There are two things that any Moldovan family will make you do if they invite you into their home: sing, and stuff your face. They will open the door, plant a big one on your cheek, quickly take off your coat and shoes, and maybe even put you in the bathroom to warm your feet on the heated floor. Hospitality is the umbrella of truth they live under, and they will not let you leave their homestead without fat bellies and the chorus to a worship tune stuck in your head.
During my time in Moldova, my team and I had the pleasure of ministering to a woman’s home church and teaching some of the women English lessons. Looking like the homeless travelers that we are, the motherly side of these women truly kicked in and they automatically began spoiling us at first sight. Every time the came for an English lesson or visited the church, they would bring ‘bribes’ that consisted of sweet cakes with homemade dogwood-berry jam and special Moldovan potatoe biscuits. They brought these surprise bribes to ensure a spot at our youth nights, and let me assure you, they were welcome anytime!
On our last night in Moldova, we had a bonfire for our last youth night in the backyard of the church. One of my most cherished fall memories from back home is roasting marshmallows over a fire on a chilly autumn day. While we didn’t have s’mores to make, we bought sausages for the youth to roast over the fire and that seemed to be a tremendous success. With white ashes floating up out of the fire and into my hair, I closed my eyes and pretended that it was snowing. Opening my eyes again I looked around at the large crowd of youth from the community that had come out for the 4th time. The crowd had grown significantly, and I was so encouraged to see our Pastor building relationships with these kids and furthering plans to continue the youth program after we left. Our seeds were being watered!
After singing some worship songs around the fire, I noticed that the women from the home church we had been working with were trickling in and scurrying around our kitchen secretly preparing something for the team. Our pastor’s mom, Liza, asked if I would get the team together because they had a special surprise for us all. As we gathered into our long kitchen, the women started singing a traditional Moldovan song, while bringing out a coconut covered, peanut butter cream cake with the word “Love” written with icing on the top.
They began passing out gifts to each one of us. They gave us stuffed animals, each one representing us in a different way. They gave me what I choose to believe is a nut cracker soldier, and told me that it is because I am the team leader. I loved it for so many reasons, one because it looked like Christmas, but mostly because it was given to me with and incredible amount of thought and love.
Through hugs, tears, and my taste buds screaming with excitement over the ten-layered, banana cream, dogwood-berry filled peanut butter cream cake, (mouth full in more ways than one!) I realized the importance of relationship. We hadn’t built these women any special building, or started any program with them while we were there, we just encouraged them, shared testimonies, and loved them as Jesus does, which is apparently enough. Sometimes missions isn’t about what we can do, but who we are around the body of Christ. These woman struggling with health issues, marital problems, and self-doubt didn’t need anything tangible; they just needed the body of Christ to come around them and encourage the work that God had already began in their hearts. And that is what we were able to be a part of this month: their lives. And that my friends, is what touched their hearts and provoked them to make us a 10-layer sensation to our taste buds. Representing advocates for sweets international, they found the way to my heart; food.
Again, as always, I sit back in this dingy white leather booth in McDonald’s and reflect how I was blessed this month. I was encouraged by their love, hospitality, and their knack for bringing delicious treats. 🙂 Thank you Lord for loving me as you do!
