For the first two weeks of our month in Moldova, we stayed in a small town called Petropavlovca. We were hosted by Padre Dan and our ministry involved a lot of corn shucking and attending Mass. I loved the month and here are a few reasons why!
1. Hot chocolates
The cold weather meant hot chocolates! All the time! Also, I’ve discovered that white hot chocolate and coffee is a great combination – yes, some things have changed!
2. The Generous People
Working in the fields, harvesting and shucking corn was a lot of fun as we worked alongside the people who owned them. It was special as we were invited into their homes to share meals and spend time together. We often couldn’t speak the same language but it was always heaps of fun trying!
3. Our Own Home
It seriously was such a blessing to have a house just for our team for the month. We loved cooking together, watching movies and sitting around our tiny kitchen table talking and laughing. It felt like home.
4. The Autumn Season
You could feel that winter was right around the corner as we had to rug up in our jackets and scarves and the colourful trees and distant hills were such a pleasant sight. One day, a lady also gave us men’s jackets to keep us warm!
5. The Kids
The crazy kids that would come to Mass, spoke hardly any English but it was fun to watch their antics and see them how Padre Dan loved them so well. They were friendly and I loved having them as new friends.
6. Squishy Car Trips
Both Padre and Alex had five seater cars so whenever the seven of us wanted to go anywhere, it was a real sight to see us fit. After a couple of times, we had the routine down and could quickly get in and out. It was always fun to see the confused faces of onlookers as they counted how many people had appeared from the car.
These car trips were always filled with so much laughter and I think surprisingly, I’ll miss these crowded drives.
7. Movie Nights
As a team, we loved to snuggle up in our sleeping bags and blankets and watch movies together. It was a fun time to hang out and be together, laugh and eat popcorn!
(I don’t have any pictures of us watching movies, but here’s a photo of the day I found a whole bunch of pumpkins!)
8. Padre Dan + Our Sisters
Our contact, Padre Dan is a Catholic Priest and one of the most friendly men I’ve ever met. He has such a deep joy and when he laughed, we laughed. He was so generous with his time and looked after all of us so well, including killing the mouse that we found in our room! Sister Maria let me become a nun for a day!
9. Cold Yoghurt + Milk
Cheap yoghurt is one of the best things about Moldova! It was such a luxury to buy milk and yoghurt and have it be super cold which has not been common at all on the race. Having our own place meant we were able to shop and cook for ourselves which was something I really enjoyed!
(This baby was just too cute!)
10. Alex
When we first met Alex, our team had no idea how much of a role he’d play in our time in Petropavlovca. Alex quickly became our friend and came over for meals, took us into town, hung out with us on off days and often helped us translate. His dry sense of humour entertained us all and we loved spending time with him and getting to know him over the couple of weeks. He is such a gentleman and treated all of our team with such honour, respect and integrity! We’re thankful we met Alex!
11. Bible Study
This month, our team has continued our study of Hosea. I’ve loved hearing the insights of my team and seeing how the Lord’s unfailing love continues to pursue each one of us. He is so good and I’ve loved reflecting on all He’s done this year.
