Where are the Goalposts?????

In many respects, life has settled into some sort of a routine…. if life could ever be called routine in Moldova! Every day life brings fresh surprises, and about four new laws which we have to negotiate to operate as The Salvation Army. The ‘goal posts’ seem to constantly change - that is if you can even find the goal posts to start with!!!

In the past three weeks, we have endeavoured to make face-to-face contact with all the officers in the Division so as to share our stories together, and to assure them of our support. This has been a really valuable exercise, and at times, very moving as many of them shared as we asked them each how they came to faith. In Soviet times, some were secret members of the underground church, others spoke of their links with the Communist party and of their conversion from atheism, some spoke of the influence of their grandmother’s faith, and still others came to the Lord because initially their children had been invited to a children’s program in the local Corps. All amazing stories!

These conversations also assisted us as we attended the Divisional Commander’s conference earlier this week. We shared in preliminary discussions about the annual Field Change (moving of Salvo Officers for non-Army readers!) as well as other strategic issues about the Eastern Europe Territory. The internationalism of ‘the Army’ was evident, as the leaders of five countries, Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova and our Territorial leaders met around a common table. There are nationals leading in Russia and Georgia, whilst other leaders are ‘expats’ from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Moldova, Sweden and of course Australia. It was a rich experience - the kind that always seems to be a part of Salvationists sharing together.

The venue was a small conference centre at Old Orhei about 50kms from Chisinau. Close by, there is the 15th century Butuceni monastery which is set in a large cave on the side of a cliff.

We walked up one lunchtime, and were met at the door of the cave by a young entrepreneur whose name was Iwo.

He immediately offered to guide us down the steps into the cave, (for a price!!!). He made a killing! We met the resident Orthodox monk, Efim, and saw where he sleeps, which is comfort in comparison to the small carved out ‘cells’ that used to house several other monks in past days. There is also a chapel area about 6m by 6m that hewn from the rock. It was ornately decorated, as indeed are all Orthodox churches and around the centre of this area were souvenir crosses, bracelets and pictures for purchase. It was like being in something from the middle ages.

The conference was memorable for many reasons. Here are two..

The conference centre proved to be something akin to ‘Fawlty Towers. The day we arrived, we had a meal about 6-30pm and then off to our rooms to settle in. A feature of Moldovan construction is one power point per room, and see how many times you can piggy back power boards and adaptors to power up all your appliances. It was cold (got down to about –12°C) and the power kept going off. This must be the only building in Moldova with a safety switch. Great!! We had no heating, there were no sheets on the bed, only a bare mattress with a sort of mattress protector on it, and a doona that did not even reach the sides of the bed. And the toilets did not flush during the night. (Yeah..we’re getting old!) To top it off, no heating also meant no hot water!!! Even washing the bare necessities was painful! It was fun, sort of, and after sharing similar stories at breakfast, we made a few adjustments for the next two nights to help us keep snug and warm. It’s amazing how resourceful one becomes when desperate!

Another highlight of the Conference was sharing devotions ‘al fresco’ one morning . We walked a little way up the side of a hill and stopped beside a leaf bare tree, with a large rock nearby.

In silence we considered the stark but beautiful scene before us. We were then invited to sing together a verse of ‘How great thou art’ each singing in our own language, and then to read Psalm 100 slowly verse by verse(again in our own language) which speaks of the faithfulness of God. Here is the Psalm…


1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!2 Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.5 For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.


It certainly was a choice moment as we shared this time together.

Prior to this conference, we had Alistair and Astrid Herring, the ‘2IC’s for this Territory, staying with us on the weekend. We took them to Capriana Monastery, (described in an earlier post). On this occasion we met Dmitri the bell ringer, who was insistent that we climb the bell tower to see his bells (!!) It involved a climb of about 50 steps up to the top. They were impressive to say the least, and one was manufactured in 1902. Dmitri looked almost as old! The view was also pretty good.

