Count Your Blessings

     Christmas has been amazing with the family.  As I was reflecting on the way back , I felt so blessed that I have been able to work at the home in Moldova.  I have learned so many things about myself and the Lord.  It is amazing how He writes our stories.
     I spent Christmas in Ney York with my family.  We ended up getting snowed in for several days which gave me lots of time to talk to my grandparents.  It was so good just to be here and to be with them. I return to Moldova on Tuesday, and I am so excited to see the women, my team, and all my friends again.  Have an amazing New Year.

A Fun Recital

     Tonight we had the Christmas recital for the school kids who share our apartment.  Donna (the teacher and our close friend) asked us to sing in the recital. I get really nervous singing in front of people, but here, I have never had the option not to sing in front of people:)  It has been really good for me (We are also part of the worship team at the international church).  We ended up singing "Down to the River to Pray" and "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" acapella.  I had to have some major self control to keep from shedding tears during "Sweet Little Jesus Boy", it is such a great song. "Down to the River to Pray" was a song that all of us sung one night when we were washing dishes at Donna's and thats how it became part of the Christmas recital.   The kids did vocal and instrumental solos as well as a dance routine.  They were super cute and very excited.  My life would not be the same here without there little faces and high energy.  The whole recital was a success and a blessing to see.  After the recital, we walked outside into a winter wonderland.  It was a great night!

I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness,
         And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.-Psalm 7:17

Nancy

     Today is Nancy’s birthday and most of you don't really know who she is.  You ever meet those people who change your life by how they live theirs.  Nancy is one of those people as are several other people I have met here.  Nancy is the president of the home I am working at.  She is officially my boss, but also a great friend and mentor.  If you just met Nancy, you would think wow what a cool, strong women who is not afraid to trust God.  She is all those things but she is also a kind, caring, compassionate woman who spends every day of her life pouring into others lives. Two weeks ago, I got to sit next to her in a staff meeting and watched as she cried over one of the woman.  She is beautiful!  I was thinking the other day that the Lord knew what He was doing when He chose Nancy.  He must have known He would be able to love through her, create through her, and cry through her.  She reflects our Lord!  How very blessed am I to serve with someone who walks in obedience to Christ!!!  I am so glad you were born Nancy.

Night with the Girls

     Tonight we spent the night at the home.  When we arrived, everyone was in a bit of a frenzy because tomorrow we celebrate Nancy's (the president) birthday.  I was pretty excited to be able to be a part of the chaos.  Our night was amazing.  It has been a while since I was able to really spend time talking to several of the women and I was concerned about that.  I always pray on the way and last night was the same.  I ended up having some of the best conversations with several of the woman that I have had since being here.   When we got there the director gave me the keys to the craft cabinets and said later help the girls make cards.  Most of the girls wanted to make cards for Nancy to show their appreciation for her love and great care.  You would think card making would be a great activity to do with the ladies, but I was thinking I don't speak Russian, no not me, don't ask me :)  Yeah had some super insecure moments, and then I got really excited.  We had so much fun.  Most of the women in the home made cards, and we had a table full of craft stuff.  The cards were beautiful and they were proud of their creations.  I am always amazed at how creative this bunch is.  By the end of the card session, there were stamps on people rather then the paper, periods of random singing, and a lot of laughter.  I think Nancy is going to lover her surprise birthday party tomorrow.

By the way, we have heat!!!!!

Chatting with Artists

     Today was full of fun events.  In the morning, we headed over to the Pentecostal Union for the dress rehearsal for Christmas in Egypt.  Jessie and I are part of the set crew for the children's Christmas play at the International Church.  It was complete chaos at points, but the play is delightful.  During one song, we were singing a Christmas carol, and I definitely had tears in the eyes.  I am so grateful that Christ was born!!  After three hours of kids, costumes, and singing, we headed over to one of our favorite places to eat, Robert's Coffee.  It is one of the restaurants in Chisinau where you can get amazing salad, which I often crave here.  It was nice to have quality time with Jessie as well.  Our goal for after Robert's was to visit the art market and do some serious Christmas shopping.

