First impressions.
Our three hour bumpy bus ride to the village of
Paicu in the south of Moldova reminded me of the minibuses in Brazil, that are
always packed and bumpy. In the driver’s defense, the roads weren’t the best
either. Finally we got off at what seemed in the middle of nowhere and started
walking down the dirt road in the direction of the village. I was so grateful
to have our contact, now friend, with us who knew where we were going. After a
little walk we were met by a white van driven by one of the missionaries in the
village. She grew up there amidst a lot of hard challenges, found Jesus, and is
now on fire for God, having got His heart for her village and has planted a
church there. She is slowly seeing her
family and others coming to Jesus as they see the transformation in her life.
As we drove into the village we saw large piles
of hay stored up for the winter, chickens and geese wandering around, bright
blue fences and green houses, and beautiful flowers. The dust whirled up as we
drove on the dusty road, but not for long. We soon arrived at a lovely white building
which is the church/ministry project/missionary housing. It has chickens for
eggs and lots of vegetables in the garden. In Moldova they preserve a lot of
fruit and vegetables for the winter months which they often store in underground
rooms to keep them cool.
In the kitchen the women were busy preparing
hot lunches for some of the poorest in the village who receive a hot meal five
days a week as part of the feeding project there.
Feeding the poor.
After a quick visit to the loo (which was a
hole in a cement floor) we were on our way to deliver lunch. Warm soup with
chicken and vegetables, buckwheat, and bread. The hot components were
transported in glass jars; “Moldovan Tupperware” the locals joked, although I
thought it was a great idea.
I was so impacted by these visits. Writing this
I feel tears come to my eyes. I was moved by the deep poverty we saw which I
didn’t expect to see. But I was even more impacted by the incredible love I saw
in the staff as we delivered the food.
At the
first house we were met by an elderly couple in their 70s. The wife is sick and
although you can see they take care of their home, they have no-one taking care
of them. There are many elderly people in Moldova who are all alone because
their children have moved abroad and they feel abandoned, sometimes even having
to raise their grandchildren. Anyways, as we introduced ourselves to this
beautiful old lady, she took a hold of my face and kissed my cheeks and said “she
looks like one of ours”. Maybe I reminded her of one of her relatives. We
smiled and they talked and we prayed. Prayed for her health as she is sick.
After the prayer she looked at us with tears in her eyes. The missionary
prepared the food for her and we said our goodbyes. I felt so humbled to have
been welcomed into her home with such joy. And I was reminded of how much I
love working with families when I was in Brazil, and the joy of just loving and
being present with them.
Stepping into the
homes.
In the next home I was amazed by the stunning traditional
embroidery on the walls as big wall hangings. The bed spread on the bed was a
bright blue with flowers, and the woman herself was wearing a green headscarf. When
I asked if I could take a photo of her in her beautiful home, her response was “why
not?” My heart was filling up with so much love for these women whose lives are
being made better by getting a hot meal each day. And I was so challenged by
the value of love and the value of just making someone’s day better. This
feeding project isn’t about getting someone out of poverty but about giving
dignity and hope. So often it’s easy to get focused on how we can get someone
out of a situation that seems wrong to us, whereas the reality is that these
elderly people will end their lives poor. Yet they are encountering Jesus as he
comes in the form of a warm meal a day and prayer.
Not all homes were as well cared for as these
two. In one home everything was in disarray. It was messy and dirty and you could
tell that the person living there wasn’t doing well. The meal we lovingly laid
out on the table, waiting for the man to come home, made such a statement of “even
if you have given up, we love you and care for you, and we still have hope for
you”.
The dignity of
creativity.
I think visit that impacted me the most was to
a lady who is deaf and mute. As we entered we didn’t plan to stay for long because
of the communication issues. Waiting for her to open the door we prayed
silently for her situation. The outside of her house was full of corn on the
cob, ready to be processed in some way to be kept for the winter. When she
opened the door she beckoned for us to come in. She was clearly upset about
something, and through hand motions she showed us how the walls of her house
are crumbling and that her stove doesn’t work. In winter the houses are warmed
through the heat from the wood burning stove and without it working it is a
dire reality. It was such a hopeless reality to be faced with.
However my favorite part came after being shown
this. The woman then went into another room and wanted us to follow, so we did.
In that room she was creating rugs from old clothes and was showing us one of
the rugs she had made. The way her face just lit up and the pride she had as
she showed us was priceless. It was so powerful.
From the despair she had shown from the state
of her house, to the beaming smile and the dignity she exuded as she showed us
what she had made; it can’t be explained in words. It’s that feeling of your
heart being hit by a joy you are sharing with someone else as she is taking joy
in showing you what she has poured her heart into making. Memories of her
radiant face have remained with me these days, and in a sense she is the face
of the poor of Moldova to me.
We visited a few other families, including a
wonderfully joyful woman with two teeth- one gold, one white, but with such a
passion and joy. She’s a member of the church and that evening she was so
delighted to see us again. The love and acceptance these people showed us “foreigners”
has been incredible.
Thankful.
