This young woman feels a call in her heart to missions and this summer is travelling with three other girls to Central Asia for a short term mission. I had the privilege of going with her and our Field Leader to her church on the Sunday when she reported to them and they prayed for her as she headed out on this mission. When Moldovans pray, there is nothing half-hearted about it.

Visiting Villages

2009-06-14T18:39:00.012+02:00

Olea & Viorica One of the things I really enjoy doing is going with team members to visit their home church in a village of Moldova. One never knows quite what to expect. The churches are various sizes and locations and styles and atmospheres. Today I went with Matthew and a translator to visit a Russian-speaking church in Transnistria, the Russian enclave of Moldova that declares itself autonomous. So to get there you have to cross their border, even though it's not a "real" country that is recognized by anyone else. Anyway, one of our team members is from a church in that area.

She is one of 4 girls we are preparing to go on a short-term mission this summer to Central Asia. She shared her testimony and about the mission trip she is going on. Matthew preached in English and was translated into Russian. It was quite a large church and the service lasted for at least 2 1/2 hours, full of everything including prayer, testimonies, poetry, an accordion solo, a couple sermons, and a baby dedication! I was glad that Olea was sitting with me translating into Romanian from Russian for me so I could understand what was happening. On the way home she mentioned that her purse was full of money that people kept handing her to help provide for her mission trip. Interesting side note: much of the money is Transnistrian currency which is only useful in this tiny self-declared nation. She'll have to get it changed within Transnistria I believe.

A few weeks ago I travelled with Lilian and Olea and Viorica to visit Viorica's tiny church. Let me share with you the typical visit to a village church. We usually leave from Chisinau anywhere from 7 - 8.30 a.m., depending on how far we will have to travel and what time the worship service begins. Most services begin at 10 but some start at 9 a.m. We were going in my car, which technically is registered in Lilian's name so he did the driving. That was good, because he knew the way! As we were travelling I asked Viorica about her church, wondering how large it is and how many members. She told me there were about 7 or 8 members so I knew it would be a small church. But when we arrived it was so small that I didn't even recognize it as a church! But from this tiny building the Christians in the community host a daily feeding program for poor children of the village. The pastor and some other members do outreaches and programs to help children in nearby villages as well. I'm telling you - the churches here are committed to care, no matter how large or small they are. And sometimes it is the tiny ones that seem to care the most.

Once we arrived, we made our visits to the little building in back of the church (no indoor plumbing in most villages, you understand). We checked out the playground that had been built by one of our summer teams for the benefit of the community. Eventually the church members arrived and between us and them, we filled all the seats in the tiny church. In fact, we took up almost half the chairs!! After a time of singing, Viorica shared a testimony of how God is working in her life and how she feels called to go on this short-term mission to Central Asia. She showed some photos of the work she has been doing as a member of our team. For a while she had worked in another village in one of our local ministry teams. More recently she has been serving our team in Chisinau by coordinating the meals at our mission base. The church prayed for her. Then Lilian was invited to preach, one of the women recited a poem, and the pastor also preached. I was given an opportunity to say something about Viorica and the work of our team and the mission she will be going on. (In most churches in Moldova women are permitted to recite poetry, share a testimony, or sing, but not to preach. The fact that I am a pastor is not widely known among our ministry partners here.) The service ended by around noon - a typical 2-hour service.

(Viorica & the pastor's little daughter)

Typically after a worship service in a village guests are either invited to someone's home for a meal or are served lunch at the church by the women of the church. In this case they just moved the chairs back, set up the table and a feast appeared before us. The food is always good and always plentiful and it gives a great opportunity to get to know the pastor, his family and whoever else is staying for the table fellowship. Usually at some point, often after the meal is over, we as leaders would meet more privately with the pastor to have a conversation about our partnership and any questions they may have; and to share information about the work and future plans of their church member who is serving with us.

After our meal at the church, as sometimes happens, we made a stop at Viorica's home. This gave us a chance to meet her family and to see her home. Only one of her sisters is a Christian believer so we hadn't met her mother or other family members at church. They offered us tea and sweets and we had a chance to visit a bit, to see what animals they had in their yard and Viorica had time to obtain the home-made food that Moldovans generally take back from a visit to the homestead: brinza (cheese), compote (a fruit drink), preserves and whatever fresh fruits and vegetables are in season.

At this time it was cherry season and on the way home we stopped so I could buy cherries just because I wanted to see how they put them together as they do to sell them by the roadside. And because I wanted to eat them!!

I always come home from these visits feeling blessed, full, and more aware of the way of life in Moldova. Always we have been so welcomed and so well treated. Moldovans are some of the most hospitable people I know.

Questions about Moldova

2009-06-12T01:02:00.005+02:00

One of our short-term summer workers just returned home and she wrote and asked me some questions about Moldova. I will try to answer them here so everyone can benefit. Please be aware that I have not had time to do any great amount of research and what is not quoted from a website is just my own personal observations.

*What are the main occupations of the people that actually stay in Moldova to work? and what percent of them are working abroad?

Moldova is primarily an agricultural land and most of the people, in the villages at least, work the land and raise cows, goats and sheep. There are many vineyards in Moldova and wine production is one of the main industries. In the city many people sell stuff - all kinds of stuff, and more and more are involved in technological products. Most of the jobs available are for unskilled labour.
The salary offered for 58% of the jobs was lower than 1,500 lei. (about $150US/month) According to official statistics, the unemployment rate in the first quarter of this year was 5.5%, remaining practically at the same level as a year before. Approximately 67,000 people were out of work in Moldova on March 1, 2008.///REPORTER.MD

The percentage of people working abroad is quite incredible. From a UNICEF website:
RUBLENITA, Moldova, 17 October 2006 – At least 500,000 of Moldova’s 3.6 million people have left the country in search of work. Left behind are an estimated 150,000 to 270,000 children without either a mother or a father, and around 40,000 who are separated from both parents.
Some of these children live with relatives or neighbours, while others are left in the care of institutions.
http://www.unicef.org/videoaudio/ramfiles/6625h_moldovaabandonedchildren.ram

*Are there any facilities for the handicapped or disabled in Moldova that they might receive therapy?

On an earlier blog I recounted our visit to a facility for handicapped adults. I also know there are newer facilities in the city and organizations are seeking to work especially with children who have some type of disability. But I don't know much about these. However, generally speaking, Moldova is not well-equipped at all for the disabled. You rarely see a wheelchair and even so they would be hard to navigate over the roads and sidewalks that are poorly maintained. Many buildings do not have elevators and things just generally are not accessible.

*what has happened with the recent elections? has a new president been elected yet?

No, the parliament was not able to get the votes they needed to elect the communist candidate they wanted. So after several tries, they had to dissolve parliament and they will have to hold new elections. This is what was hoped for by the opposition and the thousands of protesters who gathered peacefully the day after the elections in April. So sometime this summer there will probably be another election.

The Monastery at Saharna

2009-05-20T19:16:00.015+02:00

One of the few tourist attractions in Moldova (and in Romania) are the beautiful Orthodox monasteries and churches. On Easter weekend, while visiting Corinne, she took us to see this beautiful monastery set in the hills of northern Moldova. There's nothing quite like spring in Moldova, and after the dreary winter - with very little snow - it was wonderful to be out in nature and to see the blossoms on the trees and to walk under the clear blue sky. When we arrived, Corinne pointed to the little building that you see up on top of the hill in the photo on the right. She asked, "Do you want to go up there first, or hike the trail behind the monastery first?" I definitely wanted to do the climbing part first, knowing if I didn't, it wasn't going to happen at the end of the day. And sure enough, later on I was saying how glad I was that we climbed at the beginning. But it was worth it. From on top of this point, where there is a kiosk with a religious icon (I think it was Mary's footprint), there was a beautiful view of the surrounding area.

