Stripped of Color
Transnistria, a country stripped of color and hope. A country that no one has heard of or traveled to. A country that has the strongholds of communism.
Have you heard of Transnistria? Probably not.
No country in the world recognizes Transnistria diplomatically. It's a region in Eastern Europe that has declared independence from Moldova. It maintains a functional autonomy with military and other support from Russia. Transnistria has its own passports, car license plates, currency, and flag. (Although none of these are valid outside of Transnistria.). There is also a police force, army, and even modern-day KGB in the form of the Ministry of State Security. There is an intense border crossing, but if you have a Russian speaker in the car it is much easier to enter. The national language here is Russian. But you will also hear some Moldavian, Romanian, Bulgurian, and Ukrainian, but Never any English.
There are military everywhere.
There are statues of Stalin and Lenin throughout the city.
They play music over the loud speakers on the roads.
(As if to say this is the music you should listen too.)
Public schools have numbers not names. We went to school 17 today.
People dress to impress. Only wearing heels and dresses, suits and dress shoes.
The average salary is 200 to 300 dollars a month.
People don't drive. Public transport is more crowded than the DR.
There is very limited religious freedom here. Everyone is Eastern Orthodox.
No one ever comes to visit this country. It's a closed country. So when we go walking down the road or get on public transport people stop and stare. People ask to take our picture. People ask why are we here. It is rare for Americans to be in this country. We are celebrities here.
We stand out here…
We stand out for our dress.
We stand out for speaking English.
We stand out for our hope and joy.
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15
In just one week of being here, my heart has fallen in love. This is a place that is hungry for the good news. This is a place that is thirsty to know more. This is a place that needs hope. This week we are living in Tiraspol, Transnistria. We are working with CRU and with the local university. During the mornings we go to the public school and teach English class to 7th through 10th graders. Every day we have a different class. Then in the afternoons we go to the university. At the university, we 'evangelize' and invite students to English Club. Our main ministry is at night, and it is teaching English Club. There are three different clubs. English Zerro, English Light, and English Hard. Through the different levels, we are better able to teach the students. I have loved this week. Getting to know the people, teaching English, and building relationships. But sadly every week we are working with a new church and a new ministry. I thought goodbyes once a month were rough…. Now it's every week. I am already starting to dread saying good bye to my students/friends from the university this Sunday.
Through this one week, I have seen a place that is stripped of color… But I have also seen a place that is very slowly beginning to add color back into this life. There is a hope that needs to be shared with these people. Please join me in praying for this nation.
More blogs and pictures are coming soon. So much is happening.
