Sharing with friends and family -- a humble blog

Hello, family and friends! I created this blog as a feeble attempt to somehow express my experience this year in Moldova... I long to be able to share with you how God worked in the lives of so many, including my own. Please excuse the fact that I will not be able to do this task justice. I only hope that you will see a bit of what I got to experience, feel a touch of what my heart felt, and grasp a taste for what God can do for you!

What I learned about Moldova in a few short days...

Before I begin to detail our time in the village, I wanted to try to put into context my experience. There were many details about Moldova and its people I learned in just a few short days.... First of all, alcoholism is a rampant problem. We saw this on numerous occasions even in the small village where we stayed. I also noticed the heavy oppression of people we met. Even the children we worked with were reluctant to smile.

In the village, there were animals roaming freely, ducks, chickens, geese, cows and sheep in the fields. I can't get over the fact that the cows really come home! The saying is true! The go out to pasture in the morning after being milked, and then find their way to the gate outside their home all on their own! In fact, if you change the gate, you will most definately confuse your cow!

We met several brothers and sisters in Christ, and they were very passionate, selfless, and giving, often giving when they have little to give. They are bold in their faith. They know the bottom line is that we all have a choice in life, to walk in light or to walk in darkness. They aren't afraid to call this out.

We had wonderful food and I think we all came home a few pounds heavier! The most striking thing to me was that none of it was processed like so much of what we consume here...

Finally, the stars confiscated my heart immediately. There was no light in the village at night save the moonlight and the stars. They seemed so numerous, bright and beautiful! I was in awe of my creator God who spread the display and then called them all by name!

Day One -- In Chisinau

We landed in Chisinau and headed to the OM (Operation Mobilization) headquarters where, after a warm dinner, we crashed into bed. Melissa and I were just so thankful to be lying horizontally! The next morning, we were off to join the church in Antonesht (spelling) for their harvest festival. This was one of the churches First Redeemer dedicated a few years ago. We enjoyed worshiping with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I know we were all overwhelmed at how awesome God is! I remember believers singing in Hungarian while I sang in English ten years ago, and it was so very refreshing to experience this again! It swelled my heart to have such a tangible example of God's majesty, that nations all over the world can come together and worship Him, united despite a language barrier! Through a translator, we were able to share with them a bit of our lives and to come alongside them in worshiping our great God in heaven! After the Harvest Festival Church Service, we participated in an official Moldovan Harvest Festival Feast! It was here that I tasted my first raw fish! We spent a special time with the children of the church. They brought us every gift they could from the land around them, walnuts, apples and a relative of a pear, although it must have been a very distant relative because it was sooo sour! Later that evening, we had a cookout at Silas and Mihaela's house. The food was wonderful, but the best part was getting to love and spoil little Carmen!

Monday -- Heading out to the village!

On Monday morning, we left OM headquarters for a 3 hour drive to our host village, Panzarini (spelling). We bounced our way there (literally) and found ourselves outside the church in no time. I remember being initially struck with how idyllic the village seemed. As we rounded the road toward the village, there was a small lake and a few rolling hills at the base of it. There were sheep grazing, ducks and chickens wandering aimlessly, and cows at every turn. There were wells outside the gates of several homes. It seemed like a completely foreign world to 6 Americans used to the hustle and bustle of life, consumed with to-do lists, and rushing from one place to another. Regardless, we were there and I, for one, was very thankful for the chance to put what I knew as "life" aside and to focus on simple things. I would quickly discover just how clearly God speaks when there is no clutter of "stuff."

We arrived at the church, met Pastor Igor, and several of the daycare children. They were hesitant at first to interact with us, but soon we taught them how to say 'hello.' We must have heard that 100 times the first day! We wasted little time in getting to work. The lumber and supplies for the playground were waiting for us, so we began to sort them and prepare the site for the build. There were rocks to break, holes to dig, and tools yet to find! Our first tool, according to Eugene (one of the OM translators who came to help us) was a spoon! Melissa and I jumped right in and began to carry lumber, break up rocks with "unhealthy" hammers, and dig soil right along beside our male counterparts. We were so thankful for the chance to sling a hammer and to get our hands dirty! We worked until dusk and then headed into the small trailer on church property for a hot meal. We sang a few praise songs until a string broke on Stefanie's guitar, much to Ralph's dismay…

