Month 10 is in full swing for Q squad and we have already finished our first week in Moldova. We were supposed to be in Bulgaria, but had a last minute route change to Moldova. I came into the month not knowing what life or ministry would look like. They have told us since training camp to let go of expectations and just go with it. At this point of the Race, I just do as I am told and show up where I am told to go. I have found that doing this is the best way to do life on the Race and I get the most from the Lord when I let Him do as He plans. We drove into Moldova last Monday to Chisinau, the capital, got off the bus and had 15 minutes to catch a train to Ocnita. This month Team Leo is in northern Moldova in Ocnita, 10 minutes from the Ukraine border.
After a bit a rushing and gathering all our packs we headed to the train station, luckily it was in the same parking lot where we got off the bus. Susan our amazing treasurer was getting money at the ATM, Cara our squad treasurer was getting finances in order, and we were put on a train at 4pm for a 6-hour ride to the north. Amongst all the craziness we were all on the train and on our way to start month 10. This train was a bit old and included: old wooden benches, no heat, no one who spoke English and it moved at a glacier pace. The best part was the bathroom, which is very lose term to use but it was a squatty potty that literally disposed of all waste out on the track as we kept moving. Very quickly it began getting dark and colder and colder with every minute. Around 8pm we were at a stop when we suddenly started going backwards, towards the same direction we had came from. So we were not sure what was happening and thought we had missed our stop. There were no signs or anything to identify the stops or when we needed to get off. By this time it was very dark and at some point we must of made a turn towards Ocnita.
Our adventure to Ocnita on the oldest train in Moldova.
This train ride was not only my first on the Race, but also in my life besides at Tweetsie Railroad in the NC Mountains. We arrived to Ocnita right on time at 10pm sharp, it was dark and we had no idea what to do besides get off the train. Right as the train stopped there was a fella on the platform who waved to us and there was such a wave of relieve that came over me. In this moment we knew we were in the right place and this was our contact. The first thing he said to us when we got off the train was that we had ridden the oldest train in Moldova from the Soviet Union and the quality of our adventure all began to make sense. We piled into the van with him and made our ascent to the house. Our contact for the month is Andrei and Larisa Luca, a beautiful Moldovan couple. Andrei is a history teacher and pastors the local house of prayer (church) and Larisa is a housewife taking care of their 2 boys.
Living conditions are really nice; we live in a small 2-room house beside the main house. Connected to our house is the kitchen where we prepare all our meals. We don’t have running water, so all water comes from the well. This is the land of bucket showers and squatty pottys, which is one of the first things said to us after we got off the oldest train in Moldova. There is a squatty potty on the property where we do all our showering and it is so cold that bucket showers are not possible. So once a week we get to shower either in the river after the sauna or at a friend’s house (where we have yet to go but I am so excited to get a real shower). In between we take advantage of baby wipes and warm water to wash our hair. Life here is very simple and takes me back in time. All food shopping is done in town a 10-minute walk, where all food is sold and bought at different stores. For example go to the vegetable market, bread shop, meat shop, and pharmacy for cleaning supplies. It is quite the outing to go buy food for a few days. I have been given new eyes to how simple life can be lived and when living this way there are fewer concerns. Life on the Race is much simpler than the way I was living in America and I am so grateful for every day. The Lord has opened my eyes to seeing Him all around me from nature to ministry to the ways He continues to work His plan in my life.
Ministry this month will involve a few different opportunities: kids club to teach bible stories and play games with local children, house visits, testimonies and singing on Sundays at church, construction, and teaching English. I am so excited to see how this month evolves and all the Lord has for me this month. I am praying for time to seek Him this month, working on the ways I interact with others and word choice, and being patient in conversations to wait my turn to speak. Life looks very different this month than any other on the Race so far. Mainly to do with the fact that we don’t have running water and this is the first month I haven’t had running water. I am surprised how much revolves around having running water from showers, toilets, washing machines, sinks, to an ease of lifestyle of not having to get all the water I use from the well.
Left my team leader Emily on the squatty potty, top right getting our honey and coffee scrub for the Russian bath(sanua into cold river and repeat a few times), and bottom right some of the team with our contact to the left- Andrei and Larisa.