The girls on Corinne's team - Natasha, Aurica and Esther - were also with us and they seemed to arrive at any given destination long before I did. But we enjoyed taking our time and just appreciating the scenery and the beautiful day. Also along with us, of course, was Corinne's faithful dog Silas. He really enjoyed the opportunity for hiking and climbing and even to sit up on high and appreciate the scenery!

Upon entering the monastery grounds themselves, there was a very interesting sign of welcome to visitors. At the bottom of the sign it indicates the date as being, "The year from the birth of the Lord 2002" and on the right it says "The year from the Creation of the earth 7510". So there you go, in case you ever wondered. After a quick walk through the church in the monastery we made our way to the quiet woodland path behind the complex. There was a stream that flowed from a waterfall further up, and just behind the monastery there was a pool that was labelled as a place of miraculous healing waters. On certain feast days people come here and go in the pool praying for healing. Further along we came across what I believe may have been the original monastery, built right into the stone of the hill and painted Moldovan blue. (That's my name for the ubiquitous paint colour here in Moldova.) The walk in the woods was really quite lovely and our Austrian sister Esther was right in her element, bounding through the woods and up the cliffs and across the streams effortlessly. She was joined also by another alpine friend, one of our short-term workers visiting from Switzerland. Together they seemed to be where God created them to be - true forest creatures. Those of us who are not quite so ambitious enjoyed the chance to sit near the waterfall and simply reflect on the beauty of all that the Lord has created. What a joy it was to have such a day in this lovely country! Thank you, Lord! (And thanks for taking us, Corinne!)

Stable Relationships

2009-05-16T23:39:00.012+02:00

This is a mother rabbit.

This is Silas, trying to get a look at the rabbit from any angle he can.

This is the goat, the girl-goat... trying to get a look at Silas.

This is Silas and the goat, seeking to determine the nature of their relationship.

Back to Easter

2009-05-16T18:02:00.010+02:00

Friends, lend me your ears! Actually, this is just Justin's ear as he so willingly posed for me. :-) So, a few weeks ago I had a very busy Easter weekend but then I left on my trip right away and didn't have time to blog and tell you about it! So, here are some photos from Easter. Many of the Moldovans had gone home for the weekend so I invited some of the ex-pats to my place for Easter brunch on Saturday. Australian, Swiss, Romanian, and Danish friends joined me for omelets and muffins and fruit salad before I left for my visit in northern Moldova with my friend Corinne and the team there.

It's always great to spend time with Corinne, and never boring! I will post 2 more blogs to cover some of the exciting events of that weekend but for now I'm just summarizing the highlights. I arrived at Corinne's early on Saturday evening. Later in the evening we went for a little walk to observe one of the Easter traditions in this Orthodox country. While the faithful attend Easter vigil all night on Saturday at the local church, many people go out in the field for a bonfire and stay there much of the night. We walked to a place where you could look out over a nearby valley. Immediately below us was a group of young people gathered around a fire. Not too far away was another one, and as we looked over the whole valley we could see that it was dotted here and there with groups of people having bonfires and celebrating the Easter vigil in that way. It was quite a sight.

On Sunday morning we attended the Easter morning service at the local church and enjoyed the presentations by the children and the young people. There were many people who participated in the service, singing, drama, and a brother playing the accordion even though he was missing several fingers - very impressive! And of course the pastor preached a good Easter message - the Lord is risen!

In the afternoon we went on a wonderful outing to a nearby monastery in a most beautiful setting. But I will tell you about that in another post.

On Monday morning I was privileged to go with the team to the little church (6 members!) in a nearby village. Our local team has a ministry in this village with the children, who had prepared an Easter program. Following the program we had the opportunity to distribute Christmas boxes from Samaritan's Purse (no, they didn't all get passed out at Christmas time!) to these very sweet, very needy children.

Returning to the town we went to a nearby seniors' home, where the church also had packets of Easter treats for the elderly occupants. The group sang and preached a bit and I was able to talk with the staff and see some of the patients who were bedridden. It was a very clean and bright facility, unlike many, and I was impressed with the care and courtesy of the staff.

They had concerns about funding, though, and we know there are many more elderly who need care like this but there are not enough spaces or enough funding.

So, it was a great weekend and I'll write later about our visit to the local monastery and about our 4-legged friend Silas and his new girlfriend... Meanwhile, here's me and the Easter bunny:

The Galilee

2009-05-10T01:38:00.010+02:00

The photo on the right is the view from the deck of the Christian guest house near Tiberias where we stayed. Jesus lived and ministered in the Galilee region and only visited Jerusalem on occasion. And seeing the land of Galilee, it is easy to understand why anyone would rather live in this most beautiful region. It is absolutely lovely and several times my breath was taken away by the beauty of the scenery or by the lavish colours and variety of the bougainvillea flowers that seemed to be growing profusely everywhere.

One of the things I especially wanted to do in Galilee was to go out in a boat on the sea of Galilee. I had the opportunity to do so, joining up with a group of Dutch Christians on their boat cruise.

We visited the town of Capernaum, where Scripture indicates that Jesus lived during the years of his ministry. There we saw the remains of a synagogue which could have been like that in which Jesus first declared his ministry as the Messiah, in Luke 4.

We drove up a bit further north to the town of Sefat and the others looked around while I slept in the car, suffering the effects of a muggy day under the hot sun.

That evening I had St. Peter's fish for supper.

The next day we were off to begin the journey back down the coast to Tel Aviv. We passed the area where the Mount of Beatitudes is located - another breathtaking view.

Caesarea

2009-05-10T01:13:00.006+02:00

Together with my Canadian friend Colette, and two South African women whom we had met at the retreat, we headed up the coast. I was excited to see and feel the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in my life.

A few years ago I heard an archaeologist in our church talk about the amazing engineering accomplishments of King Herod, particularly at Caesarea. Ever since then I had thought I would like to see Caesarea if I ever got to Israel. On our way north, we drove up the coastline and stopped in this archaeological goldmine. It was fascinating to see the remains of various civilizations who had conquered and built upon this site. Roman, Byzantine, Crusader - everyone with a different plan and priority. I was especially interested to see the hippodrome where they had held chariot races a la Ben Hur. Sadly this same facility was also the place where Christians were tortured and killed as sport.

Another very interesting port that we visited on the Mediterranean coast was the ancient seaport of Akko. It was a windy day and the surf was pounding gloriously! It was also very hot and we wandered the narrow streets of this Arab town for awhile but I got my share of sun!

Jerusalem, the Golden City

2009-05-09T20:38:00.010+02:00

I had the opportunity to attend a retreat just on the outskirts of Jerusalem, in a village called En Kerem. This is said to be the birth place of John the Baptist and thus the place where Mary came to visit Elizabeth when she was told that she would bear the Christ. So, of course, there is a church there called the Church of the Visitation.

The retreat I attended was a wonderful time and situated in a beautiful spot in the hills of Judea, the convent of Notre Dame de Sion, a French order of sisters. The location was beautiful, with well-kept gardens and peaceful surroundings - a place to nurture the soul. On one day, as a group, we went into Jerusalem to see some of the sights, including the Menorah outside the Knesset, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden tomb and the Mount of Olives. It was a memorable day.

