A normal day in Moldova…
8:28am – Wake up two minutes before my alarm goes off. Score. Lay in bed contemplating my confusing dream. Something along the lines of a train ride, the ocean, children from India, New Years Eve plans, soup, shooting stars, a stuffed animal gift and a van ride with my friend's mom.
8:45am – Fix my coffee and cook myself scrambled eggs with onion, tomato, mushrooms, cheese, oregano, garlic, and pepper. Sounds good, doesn't it? I think about how it's going to be weird to drink brewed coffee and not use 3 in 1 (instant coffee, creamer, and sugar) packs. I also consider how I now enjoy oatmeal, eggs, mushrooms, cabbage, sushi, fish, hot tea, and spicy food. Discuss dreams with Hannah before getting ready for the day.
9:55am- Marina's come and has gestured to some of my teammates that she needs my mattress. So I move all my stuff and bedding and we slide it to the front entryway. No questions asked when you don't speak the same language.
10:00am – Walk to the Catholic church next door for Mass with the preschoolers from down the road. 16 cute kiddos all decked out in boots and hats. Giggling and starring at us throughout the whole service. Their blue eyes make me wonder what it'll be like to see my nephew in person again!
11:00am – Talk with Sunny and Padre' Daniel, our contact, about plans for the rest of the day. He says we're free until 2pm when we'll “go in car to the women for pictures.” Nod and smile.
11:14am- Sit on the front steps and journal.
12:00pm- Hand wash my clothes in the bathroom. I sit in a chair because I twisted/sprained my ankle a few days ago when I fell chasing the kids on the playground. Sometimes you have to pay a price for a hard day of ministry, hah. I realize I get excited on sunny days to see how fast my clothes will dry.
1:05pm- Eat lunch with my team. Hurst made stuffed peppers. Yes. Discuss hypothetical situations.
2:00pm- Squeeze all 6 of us into Padre's car and head down the road to the bigger Catholic church in town. As we parked I realized all of the ladies we've worked with, eaten lunch with, and seen at mass are sitting on the front steps with flowers for us. They greet us with flowers, kisses, smiles and three bags of pears and apples.
2:06pm- More kissing cheeks, laughing, and picture taking. We guess what they're saying to us. We're assuming it's “you go, learn Russian, and come back here and live with us” and “thank you for doing such a great job at harvesting our corn! American women are beautiful and strong.” The sweetest stereotypical looking Eastern European grandmother with no teeth keeps kissing me. I want to bottle her up and take her home.
3:00pm- We're back home, free for the rest of the day, and I move my clothes around so they'll dry faster. Since when did I get OCD about laundry? Brittney and I took a moment to watch the cow in the field next to us eat the radish remains we dumped there. I hand wash my slippers in hopes that I can pack them for next month without making my pack smell like feet.
3:16pm – My team's working out [but darn you swollen ankle preventing me from Sean T torture or jogging between the tree lined path behind our place] so it's the perfect time to slip away. The after-school kids don't come on Tuesdays so the playground's free. I strap up my ENO in the surprisingly warm sunlight and settle in with my pear, journal, Bible, and ipod. I realized it's days like these I wish I could share with everyone back home so I decide to type up a blog about it even though it's not really my typical Moldova day because it's warm outside and I haven't watched any Duck Dynasty or Modern Family. [mmm, confessions] I listen to an Andy Stanley podcast about following Jesus and how much more simple it is than we make it out to be.
4:00pm – Sunny's joined me in hammocking and we're anticipating the sunset. We discuss next month and how we get the chance to walk out all we've learned this year since the whole squad will be together. I attempt to convince her to visit Roanoke in January.
4:09pm- I went inside to get my blanket and tea before returning to my hammock. Move my bedding/stuff to the extra mattress because mine's definitely gone. It'll be weird to sleep in a different spot the last few nights we're here.
4:31pm- We had a mysterious unexpected time change on Sunday so now the sun starts setting around 4:30 and it's dark by 6pm. I like that from my hammock I can see the rose bushes, the fields across the street, people walking up and down the road, and every insect imaginable. If it was this temperature and peaceful all the time I would never want to leave.
5:25pm- Alone again. I pray out loud for a whole lot of people and situations. It feels good to actually speak things out.
6:04pm- Back inside. All of my clothes are dry and I feel like I accomplished something. Sit on the floor stretching and talking to Christel.
6:20pm- Hannah's made chicken n' dumplings and they taste like Cracker Barrel. Yes.
7:01pm- After we eat we talk about tomorrow and next month then settle in to watch Christmas Vacation. We avoid an argument about pop-corn. Realize some movies are funnier when you get older.
8:28pm- Laugh about how ridiculously late it feels. Tell stories about throwing up.
9:14- Get ready for bed and settle in with my laptop and type this. Next I'll stare at my maps of the world and the US because we've really trying to learn geography this month. There's a large fly buzzing around our room driving us all crazy. I love days like this.
