Team Retreat and on we go...

The time is flying now... hard to catch my breath between events. I barely got back from Canada, did some debriefing with teams that were just finishing up summer outreaches and then we were off for a week for our team retreat. Would have been relaxing if I wasn't in charge of it, but fortunately this year I was a bit more organized and more relaxed about delegating to others. On the left is our current team picture. Matthew's wife Helen and their 2 boys are missing as the boys were sick. But do you see all the babies? Since last year's retreat, we have added 4 babies to our OM Moldova family!! And this summer Slavic got married... he and his wife Snejana are in the front row on the right. A highlight of the week for me was the return of my friend Corinne to the team, along with her dog Silas, of course.

Also we had an A-1 speaker couple - Ian & Helen Orton really blessed us with their presence and sharing the gifts and passion God has given them. Ian led us in a cross-cultural study of the book of Ruth. Ian and Helen also led several sessions on cross-cultural relationships and relationships in general, addressing couples sometimes and singles other times. I think it was a real team-building week.





But now we are gearing up for the fall and the first week or so of September we are welcoming our new recruits and I am coordinating their orientation program. This evening I will pick up an Australian couple and a British girl from the airport and on Monday we begin our program. At the same time we have a couple from Chile who hope to join us but who have to wait outside the country a bit longer until they can obtain a visa for Moldova.

Tomorrow is a national holiday - Limba Noastra day - ("Our Language") so today the banks are closed and i haven't paid my bills and Monday is the first of the month. a bit of stress there. We pay our bills the old-fashioned way here in Moldova. They arrive in your mailbox (or not - as has happened this month with me) and you pay them at the bank or the post office, after standing in line for some time. If you miss the final date for payment (as I have this month, with not receiving the billls and not being in town to go to the banks when they were still open) then you have to go to the various companies themselves and pay - which of course takes more time and more running around. Other than worrying about my bills not sure what else is going to happen tomorrow but probably there will be a parade and a big festival down in the centre of the city. Might be a good opportunity for the newcomers to see a bit of Moldova, as it celebrates a national holiday.

Anyway, I've cleaned up my kitchen (have been battling ants this summer), am doing a wash and am about to head out to get some groceries. Later I'll pick up the new recruits at the airport and see if they can understand my Canadian accent. Actually, it'll be interesting picking up Aussies and a Brit at the same time... I should be able to distinguish better the differences in accents soon.

By the way, on my last post I had trouble with the photos and so I ended up not posting the photo of my grandson Alejandro that I had planned to. So here he is, in his soccer outfit with his soccer-fan dad.

Back to my life

Over the mountains, the prairies and the ocean I have flown, back to hot Moldova and struggling to overcome jet lag and catch up with my life here. But I am so grateful for the time I had in Canada and the joy of changing diapers and rocking my baby granddaughter and blowing bubbles and reading stories to my grandson. It was a nice visit with my daughter and her family and I was also blessed to have time with both of my sons as well as my mother.

On the way to Vancouver I had a few days' stopover in Toronto. Thank you, Harold and Heather, for your hospitality. You and my other dear friends have made me feel so loved and cared for. I will especially never forget the serendipity supper I had with my precious friend Inga and my equally precious friend Karen on my last night in Toronto. Thanks, sisters!

Now I am settling back into life here and actually glad to be back in my own little apartment. It's hot and I don't have air conditioning but for once I am not sorry about that. There was a lot of air c-c-c-c-conditioning in Canada, even when it wasn't that hot outside!

My mom wants to see more photos of her great-granddaughter so here are a couple more!

It's been a busy summer here with all kinds of short term mission teams coming and going. Next week is our team retreat and then we will be holding a training for our new recruits who will be arriving - from Australia, and from England! I'll be pretty busy for this time but hopefully will find/make time to keep you all up to speed on life in the Republic of Moldova for this missionary.

Please pray for Moldova

The following is reported on the Moldovan Embassy website: Starting with July 26, the Republic of Moldova has been confronted with flash floods caused by exceptionally high water flow on the Nistru and Prut rivers. Although the water has begun to recede in the Northern regions of the country, the floods continue to affect the central and Southern parts of Moldova. The Government has managed to mobilize internal resources to respond in a timely and effective manner to this emergency situation and is undertaking measures to anticipate post-crisis needs. However, eliminating the consequences of the floods will be a long and costly process, which exceeds the capacities of national authorities.