Following the retreat I spent 3 days in Jerusalem doing some exploring on my own, and with a new friend, Colette, who I met at the retreat. On one day, I walked on the ramparts of the city wall, on the south side from the Jaffa Gate to the Dung G ate. From this side I could see the Armenian Quarter and the Jewish Quarter. On the second day, I walked the ramparts on the north side, from the Jaffa Gate to the Lions Gate. From there I was able to see some of the Christian section of the Old City, and the Muslim Quarter. At one point walking along, I looked down into a yard and there was a woman baking bread!

With Colette I went to see the Temple Mount, a huge space now occupied by the Dome of the Rock. On my own I went to see the western wall, going over to the women's section and saying my own prayer near this holy place that the Jews regard as holy because of the very presence of God there.We wandered through the narrow streets and made our way slowly through the Muslim section filled with shops and vendors eager to sell. On the last day I also went up the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and saw the craziness there.

By the end of three days, my feet were soooo sore but I had seen a good deal of the city, if not every tourist site. We did enjoy the Tower of David Museum, where they had the history of the city in various displays and diaramas. On our last night we went to an evening spectacle at that same museum that was a really amazing light show, using the walls of the fort as a screen for some awesome visual effects. The next morning we left our accommodations at the Rosary Sisters' Guest House and rented a car to drive north to Galilee.

Constantinople

2009-05-09T19:55:00.014+02:00

OK, I know that's not what it's called anymore but I wanted to see if you were on your toes. So I went on a trip to Israel and en route I had an extended layover in Istanbul. Having never been there, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. It's really the first time I've been in a predominantly Muslim country and just hearing the sound of the muezzin regularly was quite a cultural adjustment. That and learning to dodge the strategies of carpet salesmen! Not once, twice, but THREE times I got caught and ended up in one of their lairs, trying to talk myself out of buying a carpet. I did manage to leave Istanbul carpet-less but I found some other lovely souvenirs from the shops there. Also a taste of baklava and some Turkish delight... yum.

But really the highlight of my time was the time spent with my colleague, David, as he showed me some of the sites of Istanbul. David and his wife Cathie live in Istanbul. David promotes tourism and uses the other part of his time to encourage spiritual growth in local churches in Istanbul. With his vast knowledge of the place, the culture, the architecture, and the history, he was an amazing guide. We started out at the Blue Mosque, taking off our shoes and moving in with the crowds of tourists to see this beautiful building. Afterwards, we made our way across the road to the renowned Hagiya Sofia - a huge building originally constructed as a church and then later captured, defaced and redesigned as a mosque. More recently the secular government of Turkey has "de-mosqued" the building and made it into a museum. In fact, as one friend astutely informed me after reading this blog, the Hagiya Sofia was one of the 7 wonders of the Mediaval world! (From wikipedia: "Although it is sometimes referred to as Santa Sophia, the Greek name in full is Ναός τῆς Ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Σοφίας, Church of the Holy Wisdom of God. It was to this, the Holy Wisdom of God, that the Church was dedicated ("Sophia" being the phonetic spelling in Latin of the Greek word for wisdom)).

I took oodles of photos but take my word for it, it really is an amazing building to see. There were so many interesting facts and points that David elucidated, I could have stayed much longer. One of the places in this immense structure is the room where several of the historical church councils were held, from which our Christian doctrine was established in the early centuries of the church's existence.

Afterwards, David took me across town to see his office and to visit the place where Cathie works with refugees. Many people arrive in Istanbul from countries in northern Africa and other places on the refugee highway. Cathie works for an organization that seeks to assist these people by helping them with jobs, settlement needs, documents, food, clothing and whatever practical needs are required. It was a busy place.

I thought Turkey would be very warm but in fact the weather was quite chilly and later in the day it started to pour rain. I had been to the bazaar and had done much of my shopping so I made my way back to the hostel I was staying in and enjoyed a delicious meal at a nearby restaurant. Afterwards I went to a very interesting performance - a 'Sufi Music Concert and Whirling Ceremony' - that's right: Whirling Dervishes. They seek to enter the Divine Reality by whirling. It was quite fascinating and also intriguing to read about their beliefs and practices.

The next morning I left early for the land of Israel.

One Fine Spring Day...

2009-04-13T23:13:00.013+02:00

...in the midst of all the upheaval in the capital city, I went for a drive through the countryside. I was on my way to a village in the south to visit one of our teams there. I had with me a young woman from Austria who recently joined our team, as she was going to participate with that group. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and driving past the fields and blossoming fruit trees one almost could believe that all was well with the world. Moldova is a beautiful country. The team I was visiting was involved in a variety of work, including a program for children. I joined them for lunch, which started with fish soup. The guy across the table from me got the head, eyes and all! It's not easy pulling fish bones out of soup but I was glad I didn't get the head. The main course consisted of 'grutchka' (a barley-like grain served plain) with cabbage salad.

After lunch everyone went back outside in the warm sunshine. They played some games outside and then went inside for some songs and a puppet show.

Everyone was thoroughly enjoying the beautiful spring day.

With a 2-3 hour drive ahead of me, I left late in the afternoon and enjoyed driving back through this land where spring is such a glorious time.

Next week we will be celebrating Easter here, a week after the usual western Easter. I am thankful that we are able to help make sure that the children of Moldova are learning about more than spring in the country. They are learning about the Creator who made all this beauty. He is the One that can bring hope where there is so much despair, and peace where there is strife. Jesus can give new life to anyone who trusts Him, because He has overcome Death itself. Now that's something to celebrate! Have a blessed Easter and a glorious spring!

Suffering Parents

2009-04-13T22:31:00.004+02:00

The student protest that became a violent rampage through the Parliament and Presidential building on April 7 resulted in many arrests. The next day police visited high schools and colleges asking for lists of all those who had been absent from class the previous day. All were suspect. My understanding is that over 200 young people disappeared, presumed taken by police but families desperately sought information and word of their children's whereabouts. Three days later one family received a phone call, telling them to come to the morgue to identify their son. Officials asserted that he had died of poisoning presumably from tear gas but there were clear indications on his body that he had been beaten. This video shows the funeral that was held yesterday for this 23-year-old, whose death his parents feel was caused by police violence. (This also gives you a very good idea of what a Moldovan funeral is like.)There have been other images and reports of physical violence so this is not an isolated case. Other videos can be seen on http://www.jurnaltv.md/ .

Meanwhile, officials are reviewing the electoral lists to determine whether last week's election had some irregularities or not.

What?? No Facebook!

2009-04-09T17:33:00.003+02:00

In face of the protests and riots going on, much of which is being fuelled by the communication technology easily available to young people, the communist government of Moldova has shut down access to Facebook within Moldova. So if you don't see me on Facebook - it's Vladimir Veronin's fault! (Moldovan president for just a little while longer) If you want to find out more about what's happening in this country, you can search for Moldova protests on YouTube and find a lot of footage giving a very clear image of what's going on. Please pray for Moldova during this time of instability and upheaval.

The Blame Game

2009-04-08T23:12:00.005+02:00

So yesterday we heard there was some real violence in the protests. Since then we have seen and heard and been much dismayed by the actions of a contingent of the protesters. Ultimately, both the presidents palace and the parliament were attacked and even burned. So from the time of the violence Veronin has been seeking to lay blame on somebody for what happened. Initially the opposition leaders were accused of inciting the protesters to violence but it was clear that that was not their intention. Today for some reason the president chose to lay blame on Romania and declared the Romanian ambassador a 'persona non grata' who must leave the country. At the same time the border was closed to Romania and it was ruled that Romanians will be required to obtain a visa to enter Moldova. This raises a lot of questions and complications for many people who frequently come in and out of Moldova.

