- As a missionary in Moldova you must always wear socks and a
jacket unless you want to be reprimanded sternly by the locals. Even in you are
not cold they will tell you that you are and you will catch the death of you! - When you ask a silly question like “Why do they paint all the
trees and street poles in Moldova white?”, be prepared for a silly answer—-“We do
it to be nice”.
- When boarding local transportation you must always pay attention to which direction the bus is headed or you will find yourself getting an accidental 3 hour tour of the city. You will most likely be pressed tightly against everyone else in the bus so be sure to avoid standing in front of the guy who is coughing up his lung.
- Even though you are in Europe, you must be mentally prepared to use a squatty potty every day outdoors and don’t be surprised if the outhouse has no door! Don’t forget…BYOTP! (Bring your own toilet paper)
- You must be prepared at any time to be fed copious amounts
of food. Be sure to get a belt with extra loops or pants that have a stretchy
waist. You will be fed 3 large meals a day as well as cookies and tea times in
between. Be prepared to have cabbage and
dumplings for breakfast or cake and cookies at midnight!
- As a female missionary in Moldova, be sure to bring plenty
of head coverings and ankle length skirts as to not offend the Orthodox
community. You will want to leave all make up and jewelry at home - If is rainy season in Moldova you will need several good pairs of boots. You will be walking in mud up to your knees but you will be expected to show up with clean shoes wherever you are going.
- Do not be surprised if your taxi cab driver gives you a
confused look when you ask him to take you to the mall, which is literally
called the ‘Mall Dova’. He will probably
say in a thick accent, ‘You ARE in Moldova!” When arriving at the mall, you
just may see strange things like ballerinas, army men, Superman, a giant dog,
or people swimming and fishing in the mall fountain.
Ministry in Moldova this month was not easy but it was
surely growing for me personally as well as for our team. I am learning every day
to rely on God alone, as He is the only constant in any of our lives. We were challenged not only in our
surroundings and conditions, but in our ministry style and relationships. God
has surely stretched me and I feel stronger and ready for whatever challenges
we may face in Africa for the next three months.
Thank you for your continued support, comments,
encouragement, and prayers!
I will share with you a passage I used to preach from this
week, Hebrews 12:1-3:
“Therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that
hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance
the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such
opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart”.
