One year on... !!

Hard to believe, but last Tuesday we celebrated 1 year since arriving in Moldova. So many new experiences, new places, new foods, new people, new culture, new languages, new friends….but we are different people because of this. We have survived…even more that that we have thrived and have no regrets about our decision to accept this appointment in the challenging country that is Moldova.

The beautiful colours of a European autumn have disappeared, and again the trees are bare, the landscape is stark, the days are short and the nights are long, as the cold of winter again sets in. The hats, gloves, fur-lined boots and long underwear have come out again! It has snowed twice already, albeit very lightly.. just a foretaste of what is to come.

Our last blog was so long ago…let’s fill you in on what’s been happening

Projects are a big part of the Salvation Army’s mission and ministry in Moldova. Approximately half a million dollars every year is given by sponsors to support projects of varying kinds aimed at meeting the needs of the most disadvantaged in Moldova. Ongoing projects include feeding programs for children and elderly, after-school / homework groups, medical assistance, work in the women’s prison etc. However in recent months it has been great to be involved in some one-off short-term projects that have really made a difference to the beneficiaries…

One sponsor donated almost $3,000 that we used to help make improvements at a village kindergarten in the southernmost part of Moldova. This kindergarten operates out of an old 2 storey building which has seen better days. In fact in Australia, no kindergarten would be allowed in such a building. There is no running water, no sewerage, inadequate kitchen facilities, and parts of the building are falling down around them. 100 children are cared for each day while their parents go to the fields to work. Many of them come from one parent families as often Mum or Dad have travelled abroad in search of work. We travelled down there recently to see the repairs that had been done, and the equipment that had been purchased with the money. Considering the state of the building, it is commendable to see how clean and tidy it is kept. It was afternoon nap time when we arrived and all 100 children were tucked up in bed, asleep, or pretending to be asleep! The staff had used the money wisely to have new windows installed and buy some nursery furniture, but as we walked around we couldn’t help but think it was just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps the most confronting sight for us was the outdoor toilet the children were required to use…about 20 holes in the floor in a concrete building, with no distinction between girls and boys, and no heating. (Remember winter temperatures in Moldova can get down to about minus 20°C !!). But there is no town sewerage or water connection at this point in time, and the truth is these are the kind of toilet conditions they have at home as well…maybe even worse!!! The people were so grateful for our assistance and in true Moldovan style expressed their appreciation with food!!!

Where to wash your hands when there's no running water

Some of the new equipment purchased

Nap time at the kindergarten ( I think some were cheating!)

New windows installed upstairs

NOT a new toilet block! This was pretty gross.. but all the kids had available.

Some of the kindergarten kitchen facilities

Another more than adequate afternoon tea (burp) presumably prepared in the kitchen above!!

The Moldovan government is unable to provide adequate medical assistance to its people but those most disadvantaged are the elderly and the chronically ill. In recent months we received a request from the Diabetic Association. It was decided that we would help families of children with diabetes who are required to pay out crippling sums of money every month for glucose monitoring strips. (this averages out to about $100 per month and the average wage is about $200 per month). In one family we helped, 3 out of the 4 children have diabetes!!! The ProDiab Association arranged for the presentation of these materials in a park, in the dark on a very cold winter’s evening. It was difficult for us to fathom the rationale of the location, but nevertheless the families were grateful for the assistance we were able to give. We have decided that we will continue to support this group into the future as we are able. Just this week we will be delivering Christmas gifts to some of these families which will again hopefully bring some encouragement to them.

Packs distributed for kids with Diabetes

The other project that is in full swing at the moment is the distribution of 550 pairs of fur-lined boots to children around Moldova. This has been made possible through the generosity of sponsors in Norway and Sweden. It is expected that these will all be distributed to the children before Christmas.

Speaking of projects, it was great to have fellow Aussie Officers, Lyn and Ron Cochrane staying with us for a week while they renewed their Russian visas. They have responsibility at a Territorial level for projects and Child Sponsorship. It was great to share Vegemite and Milo together. They took the opportunity to see some of the projects happening ‘at the coal-face’. They travelled with us to the Kindergarten, to see our prison ministry, and of course to the Mobile Clinic. Part of this trip included negotiating a fairly treacherous uphill village 'road' as we set out to deliver a wheelchair to an old lady who had been bed-ridden for 2 years following a stroke. Such visits are very sobering…such a pitiful situation. At times one feels so helpless and overwhelmed by the plight of these people. It was moving to share in the Lord’s Prayer together, each in our own language. The return trip was a slippery experience going down another track to the main road.

