Hello again!
Well, we are in Moldova! Our flight from Munich was boring (which is the best kind of flight, in my opinion) and we landed a little behind schedule in Chisinau on Friday (lunchtime). We walked out of the baggage area and I immediately saw a man standing nearby holding a sign that said "Karen Thrush." I took that as a pretty clear sign that he was there to pick us up! The man holding the sign was Victor and he and his wife are hosting us in their city apartment. They have three lovely girls who are the sweetest....ages 18, 13, and 6. The 6 year old is more adorable than can be described and I think she has connected with the "grandma" in my mom. They have played quite a bit today despite the language barrier...but I guess playing tea and dolls is an international language in itself.
Anyways, after hopping into Victors car at the airport we took a wild ride to the college. I am not sure which was more fun...seeing the life of the city around me or watching my mom experience Eastern European driving. =)
At the school we had a very nice lunch waiting for us and then we met some other administrators and workers...we also figured out a way to get my computer hooked up to the internet since it was not finding the wireless. Then we came home to Victor's apartment to meet the family and have a lovely dinner. I am in love with these stuffed cabbage things...I want to learn to make them....they are amazing. (and Victor's wife reheated some more for me today because she saw how much I loved them...haha...I guess I don't stay quiet about good food). But really, every bit of food that she has made so far has been outstanding. I must admit, I am looking forward to meal times this week.
After getting a great night's sleep I woke up this morning ready for class to start! I got dressed, ate a tasty breakfast, gathered up my gear and headed into the school....and then we waited...and no one came! And then we realized the students were all waiting for me in another room! So...after a little hiccup, the students settled into my classroom and we got started. And,really, I think we had a great day! First of all, my translator is AMAZING! Secondly, many of the students do speak some English. 3rd, I had the perfect amount of information prepared for the class so we ended right on time, and 4thly I was able to get lively discussion going which (as many of you know) is one of my favorite things to do...I love to get people thinking and engaging with material and I think that happened a bit today even though some of the material is a bit dry. In thinking back on how great today went...it is CLEAR that I have a whole team of people praying for me. And, even though I am missing Levi and Dan so much, it was clear that this is the place for me right now....that these students are hungry for more knowledge and training to be effective in their ministries. And, let me tell you, they are in some tough ministries! I was blessed with the chance to talk with a few girls during lunch and hear more about their life and work. They are tough cookies who serve the Lord with their whole heart....it is a pleasure to serve them in this way.
So, now it is almost 10pm on Saturday evening and I am getting ready to turn the light off and call it a day. I look forward to church tomorrow (victor is preaching) and spending time with the family on the Sabbath. I am sure I will need to do some prep for the week to come because it is going to be intense! Please keep me in your prayers as I will be teaching from 9-4pm each day. Also, continue to pray for health and safety and for my mom as she builds relationships with the family and finds things to do around the school (one teacher has already asked her to take over his English class this week...haha....seriously).
I will continue to post as time allows and I feel comfort in knowing that we have so much support!
K
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