Awkward Moments

I'll never forget summer camp either my senior or junior year of high school. If we were sincere, Derry had us stand up in front of everyone and say that we had counted the cost and no matter what it took we would follow and seek after Christ. And I thought it was so strange that after I had done that, Derry asked me this question..."Even if it's awkward?" Well sure, even if it's awkward. 3 years later I've stayed true to that statement I made in front of the youth group and it's brought me to Moldova. Awkward moments pretty much define my life here. I now know why God brought that question to Derry's mind for me. haha.

The language barrier is awkward sometimes, most times. When I'm trying to figure out what people are saying to me in Romanian, there are so many awkward times where I either 1) have no idea what they are saying 2) have to act out stuff to figure out what we're talking about 3) or stand there awkwardly and hope that someone would come translate for me. haha. And when all else fails, smile and nod. In all seriousness, I feel like my Romanian is getting better every day. There will be more words I recognize or I can usually figure out what the sentence is generally about. Church services have become a little easier. And I mostly know my numbers! Very important in shopping. :)

I leave for the bus4life on Tuesday. As far as I know, I'm the only American on the team. One of the girls speaks good English and her husband does too so that's comforting that I wont be completely alone. I think it will be good for me though...hopefully I'll learn more Romanian!! Some of the challenge into missions people (moldovans who take a year to do missions) will be on the bus so I'm excited to get to know them! The weather is getting very warm here. 91 degrees today and they keep telling me that this is nothing compared to July so we'll see haha.

Thanks for praying. I'm doing really well here. I'm not homesick at all. haha. sorry Mom and Dad. But no, I love it here and have a family here at OM. I've grown close to my roommate and it's nice to have one American here with me that I can relate to. Continue to pray that God would use me to my full potential and that his will for me here would be accomplished. Pray that God would reveal to me what He has for me after July. Longer commitment here? Work in a salon back home? I don't know. I have no plans and am just praying that in His time God would reveal my next steps to me. So glad to be doing this WITH Him.

Cherries

In Moldova there are cherrie trees EVERYWHERE! And they're amazing. A lot of people sell them at markets but you can just as easily go out and pick them. Christina and I decided to go pick some cherries outside the mission center this afternoon. Here's some pics :)

Busy Weekend

Last night, Christina and I decided to venture out to the middle of the city to see what we could find. haha. We went to an underground shop place where there are tons of venders and different little shops underneath the street. So that was neat. We checked out another big shopping place. It was kind of like a flea market mixed with walmart. We walked around forever, then got a little turned around and had to call one of the girls at the mission center. A lady must have heard us speaking English because she came over and told us about 10 places she reccomended us to eat and where we can go to see things. She talked forever haha but she was so helpful! We took one of her reccomendations and went to a little restaurant. We successfully, mostly, ordered some food on our own and had a nice dinner. So needless to say we felt very accompished after we made it back to the mission center. haha. I think we've mostly figured out the routieras, where to get on them and which ones to take.

Everyone here is busy getting ready for Love Moldova A, which starts on Monday I think. There are a few people that will arrive today and the rest on saturday and sunday. The mission center is going to be madness with tons of people here. I've spent most of my day today putting together like 80 books for Love Moldova. I will go on the Bus4Life on Monday, I believe. I'm a little nervous as always just because I dont know what to expect, but I think it will be a good ministry and I will do lots of haircuts. I'm getting frustrated that I don't know the lanugage because I so badly want to talk to everyone. It's difficult to communicate, even in the office when they just need me to do something. But I have to remember I've only been here 2 weeks and can't possibly know the language yet. I'm learning a few new things every day, but I can't understand very well. Pray that this wouldn't be a discouragement to me, but that it would push me harder to try to learn as much as I can. I've done 57 haircuts since I've been here! Crazy crazy. Sometimes I feel insignificant here, and wonder if I'm actually making any difference being here or not. But God's used me to impact 57 people's lives so far. That's awesome. Even if it's just a little thing like a haircut. I'm excited for what he has in store and am so thankful for where he's brought me.

Pictures

Click here to see some updated pics

Prayer and fasting/Andy's pizza

Today we had prayer and fasting. It went really well. In the morning session we got to know the team from America a litle bit and worship together. Then later in the day we had some presentations from the local ministry teams and prayed a lot. Then the guys and girls split and had seperate messages. So ya it went really good.