The sun set, and darkness settled on the village. We found out where we would each be staying. Melissa, Stefanie (our Dutch translator from OM), and I would be staying with Pastor Igor and his family. Four of the men (Jordan, Mike, Ralph, and Eugene) were staying with Pastor Igor's father, and the other two (Silas and Dr. Aultman) were staying with Albina's family. (Albina works for OM and Panzarini is her home village!) After a short drive through the village streets, we arrived at our host home. Melissa and I were greeted by Pastor Igor, his wife, Lilia, and their five children! We were so grateful for the place to stay, for the warmth radiating from the family, and of course for the indoor plumbing! We could hardly believe our luck!

Monday night, we sat around the kitchen table sharing about our families. Melissa and I both shared that we had three children and that that was enough for us. Melissa thought it; I was thoughtless enough to actually say it! Pastor Igor went on to ask how we knew this was God's will for our lives. He asked if this was our will or God's. We both felt like our feet were on fire solely because we were humbly convicted. We talked about the differences between our culture and theirs, but we left the conversation humbled, knowing that Pastor Igor had hit the button on the nose! It stirred up many questions in my mind, some of which are still unresolved… Consequently, the team joke for the week was that Melissa and I were flying directly home to have babies!

Tuesday -- In the Village

Tuesday we were up early in the morning. We bundled up (I think I had on 5 layers...) and headed out to find the church. We didn't know which streets to take since it was dark when we arrived the night before. I was in no way oriented to the area (I had two strikes against me… The first was that every street, every direction, every outside gate, seemed to look the same. The second was my leaving-much-to-be-desired sense of direction!). Stefanie, our fearless helper, lead the way and we soon found our way down to the church. Shivering and shaking (of whom I was the greatest offender) we found a warm breakfast waiting for us at the church!

Melissa and I were invited to go shopping with Pastor Igor, Albina, and Stefanie. After driving for an hour, we first went to a place called Metro, comparable to Sam's or BJ's. It was huge! Melissa and I simply followed obediently, pushing two of the three carts we had. Pastor Igor and Albina had three separate shopping lists – the first was food for the seminar on Thursday as the people would be fed lunch; the second was food to feed our team for the next four days; finally, we were arranging bags of basic food staples to deliver to several of the poorest families in the village. After two hours, we were through. It was an interesting experience that Melissa and I both were thankful we got the chance to be a part of. After Metro, we were off to the local market. Here we were going to purchase fruit, paint for the playground, and nails. I was a bit unsure that we would be able to procure all those three things all at the same place, but once we arrived, I realized that this market was equitable to what we call Wal-Mart. Although it looked nothing like one and was set up very much like crowded flea market, here you could find and purchase anything you needed, even a kitchen sink (I am not being cliché. I really saw one!) Melissa and I stuck very close to our Moldovan friends for fear of being lost. We were so enamored with the bustle of the market, struck by how different it seemed to us. We had a few more stops on the way out of town because Stefanie needed a string for her guitar (Ralph told her not to come home without one!). We were unsuccessful, but she arranged for Lilian (another OM translator working with our team) to bring one with him the next day.

We headed back to the church because the children at the day center were there and were waiting for us! As soon as we arrived, we had a quick lunch, and then entered the classroom with the children. I opened my supply suitcase and the children swarmed! Stefanie was able to get them to find a seat, and we began. The children decorated foam visors and ballcaps. This part they loved! Next, we began to tell a Bible story. I was teaching on Jesus being the Light of the World. I had glow bracelets for the children which were a huge hit! We rushed through the story because the children were already asking when we would be playing games! We headed outside for a few relay games, but ended up playing a game similar to steal the bacon (except with a bean bag and a hula hoop). We were very, very limited on space to play. We had only a narrow strip beside the church. We did not even have a place to form a proper circle for Duck, Duck Goose. Here was my first direct experience with the #1 rule of a mission trip: BE FLEXIBLE! After this, the children went reluctantly home for the day (after a piece of candy from their English teachers!)