Stories are circulating about how the election was fraudulent, including rumours that over 1,000 dead people voted! That is, the mayors in the villages, it is purported, held off on completing paper work for individuals who had died recently. Therefore, officially on paper there was nothing to indicate their decease so those names somehow were used and votes were cast in their name, I suppose for the communist party. And of course the Orthodox priests were instructing their people to vote for communists but then, the Baptists were encouraging people how to vote as well.

News reports indicate that about 180 people were injured in yesterday's violence, 100 of whom were policemen. They also said that 200 people have been arrested and the news showed distraught parents at the police headquarters, trying to obtain information about their teenagers who never came home last night and whom they haven't heard from. Other reports imply that there has been beating of suspects by police.

So it's been an interesting day, and I suspect the saga isn't over yet. We certainly hope not. If this is a revolution, there's a long way to go! Communism is still alive in Moldova. But then, a revolution needs a leader and of all the political leaders I have been watching on TV these days, not one is the charismatic type who will really be able to win the trust and allegiance of the people. That's my take on all of this, anyway.

Moldovan Youth - not apathetic!

2009-04-07T00:00:00.006+02:00

It seems that although the communists somehow obtained more than 50% of the vote, the youth of Moldova are not prepared to sit idly by. There was a huge protest rally in the city centre today with over 20,000 youth filling the square. The opposition parties are accusing the government of rigging the election and there is a call for an electoral review of some kind. In any case, through text-messaging and internet a huge crowd of young people gathered in the centre square this evening in declaration of a national day of mourning in view of the election results. Word is that there will be another protest tomorrow morning. Much prayer has gone up for this election and for new blood in the Moldovan parliament. Christians are rejoicing that the Bishop of the Baptist Union, Valeriu Ghiletschi has obtained a seat in parliament. Ghiletschi said on his Facebook page: “I finished the first day after the election X in the center of Chisinau attending a 20.000 youth protest. I was thinking that the battle was over, but it seems it's just the beginning...” (Valeriu Ghiletschi, newly re-elected to parliament)

Find out more about the election at these links:
http://www.kyivpost.com/world/39060

http://www.kyivpost.com/world/39049

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7984582.stm

"The election results were based on a final vote count from Sunday's ballot. Turnout was more than 59 percent. There are two days to consider challenges.Opposition parties raised the specter of a new election by saying they would not join a coalition with the Communists. If the Communists fall short of 61 seats and no president is elected in three ballots, another parliamentary election must be called.Three opposition parties passed the 6 percent barrier to enter parliament. All three are broadly in favor free market policies and closer ties with the European Union and do not object to membership in NATO.
… The election was monitored by some 3,000 observers. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the election was fair, but there was a need for "unbiased news reporting by the public broadcaster," said Nikolai Vulchanov, head of the long-term election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.In the ethnic Moldovan town of Corjova, inside the breakaway region of Transdnestr, some 300 people jammed a polling station, preventing residents from casting ballots. Election observers were investigating the incident, and the town's residents voted in a nearby village.Moldovans living in other areas controlled by separatists were prevented from traveling to polling stations.No ballots took place in the separatist-controlled areas of Transdnestr, where Russia has 500 troops stationed. "(from the Moscow Times. Com - http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/1010/42/375970.htm)

It's well-known that there is a LOT of cabbage in Moldova. I laughed when I saw this poster from the voting campaign whose title means: "Don't be a cabbage! Vote!"

The Big 90 Wahoo

2009-04-02T12:11:00.013+02:00

Well, praise the Lord! I had the opportunity to go to Canada last week to see my mother. She has been in the hospital for over a month and has at least another 2 weeks to go before they expect to discharge her. But she is improving and is looking forward to going home. I was glad I went as I was really uncertain of what to expect in regards to her health. She seems to have been happy to see me and was also glad to be able to celebrate her 90th birthday! "I made it!!", she said, as she lifted her arms in victory! The hospital wasn't her first choice for location of the party but the fact that she achieved the 90 and that she was able to have a party seemed to be enough for her in her somewhat weakened condition. It was great to have friends there as well as relatives, including my aunt and cousins who drove from London, Ontario to join the celebration.

This is me and my aunt Audrey.>>>>

Mom cuts the cake! (hope the video works)

My son Ben and his girlfriend also celebrated with us. Another joy during my brief time in Canada was to spend time with my son Ben and to meet his girlfriend. They not only came to Mom/Grammy's birthday party but took me out to lunch the day I was leaving. Thanks, guys!

The day I left I also had breakfast with my brother Bob and his wife, who came from BC to see Mom. After breakfast we went to the hospital so I could say goodbye and pass Mom into their loving care for a few days. It was great to see you two!

God sends angels everywhere and some of the most wonderful angels go to my mother's church. Thelma and Jim helped to organize the birthday party but have been continually assisting with caring for my mom since they met her at church a couple years ago and found out they were related. There is another couple, Betty and Al, who also take it upon themselves to help care for Mom, visiting her and meeting whatever needs they are able. The minister of pastoral care at the church has also been very faithful to visit her. All these blessings mean so much to me and my siblings when we are unable to be as close to Mom as we would like. Whether we can be or not, we know that God is watching out for her. I look forward to seeing Mom in the summer when I go for a vacation, not a hospital visit!

Friday Surgeries

2009-03-07T19:25:00.004+01:00

The last few weeks have been quite a ride for my mother. As I shared previously, she had surgery to remove her cancerous uterus. Then she had a lot of complications and the following Friday the doctors performed another surgery, this time with a general anesthetic and an incision, to correct a bowel obstruction that had occurred as the result of the first surgery. Then just as things seemed to be getting back on track, Mom's heart stopped one night and so the doctors decided to insert a pacemaker. So yesterday, Mother was back in the operating room again for the 'simple' procedure - 20 minutes, local anesthetic, incision - of inserting a pacemaker. Mom is now back in the cardiac care unit with the concerns about her heart rate now addressed and hoping to soon be able to go home. My sister soldiers on at Mom's side and we hope that next Friday Mom will be playing bridge, not visiting the surgeon again! Then on March 22 she'll be celebrating her 90th birthday. We trust it will not be in the hospital, even if the medical team is a wonderful group of people!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and your expressions of concern. They are greatly appreciated.

Meanwhile, back in Moldova, I have been busy with a variety of things. The last two Sundays I have been visiting our local ministry teams in the villages in the south and then the north. It's always good to get a taste of what's happening on the local scene with people. I also have been spending some time each week with our new recruits, especially the couple from Australia. One day my colleague, Albina, and I took Justin and Jessie out to the village where they are having their 'homestay' - living with a Moldovan family to become familiar with the language and culture. Here is a photo of the couple and their two children, along with Albina (on the left) and Justin and Jessie (in the centre). They have been having an interesting and valuable time with these new friends. Also, they are one step away from receiving their long-prayed-for residency permit. We'll know next Thursday...

In other news, Moldova is in the midst of a political campaign in the face of upcoming elections at the beginning of April. It's really something to see big signs up saying "STOP COMMUNISM", vote for the Green Party. Even the Baptist bishop is running for office! More about this next time.

I'm afraid I don't have many new photos as my camera is not functioning properly. I need to find a place to get it repaired or leave it for dead and buy a new one. Meanwhile I'm begging and borrowing photos from other people.

