Team Moldova arrived and was into ministry right away with two day camps, mobile medical clinic, local visits, and Sunday worship, all in the first week! The travel from Chicago was uneventful, though very long. It was good to arrive on Tuesday afternoon after leaving Chicago a full day earlier. Moldova is eight hours ahead in time from Chicago, so it took a few days for our bodies to adjust. Rest, lots of delicious food, and very friendly people, made the transition from the US to Moldova a smooth one. A fifth team member, Aliona, joined right away as the interpreter for the summer. Aliona is a teacher during the school year, and a soldier at a corps in the Chisinau area. We are fortunate to have her as interpreter–she not only can translate well, she joins in fully with whatever the team is doing, and has a joyful spirit.
We also met Captain Svetlana Porojniuc, Divisional Secretary for Moldova, and her two twin boys, Atom and Sasha. All friendly and helpful in getting the team started on the right foot. We had two different one day camps with children, in the towns of Orhei and Hincesti. The children were sweet and enjoyed the games, gospel bead presentation and crafts. We also spent a day in Hincesti , where the Salvation Army mobile medical clinic with seven volunteer doctors and nurses saw patients of the village all day. These medical professionals give of their time regularly, even though they have private practices back in the city. The village people were crowded around us when we arrived, and I was privileged to give a short devotional at the request of the doctor in charge before the patients were seen. People came with hearing and vision problems, as well as very sick children. The selfless work of the medical folks was inspiring. Two of our team members went into the village on home visits, while the rest of us helped carry out boxes of formula and food for the patients.
On the way back to the city, our driver, pulled over by a wheat field and invited us to pick a bunch as a souvenir. It was a perfect way for me to end the week, and I feel confident that the hospitality and care of the team will continue in the weeks to come. This week the team is at a camp for five days, joining other Salvationist young adults in ministry to one hundred fifteen children. Keep praying for them!