     The art market is one of those places where you could simply walk through and buy stuff with minimal interruptions, or you can look at stuff and get to know the sellers and the artist.  Even though we were focused, we went with the ladder.  One of the artist named Victor (he is in his 60's) is a musician.  As soon as we came to his stand, he remembered us and we each received a kiss on the cheek :) He then told us about how he was doing and gave us two apples and free hats and scarves.  Yeah, he thought the scarf would look nice on me so I had to keep it (really sweet). He also played all his instruments for us! Another stand owner asked if I spoke Spanish and when I said, yes, a little, he started telling us all about the art he was selling and how he learned Spanish.  Evidently he had lived in Cuba for several years.  I never got why he lived there but maybe next time.  Near the end of the market, we stopped by one of my favorite artist's stands whose son was selling his art.  One of the pictures was interesting and I asked what it meant.  In Russian he explained it to us.  I caught some of it and Jessie was able to tell me more, but the story behind the picture is still missing pieces.  We ended the conversation with him telling me that his father is doing well, and he was thankful that we asked.  Everyday the artists are outside selling their goods, whether it is sunny or snowing.  I admire this because it was freezing today.  I was so grateful to be able to get to know the people we met today.  I am praying that I will be able to continue to get to know those who run and work in the art market.

     We ended our day at Jack's (a team member's son) 4th birthday party at a Pizza place with 20 kids and lots of pizza. He had a blast.  By the end of today, I was feeling extremely blessed.

Town Hall Meeting

     A couple of nights ago we went to the US ambassadors home for a town hall meeting.  I had taught earlier that day and wasn't really wanting to go to the meeting.  But I ended up there, and it was awesome.  The American ambassador spoke about his time in Moldova, and his hopes for the country. We were also given safety precautions from the security officer and a general idea of the country's crime. The meeting was held in a beautiful house and about 30 people attended from the US government and other ngos.  At the end, we were served delicious food and were able to mingle with the other people.  I ended up speaking with two women working with behavioral kids at a local orphanage who want me to come and teach on health issues. I would love to do this!
     One of the topics the safety and security officer talked about was the low rates of crime in Moldova.  Praise the Lord, I have experienced the kindness of the people here and for the most part believe the crime rates to be low against random strangers.  However I was a little leery of the statement, due to the seemingly high levels of corruption in Moldova, lack of infrastructure, and widely known inconsistency of the police department. I will not expound on all these points, but I tend to think that the under reporting of crime is happening particularly in issues of familial crime such as domestic violence.  I would have liked to have known where they get these statistics.
      Sorry,  I will get off my soap box :)  The town hall meeting was excellent, and I am so glad I went.

Isa. 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Cooking Moldovan Style

Today was a great day!!!

     Started the day at the Freedom Home cooking lunch with the cook and some of the women.  What a blessing!  I am learning how to cook Moldovan traditional food in order to be able to teach applicable lessons on nutrition in the Spring. The goal is teach the women healthy eating habits and also ways to cook the food they like so much in a healthy manner.   I am also grateful to have this time to spend with the ladies and get to know Maria the cook better.  Even though she speaks no English and I speak very little Russian, she was able to teach me how to make beef cutlets. Yeah, never made a cutlet before, but they are pretty tasty. She also taught me all the Russian words for the ingredients. So in addition to food lessons, I also had a Russian lesson. God is good! Maria is very kind and already has a good relationship with many of the woman even though she has only been there a short time.  She is truly an answer to prayer.
      Tonight we had some friends over to our apartment to eat dinner and watch a movie.  Elena, Elena, Elyssa, Jessie, and I had a lot of fun spending time together. It was nice to be able to have friends over to our house and bless them. Sweet fellowship!!!

Sashka Continued

Yesterday we had our first real snow, and it was beautiful!

We were able to see the snow falling while we walked to the Freedom Home to spend the night.    Last night I was able to use my nursing skills.  I gave shots, did an assessment and taught about upper respiratory infections.  It was wonderful !  This week I also began teaching the staff, and I think it went really well.  Everyone participated and I believe people were learning.  I feel very blessed to teach these woman.
Today we had a pretty relaxed day.  In the morning, we hung out at the home.  This afternoon I had Russian  and my teacher spent the majority of the time teaching me medical vocabulary in Russian.  I don't think I have laughed that hard in a while.  You can only imagine :)  I now know how to do a mini assessment in Russian.

    Our kitten Sasha is doing very well.  She has successfully been de flead thanks to Jessie's and Curtis's (a friend working in the Ukraine orphanages) help.  She is loved by all the school children who are in our apartment during the daytime.  Every morning they pray for her to get completely healthy, and ask me how she is doing.  She is gaining weight and recently started playing.  I am extremely grateful to have her, and appreciate all the people who are showing her love.