Oh, and one more thing - tomorrow is March 8 - a big day in Moldova as it is Women's Day. It's the equivalent of Mother's Day except that ALL women are honoured. Everyone's giving out flowers to the women in their lives and our team is going to have a special social event on Monday for all the women on our team. So to all my female friends, wherever you are, I want to wish you a happy 'Ziua de femeie' and to let you know that you are special - uniquely created, a blessing to those who know you, and precious in the eyes of the Lord. Felicitari!

Still praying...

2009-02-26T20:53:00.002+01:00

Hello, dear friends. This is just a quick note to ask you all to continue to remember my mother. Her surgery last Friday went well and she seemed to be recovering well initially. However, she had a setback on Tuesday and then yesterday there seems to be a lot of concern for her heart. So rather than being sent home as we had hoped, she is being moved to the Cardiac Care Unit. My sister is still with her and is giving us daily updates. We are thankful for a competent medical team who are monitoring the situation constantly and providing excellent care for Mom. My mother is in good spirits and simply entrusting herself to the Lord, knowing that ultimately, He is the one who is caring for her. Thank you for keeping Helen in your prayers.

My Mom

2009-02-21T00:31:00.003+01:00

I just want to thank all the people who have been praying for my mother. She had cancer surgery today and came through it well, although the doctors are keeping a close eye on her, especially her heartrate. I'm so thankful for my wonderful sister Beverly who is there with Mom during this time. It eases the concern, and the regret that I am not able to be with Mom through this situation. I know that many, many people have been praying and please continue to pray, as she isn't out of the woods yet. But coming through surgery so well at age 89 is no small feat! Praise God for His grace!

Making God smile

2009-02-16T22:11:00.015+01:00

When you look at the life of Jesus you see that above all, His heart was moved by the things that moved the heart of the Father. In fact, His life's purpose was motivated by the love of God for his lost children. He showed His love for God the Father by pouring out His life and His love for those whom God loved.

In my life, I have felt most loved and cared for when someone has shared in caring for those who are most precious to me. When my children were small, I had friends whose greatest act of love towards me was that of caring for my children. I still have friends who care for my children and grandchildren in very tangible ways, when I am too far away to do much that is tangible for them. For these friends I am most grateful. (You know who you are.)

And this week, a friend has also shown her love for me by caring for those who are special to me here in Moldova. I received a package in the mail that contained a gift for me. But it also contained similar gifts - lovingly and creatively and beautifully made by hand - for two of my co-workers, individualized for each of them. My dear sister in Christ, you have touched my heart by your thoughtfulness and care. Thank you so much. (You know who you are.)

I have felt this kind of love from others, also, who have embraced the work in which I am involved by praying for me and for my team and for our ministries here in Moldova, and by supporting our work financially and by participating in some way. But I know that their care is motivated by more than just their love for me. They are motivated by their love for the Father and their desire to share His love with others.

In the same way as my friend showed me her love by caring for my friends, we show our love for God by caring for those who are precious to Him. Whether it is children in Moldova or street kids in Toronto, or AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe or seniors in retirement homes or homeless people in shelters or single mothers in housing projects or people nearby or in faraway lands who have never heard about God's love or the name of Jesus; by caring for these ones who are so precious to the Father, we show our love for Him in a way that I am sure causes Him to smile.

Today I was reading some reports on some of our projects here in Moldova - stories that illustrated the difference we are making in the lives of children through the day centres we help to facilitate. Some of the situations in which these children live are heartbreaking. God sees and cares. I am just so thankful that - because someone gave

and someone prayed

and someone left home to live and work in Moldova

and someone trained national workers how to work with children

and someone made sure that health and safety standards were met

and someone is preparing healthy meals each day,

and someone takes care of the finances

and someone writes reports to donors -

that children in 10 different day centers around Moldova have had a hot meal today and help with their homework and have been shown and told about the love of God for them.

How about you? Have you done something today that caused our heavenly Father to smile? How have you cared for those who are precious to Him?

A Year for the Lord

2009-02-07T23:40:00.002+01:00

We have a new program that has just begun in January. It is a response to the huge problem of emigration in Moldova - so many people leave the country to find work elsewhere. Many young people feel that if they go to another country, they can get lots of money and have a better life. Often parents leave their children at home or young people leave illegally and end up getting into all kinds of problems and trouble. So our new program is a challenge to young people to give a year for the Lord instead of leaving the country. Moldovans are required to commit a year to mandatory service of some kind and so this is a similar idea, except the service is for the Lord. It is called the D.E.L.T.A. program and the initials are for giving a year to the Lord (in Romanian).Here is a photo of the first team participating in this program - the 4 girls on the left are the team and the tall guy is Spiridon, the program coordinator. Three of the girls are Moldovan and the one in the green is from England, Kate. They will spend about 3 months in each of the girls' home village, serving in partnership with the local church. They will return regularly to Chisinau for training and debriefing and hopefully by the end of the year they will be ready to consider more long-term involvement in missions or just a more committed involvement in their local church. Meanwhile they are serving their communities by working with children and young people, feeding and visiting elderly people, doing service projects of various kinds and generally just making themselves available for however the Lord wants to use them. On this team, two of the girls are native Russian speakers, one is English and one is Moldovan. They are having a challenging time communicating among themselves.

Beyond the gas crisis

2009-01-28T23:45:00.012+01:00

Let me begin by sharing with you the most recent photo of my angelic granddaughter, Eliana. Here she is being held my her 'god-grandmother', Vicki, in British Columbia, Canada. Eliana and her brother Alejandro and their parents just spent a weekend together with their wonderful god-grandparents who kindly stand in the gap for their absentee grandmother from time to time. Thanks, Eric and Vicki!

Don't you all agree that Eliana is absolutely adorable? (This is Grandma missing her babies.)

It could be that some of you are wondering whether for lack of gas I froze to death in my apartment here in Moldova, mourned only by the pigeons who gather regularly outside our building and only eventually to be discovered under the powdery snow at the time of the spring thaw. In fact, had Ukraine (don't you just love their prime minister - or is it president?- and her very Ukrainian hairdo?)and Russia not made a deal, we may still have survived easily in the mild temperatures that have stayed with us over the last weeks. Fog, rain and mud. That's the current situation in Moldova. And I emphasize mud! (Yuk) During the gas crisis there were in fact many Moldovans who endured hardship with lack of heat in various situations. Schools were closed an extra week at the end of the Christmas break and when they did open, some were still woefully under-heated. Personally the only real effect of the gas cutoff for me was that the central hot water in our apartment complex was turned off and my electric water heater was not working so I had to have a few cold showers. Thankfully my wonderful landlady had a repair guy come and together they ensured that the hot water heater was repaired.

Anyway, so here I am alive and well and living in Moldova. In the last few weeks we have been preparing to receive our new recruits - a couple from Australia and a young girl from Austria. At the same time we have been making every effort to keep the other couple from Australia here in the country. Sadly we were unsuccessful and last Friday I travelled to Romania for a last visit with Ben and Becca before they flew out to England to join up with one of our teams there.

That hasn't been the only disappointment. Eugen, a Moldovan on our team was hoping to attend a training program in England and has been refused a visa. Maybe an appeal will be possible but we need prayer in this world of seemingly random visa refusals.

Another highlight in the last few weeks has been the opportunity to meet with Vlad, who has returned from his two years of ministry in Nepal. It was interesting debriefing him about his time, but it was also great to be with other friends who attended his church the day he made a fascinating presentation about his work and ministry and life in Nepal. Stories of trekking in the Himalaya mountains and sharing the gospel with Hindus and Buddhists who had never heard the name of Jesus was the stuff of genuine mission adventure.