In the afternoon we had a lunch which I think
was very similar to the meals we had just delivered. I ate with a deep
thankfulness. Thankfulness that I have never gone hungry. Thankfulness for the
food I was eating in that moment, and thankfulness to have had my eyes opened
to the reality of so many in the world. I want to always remain thankful and
not take even the simple reality of food on the table for granted. It reminds
me of the question of “why me? Why did I get to be born into wealth and these
people into poverty? ” Yet with those questions sneaking into my thinking, I
choose to change them into a prayer of thanks and a trust in the God who is
bringing food and hope to these ones because He has not forgotten them.
The children of the
village.
After lunch we joined with the day centre which
is an after school program for a group of the most needy children in the
village. They get a hot meal and help with their home work. Many come from
abusive families, or are social orphans, which is where their parents are
working abroad and they are being raised by an older sibling or in some cases
other relative. We spent the afternoon playing outside with them and it was
really fun. Fun to see how all children are really the same and yet each one of
these is also unique and special. As we rounded up our time together it was
powerful to hear them wish us well and ask blessings on us and many of them
invited us to come back some time. The children touched my heart as well.
Dressing for church.
In the evening we put on skirts and headscarves
for church and joined with the small congregation of about twenty. We sang
together and prayed together and listened to the word of God together. Seeing
them praying and fasting for those who are sick and suffering in their village,
and sensing their hope and love and the life they carry was so inspirational. Jesus
is really moving in the village and the people are seeing that it’s not only
words, but it’s real change. People who were drinking and abusive are being
saved and restored by God and it is changing the village, one person at a time.
The heros.
The next morning we woke up to a mist covering
the fields, and a chilly dampness in the grass as I plodded to the loo in the
wee hours of the morning. At six am one of the ladies was already in the
kitchen peeling potatoes for the meal of the day. A bit later over breakfast
the leader of the project and church was sharing with me her dream. Her dream
and vision is to have a house with lots of room and to bring a group of
children from the most abusive families with alcoholic parents to stay there with
them on weekends and on holidays. She wants to bring them the relief that so
many never find, and she wants to invest in them where everyone else has
forgotten them. Such an amazing vision and such a reflection of the heart of
the Father for these children.
As we said goodbye to her and the other ladies
working there, I wished I could have spoken more with them. I wished that there
had been time to share more with them. Seeing the love that just poured out
from them to the families, made me want to know more what is in their hearts,
and what the revelation of God’s heart is that they carry.
Returning to the city.
As we sat in the minivan back to the city my
heart and mind were just full. Full of all I had seen and the impressions and
lives I’d been allowed to have a glimpse into. Our drive was a lot smoother and
I was able to take in more of the scenery we passed. Looking at the beautiful
countryside as we passed walnut trees, vineyards, sunflower fields (which had
withered sunflowers rather than alive ones), and other fields, and hearing
about the abundance of fruit and vegetables when they are in season, made me think
that maybe, just maybe, this is a bit what the garden of Eden is like. Legend says
that when God distributed land to the nations, He ran out of land and gave
Moldova a little part of Eden…
Change of focus.
Returning to the city we quickly packed up our
stuff at the hostel (after a quick nip to the local market to get some fresh
dates and almonds), and were picked up by the wonderful staff of “New Hope
Moldova” who are helping organize the “Shine Network Gathering”, which will be
the focus the next few days. It was amazing to hear a little bit of what they
do here in Moldova, in creating transition homes for orphans who are at high risk
of becoming victims of trafficking when they leave the orphanages. Another ray
of hope in this nation! It was so refreshing to speak to one of them who said
she longs for Moldova to be known by more than the poverty and statistics of
human trafficking.
After lunch at “Andy’s Pizza” (which quickly
has become a regular meal place for us) we drove to the countryside to the camp
where the conference will be held. We didn’t know what to expect, but our
expectations were exceeded in a good way. The afternoon was spent doing little
details in preparation for the conference participants who arrive tomorrow. I love
their heart for hospitality and encouragement, and filling small mesh bags with
sweets for each participant was such a joy.
Setting my heart to
receive more of His heart.
So here I am. I took a very cold shower and am
sat on my bed with its green sheet with swans on, leaning against my fleece
blanket and pillow. The room is simple but with all we need and we even have an
en-suite bathroom, which is such a luxury after sharing the bathroom with others
in the hostel, and in the village making do with limited facilities.
I just finished a cup of black tea with no milk
in it (I am getting used to the absence of milk in my tea, but it’s not
something I see becoming a permanent way of consuming this favorite drink of
mine), and had a bite of a bounty chocolate. I realize this blog post has
become very long… but again, I blog mostly for myself and those who have an
interest in getting a glimpse into some moments of my life and the process of
my heart in the midst of them.
I am wondering how to prepare my heart for the
next few days. My heart already feels so tender with God’s heart for the poor
and for this nation. I want to remain in this place of hope. As I network and
learn more these next few days about the issue of human trafficking in Europe,
I don’t want to lose what I have encountered these days. So my prayer is that
God would show me how to keep processing this reminder of His heart for the
poor. This heart which is so much more about His heart for each one, rather
than His heart for a concept or even statistical group. God sees the one. He
cares about the one. He reaches down to touch the one.
And so as I process these past days with God, I
am reminded of Psalm 113 where it says: “He
raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make
them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.” This is who He is
and what He wants to do.