At 6 the fast was done so we could go eat! A few of us hopped on the routiera and went to Andy's Pizza. I've heard everyone talking about Andy's pizza for days so it was awesome to go! haha. It was really good. They have corn here on their pizza. Its a little different. But it was really good.

It's a little louder and crouded with the U.S. team here so we're getting used to that. The pic above is Marcel(from Rezina), Christina(my roommate), me, and Esther(from Rezina). Off to movie/tv show night w/Christina! :)

Run for the world

This morning we had an event called Run for the World. The OM team got together and met in a forest/woods type place and had the choice to run 3 kilometers to raise money for kids in Africa for water, food, and missions there. So it was kind of neat to be connected to both moldova, where I am now, and Africa, where I've been. It makes things like this so different when you know names and faces of kids that live in Africa. I had all my baby center kiddos in my mind while we were doing this. After the run we just hung out in the woods for a few hours and had a moldovan BBQ. It was nice to have most of the OM Moldova team there to talk to and get to know a little.

After the picnick, my roomate and I went to the store, which doesn't sound like a big accomplishment but it was big for us! haha. We had to get on the right bus and tell the driver where to stop and shop strategically while trying to understand some Romanian to know what food was what. Pictures are our best friend while we shop. haha. Then we came back to the mission center to eat our last meal before 6. We are doing a prayer and fasting day from 6 tonight until 6 tomorrow night. A group from America is coming to stay at the mission center tonight so we're excited to have some company!

Pray for the prayer and fasting day that we've just entered into. As I sit here and think I dont really know how to say how you can pray for it, but just pray that God would move and work. Pray that we can have energy to last through the day. It will be good to come together as a big team and pray. So yeah, I'm not quite sure how I feel about it or what to expect but I think it will be good.

Last days in Rezina

I'm back in Chisinau (the capital) now after a few long bus rides from Rezina. But i'll recap the last few days I had in Rezina.

Thursday was the first day of the kids camp and I think I did 8 haircuts that day. It was very hard for me to interact with the kids because of the language barrier, so there was lots of smiling and gesturing. haha. The day flew by at the camp, and we went back to the appartment of plan out the last day of the camp. It was one of the guy's birthday on the team so we celebrated with ice cream and coke, some cards, and a movie.

Friday was the last day of the childrens camp, and I only did about 4 or 5 haircuts that day. The kids played lots of games and recited the memory verses they had learned that week for candy. The lunches we had been making were bread with mayo and cheese and meat but on friday it was "meat paste", meat, and cheese or mayo, sardines, and cheese. Nasty. haha. I had to force myself to eat lunch that day. But I survived the meat paste lol. I just couldn't do the sardines. We washed the car then went back to play some cards. Ligretto(I think? haha) is what we've been playing all week. I think it's called dutch blitz in America. very addicting game.

Saturday was my birthday. woot woot. haha. I'm so old. Goodness. 20. In the morning one of the girls took me on a walk to the river which is a border between Moldova and Transnistria. Its a very strict country ruled by Russia. Just to get over the bridge into the country, they search your car throughly and everything else you have including passports and visas. The river was very pretty though. The walk took 2 1/2 hours. I was so dead after it haha. the last half was all uphill. I'll try to put the pics up on my picasaweb album. Thankfully it stopped raining while we were on the walk, but it rained the rest of the day. Later that day we went over to one of the missionaries houses for a party for me and the other guy who had a birthday to celebrate. We had some cake and played ligretto until like 11.

This morning, we went to church. There was an American pastor that spoke so that was cool. He was from North Carolina, so he had a real strong accent but it was so nice to understand the message without a translator. Even only after 2 weeks of being away from my home church, I miss being able to understand the message. I dont think I will ever take that forgranted again when I get home. Todays service lasted 2 1/2 hours. Services at home will seem so short! haha. Then we bought our bus ticket and went back and ate lunch then packed everything up to leave. The bus ride took about 2 hours then we switched buses to get to the missions center. I'm glad to be back. I'll definitely miss hanging out with the team every night, but it's nice to be back in Chisinau.