My mission adventure here in Moldova is not quite so ... adventurous. But nevertheless it is full of relationships and opportunities to mentor and encourage and train as I serve a team of people who are involved in many different types of ministry. I enjoy having people over to my home for a meal on occasion and recently I hosted our team leader and his family of 5 children (who are being home-schooled!! by their brave and competent mother.) I have begun meeting with Helen, their mother, for a weekly Bible study and time of sharing as we discuss the gospel of Mark. I was also happy to welcome back to Moldova my good friend Corinne and her dog Silas, who came for a movie night and sleepover one weekend.

Most recently my time has been consumed with preparation for the arrival of our new recruits and planning of their orientation time. It's great to finally have them with us and last Saturday I returned from my visit in Romania in time to meet them at the airport on their arrival from a new recruits' conference in Germany. In the photo you can see Justin and Jessie, from Australia, on the left and Michaela, an Austrian girl, on the right along with our Moldovan teammate Lilian.

So dear readers, that is what I have been occupied with over the last two weeks. It's always nice to know that people miss my blog when I don't get around to updating it. Thank you, Inga, Joyce, and Dana, for reminding me that it's been too long. I also want to say hello to someone who reads my blog regularly but whom I have never met but someone told me about you and gave me your name and I wrote it down somewhere and was going to surprise you by greeting you by name on my blog but now I can't find where I wrote it down!! So, if you read my blog but have never met me, I just want to say hello and welcome to my ramblings about life in Moldova.

Current news

2009-01-10T23:35:00.001+01:00

Once more we find ourselves praying for gas! The weather has been getting colder every day. I still have heat in my apartment, but no hot water.

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's president says his country will supply its own gas to freezing Bulgaria and Moldova amid a Russian cutoff.
Viktor Yushchenko says Ukraine will help the two countries by sending them gas from its own reserves starting Saturday. He didn't say for how long Ukraine will provide gas.
Deputy head of Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz Volodymyr Trikolich said Saturday it will supply daily about 2 million cubic meters of gas to Bulgaria and about 1.5 million cubic meters of gas to Moldova.
Russia cut off all supplies to European countries via Ukrainian pipelines Wednesday, leaving more than a dozen countries with no gas shipments. Bulgaria and Moldova were among the worst affected.

New Year's Eve in Wisla

2009-01-08T23:14:00.016+01:00

On December 30 Jurek picked me up at the train station as I returned from Krakow and off we went to Wisla. Wisla is a small tourist (ski resort) town in the south of Poland in the mountains. It is here that the Wisla, or Vistula, river begins. It was just crisp and snowy when we arrived and the next day I had opportunity to walk into the town and see some of the sights. It was a lovely town and a beautiful day and many people wandered the market area on a break from their ski holiday, I suppose. I enjoyed wandering around and seeing the souvenirs and crafts that were on sale. I also saw some interesting food items and stopped at a place to eat some lunch. The air was clear and brisk and it was a real holiday atmosphere in the little town. After exploring for a while I headed back to the church where we were staying and where the concert was to be held that evening. It was a lovely large facility with a round sanctuary on the main floor and the upper floor able to accommodate a lot of people in lovely rooms with big windows overlooking the town.

Already people had started arriving from the Katowice church and other churches in the area. I met some of the people who had attended the English language camp that is conducted as an outreach event each summer at Katowice. Some of them had been taught by friends of mine from Nova Scotia who had been there the previous summer as part of a short term mission team. I had been billed as the English language speaker from Canada so before the evening program even began some people came to my room to bring greetings and to take the opportunity to practise their English language skills. I enjoyed meeting them as well as my roommates for the night. Eventually the evening program began with a lovely meal served by the women of the local church, followed by a concert put on by several bands and guest singers. The music was great and the fact that it was in Polish was not a problem - I just did my best to pronounce the words on the screen and sing whatever songs I could. Later there was a time of worship and some preaching and testimonies, and I was invited to share a word of greetings and testimony. My mention of the fact I was currently living in Moldova led to an interesting conversation with someone later. After the fireworks at midnight there was another meal and then as people started heading home or off to bed, the singing continued on a more and more informal level. It was a great night and one that I will not soon forget..

The next day we had another meal early in the afternoon and then later on we made the return journey to Katowice. That evening I had one last visit with the Rogaczewski family in their home and was so grateful for the warmth and kindness that they extended to me, including me as a member of the family. Early the next morning Ania drove me to the airport in Cracow and I went home feeling that - if I had to be away from my own family - this had been a wonderful way to spend my Christmas. Thank you, Lord, and thank you Ania and Jurek!

After Christmas in Cracow

2009-01-04T00:31:00.014+01:00

After Christmas I took the train to Cracow to spend a couple of days on my own just seeing the sights and relaxing. The only time I had been there before had been with my short term mission team in 2003 when we spent an afternoon seeing as much as we could see in a brief time. This time I was able to spend some time getting my bearings, familiarizing myself at least with the old town and some of the historic sites, such as Wawel Castle. I just missed the Christmas market which they hold in the centre square, but that was ok as the 'Cloth market' was open anyway and there were plenty of shops to browse in. My hotel was just 5 minutes' walk from the train station and the historic town centre was also about 5 minutes' walk, so it was very handy to be able to see the town. On the first evening I just strolled around a bit but the next morning I did some serious tourist sight-seeing.

I had read a guide book in the hotel that told me about some interesting architecture by a guy named Teodor Talowski so I went in search of the houses they mentioned. One had an interesting inscription that I liked, which means 'Hurry slowly' and another had a character of a frog as the building had originally been by a part of the river where the frogs would sing at night. Another house had a donkey's head on it for some random reason - all very interesting but a bit off the beaten track.

I looked in the big St. Mary's Cathedral on the centre square and I also was able to go and see the exhibition of the elaborate nativity scenes created for the annual contest. "Every year since 1943, Krakow's Museum of History has celebrated Christmas with a competition for the most beautiful szopka (nativity scene or crib). All the cribs remain on display until early February. These are no ordinary cribs, just depicting Mary and Joseph in the stable with animals, shepherds and wise men coming to greet the baby Jesus. Krakow szopka are highly elaborate, depicting multi-storey buildings topped with church towers, although all with a focal point of the stable and the blessed child.The tradition is centuries old, and now has renewed meaning in the aftermath of the fall of Sovietism. The cribs are displayed in Krakow's main square (Rynek Glówny) on the first Thursday of December until 12pm when, after the sounding of the bugle call from the tower of St Mary's Church, they are transported to the museum in the Krzysztofory Palace for judging." For more information check out http://www.cracowcrafts.com/2.html and to see some sample szopki.

Unfortunately I didn't buy a ticket that allowed me to take photos and afterwards I wish I had. After walking all morning I was able to go back to my hotel and rest for the rest of the afternoon.

In the evening I attended a Chopin concert in a historic palace of sorts right on the centre square, after which I treated my self to a nice supper at a restaurant called the Orient Ekspres, whose decor was that of a train. After having travelled more than once on a train I wondered why I chose this very familiar ambiance but anyway, the food was good and the conversation of the British couples sitting across from me was somewhat entertaining. It would have been nice to have someone to converse with myself but oh well.

The next morning I only had time to walk across the park and up the hill to see Wawel Castle. It was a beautiful day and although my feet were still sore from all the walking I did the day before, it was quite pleasant and the air was just slightly crisp but not too cold. I toured the big cathedral in the Castle, poked in a souvenir shop and perused the grounds without taking time to see the other exhibits.

