Turkish Delights

The floods have subsided and things have settled back into some sort of routine. The really hot days of summer seem to be a thing of the past and we are enjoying mild weather usually around 20 degrees during the day with cool evenings. We are enjoying sleeping with a doona on. The leaves are starting to change colour and we are ‘psyching’ ourselves up for our second winter.

During the summer many officers take their holidays - many travelling to the Black Sea along with 100s of others all fighting for a bit of sand on which to sit. The month of June to August reminded us very much of January in Australia when everyone is in holiday mood, enjoying the outdoors especially in the evenings. Sidewalk cafes have sprung up everywhere and on every street corner someone is selling ice cream or 'cavas', the favourite drink of the local’s (made of fermented bread we are told).

Over the last few months we have enjoyed being a part of another Moldovan wedding – these weddings are so much fun. This one required us to decorate our car. We then went to the civil ceremony then on for the Christian blessing on the shore of a nearby lake, just as the sun was setting. It was a long hot day, but again most enjoyable.

In true Moldovan style, even the local street dog joins in the celebrations.

Corps visits have included Botanika, Central, and Riscani in the north of Moldova, where the children and youth were fully involved in the worship experience. Hinchesti Corps also celebrated its 10^th Anniversary and we accompanied Commissioners Wim and Netty van der Harst for this special celebration.

This picture from Riscani has some history. The blouse the young girl is wearing would be 20 years old. As well as bearing her Junior Soldier badge on the front pocket, the badge on her sleeve is a relic from Soviet days of the communist 'Pioneers' youth movement.

Hinchesti Anniversary meeting

On September 1^st schools and universities recommenced for the new academic year. A couple of weeks before that date, it was interesting to see a ‘tent city’ suddenly appear along the sidewalk of one of the main streets with a hundred or so stalls selling school uniforms, books, stationery, school bags etc. Then on the first day of school to see all the children so beautifully dressed in their school clothes. Nearly all of them wear black skirts/pants with white shirts.

Buying up for the new school year.

Early in September we joined with other leaders from around the territory for another Conference at Old Orhei. Again it was like a mini U.N. meeting with 9 nationalities represented – Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Romania, Moldova, Sweden, Georgia, Canada and USA. We spent two really worthwhile days together talking through various business matters and of course enjoyed the fellowship which is always a rich aspect of Salvation Army culture. The weather was great (in contrast to the frigid conditions back in February when we met at the same place). We were even able to enjoy lovely evenings together sitting outside.

We are in the process of looking for a new apartment. We presently occupy rented premises, but the owner wishes to move back in so the hunt has begun. We have been fortunate that throughout our officership we have never had to buy a new quarters or give oversight to any building programs, but we are now required to do both here in Moldova where there are so many pitfalls when it comes to real estate! Hopefully we will find something suitable fairly quickly.

At last September 10^th arrived and it was just wonderful to greet Stuart and Beth after they had fought their way through the thronging crowd that is part and parcel of the Chisinau airport experience. (People mill around about a foot away from the customs hall exit door, all pushing and shoving to get a glimpse of relatives who are still inside, yet to emerge!!)

We had been so looking forward to their coming! We spent about 6 days together in Moldova and were able to show them a few sights and various aspects of our work. It was good for them to meet people and go places that until then were only names.

Stuart and Beth making friends in the waiting area of the Mobile Clinic.

Checking out Central Market, which Beth describes as 'Victoria Market on steroids'!

Then on 16^th September we flew out together to Turkey for 10 days. Istanbul is a large bustling city with a population of 15 million people (14 million of whom sell carpets!!!). We had a great time exploring the bazaar, enjoying the food and seeing the ancient sites. It was Ramadan, and after sunset the place came alive with people breaking their fast and joining in the festive atmosphere. We were overwhelmed with the friendliness of the Turkish people. There isn’t enough room to tell it all but one of the highlights was the Turkish bath experience. (Put it on you ‘TO DO BEFORE I DIE’ list!)

(Above and below) The Grand Bazaar - the biggest covered market place in the world with 4000 shops

The Blue Mosque

Beth and Stuart (aka Mustafa !)

Stuarts favourites - Turkish delight and Turkish coffee

Dinner at one of the many makeshift open air restuarants set up for the month of Ramadan

Enjoying a cruise down the 'Bosphorus'

The Turkish bath experience. Mens side. The women's side similar, only without any clothing! A scary but liberating experience, and special 'mother/daughter' bonding time for Viv and Beth. (No such bonding between Ian and Stuart!)

After Istanbul we travelled south, taking the opportunity to do a Gallipoli tour – an informative and sobering experience. Of course w e heard the story many times, but being there helped cement it a little more.

Anzac Cove

Our little 'digger' in the trenches at Gallipoli.

Nearby were the ruins of the ancient city of Troy, then Pergamon and on to Selcuk to see the ruins of Ephesus. Once again we had heard the stories many times from the Apostle Paul’s journeys, but the visits here helped bring them alive. The ruins of Ephesus are truly amazing. The engineering genius of the Romans has stood the test of time. As you walk around the streets or sit in the amphitheatre you can’t help thinking of the 1000s and 1000s of people who have done this before you .

Then on to Pammukale – an amazing geological formation of limestone pools. Over many centuries these pools have been visited as a place of healing and restoration. The ancient ruins of Heirapolis are just nearby. We took the opportunity to swim in the thermal spring pool, where you had to negotiate the ancient marble columns that had fallen into the water. It was most refreshing and a fun place to people watch. I think Stuarts’ comment said it all, ‘The person who invented the bikini has a lot to answer for!!!’ I actually came away feeling quite thin in my modest one piece black bathers. But we still won’t include any photos of Viv in bathers at her request!

It was a sad farewell to Stuart that evening as he boarded the overnight bus heading back home. Together with Beth we journeyed on for 2 days at Cappadocia. Once again, amazing landscape – but totally different from what we had already seen. The effects of erosion on the volcanic soil had left what the locals call ‘fairy chimneys’. These have been inhabited over the centuries but particularly by Christians of the early Church as they sought to escape persecution by the Romans and other invaders to the land. There were entire underground cities, and countless monasteries and churches built into the rocks. One of our holiday splurges was to take an early morning balloon flight over the landscape – words and even photos fail to express what we saw.

Then it was back to Istanbul on an overnight bus for a teary farewell to Beth at the Istanbul airport as we went our separate ways. She travelled on to Egypt for an 8 day tour and we returned to Moldova and are now back hard at it.

It was such a great time together. Turkey is a most fascinating country and the time we spent with Stuart and Beth was truly precious. It did us so much good.

Just two photos to conclude, both toilets (Sorry)

One is taken at the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus, the other in a village in Moldova in 2008. Guess which one I'd rather be 'sitting' on??

Until next time... Ian and Viv xoxo