Since we had last visited, the corps had received 30 new chairs that had been purchased with money given by an Australian friend to replace the hard backless forms. The young leaders of the corps had also taken it upon themselves to wallpaper and decorate the worship area making it more conducive to worship and also blocking out the cold draughts of winter. They were so proud of their efforts!
Before.....(hard, backless forms)
On the way home we again stopped to purchase the local fruits. At the moment its apples and grapes and mushrooms in abundance. All can be purchased from countless people who set up for the day along the side of the main roads of Moldova.
Last week there were a couple of significant occasions in Moldova.
On October 12, ‘Rainbow of Hope’ Corps celebrated their 5th Anniversary. It was a great event with nearby corps swelling the numbers and helping them celebrate. We have been to 2 or 3 such combined events, and they all pretty much follow the same format…with lots of musical items and lots of talking!!! but no one seems to worry about a 2½ hour meeting – they enjoy every opportunity they have to get together in such a way. Commissioners Wim and Netty van der Harst made the visit to Chisinau as guests for the celebration.
On the same day Moldova celebrated its National Wine Day. Moldova is famous for its beautiful grapes and wines. People thronged to the main street, Stefan cel Mare, and enjoyed sampling the local wines and feasting on the shaslicks that were being cooked. The smells were delicious (but we didn’t taste the wines). Unbeknown to us, at late notice the President of Moldova declared the following day (Mon) a national holiday..we figure it was ‘National Hangover Day’! Anyway we didn’t complain too much and enjoyed the sleep-in and a bit of ‘downtime.
Traditional Moldovan dress.
Tuesday 14th was also a public holiday – ‘City Day’ where the different regions of Chisinau set up displays (again on the main street which was blocked off for the occasion). The wine companies were gone but there was still heaps of food and many cultural displays and traditional dancing in the streets. Ian didn’t need a lot of convincing to enter into the spirit of the occasion. These people do love to celebrate and music and dancing is such an important part of it. We left late afternoon but the celebrations continued on into the night and from our apartment we could hear the fireworks later in the evening. We are told that the evening entertainment is geared more to the youth.
Yep...they tasted as good as they look!!
Look out 'Dancing with the Stars' 
Last week it was great to have Commissioners Wim and Netty van der Harst in the division for several days. They had expressed the desire to have a longer stay than usual with the intention of getting into some of the more distant areas from Chisinau. We covered hundreds of kilometres over atrocious road. The constant heavy vibration as we travelled was very wearing, but we had a great time catching up with officers, learning more about their Corps programs and inspecting properties.
The half finished hall at Cahul. The congregation couldn't wait until it was finished. The work has restarted, so its back into the old hall for a few months.
Recently I have thought that perhaps we should include a few more stories from our work. Let me tell you about a recent trip I had to Beltsi..
‘Adopt a Granny’ is one of the projects that we run in many corps centres. It is similar to child sponsorship, but the beneficiaries are not kids, they are pensioners. I think that on previous occasions we have mentioned how tough life is for the elderly in Moldova. The pension is about $10 per week! It is impossible for any one to survive on this amount of money. Families have to take on the responsibility of caring for elderly parents, but if you have no one – who cares!!! It is especially difficult in the winter months when you can’t get out for fear of falling on the ice, and the little money that you do have has to pay for heating.
We work together with Dorcas Aid International, a Christian relief organisation, to help address this situation, by assisting over 200 such people. "Adopt a Granny" provides basic necessities and medical care to over 1,200 elderly people in eastern Europe and Africa by asking sponsors, mainly Dutch individuals, to donate 22.70 euros, or approx AUS$44 per month.
The most needy elderly people in communities throughout Moldova are identified and then visited by a Salvation Army volunteer worker twice a month to deliver food and medicine and to assist with chores or paying bills etc. Equally important is the chat together – perhaps the only contact these folk have with anyone beyond the four walls of their apartment.
Last week I travelled up to the country with Theo, a gentleman who had flown from the Netherlands with the sole intention of meeting up with the elderly lady he sponsors.
After climbing the stairs to the 6th floor of the apartment block, we were welcomed by 80 year old Stepanida into her sparsely furnished two room apartment. In the lounge room was a divan that doubled as a bed, a small table, kitchen chair and a stand for the TV. The other room was a tiny kitchen/food preparation area. I gathered that Stepanida spent just about every day sitting on the divan or kitchen chair watching a TV that had seen better days (about 20 years ago!) Her son who now lives in Siberia makes no contact. The only bright spot in life it seems is the visit by the Army worker twice a month!
As we sat and chatted for about an hour, Stepanida shared how she had been a teacher in Soviet times. She was a widow but couldn’t remember how long ago her husband had died (‘it was so long ago!’). Theo, her sponsor was a very kind and gentle man who remarked with great concern on the bad condition of her teeth and offered to pay for some treatment. Stepanida’s response was, ‘Thank you, but I won’t need them for much longer!’ Theo then presented her with the gifts he had bought for her: coffee, tea, soap, towels, and 3 blocks of CHOCOLATE. Her eyes lit up and she couldn’t express how grateful she was.
Then came the part of the conversation I shall never forget. Someone asked a fun question: “Do you like chocolate Stepanida?” and she responded, “ I don’t now. I can’t remember. I haven’t had chocolate since I was a child!!”
She then immediately proceeded to offer us some, which of course we all politely refused. It was soon time to leave and we wished her well, advising her not to eat all the chocolate at once!! Our only regret was not to have seen her take her first bite of chocolate. No chocolate for 70 years!! Some of us can’t survive a day!!
We are often challenged by such encounters and thank God for the privilege to be here at this time. The way we see the world is forever changed!
Until next time..... Lots of love from Ian and Viv xoxo
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