Day 2 Moldova Style!!!

Completely out of our comfort zone, but loving it!  So far, this has been the single most amazing experience of my life. There are not words to even express what we have seen and heard in the past few days. The trip into Moldova, to say the least, was something you would see in a movie. Ukrainian gas station stops, experiencing Oleg’s stellar driving skills down dark, pot-holed country roads (sarcasm), & multiple, intense Moldovan customs stops, even a Russian Tank to throw in the mix. Arriving at camp was met with much relief! But moving onto day 2 with the most important reason we are here… THE KIDS! All 10 of us have made little buddies already. They know our names, give us hugs, and make sure we have our food right away during meal times. They just want to love and be loved. They are all SO BEAUTIFUL! The girls love to braid hair, make jewelry, and paint nails. The boys love soccer and are all very talented. Communication is difficult, but is definitely improving even after 2 days. We are figuring out ways to communicate, impromptu sign language, pointing and smiling or chasing down a translator. We are learning some Romanian and the kids like to mock our English accents, which is kind of adorable. Many of them know about Jesus and love him, which is great news to hear. They may not have much in life, but they have the love of Jesus. I believe this is why they are so joyful. Their eyes sparkle and their smiles are contagious. Sometimes it is difficult to look into their eyes. I cannot even bear what they have gone through, are going through or will have to go through. They are innocent, beautiful children with hearts of gold. I look forward to the rest of the week, teaching our daily lessons about WHO GOD IS, WHO JESUS IS, SIN & THE FALL, SALVATION & LOVE IN ACTION. But I know it will be difficult leaving here. Pray for us, and most importantly pray for the kids. I wish you could all see and experience this as well, and MANY MANY MANY thanks to everyone who supported all of us. We absolutely could not have done this without you. See you back in the Mitten!   

CARLI G