All month in Romania we had been hearing jokes about Moldova. Apparently, Moldova is to Romania what West Virginia is to Virginia. Except in a slightly less joking tone. Anyway, we weren’t sure what to expect when our overnight train pulled up in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. Turns out though, Moldova is awesome! Friendly people, delicious food, what more could a racer ask for? Also, despite the hype, Moldova is pretty much the same as Romania. Just smaller and more Russian.
Now be honest, did you know Moldova was a country before I started talking about it? That’s ok, I’ll fill you in now. This way you can look super educated next time it comes up in conversation. Yeah, I got your back.
Moldova has had a tough time recovering from communism and still has a long way to go. They are currently without a president because of clashes last year between the socialist and democratic parties. The reason that they are still clashing is that the older generation would like to be communist again because it feels safe and it is all they know. The younger generation however, sees the burden that it was and does not want to lose the freedom they now experience. It’s hard to believe that it was only 20 years ago that they broke away from Soviet rule. A lot of Russian influence remains from that era, you see and hear about as much Russian as Romanian. I definitely don’t mind the influence in food, we’ve had some of the best cooking so far on the Race here in Moldova. It also feels super cool to meet people named Sergei, Vlad and Irina. J
Another issue Moldova currently faces is emigration. Because of the economic situation, (which can’t be called a crisis because it has been a way of life for the last 20 years) around half of Moldova’s once 6 million strong population has emigrated to different countries to work. In fact, 38% of Moldova’s GDP now comes from outside the country. That may sound pretty huge and hard to grasp but think of it on a more personal level. This means families are broken up as one or both parents move away to work, leaving kids left behind with relatives or on their own. Children can then get neglected or they can get spoiled because of the money coming in that they don’t have to work for. It is also hard for churches to stay alive because it seems that as soon as they get established, part of their leadership or congregation leaves the country for better prospects.
As bleak as this blog may sound, it is not an entire picture of this country. Moldova is facing struggles but there are tons of people that are not giving up on their country. They take pride in what their country offers and are looking into a brighter future for it. The church is on fire too. We have had the chance to be a part of both a Charismatic and a Baptist church this month and they are definitely not giving up on Moldova. They are planting churches and spreading the Gospel like nobody’s business. Please pray for this fire to only increase and for the current parentless generation to find security in God. In this land of tradition and Orthodoxy, God’s fire is what they need.
