Slipper Project

My dear friend Inga has initiated a project. I can't tell you all the details as I don't want to spoil the surprise for women who may be on the receiving end of this effort at the Baptist World Alliance Women's Leadership Conference this July. Anyway, the project is one of partnership with Moldovan and Canadian women and it began with a believing widow in the small village of Milestii Noi in Moldova. Sister (sora) Sofia lives all alone in a typical Moldovan home at the top of a hill near the edge of her village. Today, Viorica and I went to visit her. Viorica is helping me with this project because in the past she has worked with women's groups in Moldova and she knows more about wool and yarn and crafts and patterns and such, than I do. This week she bought the yarn so we could deliver it to Sora Sofia.

I had been to visit Sofia once before with a group of people (see my blog of November 21, 2009 - 'Blessed') but I wasn't driving and didn't pay attention to where it was. So today the pastor, Yuri, met us in the village to take us up to her house. Although the road was incredibly muddy I was amazed at how, following Moldovans, they were able to find a fairly firm path through and around the muddy road and me and my boots arrived at the house relatively unmuddy. We stepped into her home and immediately felt the lovely warmth of the fire in the woodstove in the corner, as well as the warmth of her smiling hospitality.

We sat down as I explained to her the project that we are asking her to help with. She went and got a bag of slippers that she has been making since last I visited and once more I have come home with a new pair of slippers, and so did Viorica. We discussed the details of styles and sizes and quality and quantity and cost of yarn and she was more than willing to help. With few visitors and not a lot of outdoor activity in the winter months, she can make a pair of slippers a day with no problem. We have another sister in the city, whose help we will also be enlisting.

This was my second village visit this week and as in the previous village, gas is being piped into the community for the first time and homes there will have access to gas heat. Sora Sofia was enthused about her new gas hook-up and she was pleased that we came at a mealtime. After we had discussed the project and given her the yarn, she quickly sat us around her table for a delicious meal of homemade pelmeni (similar to ravioli) and rich, thick smintina (sour cream). All the time she was thrilled to have someone to talk with and chatted away happily as she rarely gets visitors. Her two sons live in Europe and her daughters in Russia and her best company seems to be the assembly of dogs and pups in her yard, who are obviously all related. I was sure to get her phone number before I left so that we can keep up on progress - and develop our new friendship - and next time I visit I won't need Pastor Yuri to play the middleman.

Mind you, today I was glad he was there, along with brother Elie because on the way to the village in Corinne's car we drove over a pretty muddy road that was much too close to the underbelly of the car. A part of the front fender had come unattached en route (whoops! sorry, Corinne!!) and would need to be repaired before I could drive back over that road. Yuri and Elie left the house before we did. Sofia walked with Viorica and me, as we chatted and sauntered at a leisurely pace down the muddy incline back to where the cars were parked. By the time we got there the men had repaired the damage and assured me that there was nothing more I would need to do to fix it once I got back to town. One of my favourite things about Christian brothers in Moldova is that they are always ready to serve and they all know how to do "stuff" that I don't know how to do!