Melissa and I gathered ourselves and headed out with Silas and Pastor Igor to deliver one of the food packages. The rest of the team stayed to work on the playground… We visited a gentleman who fell this summer and was suffering from multiple injuries still. He was quite bitter about the accident. Silas and Pastor Igor spent time discussing with Him why God allows things to happen to us, how He loves us, and how He can work through even times when we feel utterly discouraged. Melissa and I were very quiet this visit. I spent the entire time pleading for the soul of this man to turn to God.

After yet another wonderful meal, we celebrated Jordan's 18th birthday! We sang to him in English and in Romanian! Ralph even covered him in silly string! There was a brother from the church there, Olaf, who had never seen the silly string before. Ralph told him to take it home to his family. We found out the next day that he nearly shocked his wife and children to death when he walked in the door that night spraying them with what they thought was some sort of glue! They said to him, 'What's wrong with you?'

We divided into two groups and set out to deliver more packages to families in the village. We walked in the dark to these places, and although it was very dark, cold, and treacherous walking, God used this time to prepare my heart. The stars were so beautiful and numerous. I was struck by their grandeur, moved that the same God who created something so utterly majestic also takes the time to know each star's name. How much more does He do for us!

We visited first a family with 3 children, two daughters and a son. The mother was there and she shared with us that the father was an alcoholic (unfortunately, this is disturbingly common in Moldova). The oldest daughter was very shy and withdrawn although visibly shaken. The second daughter was recovering from a serious infection in her leg and a coma. She was very bitter and angry at life. We shared God's love with this family, invited them to church, and prayed around them. Pastor Igor prayed with such passion for the girl and her family as we extended our arms around them.

After this, we visited a family with 7 children. Four of them belonged to the mother and the other 3 were distant family members who were living with her. When we arrived, the seven children were seated on the bed watching Donald Duck! The four year old stood up from under the blanket and we saw she was wearing no clothing! We spoke with the parents about the responsibility of raising children up in the Lord, invited them to church on Wednesday night, and told the children about the daycare. Two of the girls ended up coming on Wednesday and Thursday!

Finally it was time for bed. We were sapped of energy, but completely filled with God's spirit. On the way home, Ralph stopped us spontaneously, asked us to turn out our flashlights, and we viewed the stars, thanking and praising God in prayer aloud.

Wednesday -- Continued work...

On Wednesday, after breakfast and a run-in with chocolate butter, we began painting the playground. After a few hours, I left with Jordan, Dr. Aultman, Silas, and Pastor Igor for two more visits. This was my favorite part of the trip, so I was glad to put down my paint brush! We headed first to meet with a young girl, age 25, whose husband was also an alcoholic. I have never witnessed in my life someone so visibly broken. I caught the vibe instantly and connected. I remember vividly walking through her gate, across the dirt yard, and to the front of the house. I remember pleading for the Holy Spirit to work in her life because I could see she so clearly needed hope. She had bruises on her arms, a broken face, and hollow eyes. I shared with her my testimony; I shared with her the love of Christ; I shared with her the peace He had given me. I shared with her that He only asks us to have faith, not to understand. Dr. Aultman talked with her more. Finally, she said she would like to know Jesus. We prayed with her. I remember the breeze picking up, feeling it on my face mixed with tears, and thanking God for what He had allowed me to witness. It is only He who grows the seeds! So often, we sow and water and plant. I got to see a harvest!

Next we visited with a sweet older couple who were relatives of Albina. We sat on the front stoop of their home. I held the woman's hand while we Dr. A talked about how we could be assured that we will go to heaven when we die. Then I shared with them the raw appreciation I had for Christ and His sacrifice for me, that He was perfect yet He chose to take what I deserved upon Himself and did so willingly. I also spoke about the peace He grants to those who seek after Him with all their hearts. He gives us a blessed assurance! Pastor Igor finished conversing with them, we prayed for them wholeheartedly and then we left. Lunch was waiting!