As of August 5, a total of 56 localities from 22 regions have been affected by the flash floods. According to preliminary estimations, 1123 houses have been flooded, out of which 91 houses have been completely demolished. Approximately 7,950 people have been evacuated from the localities at risk. Some 7,000 hectares of crop lands have been inundated. Floods have also affected health and educational facilities, roads, protection dams, and monitoring equipment.

Presenting: the little Princess!

Here she is: the most beautiful granddaughter in the world! Eliana Kecia is an absolute doll and so tiny! Perfect little fingers and toes and tiny nose and rosebud lips and a head full of dark hair, just like her big brother Alejandro. So far he is a pretty good big brother and it's fun having a visit with him too! Here's the happy family!

She's Here!!

On Tuesday, August 5 at 12.11 a.m. Eliana Kecia was welcomed into the world. My daughter Marah and her husband Daniel are now the proud parents - and I am the proud grandma - of the two most beautiful children in the whole world. Alejandro met his little sister today and tomorrow he will be able to take her and their mommy home from the hospital. Tomorrow morning I will get on a plane and then a bus to arrive in Kamloops so I can hold Eliana in my arms. Praise God for this new little blessing! Not to worry - there will soon be pictures!!!

The Canadians

They're here! Finally a whole team of Canadians have come to help us in our work here. This group has come from my home province of Nova Scotia and are spending a week in mission in MD before heading off to the Baptist World Youth Congress in Leipzig, Germany. It's wonderful to have them here. Yesterday we went to stay in a small village in the north of Moldova where our host pastor is serving the young church plant there. Here you can see Rob, leader of the team, teaching the children how to sing 'Head&Shoulders, Knees and Toes". That's Viorel on the right, who is translating for our team. As well as learning some Moldova phrases, the team is working hard to learn some Moldovan songs which they can then teach to the children. They did very well today with "Isus iubeste pe fiecare". The women of the church are feeding our Canadian young people very well and nobody is complaining about the food - it's all so good! It's a good thing, as they need lots of energy to keep up with the kids they are working with. All afternoon Tuesday the group played football with the village children who had come to the program. The village they are in is very beautiful and all is green and luscious-looking. The church itself is absolutely lovely and as well as a place for the children's program, it also provides a place for the team to stay - and an indoor bathrooom and hot showers as well!!

Here's our Canadian team along with the children who showed up on the first day. They're standing in front of the lovely church where they are staying. Please keep this group and the children whose lives they are touching, in your prayers.

Celebrity Status!?

The strangest thing happened in church this morning. I heard English being spoken and I turned around to see which southern state our guest was from. (We have a lot of American visitors in the summer from Southern Baptist churches which partner with churches in Moldova.) As I was chatting with a very sweet young lady named Lindsey, a man a few seats over looked at me, leaned across and said, 'Your name's Barb, isn't it?' I was a bit surprised but thought maybe I had met him at a missionary gathering or something. As we shook hands and he introduced himself he said, "I recognize you from your blog. I read your blog!" He then went on to laughingly suggest that I'm famous now, and I laughed too, sort of.

I suppose when complete strangers recognize your face from some public forum, that could constitute celebrity status. It's actually been pretty cool to have met several people, both online and in person, who know of me through my blog. It's a bit disarming, too... I always stop to think "what have I written and is it all stuff that I really want to share with complete strangers?" The thought has occurred a few times to restrict access to my blog but then I think, no, I'm not pouring out my guts here, just sharing some of the realities of life in Moldova and some of my own personal journey and experiences. Several people have found my blog because they were looking for information about Moldova. And many people have commented that the number of pictures that I post really makes it interesting. So I continue to seek to please my public. :-) But more than I want to please my public, I want to please my God. Therefore, I want to tell you more about God's work in my life. He's done some pretty amazing things and after all, this blog isn't about making me famous. As one short-term missionary put it, 'I want to make Jesus famous.' So if writing this blog can help to make Jesus famous so that people see him and recognize him for who He is, and want to get to know Him - I have done what I ultimately and truly want to do.

This morning in church there were some other people who were making Jesus famous. Six new believers were baptized by immersion. Before they were baptized they each stood up and gave a word of testimony, sharing how they learned about Jesus, repented of their sins, and how Jesus Christ has changed their lives by offering them forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Living your days without feeling guilty all the time and without being afraid of death... that can only be a good thing, don't you think? If you want to know more about Jesus, please feel free to make a comment or to e-mail me directly at barbtherev@yahoo.ca. I'd love to introduce you to my best Friend, my Saviour and my Lord. He is the One you want to know.