Day 1, before bath time.   

falling in love

I'm clean.  This was after her second set of baths.  We successfully de-flead her after four hours of surgery :)

Today, sitting on Uncle Don's lap

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalms 4:8

Sasha the Cuteness

Two days ago at around 10:00p I was approached in the entrance to our apartment building by the cutest stray kitten, and she followed me up the stairs to my apartment .  Actually she looked really mangy, she was infested with fleas, she was dragging a leg, anorexic, and her tail look like it was run over by a car.  I was moved with compassion.  Sasha just received her flea medicine and is eating like a champ.  She is no longer limping, but her tail is still struggling.  She is super sweet and is called sweet by Jessie in Russian at times.  She is beautiful. I am not sure what the plan is for her past tomorrow but I am glad she found me.  I am praying to get her healthy.

One of the many things I like about Moldova is you never really know what a day will bring or how it will go :)  Sasha is evidence of this.

Thanksgiving Fun

    So I realized that I have never spent a Thanksgiving without my family.  This was my first, and it was great.  Don't get me wrong I missed my family terribly and had intermittent moments of nostalgia and sadness, but Thanksgiving was a blast with my team.  For two days prior, we were all in some way preparing for the ridiculous delicious feast we were going to have on Thursday. We ended spending about eight hours together playing games, eating, and laughing on Thanksgiving.
  

 On Wednesday I went grocery shopping with the ladies from the the restoration home at a store similar to Costco called Metro.  We bought an absorbatant amount of food and it was entertaining to see people's reaction to the two overflowing carts.  One of the children joined us from the home and we had her sitting in the front of the cart.  Yeah I know, not that odd- right, wrong, people just stared at her in the cart.  Unlike the states, the grocery carts are not kid friendly.  People hold their kids or they walk through the store.  It was pretty funny to see the reactions.  On a more serious note, this little girl brings much joy to the home.  You can often hear her learning people's names, calling the dog, or repeating phrases.  She is deeply loved by her mom and their relationship is a blessing to see and be a part of. I love this kid.
     Today was rainy and extremely cold outside.  It is starting to feel like winter, woo hoo.  We had Russian lessons in the afternoon and ended up going to our tutors house for the lesson.  This was the first time we have been to her house.  She showed us all the rooms and her plate collection.  Then we had coffee and jam (homemade jam) and talked.  It was wonderful !!!

We are supposed to get snow tomorrow :)

Odessa

     This past weekend we were supposed to go to a anti-trafficking conference in Odessa with the staff.  However the conference was canceled, and we went to Odessa for a retreat instead.  We had a blast!!  Odessa, Ukraine is a beautiful sea port city with a lot of history and astounding architecture.  We stayed in a hostile in the middle of the city and we were able to walk everywhere.  We traveled by train for five hours from Chisinau, Moldova on Thursday and stayed until Saturday.  It was so nice to be able to spend quality time getting to know the staff more outside of work.

     The people we met in Odessa were extremely friendly.  The afternoon we went to the Black Sea there was a older man picking up smooth rocks and collecting them.  I was sitting there watching him, and he kindly came over to us and gave us each a rock that he had picked.  He was so sweet :)  I kept the rock.  

In the three days we were there I had a lot of chances to get to know the staff better and was able to see a new beautiful place.  God is good!!!

Some photos from Odessa:

Friends

There was a time when Odessa had a large Jewish population.  We saw the Star of David over a random door frame

The first night walking through the city, we were able to see the beauty of the city.

On the train, heading home

  

Presents from Odessa 

So this is Love

     This past week was so good!!!  After a really stressful weekend, we were able to find a place of peace at both the home and our own homes. On Wednesday, I spent the night at the home and was feeling a little nervous about going. In spite of my nervousness, I knew God was with us! When we arrived you could immediately feel the peace that for several weeks had not really been in the house.  Throughout the night we all hung around together, talked, and laughed.  It was nice to see that the fear had subside and everyone was feeling safe again.  I hated that they were feeling afraid at all.
    One thing  I consistently find myself asking God is to show me how show and give love to these woman. He has been faithful, really faithful, in answering this prayer.  Wednesday morning started with me checking heads for lice, and then I asked one of the woman if I could do her hair.  When she thought she would have to do it, she was shying away from the hair time.  She did not have the energy to do it herself.  Through a translator, I told her that in fact I wanted to do it, and she wouldn't have do anything accept sit there and trust me with her hair :)  She immediately lit up and ran to the bathroom where she wanted me to do it.  While this was happening, I was thinking about how much I need my mom or other woman to love on me like this, and I was so grateful to be able to love her in this way.  By the time we left the home, she walked (and at times skipped) us out to where we were to pick up public transportation.  Please pray that our relationship will continue to grow.

