Getting to know Moldova

·         This past week and half has been spent learning about Moldova and visiting various parts of the country. 



Stefan cel Mare is prepared for Christmas.  One the left you see an average building, parking, and above 4 (one behind the van) making a left at the same time.  A group awaits for the correct, electric bus and hopes for the new type!  Ray and I enjoyed a walk downtown.





 Dr Tripac, our landlord shared his love of his country and the reason German is not one of his languages, as he currently speaks Romanian, Russian, and French.  Most of the people in the Chisinau area speak both Russian and Romanian languages. We have helped teach the advanced English class 3 times now.  The missionaries had 130 people come for the first set of classes!  Last night we had 11 in the advanced class and it was an uplifting class for me. They were asked why they wanted to learn English and many said they wanted to travel and visit the United States.



Bethany Winfrey (Peace Corps), second one on the left,  invited us to visit Scorteni, a village of 2400.  The centeral structure of this Romanian speaking village is the Russian Orthodox Church and Ili Mihail is the priest.  We visited it's school and met Maria Vatmaniuc the director, to the right of Bethany; Angela Ureche, the school librarian, the person on the far right;  and Bethany's friend and sponser Angela Frunze, is on the far left.  The Kitchens were traveling with us and you see them crossing the bridge, with Bethany, as we walked to visit the Church.



 We have visited 4 schools in 3 different locations of the country, two water projects,



Kindergarten director with Lidia and Aurelia are on the stairway and above them are examples of window conditions within the school.  A kindergarten classroom in the middle with the two toliets and beds for all below. You will notice that the children all are wearing heavy sweaters, as most of the building, including the classrooms are heated by water that is pumped through radiators.  It was cold.   Above left is part of a nice playground.  Ray, Lidia and Katea with Ana and a teacher are middle left.  Children spend about 10 hours here, eating all 3 meals at the school.



one institute class in Russian, revisited the Society of the Disabled, got boots made just for Kathy, and met with an American Embassy representative,  a local college teacher whose hobby is farming, in addition to a well educated taxi driver who is assisting us as an interpreter.  We also became aquatinted with a private medical clinic and today we will see what their x-ray technology is like!  Ray is driving as a Moldovian already and we are beginning to know the country and her people a little better.

Wheelchairs and other possible projects.



Mihai is seated at the table distrubuting the wheelchairs. In the pick coat is the woman we is the director of the working force among disabled and on the right are Kathy, Ray and Katea with  Ray in front of the van.  There are two types of chairs being distrubuted and the building behind Ray and Katea is where they are assembled.



On Friday, Dec. 2nd, after meeting with Victor Coroway with Counterpart, we picked up our translator Katea and went to what we thought was a 15 minute meeting with Mihai Marginean, President of the Society for the Disabled.  We discovered that is was a news conference with the Prime Minister of Moldova, Vlad Filat, and various people receiving some wheelchairs, which have been donated by LDS Charities.  Ill prepared I got no pictures nor the name of the gracious Priminister however we did get to visit a bit with him and then were able to be present when most of the wheelchairs were distributed.  (As we visited we noted that there was no lighting in many areas of the various buildings and the few ramps were unsteady, steep wooden ones.) We saw many people with smiles and a few with tears as they obtained chairs for themselves or loved ones.

Thursday we were able to meet with Lydia, a partner on many water projects and some family projects, and were presented with a few future projects as well as an opportunity to do a ribbon cutting for a completed water project.  Victor also presented future possiblilities as well as follow-up on a clothing distribution project. 

The days between MTC and Moldova

On the evening of Nov. 21st we met Leta and Dad, following the Sunday Night devotional, to give hugs, pray and our good-byes.  On the way to Germany, we had a layover in Dallas, and were met by a majority of our kids and grand kids in the area where we ate, played and talked for 1 1/2 hours.  We were so happy to be around them and soaked up everything!  I hope Maria got better pictures than we did...just to busy enjoying the great company!

Our plane left for Frankfurt, Germany and touched down early on the 22 Nov. where we were met by John and Susan Leonard.  Elder and Sister Leonard are over all the humanitarian efforts in the Europe Central Area.  We went straight to the office and worked a little, went to their apartment,showered, worked some more and had a great German lunch.  By that time our hotel was ready, we dropped our luggage and rode the train to downtown, where we walked around, saw the Main River, looked at shops and people.