Missionary Life

So, you may ask, what do missionaries actually do? Let me show you:
They leap over walls in a single bound. "...and by my God do I leap over a wall." Psalm 18:29

They feed the multitudes.

"Then Jesus broke the loaves in pieces and kept giving them to the disciples to pass on to the crowd.
All of them ate and were filled." Luke 9:16,17

They ensure that there is fuel in the tank to keep the vehicles running.

"...and then you can help me to continue my trip,..."

I Corinthians 16:6

Where life is empty and colourless, they bring the colour and joy of God's love.

'I said, "I am falling"; but your constant love, O LORD, held me up.
Whenever I am anxious and worried, you comfort me and make me glad.' Psalm 94:18,19

And as they enjoy close fellowship, they are always learning more and more to love one another.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. John 15:12

After a week and a half of working with children and youth in the hot summer sun, missionaries are glad for a break. They appreciate Jesus' words to his disciples.
He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while." For so many people were coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat. Mark 6:35

Missionaries go out to the streets and fields to invite people in. Some are happy to come to hear good news and others, though welcomed gladly, choose to watch from afar.
Then the master told the servant, 'Go out into the streets and the lanes and make the people come in, so that my house may be full. '

- Luke 14:23


They are always encouraging people to reach up and find God.

From one man he made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth,... so that they might look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. Of course, he is never far from any one of us. Acts 17:26,27

Missionaries bring new life into the Kingdom!

Jesus replied to him, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless a person is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

Where there is an emptiness, the missionary will help people to see that the shape of that empty place is the shape of the cross.

Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven. Colossians 1:20

And we watch and wait for the day when Jesus will come again in the clouds and in glory...

Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Mark 13:26

Comings and Goings

On Friday I went with some team members and with my friend Carolyn, who is visiting from Canada, to visit one of our outreach teams in a nearby town. The outreach team consists of several girls from England, a guy from Germany and a couple of our Moldovan team members. For one week they will work in this town, doing a children's program in the morning, teaching English in the afternoon, and playing soccer with young people in the early evening. Through building relationships and helping in any way they can, they hope to share the love and hope of Christ in this community. We enjoyed watching the children play games, work at a craft project and learn a Bible verse. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The day ended up requiring more driving than I originally expected as one of the girls had lost her luggage. Finally, on this Friday, the airport called that it had arrived but she had to pick it up personally. Since I was there, and it wasn't that far (an hour's drive) I took her to the airport to get her long-awaited baggage. She was very happy to get it after 5 days of borrowing and buying clothes.
As I mentioned, a friend is visiting this week - Carolyn - and she so kindly brought me a care package from Canada, including some skirts that my favourite sister made for me. Thanks, Bev! There were a few other specially requested items and I am really thankful that God has sent her for this visit. Today we had a free day and it was nice to have company on my relaxing day so we did a bit of an in-city explore. Downtown to 'Artists' Square' to buy some souvenirs and then to the park so she could see the fountain and have her photo taken in front of Stephen the Great. It was a beautiful sunny day and so nice to just sit on a bench in the shade of the park, relaxing and chatting. I thought we would see a wedding there, but we didn't. Maybe it was too early in the day. So then we went to see another park which I have just never bothered going to before.

This one is a memorial park of the World War 2 and has an 'eternal flame' which appears to be guarded by soldiers - not sure if that's 24 hours a day or not. Anyway, I am trying to upload the video from the park from where the soldiers were changing the guard. I think you will enjoy seeing them march! Adjacent to the park was a military graveyard and then in behind that was another large cemetery that I was not aware existed. Moldovan graveyards are very interesting and both Carolyn and I enjoyed wandering through and taking pictures and discussing the presence of benches and tables in the individual grave plots. Do you know what they are for?