God is showing me that even though I cannot always express my love in words (I like to communicate) I can in action.  He fills my love cup!

"Typical" Week

      Every morning I usually have a basic plan of what I am supposed to do for the day.  However what usually starts out as a plan quickly changes.  So let me give you a typical week in Chisinau, Moldova for Sarah. (I know people like details)

Monday-  We work on the grant proposal, and do everything and anything else we can possibly get done.  I usually study Russian on this day as well, it includes watching cartoons, written exercises, and speaking out loud.  

Tuesdays-  I head over to the rehabilitation home and spend time with the residents.  We also have staff meetings.  I love this day!!!  I end the day with Russian lessons and some quality chat time with Jessie and Donna.

Wednesday-  Continued work on written projects during the day time then we head over to the home to assist the night workers for the night.

Thursday-  We spend the morning with the women and then head to Russian lessons. 

Friday-  We go to the home and do what they need and also spend quality time with the children

On weekends we usually have some free time on Saturdays and then Sunday is church.

*I am finding that this schedule is tentative based off the needs of the home, our team, and deadlines for projects.  It has been good for me to see the importance of relying on the Lord for peace and not my circumstances.  

      So friends and family, honestly, this past week was insane which is why I did not post on Saturday, sorry.  However God has been faithful and we (meaning the team and woman) have surfaced thus far unscathed.  Please continue to pray for the home and the woman.

  Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”-

Matthew 11:28-30

a Casa

      Wow, this past week was crazy but good.  I spent a lot of time at the home and was asked by the staff to move up the date for when I begin health teaching. So instead of next month as originally planned, I will be starting in two weeks.  For all the nurses out there, I plan to teach about hand hygiene first.  Yeah I know it probably sounds boring, but it will be a lot of fun.  In addition to the women, I think a lot of the staff will also be joining the sessions.  Speaking of the staff, we are becoming very close.  Some of Jessie and I's closest friends here are from the staff at the home.  It has been a joy to get to know and work with this staff.

Me and friends (also staff)

    

     One challenging aspect of this work or ministry is that sometimes you feel absolutely helpless.  Some of the issues are very hard to have answers for and often times you don't have answers.  What has been so beautiful is to see God help our staff to find answers.  We are not perfect but there is a realization that sometimes we have no clue what we are doing and that is ok.

Some of the projects Jessie and I are currently working on include: a grant proposal, home survey, health curriculum, and newsletter.  Please pray for all of these projects.

But those who wait on the LORD 

      Shall renew their strength; 

      They shall mount up with wings like eagles, 

      They shall run and not be weary, 

      They shall walk and not faint.

Moldova is beautiful in the fall!

     

Working in a Warm Culture

     One of the books I am reading while here in Moldova is called From Foreign to Familiar. In this book, the author outlines some of the differences between "cold cultures" such as the USA and Germany, which value efficiency, production, etc.. and "warm cultures" like Moldova and Mexico.  According to the author warm cultures tend to focus more on relationship building than on productivity.  Although the average person on the street of Moldova is not initially smiling at you, once you talk to somebody, they are extremely kind and open.  For instance, on the days I have had Russian lessons, Olga (my teacher) and I have spent a large portion of the time finding out about the others family.  By our third lesson, it was like meeting up with an old friend.  Although I am there to learn Russian, it is secondary to our relationship.  It has been nice living in a warm culture where cultivating the relationship is extremely important.  On the other hand, working in a" warm culture" when you come from a "cold culture" can be extremely challenging and at points frustrating.  This past month God has been working with me on not having to always be doing something, or contributing, or being productive, or even trying to make things happen.  He is showing me that I can work with the flow of the people as opposed to overruling situations or living in irritation.    It has been very good !!!  I mean that.
     This past week we spent a lot of time getting to know more about the Home and the women we are working with.  We attended our first staff meeting. I am moved to be working with such a loving group of people. It made me think about what a blessing it is to work with others who truly want the best for those they are taking care of even if it is taxing on them.  It is God's work.  I feel like my relationships are growing, and soon I will start teaching lessons on health in the home.  This past month has given me the background information I have needed to understand more of the women's specific health needs and concerns.  Please pray for the work here as this past week had a lot of challenges that are far from over.  We need wisdom.
Oh  yeah, Jessie and I got a refridgerator yesterday!!!