Day #2 of the daycare program! The children decorated t-shirts and pillowcases with puffy marker pens. They had a blast and would have decorated for an hour if I had let them! I even had smaller t-shirts for the little ones in the group. We did our Bible story, Bartimaues receives his sight and walks in the light! Finally, we headed through the village to the "stadium" where we would have our game time. We needed more space than the church courtyard, but this was almost too much! It was an open field with two rusty soccer frames. Beyond the field were the hills. We even had the company of a horse grazing in the midst of us! We played a few circle games, and then split into two teams. Stefanie took the boys while Melissa and I took the girls. Surprisingly, through much pantomime, we arranged them into two lines for a relay race. We played a few relay games with the bean bags while the boys played soccer (mixed with a bit of wrestling…). We walked back to the church with the children, many of them holding our hands and clinging to us even though we shared not one word in common…

After saying goodbye for the day, we were headed out for another visit and food delivery! We visited with two elderly women, the first bed-ridden and living in filth. She had a deaf husband and a son to care for her. Dr. Aultman asked her if she was a Christian. She said that she prayed to God for her children and went to church back when she could. We told her that it is not praying or attending church that offers salvation, only Christ. After extensive discussion, we prayed for her and then went on to the next visit. I pray for the Holy Spirit to knock at her heart and for her to have the courage to answer! I want to see that woman in heaven walking again someday.

Next we visited a sweet old woman who was almost blind and almost deaf. She sat next to me and clutched me tight the whole time we were together. She said she prayed to God every day, that she was a follower of Jesus Christ, and that He was always faithful to provide. She shared that even that day He had provided a green pepper for her to eat. We loved on her the best we could. I wrapped my arms around her and offered up prayers on her behalf. It was all I knew to do. One day, very soon, she will be with her Jesus in heaven.That night, we attended the Wednesday night church service. Dr. Aultman preached about Jesus being in the boat in the midst of the storm and the peace He likewise offers, Melissa and Jordan gave their testimonies, we sang a few songs in Romanian, and Pastor Igor closed the evening with a fervent, passionate prayer. It was a sweet sweet time together...

Thursday -- Faithful to the end...

Thursday morning, we arrived at the church for breakfast at 8! We were finished with the playground and ready to focus on the seminar on serving. Dr. Aultman, Ralph, and Mike divided up the 6 topics, each preparing two. Dr. Aultman spoke first on prayer. I gave a personal testimony on prayer. I shared two specific prayer requests over the last 2 years and how God used the trip to Moldova to answer them! The other topics were stewardship, caring, teaching, worship and evangelism. We sang songs in between each topic, some in Romanian and some in English.

After lunch, Melissa and I set off with the children for the "stadium." We made a beaded cross necklace, I gave a Wordless book illustration, taught the Wise and the Foolish Builders story, and then focused on spending the rest of the time playing games! After three days, would you believe they still didn't get the concept of forming straight lines for relay games? We didn't get much play time in because Eugene came to tell us it was time for the playground dedication. We raced back up the road to the church. The children herded toward the playground, but were told to wait for just a minute. There were balloons everywhere! Silas talked to the kids about the playground, about what they learned at the daycare program, and then gave me the chance to thank them on behalf of the Cubbies. Finally, we let them go and they went nuts! There were smiling kids running everywhere, balloons popping, and I sat back and cried. God is so good.

After this, Pastor Igor gave us a picture for helping with the daycare. He said, "God bless you and God bless your family…" To which I promptly noted that God may be growing my family! We giggled about this and it certainly made Melissa and I feel better!

We split again for two more visits. I went along with others to visit a retired teacher who had nothing. Nothing. She said that she wanted to go to heaven but that she didn't know how she could know that. She said that it was for God to decide. Dr. A and brother Oleg shared with her passionately and I genuinely believe that the Holy Spirit worked in her heart and that I will see her in heaven one day!

From here, we went to Albina's house. Her father showed us around his farm, including the chickens, rams, tractor, and cow! He even let Ralph take a ride through the streets on his Russian motorcycle. I was crazy enough to ride in the side car; crazy or not, it was a blast! Albina and her family prepared pizza for us as a surprise and it was delicious! After eating, Melissa, Jordan and I got to milk a cow for the first time! She had made her way in from the pasture, found the gate to her family's home, and was anxious to be milked. We were terrible at it, but enjoyed watching how quickly Albina's mother could do it! I don't know what impressed me more… milking the cow or knowing that the cow found its own way home from the pasture!