I was tempted to go and see the dragon's lair but decided I just didn't have time as I had to catch a train to get back to Katowice to meet my friend there. It had been a very pleasant couple of days in Krakow and certainly is a city I would recommend visiting and wouldn't mind visiting again.

Christmas in Poland

2008-12-30T01:16:00.012+01:00

I enjoyed a traditional Polish Christmas with my friends in Katowice.
Some of you know Jurek and his sister and their parents. They were very generous in welcoming me into their home to share the season with them. I have acquired a new love for the famous beetroot soup. The best so far was what Ania prepared on Christmas eve, served over yummy mushroom-filled perogies. The evening of Dec. 24 is the main family gathering and traditionally no meat is served. Instead the main course is fish. The carp was delicious, even though we had to fight with the bones a bit. After dinner we sang Polish carols. One of them I have now heard several times and it is constantly ringing in my head - a very catchy tune. After the carols we had tea and cakes - several different kinds - and then we opened presents. I was surprised to receive several gifts but pleased to be made to feel so much a part of the family. Tomek, Ania's very kind and thoughtful son, passed out the gifts. Ania received a very classy hat and glove set from her brother.

On Christmas day there was a church service in the morning and I was invited to share a brief word. I shared a few thoughts and told the story of the 3 trees. But the highlight of the service were the testimonies that were shared by the children as part of their Christmas presentation. What a touching thing to hear young children speaking sincerely 0f their love for Jesus and their desire to serve Him!
On 'second Christmas' ( the second day of Christmas, Boxing Day to Canadians), I had the delight of going to lunch with my dear friend Radek, who I had met the first time I came to Poland. We found a Pizza Hut that was open and ate a nice meal while talking and talking and talking. It was a really good visit.
The next day I jumped on a train to travel the hour and a half to the town of Skoczow to vist my friend Renia. Renia was a member of our team in Moldova up until a few months ago so this was a good chance to touch base with her and to see how she has been doing in readapting to life at home. Her parents were very hospitable and her mother kept serving us with delicious food while she and I talked and talked and talked for hours. Then she walked me back across town to the train station and I headed back to Katowice.

On Sunday once again I shared a very brief thought from the pulpit and also sang a song. After the service I reconnected with a really nice family who have kept in contact with me since the first time I came to Poland. It was great to see them again and to hear of the interest of the two teenagers to come to Moldova maybe this summer. I hope my boss realizes how much recruiting I have been trying to do over this Christmas!!
This has been a good Christmas and of course it is always a joy to celebrate the birth of our Saviour and to be reminded that he is Emmanuel, "God with us". The difficult part of this Christmas, of course, has been being away from my kids and just missing them so much. I'm thankful for internet as I have had e-mail contact with Marah, chatted online with Joshua, and know a bit of what Ben is up to through Facebook. I love you all, my darlings. Today I saw a man with a very cute little granddaughter in hand and I started thinking about Eliana and what she will be like as she grows older. Suddenly I realized I was walking along the street with a silly grin on my face as I thought of the little princess and remembered how cute she is when she laughs!
In my next post I'll fill you in on my visit to Cracow...

Christmas Season...

2008-12-21T22:32:00.009+01:00

... has begun in Moldova. After church this evening I went for a walk along the main street - it was a damp mild evening but the streets were all lit up. Because it was mild, lots of people seemed to be out walking around. I have been going to this new church plant in the centre of the city for the last month or so. We meet in a kind of library on Sunday evenings. Even there, was a Christmas tree.

For me, the first taste of Christmas was a few weeks ago when I went to the edge of Romania to visit our Australian exiles. Ben & Becca had hoped to work with us in Moldova but the government will not allow them in the country. So now they are stuck in Romania and praying for guidance as to what field they should go to. So when I visited them I stayed at an American hotel and we had supper there together, with lovely western Chrismas music in the background. That was nice.

More recently I attended the International Women's Club Christmas bazaar, an annual even that brings in a fair bit of revenue and is also full of interesting things to see. There were some folk dancers as well as lots of food and crafts for sale.

Since then our team has been busy with a number of things. Of course, many of our workers are involved in Christmas programs in the villages, and distributing various food packages and gifts for children that have been donated by sponsors. Our fall training program for missions has also come to an end and with that a variety of responsibilities to be fulfilled, including evaluations and reports. Tomorrow evening we have our team Christmas party and so we have been preparing for that. That will involve dinner out at a very special restaurant and then a rollicking good time back at the mission centre around the Christmas tree with gifts for everyone and enjoying desserts there.

I am looking forward to my Christmas trip to Poland where I will visit some special friends and join in the Christmas celebrations there. I'm excited about that but I'm feeling kind of sad about not being able to be with family for Christmas. Packages have been sent and I've been learning the art of shopping on the internet for a few things, just to make sure they arrive in case Moldova Post lets me down. So I'll end this post with a few newly received photos of my adorable grandchildren, Alejandro and Eliana.

And I also want to take this opportunity to extend best wishes to all my readers and friends and friends-I-don't-know-yet for a very blessed Christmas and a happy new year 2009! As you contemplate the coming of the Christ Child to this earth, may you understand for the first time or in a new way the depth of God's love for you, and the joy Jesus delights to share with you.

Ramblings

2008-12-05T23:56:00.006+01:00

Well, faithful readers, I guess I owe you an apology for such a long delay between postings. I ask myself why and realize that last weekend, for example, I basically didn't want to go anywhere or do anything as the nasty cold that was being passed around found its way to my house. So I made chicken soup and drank hot lemon and lots of water and tea and honey and hoped it would all go away. Being at work on Monday and Tuesday was miserable but by Wednesday I was feeling better. Thursday was a lot of nose-blowing and today, while I felt fine, I still break into coughing fits every so often. So that's my excuse for this week.

But on to more interesting topics now that I have fully played on your sympathy. For any of you who are going through the same misery with a nasty cold, you have my sympathy and I hope you are feeling better very soon. My team-mate, Butje, tells me that if you take echinacea regularly you won't catch cold. He is from Indonesia and after his first nasty confrontation with winter colds in this very different climate he discovered echinacea and he swears by it.

So the big news this week is very disappointing news. The couple from Chile who we were hoping to get into Moldova to work with us here have been denied their visa. No more chances to reapply anytime soon. No explanation or reason given - just a no. And on top of that, the Australian couple who had been here and had to leave temporarily (we thought) have also been denied the possibility of re-entry. No reason given. This was not expected at all and so now they are sitting in Romania and need to decide what other country they might like to serve in. Please pray for all these dear friends - this has been a very stressful time for them and now all their plans need to be readjusted.

And now we start the journey towards Christmas. I have noticed recently that Moldova is becoming more and more westernized. A big new mall just opened - the "Mall Dova" - if you can bear it! And in the shops there are Christmas products already for sale. Because Christmas here is celebrated on January 7 (Orthodox calendar) to see Christmas paraphernalia so soon seems a bit odd. The celebrations here are generally not nearly as materialistic as they are in the west, but I can see it moving in that direction.

I have been assigned with the task of finding a restaurant where we can go as a team for our Christmas celebration. The per/person cost is something we are trying to decrease as our team is so large now but it's not easy to find a place that is affordable. Albine and I went to a few potential venues today and were shocked at the prices some of them are asking. Our favourite and would-be choice is a lovely new place on the edge of town that fits all our requirements perfectly except for the fact that the cost per person starts at 600 lei - the equivalent of $60! I think I picked my chin up off the floor before we left the restaurant. As we drove back to the base, Albine was telling me about visiting a 'feeding the elderly' project that we have in one of the villages. As she described the condition that many of the seniors live in it was hard to reconcile their desperate reality with the amount of money that we might spend on a simple team celebration. This is one of the challenges of living in a poor country. We don't have western salaries as the American embassy employees would have but even a missionary budget is better than that of many Moldovans. A constant issue to grapple with is that of financial inequality and how we as Christians are to handle our money - wisely and generously - ; recognizing that all things come from God.

