My Moldova Experience
David Dement
January, 2005
Day 1
It was a deep breath when we left for Dallas at 7.30 a.m. Sunday morning. David was plenty of entertainment on the way, considering I had no idea what to expect when it came to leaving the country. We arrived at DFW with plenty of time to spare, thanks to David this is just one of his specialties. It was great to see Malcom and get to talk to him prior to leaving the ground. I left the ground with great expectations of sleeping--wrong; I couldn’t sleep until about 6 hrs into the flight. The stewardess did great compared to the other flights and I found out that the back of the plane is a good place to be on a long flight, unless you’re in a hurry to catch your next plane. At last we land in Frankfurt, Germany after 8 ½ hrs in the air. The airport was clean considering everybody smokes and all the trash cans had recycle compartments, I was impressed with the facilities. After all, we couldn’t go any where and I was aware of everything. My mind felt like it was in hyper drive and it wasn’t slowing down. We left for Vienna, Austria and I don’t remember much because I slept thru the whole flight. We arrived in Vienna and went through all the standard check points Mrs. Linda got checked about her carry-on luggage; she had the hardest time on the way there with getting checked. I was introduced to a European breakfast of cheese, thin sliced ham, and several types of bread. Not bad. We saw a ticker board that is still in operation from WWII; it was very unique and David loved it. I saw that coffee and tea was a very important part of life and I could fit right in. We loaded on a plane that was considerably smaller than what we were on earlier. I didn’t say anything but, smaller didn’t seem better. The flight went good, we got there. As we entered the country I could see from the air large rolling hills, small villages, some farms, and vineyards. As we approached the air strip I was looking for the city but didn’t see it. When we landed David was pretty excited because of the development that had taken place since his last visit. It all still looked extremely small to be the capital city airport. Getting through customs seemed simple--stamp your passport, fill out a form to declare anything that you are bringing into their country, and then you end up in a small foreign country with no luggage, goody. I feel like I stink since I have been traveling for about 24 hrs. Oh yea, I do. David went to go find our people from LSM and he finds Rouslon our very dear friend; he got us out of the airport very efficiently, Thanks to our Father. We load up in a van and off we go, heading for the compound. There’s nothing like going to a small country where the mafia and the government are mentioned in the same sentence and you’re staying in a compound. Somehow I knew that this wasn’t going to be problem, oh yea we have David, now I feel completely safe. Rouslon and one of our translators Violeta took us to the compound, on the way it was hard to tell what was what because it was dark. When we arrived we were introduced to the director, MaMa neta, Peter, Natosha and 2 others from Georgia, Rodger and Steve. They hadn’t been there very long and were on the same type mission we were on, just trying to help someone in need. Rodger has been going over to Moldova for the last 4 years and this is Steves 1st trip to Moldova. Both the guys have a true heart of giving. There was one man from Poland named Alexander who was there representing a church to give out shoe box gifts. They set us up in our rooms which was nice. Malcom had his own wing and I had the other, since both of us enjoyed the art of snoring we couldn’t hear each other. The others were downstairs. that was good because of David’s knees and other parts of his body. They fed us a rice casserole and bread for supper with a fruit turnover for dessert. We had a very sweet fruity Kool-Aid that was homemade or tea. We were all worn out and excited so that made it a little difficult for our minds to tell our bodies to shut down; and don’t forget my mind is in hyper drive.
