More New Friends

One of the ways I hope to make some new friends in Moldova is by joining the International Women's Club here. And so I did. Unfortunately, their regular meetings are on Tuesday, the same night as our OM prayer meeting so I was unable to attend. But I did sign up for interest groups of various kinds - book club, walking, cooking. Haven't heard much about these yet, but I did get a phone call from a woman who wanted to go walking. So we went walking. My apartment is right across the street from a good-sized park, so we arranged to meet and then we walked for about an hour and a half (my feet were very sore the next day). This woman is Scottish, from Edinburgh, and she works for a Commission of the European Union so she has some very interesting insights and experiences of living in different countries. I enjoyed her company a lot and the next Friday we met and had supper in a nice little restaurant that I hadn't been to before. She's on vacation now but when she returns, I expect that we shall re-connect and build a friendship as we both try to establish a social life here in Chisinau.
Another way that I have tried to find life apart from my work is by participating more fully in the life of my church. I enjoy attending the church on Sunday mornings, even though I still understand a minimal amount of the sermon. The music is good, they have a good choir and people are very friendly. So I have joined a small Bible study group. Those of you who know me well know that I love Precept Bible studies and have participated in and also led many over the years. Our small groups are all doing Precept Bible studies!! This is one way that God has helped me to feel at home in this church. And so I am in a group that is studying Philippians - a book that I have taught many times - but now I am a student as it is being taught in Romanian! You can be sure that this is stretching my language learning in a very good way.On Sunday mornings the pastor is even preaching on the book of Philippians. Being in a small group, though, also gives me opportunity to get to know some people. Tomorrow evening I have invited the youth pastor, an American, and his Moldovan wife over for supper. There is a very active ministry in this church with youth and young adults and I just want to offer my encouragement and support to this couple, who are also actively planting a church in a nearby small community. God is doing great things in and through the believers in Moldova and I see them all actively reaching out to share the good news of the gospel with their neighbours and friends.
Another neat thing that happened recently was the opportunity to meet another Moldovan friend through a contact with another missionary in Belgium. This other missionary had told me that they had baptized two Moldovan men in their church plant there. He said that the wife of one of the men was still here in Moldova, waiting for papers to enable her to join her husband.
And so I was able to make contact with this young woman who has not seen her husband in 2 years. And her 3 year-old daughter has not seen her father in all that time. This is not unusual for Moldova, where so many people go to other countries to obtain jobs and support their families. I had a lovely evening with this young woman, her daughter, and her brother-in-law, with whose family she is staying. She shared her story of how she and her husband, miles apart from each other, separately have come to faith in Jesus Christ. God does do amazing things, doesn't He?
I am learning some things, too, about Moldovan hospitality. Generally, when people come for a meal or a visit, they bring some sort of gift. Then- unless they have been specifically invited for a meal - when you offer tea or a snack, they decline. But I have learned that you are expected to offer again as it is not considered polite to accept the first time of asking ( I don't think I have remembered this YET when I've been on the receiving end!) The second or third time of invitation is when the person accepts, so I have to remind myself to offer again when they are at my place. This is easier to remember when I have made the effort to get something special in the house to serve when guests come. But how will I ever remember, when I am the guest, to say 'no' the first and maybe even the second time that I am offered something?? You can pray for me to be polite and gracious in this regard!
I have also had the privilege of being a guest, most recently in the home of other missionaries. I was invited to have supper with IFES missionaries Tanya and Kevin and their children. They are from the States but lived in Vancouver in Canada long enough for their son Stephen to be born there and to proudly claim his Canadian identity! I enjoyed a great evening with them, learning about their ministry with university students and their experience of living here in Moldova. Every interaction with other ex-patriates offers a chance to learn a few new things about how to get around in Chisinau, where to get what, and how to locate resources that I didn't know where to find. Not to mention the best blessing of beginning to establish supportive and hopefully mutually encouraging relationships.