This week I will stay in Chisinau. Tomorrow we are having a picnick with all the missionaries...everyone has driven to the capital for a big run for charity thing so that'll be neat. Tuesday we will have a prayer and fasting day all day. So I'm not quite sure what to expect...lots of praying haha. Not sure what else the rest of the week holds. I'm trying to see if I can visit a place that works with girls that have been trafficked to see if I can mmaybe cut hair or just to visit. I think that would be good. So just pray that God would lead and provide some awesome opportunities this week.

Oops wrong blog. haha.

I guess i accidentally posted this on my other blog but its from the middle of last week....I can't believe it's only been a week since I've been doing haircuts here. I did 10 more today at the church bringing the weeks total to......39 haircuts!! haha. I'm exhausted. I'm glad to have the night to rest...I have a cold right now so my kleenexes are on low and my energy is gone. yuck. Pray that I would feel better soon and that the cold would go away very fast. I feel a bit more comfortable here in Rezina now that I've been here for a couple days. It was good to get to know the team here a little bit, playing cards all night. Tomorrow will be the kids camp in the village. I've been told village life is very different even from the small town of Rezina, so that will be neat to see. There is no shower here in the apartment I am living in so bucket baths have been a little bit of an adjustment. haha. But i am surviving. :)

Busy day in Rezina

I am in Rezina for the week. I took a 2 hour bus ride to get here and got off a little before my actual stop but they found me eventually haha. It's been a little harder here for me, and less people speak english. Today we went to the church here and I did 8 haircuts in the 3 hours that we were there so I'm just a little worn out haha. Thursday and friday i will go to a childrens camp and help there. Then monday I will ride back to Chisinau with the team here. Pray that I would find my place here soon and that God would use me this week.

Pictures

Click here to see some pictures I've uploaded. There are some of the view of the city from where I live, the zoo, moldovan mcdonalds, and some random ones. Check it out :)

Blog Worthy

During the days here at the mission center, we work (whatever we do, for me it's haircuts all day or helping out with whatever) until about 5. Then after 5 we have free time. Usually my roomate and I cook dinner then just relax the rest of the night. But after two nights of doing completely nothing, we had to do something. We really wanted to play cards, but Christians in Moldova do not play cards. And we were told that in our packet and both didn't bring any. But we figured since it was just the two of us that it would be fine to play cards. So we took small notebook paper, kids craft scissors, and a black and red marker and make our own deck of cards. So this is the fabulous picture of our finished deck. We're so proud :) haha. Theyre definitely well appreciated since we drew out every one. I thought it was blog worthy.

Praise the Lord, I have a phone....and clippers! :)

Today has been such a busy day. This morning my roomate and I went to the zoo with one of the familes here. It was fun and gave us something to do on our day off. They didn't have very many animals on display so in a few cages they had regular cats and in another they had a dog that they said was a coyote or something haha. It definitely was a dog. Then we went to eat at mcdonalds. It's so crazy...walking into a mcdonalds here is like stepping into the U.S. Pretty much everything is the same. Cheeseburger and chips(fries) :) Then we met up with one of the girls that works at OM to go shopping. She is from here so she knows everything very well and she speaks english good too! We rode the bus for almost an hour to get to the shopping center. It was very big and nice. and air conditioned! It is like a mall with some smaller stores and a huge walmart/meijer type grocery store in it. I found some clippers for real cheap, so I'm so glad I will be able to have those to cut guys hair now! Then I asked the girl we were with if I could get a cheap phone somewhere because i wil be traveling around most of the time I am here. She told me her brother had an old one that I could buy from her for half the price. Definitely a God things. The other missionaries had told me they weren't sure I would be able to get one at all and before I came I was told they were too expensive to buy. so I'm very glad I will be able to have this with me as I travel and maybe to call home on my birthday :)

Moving to Rezina

On Monday I will be moving to a village called Rezina. One of the guys here will drive me to a bus stop somewhere and I will ride that for two hours. This makes me quite nervous actually. haha. Probably more so than flying by myself. Just because I know most if not all of the people riding the bus will not speak english. I will also have one of my suitcases with me and I dont want it to get in the way and annoy people on the bus. So just pray that on Monday I would be fine riding the bus there and get off at the right spot. I know Christ will be there right beside me the whole time so I have no need to worry.

