Our first full day in Moldova started with an amazing self serve breakfast. They don’t really do drip coffee here but instead of Espresso machines everywhere. After breakfast we had traveled to “Urban Center” to hear about student leader development from the Urban Center staff. This all happened through an interpreter. By mid morning our team of 14 was split in two. One half of the group went to a large house that has been purchased for development as a ministry hours. The house was once a mansion but is now in a condition that would be condemned in Canada. The house has been pressed into service for Ukrainian refugees. Renovations of the building and the yard are happening while the families live there. The Ukrainian families made lunch for one team (team 2). Team 2 put in a long day doing yard cleanup, garden work, distribution of mattresses, and some work to rain down spouts. Everybody on team 2 and the local team were amazing.
The first 3 words that describes me right now. I am tired. Today’s morning devotion, we read from Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11. In there, a word is mentioned…..Selah, do you know this word Selah? As Barry mentioned, I was in another team today that went to the Baptist refugee center, spending most of the day with children, ages from 2-10. At this refugee center, they had large dining area, set up like a school canteen concept, wonderful ladies working in the kitchen, very organized and efficient.
While we waited for lunch, Trace, Shane, Catrina, Jaycee and Lauren, set up games, got some beach balls going till it had a hole in them, the kids absolutely loved them! Playing games like Spot it, Jaycee showing them card tricks, and the older kids especially the boys, were just captured into the card games. Adam and I, with another Godly man name Roma, help set up something heavier and bigger, any guesses?
You got it, bouncy castle!! I must mention that the weather today was very windy! While setting it up, the kids came to check it out and waited patiently as we got it going, instant success! Now the issue was crowd control with having a language barrier, but we managed with Gods grace. We interacted, played more games till the bouncy castle was shut down for the day, and we focused pm the remaining kids in the center.
One challenging thing for me today was not only it was super windy, I had accidentally hit my head above our van while entering it, at the time it was mostly funny but as the day went on, the headache and some throbbing gradually came. We met a lady name Katerina, fled from Ukraine with her mother and 3-year-old daughter, most of her family and husband still in the Ukraine. Katerina helped us with translating and she was a real blessing to us. We proudly wore out Ukraine ribbons on our hearts to show support. We finished the day with dinner meeting our other half of the team. By time in nightly debrief came, tiredness crept up with all of us very quickly. As I wrap up today, nothing will beat seeing the joy and smiles on the kids face, in their eyes, as some of them don’t even understand why they are in Moldova, why is there a war, what will the future for them look like, these questions burn in my heart. I had to take a moment and remind myself that, Be still, and know there is a God, wow so powerful. Continue to remember us in our prayers, and for the team to learn what is God doing in our hearts that we came to Moldova.
I look forward to my Selah now.
Faith, Hope & Love.
Barry and Kelvin.
Lauren, Catrina, and Shane helping the kitchen with peeling onions!
