It actually feels like I’m on the beach. The
hot sun is adding some extra tan to my face and arms, there is a cooling water
mist coming from the fan in the corner, and we are lounged on some nice benches
with comfy cushions on. The empty pot of Earl Grey is on the table and we are
all typing away on our respective electronic devices. I guess the big question
is: Where are we? Well, we are at a small café in the airport in Bucharest,
Romania, making use of our 5 hour lay-over on-route to Chisinau, Moldova.
Arriving at the airport in Amsterdam we were a bit astounded by the long queue for
the bag drop. The newly introduced “self-service bag drop”, which in theory is
meant to save time and be efficient, but which hasn’t entered into its full
potential when tackled by unknowing “first-timers”, who end up spending a long
time trying to figure out how to place their luggage in the little machine, how
to scan their boarding pass, how to attach the id-strip to the bag or suitcase,
and add to that the challenge of overweight, can make it a very extensive
process for some people.
However, it went quicker than imagines, and
after passport control we even had time for a snack as we waited for the
flight. Our team had separated and we’d agreed to meet at the gate. However, as
we were putting our luggage through the security check, the other two were
no-where to be seen. We weren’t too worried as we figured they were already
on-board. But when we settled into our seats, a quick glance at their row
revealed that they had not yet arrived. After the rest of the passengers had
found their seats, their names were called over the loud speakers, and we
became a tad worried (although we only thought of the potential implications of
being separated from the rest of our group afterwards). I headed to the front
of the plane to assure the flight attendants that our friends were on their way
and to please wait for them (I explained that we’d separated, and left out the
fact that they had been chilling in the lounge as opposed to rushing from a
connecting flight). Finally they arrived having had a mini-workout running
almost the entire length of the airport to reach our gate. It was quite funny
once they were securely situated in the plane, and I guess it’s one of those
times when it would have been quite interesting if they had ended up not making
it (especially since one of them is the one who’s our contact for our time in
Moldova), and probably not quite as amusing.
So now, after our first flight we are sitting
on our “wanna be beach veranda” at the airport, almost forgetting that there is
another flight to catch in a while.
As I am sat here I am thinking about what
Moldova will hold, and asking God to show it to me through His eyes. It’s
always so different going somewhere new, and I am expectant for what we will
see. There seems to be quite a lot of opportunities to get a glimpse not just
of the touristic face of Moldova, but also the face of the people of Moldova. “The
poorest country in Europe” says a lot in this day and age and I am interested
to see what that means. And I am also wondering if it’s referring to a mere
material poverty, or if the people also carry the hopelessness that so often
accompanies a struggle for survival.
But even more than getting a glimpse for my own
heart, I long to be an encouragement and be a blessing to the hearts of those
we meet, be they workers in projects or the one they are reaching out to, and
even our fellow hostel guests these next few days.
So there you go. I’ve not moved to a more
shaded area next to another one of the mist-blowing-fans, thankful for this
mini-oasis to take the brunt off what could have become a long and not quite so
pleasant lay-over.