Day 2
Well I had trouble sleeping as I thought I would, I awoke at 3.00 a.m. and fought myself back to sleep. At 6.00 a.m. my dear brother David woke me up to tell me that he was going to get me up at 7.00 a.m. That’s classic David Heath. We ate breakfast at 8.00; we had cheese, bread, potatoes cakes, coffee or tea. The cheese we couldn’t identify the type but it had a mild taste and good texture. We sat around and shared our lives with the others as the directors planned our day. I know he was letting us get our bearings because of jet lag that I know I had. In the process of trying to relax which was virtually impossible I walked outside and noticed the ground, by sight it was the richest ground I have ever seen and by smell it was extremely rich. I made my mind up in bringing some back but David was concerned about customs. All you can do is try so I did. I was about to go stir crazy and Mrs. Maxine suggested that I fix their toilet; if you’re going to bring a contractor, use him, and I was more than glad to do it. All the plumbing that I have seen so far was updated with PVC. From what I can get out through translation the Mennonites did all the work when they built the soup kitchen and the warehouse several years ago. I left from there and met up with the group to look at the warehouse where they store all the boxes that come from all over the world for the orphanages. It was a great sight to see so many boxes for the children of Moldova but, I got a feeling this isn’t enough. We were directed to the soup kitchen to help prepare and serve the poor. Maxine delegated me to give a small speech to the people prior to eating. MaMa Neta led the group preparing the meal, as a great general leads his troops into battle, organized, prepared, and a leader. It was remarkable watching her serve God using the gifts he gave her. Natasha led the people in singing several songs, it was apparently Russian worship songs that were uplifting but, had a very slow and dreadful rhythm. The translators Violeta and Marianna told us the songs as they sang them and they were uplifting, Glory be to God. These people were very proud of their heritage and this was a great sight because it’s hard to find this in our great country. It is slowly leaving, unfortunately. One of the ladies sang a solo that she was very proud of, again heritage. MaMa Neta lead us in a prayer and then the serving began. All of the food was at the front of the table that let us serve everybody one by one. They were very polite and were very concerned about each other. It was very humbling watching people that were extremely poor, that this may be their only meal; each day they receive they have a hope for tomorrow. My heart was beginning to tear and I knew at that moment I was sitting in HIS hand. The Glory will always be his. We helped clean up and began to thank the people for letting us be there and they were so appreciative of our service. Lunch was soup, pasta, meatballs in gravy, bread, and their Kool-Aid. We ate the same meal as they did; it was very nutritious and filling. I thought I was going to loose some weight but, I don’t believe that’s going to happen with meals like this. Most of the people that I have seen are very tidy and efficient. I guess you would have to be if everything you had was an asset of life. We went back to the rooms to rest, and I couldn’t, of course, so I began watching the people outside my window and was in awe of the people that weren’t working. I asked David and he said it was communism; this is what they were taught. I’m still not certain what was going on but, I do know this-- it is a waste of economical growth for the country as a whole not to mention as a human being with talents which all of us have, just wasting away as time goes by day by day. David came and got Malcom and I to go walk in the city with the group and our faithful translator Marianna. I never thought that a young women less than ½ my size would be protecting us. David was saying not to talk too much because it would be a dead give away that we were Americans. Well that was a wasted breath because we had Malcom, a 6ft 4in red head, a 5ft 8in round man, and to top it off the only black man in the entire country with us being lead around by a 5ft 5in small frame Moldovan women, oh yea, and an olive colored man that is either Italian or American Indian. The only 2 that could have walked away from the group and fit right in is Mrs. Maxine and Mrs. Linda. They were dressed for the occasion. The malls were really different, there were small open cubicles packed full with either clothes, shoes, hygiene products, or other supplies needed. This is an entrepreneur dream if you’re into retail sales. All the malls are just like this except some are nicer than others. We made it back right at dark and they were ready for us to load our truck bound for Popeasca. It started snowing while we were loading, that was a pleasant sight. We got through and got ready to eat. We had chicken that was de-boned and flattened into small steak size portions and fried golden brown, mashed potatoes, bread, and tea. For dessert we had a spice cake which was very good. I almost forgot we got our entire luggage and had no trouble getting it in. Thank God! Clean clothes.
Day 3
