Where do you keep your goats?

It may seem like a strange question but the thing is, you never know where animals will show up in Moldova. For example, the other day when I got off the minibus I realized that the building directly across the street was a post office. (And I thought of the times I had made a point of going to Chisenau with stamps being one of my specific errands!) I was glad to make this discovery as I had forgotten to mail a letter that day.* So I crossed the street and stuck my letter in the box that says ‘Post’ adjoining the building , hoping it is indeed a mailbox. As I walked away from the building, I noticed that there were goats grazing in the front garden of the post office. Not sure whose they were – but there they were! A couple days later I was walking down on the lower back road and there were a couple more goats – possibly the same ones – looking relaxed and content outside the fence of some building. No people around, nobody tending them. So, where do you keep your goats?
The other evening as I went for a walk, there were a flock of turkeys wandering along the side of the road. They seemed to have enough good sense to stay off the paved part where cars travel but it did seem slightly odd to this urban Canadian to see turkeys ranging for food along just any road they happened to fancy. Since then, I’ve noticed that animals can actually show up anywhere in Moldova, except in houses. People aren’t big on house pets. Animals are purely functional. Dogs are kept outdoors to guard the property. And if the dog doesn’t belong to anyone – maybe even when it does – it wanders wherever it pleases. I have seen any number of dogs wandering around the streets of Ialoveni and Chisenau. Many of them appear to be nursing mothers and yesterday afternoon on my walk I even noticed a couple of young pups out for an adventure all by themselves. Nobody takes much notice of these mongrels, but I was pleased this morning that the minibus driver did slow down and honk his horn when the dog crossed the road in front of him.
Speaking of dogs, we have dogs that ‘guard’ the OM Centre. There is Deena, the mighty German shepherd who has a good loud bark but in fact may be slightly ‘off’ mentally as she sometimes can be seen going in circles in her kennel.
Cassie & Sam (Sam is the gold one)There is also Cassie, who belongs to OM, I think. And Sam, the dog that belongs to Matthew and Helen, and who is my friend. Sam came to them in a sack with siblings thrown over the wall last spring. The puppies were in a pretty sorry state but the Skirtons found homes for them and made a home for Sam. They are building a new house and Sam will be their guard dog at the new place. After all, Sam does know how to bark, but he also makes friends very easily, so I hope no intruders discover that!
The interesting thing, with all these dogs, is that nobody walks them. They just stay outdoors in their kennels all day with very little attention.
Now you may ask is there a guard dog at my home in Ialoveni. In fact, there is not. But never fear, the people next door have a rooster whose bounden duty it is to continuously crow from the first sliver of dawn’s light until the end of the day. I’m sure that rooster will strike fear into the heart of anyone approaching with evil intent.
In any case, I am secure in the love and protection of my loving heavenly Father. I appreciate your prayers for my physical safety and protection and would ask that you would also pray for spiritual protection as I seek to serve the Lord. I do believe there is an enemy who resists the light of the Kingdom of God. May the light of Jesus Christ shine clear and strong through my life and witness. Trusting in Him, all will be well.


*By the way, I am still trying to determine how long it takes for mail to come and go here. So far, I think it takes at least a month either way. Perhaps if I received more mail by post, I would be able to figure it out more easily (hint, hint). 