Alistair and Astrid Herring

This guy was the Church Candle Extinguisher

Dmitri the bell ringer (in the background!)

I have been driving for about three weeks now, and am becoming more confident doing nearly everything ‘backwards’. There was quite a heavy snow as we drove up into the hills, and the roads were white when we left to come back home. We managed to crawl back to the main road having only fishtailed twice. It was a rather harrowing experience.




Our latest challenge is to get our work and residence permits which have not yet been granted. Because of some new laws that came to light after our arrival, (why are we not surprised?) we needed to supply evidence of our educational qualifications and also a Police check from Australia to say we are not criminals. Both involved some challenges as the originals are all in storage in Melbourne. However, we are led to believe that all the required papers are now in the hands of the appropriate Government Department awaiting approval. We would be glad for the ‘pray-ers’ who read this to pray that this will go through quickly, because if we do not receive these permits before our visas expire on 15th March, we will have to leave the country, and will not be allowed back in until 2009!


Having said all of this, we are loving the place, and relishing in the challenge!


Here are some random pictures…

Traditional Moldovan welcome offered to us at Orhei Corps

Salvation Army uniform with a Moldovan touch!

Traditional hospitality after the meeting!

Some of the welcoming committee at Orhei!

That’s all for now… Until next time.

Ian and Viv xoxo

The Army at work…

Life has started to get into some sort of routine for us, although there have still been some highlights which we are happy to share with you.

We finished off last time mentioning the visit of some people from IHQ to check out our 'Sally Ann' work project. They have been and gone, and together we explored some ideas for helping this fledgling ‘business’ grow. During the few days they were with us, we travelled to Ungheni, a town in the north west of Moldova where the project began in this country. It was good to meet with the ladies who sew the items which are shipped to Norway and Sweden in response to orders received. It was moving to hear their stories of how this work helps them to improve their meagre lifestyle. Similar stories would be told in every village in Moldova as the government provides nothing to help people in these situations. It’s good to be able to say The Salvation Army is making an effort to provide work opportunities like this, and we want this to expand. This is more than band aid treatment for the problems that exist…it is tackling the root issues that cause so much hardship. Unemployment rates in the rural areas are around 80%, but this is a start. The pictures below show the ladies making beautiful linen tablecloths and place mats.

Sunday 20th January we travelled about 20 kms out of Chisinau to a small town called Ialoveni. Here there was a warm congregation to greet us, and special guests from the local government were also there for the service. They spoke appreciatively of the work of the Corps leader and members in the community. Every day, a meal is provided for some of the poorest people in the town, and humanitarian aid is distributed to agencies and individuals by The Salvation Army as it becomes available from neighbouring countries. Even though many of our Corps are ‘smallish’ (35-70 people) they still have a significant impact on their communities.

On Saturday 26th January (Australians all let us rejoice..etc) we set off with the Mobile Medical Team to visit a country village, Dezghingea, to see them in operation (no pun intended!)

We arrived at what used to be the local hospital, and already about 200 people had gathered there in wait for some attention. There are no medical services at all in this village, and the nearest town with any services is about 10 kms away. A long way when you have no transport – and no money, especially for the elderly.

The state of village roads

The hall where the clinic was held

Locals coming to the clinic. Many of these horse drawn carts share the bad roads with fast moving trucks and cars.

The day started with a greeting by the local district health official, who expressed his appreciation for the ministry of the doctors. Dr. Caraman, a Salvationist who heads the team responded, and in his response, pointed out that the greatest healing comes when we encounter God. A singing group of five from the nearest Corps sang a couple of songs and a brief spiritual message was given.

The crowded waiting corridor

The doctors then went to their battle stations and consultations began. There is a gynaecologist, a cardiologist, general practitioner, ENT specialist, paediatrician, dentist, and pharmacy staff. We were taken to each consulting room (except the gyno) to hear about their work. It was interesting to observe two or three patients being consulted at the one time, and to see the primitive conditions in which they operate, with no modern medical technology at their disposal. Mothers of young babies also come to receive formula for their children.