Completing the Work

It was quite a few years ago that these two young ladies started working in a very small, very poor village in the south of Moldova. They worked with children and also shared Christ with village people of all ages. Gradually, people started committing their lives to Jesus. There is no church in the village and some had never really heard the gospel at all. Those who came to faith were people whose lives were truly transformed by the new faith they had found in Christ Jesus. Tamara shared the Word of God with them and encouraged them in their new faith and helped them to grow. We sent a team to help with the work in the village and several people have been based there over the last few years. This year a building has been contructed in which the small growing church can meet. It also provides a location for the ministry to children, providing food and assistance on a daily basis. The new building will essentially serve as a community centre as well as a church. It was exciting to see that over 150 people came to join in the celebrations, many whom had never been to a service before. Although it was a hot, sunny day, people seemed to enjoy listiening to the music and the preaching. There were at least 4 different speakers and in typical Moldova fashion several of them gave a message from the word of God. I was especially pleased that Tamara, who has done so much in bringing people to faith and essentially planting and leading the church, was given an opportunity to share a public testimony. As a woman, she rarely receives any kind of acknowledgement for her leadership as women are perceived as not suitable to be leaders. This is a difficult thing for a gifted young woman such as she is. Afterwards, of course, there was food and a chance to see the inside of the building. It is still pretty rough on the outside and we continue to raise funds to complete it. For example I personally did not see the upstairs as the stairway has not yet been built and I was not about to climb up the ladder you see in the photo! But much on the inside has been completed and it is lovely. I think that is how God sometimes works in our lives - from the inside out. He begins the work of transformation and healing where nobody can see it easily and sometimes people only see what is still rough on the outside. Thankfully, God sees our hearts and He is committed to complete the work which He has begun. This is true for individuals, as well as for communities such as this one. God has begun a work there, and He will complete it! Praise be to His Name!

Welcome to the world!

His name is Ivan Bogdan and he arrived on June 12. Liuba is glad to at last hold her little son in her arms. And I was blessed to be able to hold him also during the brief visit I had with Liuba last week. Is he not perfect?!

God brings forth life!

It's strawberry season, and last Sunday Claudia and I were invited to the home of a friend, Maria, for lunch. After a lovely meal of sarmale - made with stuffed vine leaves - dessert was placed on the table: a huge platter of fresh-from -the-garden strawberries. After dinner we went outside to see the garden. They have a large garden with strawberries, beans, cabbage, radishes, lettuce, carrots and some other things as well. On that day it was dry and we spoke of how the land was in need of rain. It's important to pray for rain, we said, as we headed home. Last year there was no rain and the land suffered greatly. Even until recently prices have been much higher than before. Thankfully, this week God has answered our prayers as we seem to have had one rain storm after another. Always a relief as the air is so humid leading up to a storm and I have been sweating, red-faced and virtually useless on those days when the heat just weighs on you. I am becoming more and more of a nocturnal creature so that I can have cool air in which to function.

Other than strawberries, the more significant highlight of this week was the birth of a baby boy to my team-mates, Butje and Liuba. Earlier in the week I got a picture of Liuba practising holding a baby with James. Tomorrow I hope to go and visit Liuba and little baby Ivan. Congratulations, Butje & Liuba!!

James, until this most recent birth, was the cutest baby on this side of the ocean. He especially looks cute in a Canadian t-shirt, don't you think?

Close Encounters of the Cultural Kind

Christina, Marella, Ivanir - having safely
arrived at the Mission Centre, thanks to my bravery

This past week two new girls arrived from the USA. One of them is doing an internship for her degree in sports and recreation. She is working together with our sports ministry team helping to set up football(soccer) clubs around the country, and organizing tournaments and camps, all for the purpose of sharing the gospel through sports.
The other girl is doing an internship related to her degree in Teaching English and Inter-cultural studies. So she is teaching english, of course, and seeking to have as many cross-cultural experiences as possible. Not to worry, Christina, there will be LOTS of cross-cultural experiences. We started on Monday morning. It was the first day and I was taking the girls to our new building for their orientation time.
I parked the car in the field above the building as I wasn't sure whether the road was passable or not. (Mud, you know.) From the field there is a path that goes over the embankment and down to the road by our building. As we parked, I looked up and saw that, right beside our footpath that we had to go on was a large black and white cow. This cow from time to time is randomly tied up in the field, but usually not right beside our path. Now, I have said 'cow' but looking at this immense beast on our path, and looking at the horns on its head, it occurred to me that I really wasn't sure whether it was a cow or a bull. The grass was very long and deep so from our vantage point I couldn't tell by the underneath part. Choosing to err on the side of caution, I suggested that we needed to get the bovine to move away from the path. It was tied to quite a long rope, staked in the ground, so I courageously volunteered to try to haul the animal away from the path. "When it starts to move away," I instructed, "you guys run!!!!" Meanwhile I was thinking, if it moves toward me, I'll be running too - and hopefully faster than it so as not to get gored.
The girls were .... ok, we all were,... pretty giddy and amused but nervous at our predicament. Apparently this doesn't happen on the way to the office in America. Nor do I remember it every happening on my way to work in Toronto.
I bravely, with no thought for my own safety, started pulling on the rope and Ivanir decided that we really needed to get some pictures of this. So while I am risking my life for their safety, Ivanir is buckling up in laughter and taking pictures from all angles.

