The sun set over the tiny village of Censua ending our final day of ministry and I looked at our classroom with a mix of emotions. Tyler played his mandolin and my team sang “Marvelous Light” as our little students danced and clapped before running up to swarm us with hugs. I cried as I hugged these precious children goodbye and still can’t believe how quickly they captured my heart.
We have been in Moldova for two weeks now leading an English Camp for 30-50 children. We spend the afternoons here teaching English words along with Bible Verses and songs. We also do crafts with them and play games outdoors. These kids are unlike any I have ever met. They come flying towards us when we see them with hugs that last forever. This is a big change from our first few days here when they were unsure what a hug even was. They take good care of each other. The siblings stick together and everyone shares with one another. When we throw out candy to the crowd, they cut it in two or three parts in order to share with those around them. They don’t have much but they truly appreciate what they do have. I have learned a lot from watching these kids interact with one another and have loved my time spent in Moldova
It feels a little surreal to finally be saying this but I return to America this weekend! I am counting down the days in anticipation of fast food, indoor toilets, hot showers, and most importantly, my loved ones. At the same time I am recognizing how special these past 11 months were and how hard goodbyes are going to be. I am so thankful God has blessed me this past year by allowing me to show His love all around the world. I am ready for home now though, for normal life and a little bit of comfort, for my own bed and after living in constant community I am more than ready for some alone time!
My entire squad leaves today on an overnight bus to Romania where we will spend our last few days together saying goodbye and re-uniting with our leaders and coaches. Be on the lookout for my final goodbye blogs from Brasov, Romania.