'Two or three at a time...'

This old lady had just received a free hearing aid

Ian was doing OK until we entered the dentist’s room. Because of the state of people’s teeth, and the lack of ability to do fillings etc, all he does is pull teeth. A quick jab with anaesthetic, wait two minutes (if they are lucky) and then yank!!! A ‘two point shot’ is then performed with the offending article being thrown into the adjacent rubbish bin! At this point, Ian had to sit down, (although he was careful not to sit too close to the dentist in case he was mistaken for the next patient.)

'This won't hurt a bit!'


Pharmaceuticals waiting to be distributed

Also during the morning, we presented a wheel chair to a boy about 15 yo, who had cerebral palsy. (We learnt that his father had worked at Chernobyl when the nuclear reactor melted, and both children in the family have difficulties which are attributed to the father's exposure to radiation). Previous to this he had to be carried by his family wherever they went. Now he is mobile, although one wonders how he will go on muddy dirt roads with hundreds of potholes. The look on his face was worth it all. We also took another wheelchair around to a home where the husband, about 60, had suffered a stroke and was paralysed down one side. This will also give him some more ability to get outside and around a bit. The whole experience was great, and highlighted the value that this mission has in 15 villages throughout the country.

Nostalgiac picture in one of the clinic rooms from Soviet times - Lenin keeping watch!

Just before we left the clinic, we wandered across to the adjacent Orthodox Church for a look. The priest, Father Dimitri, was delighted that we wanted to come in, went and got the keys, robed up for us and spoke about the 200 year old church and his ministry. We have heard stories of the Orthodox Church’s opposition to the protestant church, including the Army included, but as we talked together for about 30 minutes, it was good to share about the things that unite us rather than divide us. It was a special time.

Ian, Father Dimitri and Captain Lev Friedkin, DHQ

The beautiful, very ornate Orthodox Church

The roof of the Church

The next day, we visited Criuleni, a small village about 35 kms from home, and were privileged to meet with the members of this Corps in worship. Their building is a house which has had two rooms made into one for their meeting area, about 3m by 10m. There were 30 people in attendance. The building has no heating, and it was very, very, very cold. At the end of the service, hot tea and biscuits were served. Many of the people in this country meet in cold conditions, although the Territory is endeavouring to address this problem. Requests often come to DHQ asking for extra finance because they can’t afford their heating bills.

Criuleni Salvation Army Hall. Like many builidngs of this vintage,
the roof is made of asbestos!

Inside the hall.

Children participating in worship

Strong, sweet, hot black tea and biccies!!
Most welcome in this cold hall.

We had our own Australia Day celebrations on Monday by hanging our flag in the lunch room, then introducing the staff to vegemite on bread. There were mixed reactions, but some have become converts.

Today we visited a Corps in the far north (Edinets) which has a small meeting room and weekday administration facilities in a basement provided free of charge by the local government. As we sat and shared with the officers, two buckets caught the drops of water coming from the ceiling. It felt and smelt damp, and the small blower heater in the corner did little to warm us up. We had been given some money from friends in Australia to use at our discretion, so we had great pleasure in telling them to go and buy a decent electric heater, and sent us the bill.

Corps Officers of Edinets - Captains Ivan and Svetlana German and family!

We conclude with a few photos from our installation meeting which was held on 13th January.

Traditional Moldovan welcome: partaking of bread, salt and juice.

Some of the congregation

Commissioners Wim and Netty van der Harst conducting the Installation

Tag Team preaching - English/Russian style!

That’s it for now. Until next time…..

Ian and Viv xox

MIXED BLESSINGS....

Quite a lot has happened since our last post. Life has been pretty 'full on' and we haven't had much chance to update our blog, but here goes....