While I am in Rezina, I think the first few days I might help out with a childrens camp type thing. Then I will cut probably the missionaries hair there...I think there are only 4 or 5 there. One of the missionaries has opened her house to orphans and wants me to cut all their hair so that will be awesome! Pray for strength,patience, and endurance as there could be many kids haircuts. haha.

I will be in the village from Monday to Monday. I dont think I will have internet there, but I'm not positive. I really have no idea what to expect there, but it will be good.

Cutting hair in Moldova

Cutting hair should be the same everywhere right? wrong. Yes, the techniques are the same and hair is hair. But the language barrier makes it difficult to understand what exactly they want their hair to look like and its hard for me to figure it out. One of the number one things we are taught to do is listen well to the client and understand what they want, but it's difficult to listen and understand when I don't understand the language. The styles are not the same here. I think I want so much for every person that walks out of my chair to love their hair and I worry that they dont or it's not exactly what they wanted or what they are used to. I think in the states when someone likes their hair a lot after I cut it they express it and here they just say thank you and leave so I'm left wondering if it was what they wanted or if I did it ok. Im sure after a while of being here I will learn the styles and see how exactly they get their hair cut. One thing that's made me laugh here is when I've tried to explain layers in the hair, all the girls just get so confused. They don't understand. So the only way to explain it is the stairsteps in the hair and they all come to me asking for the stairsteps in their hair. Now I know to ask if they want the stairsteps instead of layers. I've only done a few guys haircuts and my clippers are not working over here still so one of the girls let me borrow her from home and its different getting used to them. So pray that I wouldn't let the insecurities take up any space in my mind. Even though I know it's more about the relationships built through cutting hair, I still want them to love what I do their hair. So if it's googling Moldovan hair pictures all day or whatever, I will learn the styles here and know what is common. I know God is using me through this and ultimately that's what it's about. That what little thing I can do will further the kingdom and bring glory to Him.

The picture at the top is my "office" as they call it. haha. It's just a little bathroom that smells not so awesome lol. But it works good. And I'm glad I can have a space where they can come.

The Market and random thoughts

Yesterday my roomate and one of the other girls here and I went into town to go to the store. To get to the store we had to walk for about ten minutes up some hills then ride a bus/15 passenger that is used as public transportation. To get into the bus you have to walk through the front passenger door and hand the driver 3 lei. Then you sit down and if you need change the driver will pass the money back and it will be passed from person to person until it gets to you. The streets are not good in Moldova so it's quite a bumpy ride. It's quite a different experience from a busride home in America. After a few minutes of riding we got to the market. It pretty much looks like any regular store in the states but none of the food is familiar. To say I was a little overwhelmed is an understatement. haha. I had no idea what the price conversion was or what I would need to eat for the next week or just any clue of what to do. To get fruit you pick up a fruit, give it to someone to be weighed and then they will price it for you. Then you can go on shopping. I ended up getting some pasta, ketchup, eggs, bread, jelly, water, and some frozen dough with meat inside. Needless to say, my meals for the week will be very boring. haha.

Going on my third day here I've realized some things: the toilet paper is pink, ketchup comes in bags that look like IV bags from a hospital, the sun shines at 4 in the morning, I'm going to have awesome leg muscles from walking 4 stories of stairs atlest 10 times a day, the people here are very warm and inviting, the food here has been good, it is very hot here and not sweating is just not an option.

I'm so glad God's placed me here for now. How could I ever doubt that He always knows what He's doing? Every closed door in the past year had lead to this and as much as I wanted to change God's plans a year ago I'm glad he's brought me here.

Doing haircuts has been a really good way for me to get to know the people here! I did 7 haircuts yesterday which included 3 really energetic hilarious kids. I've done 1 haircut this morning and have 5 or 6 for the rest of the day. One of the couples here is leaving to do missions in another country so I'm going to get to teach them how to cut hair a little bit so they can do it when they leave.

I feel like I'm adjusting a little better now. My body is used to the time now and I can finally think because Im not so tired haha. I'm so glad that my computer charges here with a converter! I was sure it was going to get fried but it did charge. My clippers however are not working so well and my trimmers just stopped working altogether. So keep praying that God would work through me and use me to bring glory to Him. and that my clippers would work so i can do guy haircuts more easily! haha :)

Here is a picture of the view outside my window and my oh so creative meal of meat in dough and ketchup. If you click on the pic of the view you can see it bigger.