Disclaimer:  This does not mean Americans do not value relationships :)

City Day

Yesterday we attended Chisinau's City Day.  City Day is held across Moldova in ever village on various days.  After taking a long detour on the public transportation van, Jessie and I were about an hour late meeting Elena (a co-worker at the home) and her friends who had invited us to got to City Day with them.  After getting over our embarrassment because we were so late, we got to enjoy City Day.

[You ever have those days where you are in a funk and you know the Lord is going to have to help your attitude if you are going to have a good day?  Well, I was having one of those days.]  When we met up with Elena and her friends, I was worn out and the day was far from over.  What started off as a rough day, due to a lice scare, no electricity, and getting lost, ended up being one of the most memorable days I have had so far.  All down the main street of the city were different street vendors selling clothes, food, art, jewelry etc... The streets were packed and people from all over Chisinau had come to celebrate their city.  In between booths, there were different music performances ranging from American pop to Moldovan traditional dance.  I had an amazing time, and I was so grateful to get to spend time with Elena her wonderful friends (Ana, Irena, and Sergio).  We ended the festivities with authentic Moldovan food.  It was such a blessing to see and get to experience the people of Moldova celebrating and enjoying themselves.  

.  

Village Scenes  

Consider it pure joy, my brother, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. -James 1:2-4

Becoming Staff

Last week I was oriented to the home I will be working at for the months we are here.  The director of the home asked us to become comfortable enough to be able to work overnight with the women once a week.  Up until this point, most of my time at the home was spent getting to know the residence.  With my limited language skills, this has been a bit of a challenge, but I feel like we have developed relationships.  On Wednesday we spent our first night there and worked alongside one of the staff to learned the ropes.  The night went extremely well and everyone seemed to know the routine.  The next night Jessie and I were on our own.  I was a bit nervous but trusting God for every minute of the night.  Aside from an electrical fire, the night went very well.  We played games, read the bible, ate, and just got to know each other better.  I had a wonderful time and was sad to leave the next day:)

Smiling

Sunday we went to the break away Republic of Transnistria to attend church. It is amazing how a place of so much political unrest appeared very safe.    We were able to enter the area without any difficulty,  due to the good relationship of the director of Teen Challenge with the officials.  We were meeting with a team who came from the US who came to work on the teen challenge center. After church we were invited back to the directors and his family's home for lunch.  He has eight children and a mother-in-law who lives with him and his wife.  We all packed into a cozy dining room and ate chicken, potatoes, and bread. One of the ways Moldovan's show love and hospitality is through the gift of food.
After our time in Transnistria, we headed back to Chisinau to have dinner with people who attended the Human Trafficking conference.  This was such an amazing dinner.  I  learned more about the initiatives that different Christians are taking all over the world to help confront this growing problem.  I sat next to a woman who is running a home in Seattle and another girl who is reaching out to women in Amsterdam. It was amazing !!!
On a personal note:  I am really enjoying Moldova and the work I am doing here.  Just about everyday God does a miracle in my life and I am so grateful to be a part of His work.  One of the cultural traits that has been hard for me to adjust to is the lack of smiling.  Rarely will you see people smiling at a stranger or even at loved ones.  This may sound like a relatively minor issue, but it is strange for me and can be harsh.  I really want to smile at people and show them love in that way but I do not want to offend.  So as I prayed about it, I have been reading Jeremiah.  In the first chapter, Jeremiah is being called to follow God's call.  Jeremiah is young and  fearful.  God reassures Jeremiah and tells him to not be afraid because He is with him.  I am not sure how friendly people were in Jeremiah's time but in verse 8 God says,

Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.


He knows our smallest doubts and fears and knows what we need.  I was so glad to get this verse and I am now smiling at people.

This is our room.  We love it!

Those curtains are mustard yellow but they are amazing.

Our view from the window.