We headed back to the trailer at the church for one more sweet time of fellowship as a team. We sang several praise songs and enjoyed each other, knowing that we had faithfully served where God had asked, that His hand had steadied us and that He was glorified through us.

Friday -- Saying Goodbye

Friday morning, we said goodbye to our host families, gathered for one last quick breakfast, and were back in the cars headed back to Chisinau, the capital city and headquarters of OM. I sorely underestimated how hard it would be to say goodbye. I remember tearing myself away after teaching in Hungary, but thought going into this trip that only a few days could never create such a rift in my heart. I was very wrong. These people, especially Pastor Igor and his family, greatly affected me. I know they will occupy a special piece of me now that I have known them, and I look forward to one day seeing them again in heaven and being able to truly communicate!

After dropping off our luggage at OM, we drove downtown Chisinau for shopping and lunch! Lunch was McDonald's and shopping was the tourist market. We picked out a few trinket items, visited their version of a mall (very much like a three-story flea market), and then went to Matthew and Helen's house (heads up OM in Moldova). They have 5 children and even have grass in their yard! We had pizza and enjoyed a final debriefing about our time in the village. To conclude, we prayed over the OM team members we were leaving behind. It was a sweet, sweet time.

Back at OM, Melissa and I had a hard time going to sleep. We sat awake, shared our hearts with each other, established prayer requests for each other, shared Bible verses together, and relished the chance to hash out what God was doing in our lives. I am still so thankful that I got to experience all of this alongside of Melissa Barnett. God answered my prayer in that He allowed us to put ourselves and life aside, to focus on the true nature of our hearts, and to allow God's Holy Spirit to bind us. We had several precious moments on the trip, seeing clearly into each other's heart. I am praising God for this blessing. What a remarkable addition to an already heart-changing experience!

Finally, we were aboard our plane and ready for our trip home. The flight seemed endless, a ten hour flight complicated by mixed emotions, clinging to what Ilearned in Moldova, longing to see family members, and questions about how my experience would change my perspective, my priorities and even how I live my life!

A Reflection of my trip -- God's work in my heart

There were so many things that God taught me personally. He weeded my heart and cultivated it in a way that I so needed! I am still so humbled that He gave me the opportunity, that He would choose me even when I often feel unworthy. That is my glorious God! His grace covers me and makes me able to stand! I know that the experiences, people, and lessons I learned have seared themselves into my heart. I long to be able to express the ways God moved, in the village where we worked and also in my heart. He gave me peace about leaving my family, granted me strength in serving Him, proved faithful as a provider, and even loved on me as only an ABBA father can… The bottom line is that He is a God who does not deviate. He knows what I need, when I need it and even knows the best way to provide for me. His provision is sufficient, no matter how simple it seems…

Finally, I am thankful that my hope is not in what I have done, how I have served, or where I have traveled. It is solely about what Christ has done! He is a gracious God! He must be because He sent Jesus to reconcile my heart to His. Our team prayer for the trip in the few weeks prior was that we would empty ourselves of us and allow Him to overflow in us and through us onto the lives of others. I believe that we were able to take our eyes off our fears, our doubts, our struggles and to focus on the needs of others who are so desperately lost. In doing so, in believing what God promises for others, we were in turn blessed because our confidence in Him was strengthened. I praise Him for giving me the courage to go, for helping me become who He created me to be, and for calling me to heights greater than my own reach!

During our trip, I was intimately aware of God's never-faltering characteristics. He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. He is Jehovah Rah, the Lord who heals. He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord who is there. He is Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is our peace. He was all these things to my team this week. I met believers on the other side of the world who benefit from the same unchanging nature of God! He is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow! He is the same, even on the other side of the world…

This fact is more precious to me now that I am home and have reentered life as I once knew it. I know emotions can flit back and forth, life can sling a doozie of distractions, and the world is ever-changing before me, but I resolve to rest in His peace, in His provision, in His healing, in His presence.

"I'm watching and waiting…looking above. Filled with His goodness. Lost in His love!"