Beyond the gas crisis

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

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

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

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

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...

... 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

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

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

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!