We are also in the middle of distributing Christmas gifts to disadvantaged children throughout the country. we receive about 8000 simple gifts from Sweden, and these are distributed amongst orphanages, children who are identified by local government social workers, and those identified through the Corps networks. We also have distributed a lot of humanitarian aid in the form of medical equipment, furniture, clothing and other items to the different regions. This is a logistical nightmare, but we do it rather well with a good team of helpers.

After one year in Moldova we have decided to make a concerted effort at becoming more proficient with the national language – Romanian. We took on the challenge of an intensive 3 day course which was brilliant!! We came away feeling quite empowered and enthused to go further. It certainly gave us a kick-start and some confidence to use the language in our everyday dealings with people. Of course our sentences are very basic and faltering, but we have lots of willing helpers who give encouragement.

Another milestone, or at least the start of achieving one, has been the commencement of the new DHQ building on the current site where we work. This kicked off about 6 weeks ago, and it has been good, steady progress so far. I imagine not a lot will happen during the serious winter months of January/February, but foundations are down, and the walls have just been commenced. The prediction is a finish around June 2009. The plans include a Corps Hall and associated facilities, DHQ on the second level and 2 apartments on the 3^rd level, but I am starting to wonder if it will be big enough for us to fit in. Time will tell, and we may have to be creative, but it will be an improvement on where we are at the moment.

A lovely occasion occurred on Sunday 16^th November, when our grand-daughter Sadie was dedicated back to God by Matt and Clare. Unknown to our family, we had arranged to link up through the internet, and were able to watch the whole Church service live with the help of a web cam. At one point, they flicked over to the big screen, where we came up, larger than life, brought our greetings to family and friends, and had the opportunity of reading the Scripture during the dedication ceremony. There were quite a few tears shed, and it was a special thing for us to be able to be part of this special occasion in our family’s life. We are truly grateful for the wonders of modern technology.

Participating in the service from a distance

What an amazing day we had last Sunday… the whole gamut of experiences. We shared in a worship service at a Corps where there were almost 30 children and a similar number of adults crammed like sardines into a tiny hall (actually two adjoining rooms of a house). The Chief Secretary, Lt Colonel Alistair Herring was with us for the day. It was great to be part of this.

We then visited one of our Officers in hospital who has had an ongoing problem following a hip replacement late last year. We were required to ‘don’ white gowns before entering the ward, supposedly to help control infection. It seemed a bit of a farce, because during our time with him, we couldn’t help but notice the ripped lino on the floor, the grubby bed linen, the eight beds in a not so large room, and the leaking drip bottles which were recycled mineral water bottles. I don’t think our white coats made much difference. Such is life in Moldova.

To top off the day, we then proceeded to the Leo Grand Hotel (one of Chisinau’s finest!) where we had been invited to share dinner with the Australian Ambassador to Russia and Moldova, Margaret Twomey. The invitation came about as a result of her association with fellow Army officers who join with her in singing in an ‘expat’ choir in Moscow. She was visiting Moldova to meet the President, and rang ahead of time to arrange a meeting with us. Colonel Alistair Herring, our Chief Secretary, who was here for the weekend, came along and became an honorary Aussie for the night. It was a delightful evening as we shared our stories, and she has expressed a desire to visit again and to see and experience life in the villages of Moldova. It had truly been a day of contrasts.

This is our second Christmas in Moldova, away from our family and friends. The emphasis on Christmas here is far less than in Australia, in fact it is almost non-existent. December 25th is just a normal work and school day for most; however DHQ closes and some Corps have a service in the evening. We have only been confronted with the fact that it is actually Christmas a few times, mainly when we have sung carols at Church. There have been some decorations and trees going up in the main street over this last weekend. In some ways it is nice, because we are not bombarded with commercialism, and it is much easier to focus on the real meaning of Christmas in this context. We will celebrate the 25th endeavouring to make it special.

We take this opportunity to express our love to you all and wish you every blessing at this Christmas time. We feel that it is a privilege to call you our friends, and we thank you for the support that you give us in a variety of ways.

Until next time… (possibly next year!!) Lots of love from Ian and Viv xoxo