When we closed off last time, we were anticipating the visit of our Territorial leaders on the weekend to conduct our Installation meeting. Well, they have been and gone, and a few things happened either side of their visit that we would like to fill you in on.

Friday the 11th, we visited the women’s prison at a tiny village called Rusca, 30+ kms from Chisinau. There are about 350 women in this prison, and we have an employee who does several classes during the week, ranging from computer education, language classes, and Bible studies. These are well attended, and help equip the women with skills that will give them a better chance of getting employment when they are released. Because of this, the Army’s work is greatly appreciated in the prison. We went to distribute Christmas gifts to the prisoners, and held an event similar to the one at Basarabeasca we described in our last post. A music group presented a short concert attended by about 120 of the women in a rather small hall. The Christmas story was shared, and the challenge was given about responding to the good news about Jesus.

There was a special celebration lunch for those involved in the various classes that are taught. It was a very moving experience to see a dramatic presentation of the Christmas story by the women after the lunch, and then to hear many of them eager to share the story of how their lives have been greatly impacted by the classes and the general support the Army has given them.
When lunch had finished, gifts were distributed to all the prisoners who had lined up outside in sub zero temperatures! We arrived home around 6-30 pm. It had been a rather long, but extremely fulfilling day.

Commissioners Wim and Netty van der Harst, the Territorial Commanders for Eastern Europe Territory, flew in on Saturday morning from Moscow for the weekend. After picking them up from the airport, we drove to a small village where one of the Corps in Chisinau conducts a weekly children’s program each Saturday. We were welcomed enthusiastically by about 100 kids as we entered a small classroom. They sang carols for us and shared what they had learnt in their Bible class. Then we in turn were asked to sing an Australian carol. I think it was the first time ‘The Three Drovers’ had ever got an airing in that part of the world. It didn’t matter too much that we forgot half the words, because no-one understood what we were singing anyway. It was challenging for us to see the delight on the faces of the children as they received their Christmas gifts of a packet of three buns, and two Chupa Chups each.

Sunday morning 13th January, about 200+ people gathered at Chisinau Central Corps for our Installation meeting. It went well. We were welcomed in traditional Moldovan fashion by being offered bread, salt and a drink of grapejuice (wine is the go for non Salvos!!) We were invited to take some bread, dip it in the salt, and eat it. The drink helped wash it down. We felt the warmth of the welcome of our people, and sensed a real ‘Army spirit’ in the meeting.

In the afternoon, officers from DHQ shared lunch with the van der Harst’s. (You'll be interested to know that the Commissioner ordered 'carp' for lunch...it is his favourite!!) We then drove about 30kms to Capriana where there is a beautiful Orthodox monastery. The setting and the buildings are rather awe inspiring, and as it happened, we were there in time for afternoon prayers. We stayed in the church for about half an hour, taking in the solemnity and ancient ritual of the worship, as well as enjoying some magnificent harmonic singing by a male choir. It was a special experience.

Monday 14th January, we celebrated 30 years of marriage! We were presented with a gift at morning prayers, and then another Moldovan tradition was carried out in our office, as they wrapped us in a linen cloth symbolising the desire that we continue to be bound together into the future. After a day of discussions together, the van der Harst’s took us out for dinner that night to a local restaurant. These will be treasured memories of a special day.

The last few days it has been ‘down to business’. With a national holiday period of ten days, special events happening in the division, and our luggage finally arriving, the last few weeks have been rather ‘messy’. Hopefully now we can get into some regular pattern of operation. Another busy weekend lies before us as we share with a team who have come today from International Headquarters to see the operation of 'Sally Ann' in Moldova. Poverty and unemployment are huge issues in Moldova, and this is a 'Fair Trade' project aimed at providing work for women to make linen tablecloths, runners and napkins for sale in Norway and Sweden. It is a fledgling project, and they will hopefully give assistance to help us develop it further into the future. A bit more about it next week.

That’s it for now…. Until next time!

Ian and Viv xo