The 23rd was spent in training, a nice lunch with many of the senior couples, who were attending a Zone Conference and supper at the home of the Leonard's...perfect.

Thanksgiving morning was spent in training and then over to the stake building for a great Thanksgiving Dinner.  Following the dinner we spent time with Elder Joseph Worthlin(son of Joseph B) and then left with the Leonard's to visit a wonderful Christmas Market in an older part of Germany.  We purchased a few table runners but there are many things I would like for next Christmas....  We then stopped at a hotel restaurant, established in 1595, and had soup and hot chocolate!


Left to right and top to bottom: Our arrival in Germany and the hotel where we stayed, with Elder and Sister Leonard.   Then Sister Leonard working in the Area Offices; our Thanksgiving feast and waiting in line.  Anne Frank's house the plaque outside.  The christmas manager in the old part of Germany that we visited.


The hotel in which we stayed had a wonderful breakfast bar which we really hated to leave behind, yet the Leonard's picked us up at 8:30am for our flight to Bucharest, Romania.  Arriving just after 3pm we quickly spotted President Ned Hill and his lovely wife Claralyn and they whisked us to the office, meeting missionaries and Brother and Sister Patton, the office couple.  We then went to the mission home there, staying in the coveted 'General Authority Suit'.  Ray worked a bit on the Internet serving the mission home and we were treated to a 2nd Thanksgiving Dinner there that evening, prepared by Rosie.  Missionaries old and young enjoyed a great dinner, delightful and uplifting conversations and wonderful testimonies.



Flying into Buchrest, Romania, another Thanksgiving feast at the Misson home; meeting at the airport by President Hill and Sister Hill. Then Rosie, who cooked the meal and some of the missionaries from Buchrest.  Us, President Hill and Sister Hill.

 Saturday was spent at the mission home, Ray working on the Internet (anything new here?) and talking with the Hill's until the Elder's arrived to put us on a ssslllooowww train, sleeper car, to Chisinau, Moldova.  We left on time (7:15pm) in the dark, fitting our 4 large suitcases, 2 carry-ons and us in that sleeper car, and rode (not non-stop) to the border.  There, for 2 hours, they checked passports with all bathrooms doors locked, and changed the wheels of the whole train to fit the different tracks of Moldova.  (This makes it much harder to leaved either country quickly I think.)  A few hours later, light came and the beautiful Moldovan countryside, some villages, animals and a few people lay before us.  Even with the naked trees and starkness of winter the rolling hills are beautiful! 



Elders Newton and Johnson took us to the train station.  Here I am walking with luggage in the train station.,  This was our sleeper car.  Sunrise as we enter into Moldova.

 We arrived at 9am and Fred and Mariam Kitchen were there to greet us, along with Ruslon because we could not possibly fit us and our luggage into the mission car!  The Gara (station) was quiet except for a  'garage sale' which surrounded the outside of the large station!  We were quickly at our apartment, dropped suit cases and freshened up for 20 minutes at which time Elder and Sora Kitchen reappeared and carried us to Sacrament Meeting!  The branch of about 60 people where full of enthusiasm, as were we of course..  It was at the end of that meeting that I realized that we should have studied German and Russian as we had heard almost no Romanian in Church, none in Germany, and very little in Romania.  (On the train everything was written or spoken in Russian.)



And this is where we live.  We even have a washing machine and a very pink kitchen.  The clothes are dried on a drying rack in the bathroom. The heat is by hot water, which is heated by a boiler in our kitchen.  We have a very nice office and living room area.

 After a few hours rest we were served a delightful third Thanksgiving Dinner at the home of  President Aiken.  It was delicious food and even better company!  We truly were thankful for so very much; family, friends, our safe arrival and opportunity to be here, and mostly our Savior, Jesus Christ.


The Chisinau Branch President, Aiken, his wife Kesli, Elder and Sister Kitchen.  Us with the Aiken's son, Ryli.  Again another feast.  Us with the complete Aiken family.