Learning & Growing together

2008-11-23T00:28:00.004+01:00

This week was a busy one for my department. We had a visit from the personnel officer for the Central European area, who came from Germany to help train us in our responsibilities. It was a good time with him and we all benefitted from his wisdom and experience. Each member of our personnel department learned new things about what it is exactly that we are supposed to be doing. By the end of Tobias' time with us, it seemed that each person in the group had gained a better understanding of the breadth of our work and a clearer idea of their role in our little team. Tobias had led us through a list of all the functions of the department - recruiting, maintaining records, member care, training, communicating internationally, connecting with churches and other home offices, and sending into missions - and helped us see where we each fit in. He then gave us an overview of all that is involved in member care: not only dealing with crisis situations but also helping people through transitions and cultural adaptation and encouraging them in team life, relationships, and in their personal development and growth.

His visit was short but his time was very full and the whole team benefitted from his experience as he shared at our prayer meeting and another session as well. I think my department is now going to be stronger, better organized and more able to handle the demands placed on us. Pictured is Tobias on the left, and our department members - Claudia (Switzerland), Albine (Moldova), Ivanir (Brazil) and yours truly.

Friday was my birthday and the first gift I received was this lovely white rose, from my team.

In the Belly of a Whale

2008-11-15T17:09:00.008+01:00

This week our team was treated to a real special evening. It was the farewell party for a Dutch family who have been with us for 4 years. Along with their 3 daughters, Jeanine and Fulco are returning to Holland. But before they left the three Dutch girls and the two Brazilian children on our team put together a wonderful musical rendition of the Jonah and the Whale. The five MK's (missionary kids) put together all their creative abilities under the direction of the girls' teacher, Alida, who came from Holland last January to help them prepare for returning to the Dutch school system. Alida has been a wonderful addition to our team as well and we are glad that she feels God's calling to continue with us in Moldova. Judging from the creativity expressed in the Jonah play, we'll have lots more fun events with Alida around.

It was very impressive to see the way the children had learned many lines directly from the Bible in presenting the story.

The role of captain of the ship and then king of Nineveh was played by the youngest and smallest of the children - very cute. Their artistic ability in putting together the props and the set were very evident. And even 're-writing' familiar tunes to go with the story they were presenting... including a song about the withering vine which had us all laughing - the kids did an awesome job! Did I mention that the whole thing was performed in the common language these children share: Romanian.

At the end of the children's presentation, Jeanine and Fulco shared some thoughts with the team about their years here in Moldova. Team members also shared some of the special memories they had of this wonderful couple. Together, Jeanine and Fulco have done a huge amount to develop our relief and development ministries here in Moldova. Micro-businesses, training courses, day centres, women's groups, feeding the elderly and community projects have largely been initiated and/or developed significantly through the ministry of this couple. We will miss you, Jeanine, Fulco, Noe, Deena, Iada. God bless you!

Summer on Monday; Winter on Saturday

2008-11-08T21:58:00.010+01:00

When I left Montenegro on Monday, we had picked mandarin oranges and pomegranates off the trees outside my friend Micah's house that morning. The day was hot and sunny and short sleeves were very comfortable. The day before I had watched a man swimming at the beach nearby!

On Wednesday when I went to the office, I stepped out of my apartment building and practically waded through the yellow leaves that were falling steadily from the trees. It was autumn.

Yesterday, as I drove home from work, I turned the heater on in my car and thought to myself "I need to find where I put my winter gloves. My hands are cold." Today I had the opportunity to meet my downstairs neighbour when he knocked on my apartment door. Since my radiators are on the floor above his, mine have the knob that you turn to let the air out. The air had to be released so that the hot water could circulate through the system. It's been awhile since I lived in a house with radiators and had to do that at the beginning of the winter. So now my radiators work in my apartment, and I know my downstairs neighbour - a very nice young man with a wife and young child. It's true that winter is just around the corner. Outside it's cold, but inside I'm beginning to feel warmer.

Stari Bar & Petrovac

2008-11-08T21:29:00.010+01:00

The name of the city in Montenegro where we stayed is Bar, and there is an historic site nearby which is called ‘Stari Bar’, meaning Old Bar. This fortified hill fortress town dates back to the 6th C. AD and is apparently an archaeological treasure, with various levels of historic significance which have been excavated only in limited fashion. It was fascinating to wander around this site, which had been further devastated by an earthquake in 1978 but some of which has been reconstructed. I took lots of pictures. Here are a few of them.

It was a misty day with a bit of rain but not so much that our explorations were overly dampened.

We met afterwards in atraditional-style café and enjoyed a cappuccino.

The day the conference ended we went on a drive to the nearby seaside town of Petrovac. It was a windy day and the surf was rough. Micah and I climbed up to a terrace at the end of the seawall and watched the waves crashing against the rocks. It was awesome – reminded me of childhood days jumping the rocks at Peggy’s Cove and marveling at the ocean spray against the rocky shore.

I also got some great photos of a couple of the local folk who didn’t mind letting me take their picture at all. I especially like this one of the woman who had been gathering olives from the ground of an olive grove near where we parked the van. She and I had a brief conversation with my complete lack of knowledge of the Serbian language. The interesting thing is that Serbian is a Slavic language so the very few Russian words that I know help a bit in figuring out what is being said. But just a bit.

Kotor & Budva

2008-11-03T00:04:00.007+01:00

Mid-way through the week in Montenegro we took a day off and enjoyed an outing together to a historic city further up the coast to the north. The city of Kotor is located on a large inland port which is accessed through a fjord-like channel that the cruise ships navigate to arrive in this beautiful spot. For us, it was about a 1 ½ hour drive from Bar. Kotor is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. (I remember going to Wielicka in Poland – another World Heritage Site. That too was amazing so I think I will make it a goal to visit as many of these sites as possible!) Kotor’s chief attraction is the old city, enclosed in the historic fortress-like walls. At one time an autonomous city-state, it later (1490) put itself under the protection of Venice so the Venetian influence is seen in some of the architecture and décor. Its narrow alleys and well-restored walls contain many cafes where tourists (like us) can while away an afternoon with cappuccino and lovely cakes. The city’s fortifications are built right into the mountain that embraces it. The ambitious in our group climbed the 1,350 steps to the Fortress of St. Ivan and had a spectacular view from there. Those of us who were less ambitious get to enjoy their photos! As well as the pleasure of relaxing at cafes and exploring the narrow cobblestone streets and the car-less city squares, we were able to do a bit of Christmas shopping in the very nice shops conveniently located for visitors from the cruise ships. After spending most of the day in Kotor we stopped on the way back to Bar in another coastal town called Budva. I was tired and didn’t want to do a lot of walking around the old historic city so I asked Micah to show me where the beach was. She led me to an awesome beach, filled with cafes, next to the city wall and fortress. The waves were rolling against the shore and the sound of the waves and the breeze from the ocean and the sun gradually descending over the sea were such a balm to my soul. I found a seat away from the others and just soaked it all in, while I also did some reading in preparation for my next day’s teaching. Since that day I have looked for every opportunity I could find to sit on the shore and breathe in the salt air. Will I ever get enough of it? My Nova Scotia ocean blood is still pretty powerful!