I awoke again at 3.00 a.m. tossed and turned till I heard Malcom say its 7.00 and time to get up. As you already know I didn’t bring an alarm clock or a watch. It’s HIS time not my time. We ate breakfast at 7.30 and it was special, a crepe either filled with potatoes or cheese, your choice, sliced salami, bread, cherry preserves, and coffee or tea. A breakfast for champions not weight watchers. I always ate till I got real full not knowing if or when we were going to eat again, my mistake. We loaded up with 4 women to help with everything, our faithful translator Violeta, and our driver Andrai. There was snow and ice on the ground when we left. Andrai sped through it as a man on a mission. As we traveled to Popeasca we couldn’t see much because the windows were fogging up but, David could see and he was pointing out things we couldn’t see. It was like wearing a blindfold that you could not take off, while someone explains to you how beautiful Michaelangelo’s work is. We only saw one accident and it was someone who ran off the road. There was a little confusion with the directions but, Andrai got us there. We entered a building that had 4 classrooms and the director’s office in it. Little did David know that we could not set up in the auditorium that he did 2 yrs ago. So we off-loaded the truck with the help of some of the orphans. We realized quickly that the bags were the wrong way to go; they were brittle because of the cold temperatures. We got organized very quickly and that was a sight for sore eyes watching David almost have a heart attack while directing traffic between all of us. I told him next time he’s taking 2 valium prior to directing. He did a great job, I never doubted him. Thank GOD for Mrs. Maxine, if I ever questioned David’s motives she always gave me confidence. All the kids came in to the small foyer and welcomed us with smiles and great anticipation. The kids sang songs, and even had a play for us. It was Solomon and the 2 wives fighting over 1 child. They did a great job dressing up for the parts. The important thing is I hope the children understood the message in the play. Their eyes were filled with joy and excitement. Mrs. Maxine gave our message to the children and to the teachers while Violeta translated it for her. She did a great job, I wouldn’t expect any less from the most proper person I know. We dove into the packages handing them out one by one. Malcom worked up a sweat earlier while unloading the boxes and was still wringing wet while handing out the packages. The teachers got us sheets to put all the torn packages in so we could keep them together. When we got to the end there was only the kindergarten left, so we broke down some of the packages and made it work. All the kids got something. Thank God! David went around taking pictures of all the kids with their new presents; it was a very exciting time. We left there to go to the dining hall and eat lunch. We had soup, mashed potatoes, bratwurst, bread, a croissant filled with I think is apple butter, and to drink we had a choice between 2 Moldova cokes, regular and orange drink. We also had a piece of fruit. All this was supplied by LSM. David said the general meal consists of cabbage, potatoes, and bread. Meat isn’t at every meal. A proper diet is a huge issue here so some types of vitamins are definitely needed. We handed out the Bibles and the kids cherished them. We walked to the bathrooms and to the housing facilities and found that it had a new roof on it that was the biggest plus to the facilities. The plumbing was in complete disarray, all of the cast iron had been rotted out - this tells me that it is very old; I’m thinking pre WW II. The good thing is there is access to a public sewer system. The director talked about 3 showers, 2 vanities, and 2 toilets per section. There are 3 sections 2 stories tall for the kids for a total of 9 showers, 6 vanities, and 6 toilets. She also mentioned about 1 dryer per section for their clothes. We also talked about bunk beds, mattresses, door mats and they will need either 1 large hot water heater per section or 2 smaller ones. Their storage for their clothes is an issue. Also either foot lockers, or some type of moveable locker system. Another important need is mattress covers for all the beds. We went to the main dining hall to discuss any other pressing needs. The teachers were full of joy to see some of the children’s needs were met. They talked about the schools need of teaching aids such as globes, maps, flash cards, graphs and any teaching materials we could help with. It was more on the visual aids than anything. A large majority of the children have some type of physical or mental disability that comes from abuse at home or alcoholisms while they were in the womb. I’m still not sure if a lot has to do with their surroundings, lead paints, open cisterns, hygiene in general, and nutrition. One thing is for sure, these people need help in training to help keep them healthy and to have a better environment in their housing and sewer problems. The ride home was indeed better, Malcom and I could see. The roads are like Jackson parish roads--rough. Moldova road systems are very unique. There are 3 lanes. This system works well here apparently but, at home it would instill lots of road rage, just another name for being impatient and selfish. The sights were beautiful rolling hills and miles and miles of vineyards. All the snow was gone on the way back to the compound. When we started it was in the 20’s and now it was high 30’s low 40’s really fair weather so I thought. We arrived and everybody was talking about a nap. A nap! Lets do something to help. We’ll I lost, so we ended up playing cards and drinking coffee, which was fine because I was bound and determined to sleep tonight. There are 8 girls and 1 boy at this orphanage, and he caught it. His name is Rouslon; you can tell he has some lower case problems but, he was ready to learn from us at all times. He is 15 and built so much smaller than a normal teenager. He has had several operations, on what I don’t know. And as all the orphans, he won our hearts. Some of the girls lived in Hickory North Carolina, learning English and singing to raise money for LSM. They are a very special group of girls with the gift of singing. My heart was gradually coming apart, little did I know. The group decided to take the kids to McDonalds for supper just to let the cooks off for the night and to give them a special treat. They sang for us again in McDonalds and that was a treat for us. We had a Russian catholic priest come by to bless us and ask for money but, what he didn’t know was that we were priests too. I had a feeling it was more pandering than blessings. Our translator explained to him who we were and he left rather quickly. We went back to the compound and played cards. Malcom and I had to endure a big lip whipping from David since we always let him win. Ha-Ha! It was a great day and I see wherever David, Malcom, Maxine, and Linda go their lives are always a mission at work because everybody they meet are left blessed.