Finally, I get the beast off the path - and out of the deep grass. The girls have disappeared over the hill and I am alone with the creature who... as it emerges from the grass.... proves to be... just a cow. Yup, there's the udder. I say thanks to Bessie the cow and walk by with relief, knowing that that's no bull.

And the winner is...

Cherise and Laurie!!
On my last blog post I posted a photo of an item for you to guess its purpose. I was very pleased to have several people guessing as to the purpose of this metal thing. This quiz must have been more fun than the last one because even my sons ventured a guess. But no,Ben, it isn't a catapult. Nor Josh, is it for hitching my horse nor is it a real Moldovan playground. Janine thought it might be to hold a sign for my parking place and Sarah thought it was for beating rugs. Sorry, Sarah, but even having been here you didn't quite guess right.You're just going to have to come back for some remedial education! I suspect Ms. Beall knows what it is as she said she used it for years. But Ms. Beall, I don't know you and would love to know more about your connection with Moldova - so please drop me an e-mail if you don't want to reveal yourself on my blog (barbtherev@yahoo.ca)
So the winners are two people who have been here and were here long enough to have experienced a few muddy days. Those kind of rainy, muddy days when you arrive at a home or a church and you find your shoes absolutely conglomerated with mud. Wiping them on a mat just isn't good enough - before you do that you have to remove at least one or two layers of mud. So it isn't uncommon for people to place this kind of mud-scraper-off-er just at the bottom of the stairs to the building or outside the entrance gate. It's the first stage of mud removal before wiping on an outside mat, then an inside mat, then removing the shoes altogether upon entrance.
I'm hoping that my boys will see just what an interesting country this is and sooner or later you will have to come and visit me. I've got lots more things to show you that you will have lots of fun figuring out. For example, do you know how to tell whether a baby chick is male or female?
Thanks for participating, everyone! And thanks for reading my blog and taking an interest in life in Moldova. God bless you!

Verrrrryyyy interrrresssting....

Hurrah! Hurrah! It is spring and almost summer! Today on the way home from church we bought strawberries - first time this season. Alida and Katrin helped me to enjoy them - they were sooooo good! We also had new potatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes for lunch.



Last week I was so pleased when the mechanic phoned me and told me that I would not need to buy a new car because he had done absolutely everything needed to my car and it was as good as new. I thought he meant it had been resurrected. And he had, in fact, put in a whole new suspension system so it does ride much better through the spring road repairs. But for the amount of money I paid for "everything" to be done, I noticed that the rear-view mirror still is not in place, the back door still needs oiling, and the rear bumper is still being held on by wire and the string from my Tilley hat! So I think 'slightly revived' is a more appropriate term than 'resurrected'. Guess I'll keep looking for a newer car.

The other day I gave you all a quiz but I got very few responses. Prizes will be sent to Dana & Cherise for correctly guessing that the gas is being installed for our new building. And Millie gets points for at least trying. Now for all the rest of you who didn't even try to guess, here's another little quiz. I'm looking for participation here! Look carefully at the metal thing in this photo and see if you can tell me what is its purpose? Sergiu spent some time the other day carefully installing this just outside the gate of our Training Centre.

A place to play

Last Sunday I drove together with a friend from the International Women's Club of Moldova to visit the opening of a playground for which the women's club had given a grant. The interesting thing is that the playground was built in partnership with the organization with whom I work. Partnering also with the local church, one of our visiting summer teams had built this playground for the benefit of the children of the community. The church in this village also run a day centre for the poorest children of the village so I had been here before to visit the day centre and to encourage this tiny church in their care for the children here.
It was a beautiful sunny day, with a few clouds threatening from time to time but never opening up to dampen the event. Driving down a long dirt road through beautiful gently rolling hills of rural Moldova, we arrived to find the children and guests waiting and ready to begin. The pastor of the church had prepared a program, in which some of our workers participated. The woman I travelled with, Kyra, is head of the Grants Committee for the Women's Club and she made a short speech. The children who come to the day centre also contributed some songs and recitations. There were probably about 30 children there, and at the end of the program they all received treats and balloons and stickers which had been sent from a Sunday School class in Canada. (Thanks, Kate!!) Snejana brought a map to show the children where Canada is. :-)
Following the ceremonies it was a joy just to watch the children playing on this new playground equipment. Hopefully, this safe place to play will also be a reminder to them that there are people who care about them, and a God who loves them.