Moldova was a country of incredible hospitality. With and without verbal communication, our team built powerful relationships with so many people in this country. It was a trying month, but it ended with our most difficult goodbyes yet. We fell in love with the servant’s hearts in Moldovan people, and with the way that they loved on us, took care of us, and accepted us as their own.
We helped build a playground… Or tried to convince them to let us help…
(Before the playground)
(After 2 weeks of building!)
We moved large piles of wood and carried buckets of sand…
(Photos coming soon)
We helped with a Suicide Awareness Event (or the “Suicide Prevention Convention” as we liked to refer to it)…
We painted and painted some more… Because that's what our team does…
(Sideways… Mary painting the "pig hotel")
(More pictures coming soon)
We acted like fools for the sake of making kids laugh…
(Pictures also coming soon…I hate technology)
Taught English with questionable materials…
Celebrated a special birthday…
Went to a symphony…
Celebrated Christmas in September…
And made a million new and wonderful friends!
Moldova in Numbers:
Number of showers: 14
Meals with rice: 13
Meals with potatoes: 19
Meals with pasta: 15
Meals with buckwheat: 8
Number of times we ate oatmeal: 12 (Best. Oatmeal. Ever!!!… Just ask Julia.)
Number of times we ate soup: probably around 40 (billion)
Number of KFC’s spotted: 1 (VICTORY!)
Cups of tea: 9
Cups of coffee: 26
Stairs climbed: approximately 60 times climbing the 60 stairs leading to our tower would mean that we climbed roughly 360 stairs in our time in Rapunzel’s tower!
New food I tried and loved: watermelon with salt
Food I would rather not eat again: dill, buckwheat, still borscht
Advice for future racers in Chisinau/Moldova:
1. Learn some basic language:
Moldova has 2 “official” languages. Depending on where you are, the people will either speak Romanian (or Moldovan, which is just a dialect of Romanian) or Russian… Or a mixture of both. If you’re exceedingly lucky, you might get placed in ministry with a team of Germans who speak limited English. In this case, you will spend the month learning not one, not two, but THREE languages. So, here are a few basic words to get you started:
Romanian: (excuse my spelling)
Buna Diminiatsa- Good morning
Buna ziwah – good day
Nopte buna – good night
Somnique dulche – sweet dreams
Molta mesque – thank you
Russian:
Dobre vietra: good morning
Dobre dane – good day
Priviet – hello
German:
Guten morgan: good morning
Donka shune: thank you
Guten tag: good day
2. Look up my fabulous friend, Nancy Russell. She knows the ropes, the best restaurants, and can make a mean cappuccino cheesecake.
3. Try to convince your best friend to marry a diplomat and move to Moldova while you are here. She can bring you all kinds of goodies from America and you can celebrate by having an early Christmas with your team!
4. Visit Emmanuel Baptist Church and give my love to Papa Niccolai and Mama Lydia and their 3 incredible children. Make sure you meet Liuda, Jana, Serge, Ilona, and all of our other friends there. They will change your lives for the better. I promise.
5. Love on your team and the people in this country every single chance you get.
That just about wraps up our month in Moldova! I am blown away by the fact that God has placed a different kind of love in my heart for each of the three countries we have visited. I will never forget the love, hospitality, and true beauty of the people of Moldova.