Day 4
The morning began as usual, up around 3.00 and tossed and turned. Malcom and I were late getting up and as you would guess it our dear brother David got us up with a big ear full. We were 15 minutes late for breakfast. We had a type of breakfast sandwich that was made of bread, salami, and cheese. They offered us tuna fish also that was a little strange. Rodger loved it which was good to see, he hasn’t eaten much since he’s been here. We loaded a van for the orphanage in Sarata Galbena. We left out and the route was very beautiful. Rolling hills lined with vineyards waiting for spring to appear. Some of the roads were lined with large trees and lush green fields. I noticed the architecture and the structures were block walls with concrete foundations, the 2nd floors were concrete also and the roof was 4x6 framing with no supports and stripped for either concrete tiles or terra cotta tiles. One thing about these people--they know how to use concrete. The exterior is generally stucco or rock veneer. When we arrived at the orphanage it was clean and seemed well organized. We unloaded the boxes and began to prepare for the flood of children. The children were full of joy and excitement waiting for their name to be called out. Both our translators had their hands full calling out names and handing out packages. The packages were not as big as ours were but, they had the supplies they needed and we made it work so everybody got something. We got finished and went on a tour. The children as we found out were gifted in sewing. This really caught Mrs. Linda’s eye. The children slept 2 to a bed and these mattresses were also worn out. The classrooms were well organized and clean. I went to the bathroom and found it the same type as Popeasca--an open hole. It takes me a lot to gag, and this did. They took us to the kitchen and we met the cooks, these women are not to be messed with. One of them had a set of gold teeth that would make some people envious. The appliances were old but, they make them work. The lunch was supplied by LSM again and it was the same a yesterday but, the soup was different. It was good. Their religion is Russian Orthodox which from what I see it is somewhat like the Catholic religion. They said a pray together, out load, prior to eating. We saw their heating system; it’s a coal fired furnace that circulates hot water to all the rooms to keep them warm. There was thatch that insulated the furnace. This is old school insulation but, it works. There should be a comparison to coal verses gas which is in the area. It takes a lot of coal in the winter and a lot of man hours. There is a bed in the furnace room for the worker who is on the job. This takes 3 men at 8 hrs shifts to run the heating system, and this costs money. This orphanage had 3 pigs which can be a training tool and a source of meat which is in high need for proper nutrition. Providing livestock for the orphanages is another aspect that needs to be researched to see if it is possible to do. The director wanted to see if it was possible to convert a section of land behind the living quarters to a play ground and a vegetable garden. Malcom and I gave our opinions that it was possible with some work. We said our good-byes and headed back to the compound. I’m still troubled by such a beautiful and rich country to be so impoverished. The drive back was good; David kept us laughing over his antics. We arrived and met Natasha whom David knew from his last trip. Her family is from northern Moldova and is a part of LSM. She was a great source of information. We had a meeting among all of us and bounced off ideas after ideas to her. She told us that doctors come from all over the world and help the children throughout the year. We all got ready to eat supper. It was potato casserole with meat and eggs in it, purple cabbage coleslaw, and bread. This was really good, the coleslaw was very impressive. We had hot tea and sliced cinnamon roll for dessert. For our evening entertainment we let David win at cards again. We stayed up till 10.00 playing cards. I’m still hoping that my mind will let my body sleep tonight.
Day 5
Good morning. I didn’t sleep again and I’m not getting used to it. I felt like I ran a marathon last night and being late for breakfast again isn’t a great way to get started. We had eggs rolled like crepes and dry cereal with coffee and hot tea. I definitely need it since I felt like I worked all night. We left for Sarata Noua at about 10.00 this morning. It’s about 1 hr past Sarata Galbena. The trip was very enjoyable with all the sights of the countryside. I finally saw some wildlife, geese just waiting to be harvested. So I thought. Many people here don’t have the desire as I do to kill and eat. One thing Moldova has plenty of is ravens and they could use a good thinning. We got a lesson on the mafia housing verses normal housing and it is a huge difference. The houses they live in, I would estimate at to cost between 300,000 and 500,000 American dollars, they were nice. We arrived at the orphanage and were greeted by the director and her assistant. We were very much welcomed. Some of the older boys unloaded the van and were very excited. Malcom dove right in getting everything organized and unloaded from the boxes. Rouslon gave a speech to the orphans letting them know this is why their pictures were taken at the first of the year and these were gifts from an American church for them. They sang us a couple of songs and one of them sounded familiar. There was one little boy that was crying during the song, in fear that there was an end to it. It was sad to see that such a small thing as a song would give such joy for just one moment of his life. We started handing out gifts and towards the end we all noticed that it was going to be short. The team started dividing up the gifts of the kids that were on vacation (whatever that meant) to just be able to give something to