An End and a Beginning

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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.