Mission Training Center (MTC)



We arrived at the MTC, Provo, Utah on November 7th and we left or if you read this today, will leave the 21st November.  During the 1st week, were were taught how to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We would meet in smaller groups and have practical exercises teaching different principles of the gospel to each other and to "investigators", who were roll playing volunteers.  These smaller groups were called districts.  There were four  couples in our district, including us.  The Hambelton's are going to Scotland as Employment Specialist, the Johnson's  have gone to Guatemala as Area Dentist, as he is a dentist, and the Kellems have gone to Kenya as Employment Specialists.  We learned to love these couples and have become good friends.  Just as a side note, Sister Johnson's niece and her husband are currently living in Moldova, in the city where we will be living.  Also, the Kellems know the niece, as they are neighbors.  It is a small world. 



Large picture, left to right, Kellems, Us, Johnson, and Hambelton.  The top left is Brother Barney and Us.  The lower left is Sister Hale and Us.

Sister Hale and Brother Barney are both return missionaries and would teach us in our small groups.  In addition to classes during the day, we also had 2 hours of language training at night.  We are trying to learn Romanian, which is a Latin based language.  Thus our limited Spanish has helped.  We did this both weeks while we were in the MTC.

Sister Statley and Brother Lyons.  Sister Statley was our language tutor to start, then Brother Lyons took over.  Sister Statley served in Romania and Brother Lyons served in Moldova. 

The 2nd week we were again divided, this time into welfare missionaries, which we are because of Humanitarian call, office missionaries, those that will work in the mission offices, and temple missionaries, those that will work in the temple.  Our welfare group went to Salt Lake City on Monday and visited Welfare Square.  This is where the church has a Bishop's Storehouse, which is similar to a grocery store.  Those that are in need of assistance can come here, after being interviewed by their Bishop, and obtain the necessary groceries and some clothing for their families or themselves.  In return, they are required to perform some type of service as designed by the Bishop.  Also, there is a bakery on site that bake many loves of bread used in the storehouse and is staffed mainly by church volunteers.  There is also a facility that was bottling applesauce to be distributed through out the church.  They also have a milk, cheese, and other packaged drink mixes facility, that package the various products and then are shipped to all the church Bishop Storehouses for distribution.  In addition, some of these products are used by other non-profit organizations, such as the Catholic Charities.  Further, there is a quality control lab that is used to test the quality of the products produced at Welfare Square and a cannery where members and non-members can dry pack goods.

 

The top left is the quality lab, the Welfare missionaries at the milk processing.  Upper right is the cheese production and below it is the more Welfare missionaries.  The center is a Catholic charities vehicle and the the loves of bread waiting to be sliced and packaged.  The lower left is a Humanitarian Aid package that might be sent to various parts of the world that have suffered a disaster,  The next photo is all the different items that are packaged and the next photo is the cannery.

The rest of the week was spent learning about the various projects that we would be responsible for.  They are clean water, vision, wheelchair, neonatal resuscitation, and food initiatives.  We will be the project managers over these projects and make sure that they are completed and are following the guidelines set out in the contracts.  We will work with short-term specialist in the various specialty fields.  The church will partner with various governmental agencies and other charitable agencies.  In addition, we had an over-view of family services and addiction assistance.  As we were told, we will be the Welfare experts and are there to assist the local church leaders and the people of Moldova.  We are anxious to get going and to be of service where ever we can.

This is the group that went through the welfare training with us.  Left to right, Fred and Candy Berthrong, gone to Chile, Us, John and Donna Wollenzien, gone to Mozambique, and Richard and Anna Lee Johnson, gone to Guatemala.

As I said earlier we are leaving on the 21st, at about 8:00am from Salt Lake City and fly to Dallas, TX for a 3 hour layover.  We hope to see some of our children for a short period of time while we are there.  Then we go to Germany for three days of additional training and to celebrate Thanksgiving with the American Senior  missionaries.  Then it is on to Bucharest, Romania and meeting the mission president and receive instructions as to what he wants us to do.  Then on Saturday the 26th, we take a train, overnight, to Chisinau, Moldova, which we will call home for the next 18 months.  Therefore, the blog will not be updated until we arrive in Moldova.







Pre Misson Training Center in Utah

We left for Utah on the 3rd of November, to visit Kathy's father, John and step-mother, Leta Harding, who are living in Pleasant Grove, Utah.  We were met at the airport by a couple we knew in Cuidad Guzman, Mexico.  Paul Baker was a missionary there and his wife, Erica, was baptized there.  They are married and are living in Utah and have a son named Matthew, with another child on the way.  It was very good to see and visit with them. 



