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!
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