Learning Russian

Hello Friends!!!  Every day I have been in Moldova I have learned so many new things. Today we spent the day planning for a jewelry sale we are doing at a trafficking conference on Friday.  We inventoried the jewelry yesterday and discussed how we would display it.  Tomorrow we head over to the Home to finish up the jewelry display and come up with the game plan. Please pray for this process.  This afternoon I had my first Russian lesson and it was great.  My tutor's name is Olga, and she is extremely kind and funny .  Today was her birthday so we got her tea and chocolate.  She was pretty excited.  My first Russian session was pretty intense, and I am going to have to study a lot to become fluent.  I am trusting the Lord for the Russian language !!!

I will post pictures of my apartment tomorrow :) We got cabinets to today!

Quality time in the hospital

      Sorry I was not able to write yesterday the website wasn't working.  However the last two days have been fun filled and full of challenging times.  Yesterday was the beginning of the Visa process which included a visit to the hospital clinic with Jessie (my roomate), Emily, Igor (our interpreter and guide), and myself.  We walked into this ancient gray building which had hallways lined with doors.  Through each white door you would find different specialties such as dermatology, Psychiatry, etc... In order to live in the country you have to be checked off by physicians of the different specialties and undergoe a series of blood tests.  Most of the specialties consisted of a doctor asking us if we had a problem related to the specialty, no physical exam was done.  I was kind of amazed from a nursing persepctive but also very appreciative that they did not have to examine me.  This total process took about two days at the clinic.  Praise God I am healthy and Moldova should be safe with me living in the country.  After hospital time today, we headed to a restaurant with all kinds of stuffed crepes. It was delicious. We ended back at our apartment after Jessie and I did our first ride on the public transportation van (the Rutiera) alone.  I was praying a throughout the ride that we would know where to tell the van driver to stop since there are no street signs.   God is good; we arrived home!!!

The Lord says I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you.   Psalms 32:8

All about the apartment

Today we went to a store called Metro (similar to Costco) to outfit our cute apartment.  Jessie and I are sharing an apartment with a school.  I thought we were going to have our room in the classroom, but we actually have our own space.  Each day we have been with a different couple from our team and they have shown us different aspects of the city.  Today we were with Don and Beth.  They are an awesome couple from Wisconsin, who drove us around to help us get what we needed for the apartment.  The Lord definitely helped us get a lot of good stuff for excellent prices.  One of our best purchases was mustard, yellow velvet curtains which are going to keep all the heat in our room.  Don jerry rigged a rod and put wire around it to hang the curtains.   Right now we don't have any heat, hot water, refrigerator, or working stove, but I could not have asked for a more beautiful apartment.  The team has been taking excellent care of us.

                                                          His Grace is Sufficient!

Please continue to pray for us!!!

Whirlwind

Today was an amazing day.  Jessie and I spent the majority of the day touring around the city and learning about Moldovan culture.  This included parks, government buildings, the art market,  and restaurants. In addition we had our first introduction to Moldovan transportation which is 80% walking and 20% riding  vans (completely packed with people) or buses.  I am looking forward to the public transportation :)

Moldova's history is so rich.  Elena, our new best friend and lovely blessing,  tried to explain how Moldova became what it is now, but she even had a hard time explaining Moldova's complex history.  One of the coolest places we went was a park near the center.  When I came last year, I called it the internet park because it had free wifi.  However we actually walked through the park this time, and throughout the park their were busts of famous people who Moldovan's view as heroes including: soldiers, poets, novelist, etc...  I really enjoyed this.  I felt that is gave me incite into what is important to people in Moldova.

Kishinev.info

We ended the day going to the local vegetable market (similar to a gigantic farmer's market) and then cooking at the Raatz's, our host family's house.  The team I am working with here is amazing,!!!  I will share more on them later.  God is so good!!!

We arrived !

Yey, we just arrived in Moldova.  I forgot how beautiful this country is-vineyards, rolling hills, etc...I am so excited to be back!  Tonight we have dinner with the boss and her family and then hopefully much needed sleep. I am walking around in a bit of a fog.

Meeting Jessie, my roomate in Moldova

So I am headed for the small country of Moldova per God's calling.  I am so excited to see what He is going to do.  Yesterday I met my roommate, Jessie and we ate a HUGE breakfast.   I was able to learn a lot about her passion for both God and the issue of human trafficking.  We have a lot in common :)
I leave Wednesday, woo hoo.I feel so privileged to go to Moldova and be a part of such an awesome team. I am nervous but I know it is going to be amazing!

Please pray for Jessie and I's first week in Moldova.