Us and the Baker's

 They took us to Pleasant Grove, where we stayed until we entered the MTC.  While in Pleasant Grove, Kathy's brothers, Ken and Dale came to visit, along with their wives, Harriet and Lana, respectively.  We were also able to go to the Salt Lake Temple during this time.  Yes, that is real snow on the trees in the background.
 


Ken, Harriet, Lana, Dale and Kathy at the Salt Lake City Temple

  We were able to meet with some of the missionaries and their spouses who served with us in Argentina.  Those that came to dinner Friday night, 4th of November, were Manuel and Rubi Legizamon, Gianna, their daughter, Chris and Leticia Bishop, Tucker, their son, Myntille Nash, JJ Steadman, Jeff and Brittny Lee, Ruth Liebel and Carolina, Myntille's roommate.



JJ, Brittny, Jeff, Chris, Tucker, Leticia, Ruth, Manuel, Rubi, Carolina, Myntille and Gianna


Then on the 5th, we were able to have a family dinner, to include Tami Criddle, Kathy's sister, her daughter and her husband, Matt and Alia Maw.  Also, Ken's two children came, Suzan Wallen and Patrick Harding.  We were able to visit with Suzan eariler in the day and meet her two daughters, Mindy and Abbey.

Mindy, Abbey, Suzan, Tami, Matt, Alia, Patrick and Suzan

Then on Sunday, the 6th, we attended Kathy's father's ward where her uncle Wally and aunt Carol Harding also attend.  We were able to corral everyone long enough to get a group picture.

Dale, Ken, Patrick, Lana, Harriet, Leta, Dad, Uncle Wally, Aunt Carol, and us

The last few days

We have been busy preparing to leave by getting things in order around the house and visiting family.  It is hard to say good-bye, but we know that we are doing what the Lord would have us do.  We have been able to visit all of our children and the grandchildren, except those who are far away .  We have also been able to say good-bye to good friends and extended family.  We will visit other extended family prior to going to the Mission Tranining Center, in Utah.

We were set-apart as missionaries on Sunday, the 30th of October, by our Stake President, President Peterson.  This is done by someone who has the priesthood authority, bestowed upon him by the leaders of the church, to give us the authority to be representatives of the church.

President Peterson, Kathy and Ray

 He pronounced may blessing upon us to include protection for our families while we are gone, good health, the ablility to assist the people in Moldova, and the inspiration to know what the Lord would want us to do for the people of Moldova.  It was a very spiritual and comforting blessing.

So now it is off to the Mission Training Center to learn how and what we are to do for those in need in Moldova.

Saying Good-bye

We now have about 13 days until we go to Utah and enter the Mission Training Center.  We had a family "Thanksgiving" dinner a couple of weeks ago and it was great to have everyone there, minus Ben and Rachel's family, who are currently stationed in Hawaii.
We also gave talks in church last Sunday, 23rd of October as our "farewell" for our mission.  During the meeting 6 beautiful primary girls sang the song, "We Are as the Army of Helaman".  It was very spiritual and uplifting.

It is hard to leave friends and family, but I know that what we are doing is what the Lord would want us to do at this time in our lives.  I know that our children, and grandchildren will receive blessing for our service, along with us.  We hope with the remaining days, that we will be able to see each of our children and grandchildren one last time before we leave.  We have 13 (in-laws are included) reasons, and another 20 reasons, that make it difficult for us leave.





Family Photo Christmas 2008

Farewell Program 23 October 2011

 



 

Time is getting short

Our time to go to the Mission Training Center (MTC) in Provo, UT is drawing closer.  We have gotten all the shots needed and hopefully all the paperwork is completed.  Our flight arrangements have been made.  We will be leaving the MTC after spending two weeks there and fly to Dallas, TX, where we will depart for Frankfurt, Germany.  We will spend two additional days training there and then on to Bucharest, Romania.  From there we will travel to Chisniau, Maldova, where we will live for the next 18 months.

We are also in the process of trying to learn Romanian, which is a Latin based language.  Because we speak Spanish, this is a help in the learning process.

If you go to the bottom of this post, it will take you to a map of Chisinau and a pin will be on the map where our apartment is located in the city.