all the kids. It was a sad moment in our trip and I encourage all churches to add at least 25% more packages without names to supplement this problem of being short. All the kids still seemed very joyful for what they got. The children here had the same difficulties as the other orphanages, nutrition and learning disabilities. I felt so helpless for them, like a runner without a starting or finish line just looking into the abyss of life. The team helped to clean everything up and went to look at the classrooms. They showed us the needlework room and Mrs. Linda and Mrs. Maxine were very surprised of the quality of work from these students. Mrs. Linda bought some of the needlework. David, Malcom and I went to the restrooms to see facilities and they were the same, an open cistern. These were not as concealed and this helped a lot when you caught the wind just right because the smell is terrible. We headed for the dining hall and watched as they prepared for lunch. It was a little different, they served noodles with a white sauce, a bratwurst, and wheat bread. I was still full from breakfast and only ate the bread with a little coaxing from Mrs. Maxine. Apparently she was protecting us from being rude. One of the children got a kite; it wasn’t very practical seeing it only lasted about 10 minutes before it exploded into pieces. We loaded up and headed back to Chisinau. All week I noticed one of our translators which was pregnant and glowed with life and her mother. The way the mother tended to her daughter and the respect the daughter gave her mother was a sight very seldom seen in our environment of independence. The love for one another just enveloped them and had a remarkable effect on me. This is how I will remember Moldova by this love and natural respect. We talked about our trip and prepared for supper. They served us pizza, Moldova style, and homemade French fries. It was a real treat. After supper that night the girls sang for us and it was as I would imagine what angels would sound like. I almost cried but, leave it to my pride, I held it in. My heart was barley hanging by a thread.
Day 6
I finally got a great night sleep after a long wait that I thought would never get here. Malcom and I got up with David’s voice ringing through the air. I didn’t mind it this morning since I had a great night sleep. We went down to enjoy another great breakfast. They had fixed us a hot cereal with the consistency of cream of wheat. It was made of milk and churned butter. The other part of the meal was meat with melted cheese, sliced cheese, bread, coffee or tea. This was enough to fill any person for an all day adventure. We started the morning taking a bus to the heart of the city. It was jammed packed with people going all over the place. This was the only transportation for a lot of people. It was only 2 lei to ride the bus. The first stop was a large mall that was 5 stories tall and had almost everything. Mrs. Linda bought a hat that really fit her and was totally European. We bought Ma Ma Netta some scarves. The girls said it was her favorite. We left there and went walking down the street and there were many street-side vendors. David passed by a vendor selling some type of food and insisted all of us try it. We bought a variety of gifts that fit our own personalities and it really showed. It was time to go back to the compound for lunch and believe it or not I was hungry, I guess it was all the walking we did. The lunch was soup, pasta, slaw, chicken, and bread. Our drink was a grape juice and apricot juice that was really good. At lunch when I prayed I almost broke down and lost it because I knew the end was near and there was still so much to do. After lunch we went to a park were artists sold their works. We ended up with some great deals after we bartered for our Moldavian treasures. We bought Violeta a painting that she liked, to remember us by. David found 2 Peace Corp. workers that lived only minutes away from the orphanage in Popeasca. They would come to Chisinau about twice a month and stay in a hotel for the weekend. David had a great idea, for LSM to put them up when they come to town so they could make the money they spent for a hotel. We left there and went to another mall that had coffee shops, restaurants, and stores in it. The ladies took the girls to buy them something special. David took us to eat at a giant tent restaurants, it was a really good last supper in Moldova.
Day 7
We got up with a gleam of sadness on our shoulders. This was the last morning of the beginning of a new look on life. Leaving the ones that we grew to love, knowing that there was not enough time or money to do the things needed, it was very emotional. I hope that the environment that they live in will make them stronger and have a desire to make a better life for them. We ate breakfast and then packed for the trip home. I left everything except for my clothes and packed Rouslon, the only little boy, a special pack that consisted of jerky, and many treats. I promised him a Sprite and he was so excited about receiving it, it made me so sad realizing that a simple gift gave a little hope to a child. We all left for the church service and I was surprised that it was such a modern building in great shape. Marianna and Violeta translated the service for us. They had 2 speakers and a song leader I was impressed with all the songs, they were the same as ours. There were many members, about 300 to 400. We went back to the compound and had lunch. We ate soup, cabbage rolls with sour cream, and bread. All the food was good and some of it was different, that was a good change. The girls sang for us after lunch and it was hard to keep your emotions in balance. The girls had such great harmony. We loaded up soon after lunch and said our good- byes. It was very hard to leave. We arrived at the airport and had a send- off from Violeta. It was troubling to the soul to say good bye.