Building bridges

On Jan 9^th we took a ward member with us, Ciornii Valdimir, for translation and visited with Mihai at the Society of the Disabled to tie up some loose ends on one wheelchair project and get details on another which he would like the Church to help with.  After we had finished he explained that he would also like our help with getting gas to the buildings there so they could have heat.  In 2006 our Church had put in 4 boilers and they were still not hooked up because paperwork to get the gas was not available.  He said he now had the paperwork and would like our help to get gas from the street to the buildings in order to heat them.

We also went with Sisters Schuld and Hickman to the second floor of the same building where the shoemaker would make them some boots.

We have met with the lawyer three times in the past week in order to do what is required to obtain our visas and also met with two gentlemen, Sergio and Alfonz from the U.S. Embassy to see if we could help with projects they are involved in.

The intermediate class with Sisters Schuld and Hickman had about 22 in the group which Ray and Kathy helped with.  Elders Hill and Peterson's advanced class had about 9 with many returning from last year's class.  Everyone had a great time!

On Wednesday, the 11th,  Elders Hill and Peterson, Russian speaking Elders from Idaho, came for dinner.  One thing which we are all doing as missionaries is teaching English twice a week in the evenings.  It gives us great opportunities to help and also to meet wonderful people.

The highlight of our week was attending a school celebration ceremony at Mihai Eminescu in Cimislia with the Kitchens. 

Fred and Mariam Kitchen at the statue of Mihai Eminescu.  Note all the flowers that have just been placed there by guests, students and faculty of the school named after him.  He is a famous Romanian poet who died a painful death at the age of 30.



At the same statue we have a teacher of English at the school, Ray, Lidia Constantinescu (writer and poet and honored guest), Kathy and Viorica Ghenciu the director of the school.



We met wonderful people there, a writer, librarian, Minister of Ecology in Chisinau, the city Mayor, teachers of English, etc and following awards ceremony had a program by the children and then a lunch.

Viorica gave at least 75 to 100 certificates of achievement to children of all ages.

 

In the upper left you see Lidia presenting a scholarship to a young woman, on the right we are at the statue of Eminsecu and you see a few of the performers.





  The director, Viorica Ghenciu, later showed us the kitchen and the problems they have there.  Feeding 250 each day with no working oven and a small sink area plus no storage for supplies has been difficult for years.  The mayor had promised them tables for the lunch room and if our budget allows we can help with the kitchen needs.  We have plans to go about once a month with the Kitchens and help with the English classes in the school also.  We wish we had a set of 5^th or 6^th grade English literature books to donate to this school as they have very few books written in English.

A typical way for hay to be stored within the Moldovan villiages.



This derrick is useful for moving a variety of things and is found in back of many homes.