Moldova Day 4

Hello cyber world!

I'm waking up to a new day in Moldova while my family is laying their heads down to finish their day in Texas. This trip has been eye opening, heart pounding and faith building to say the very least. I appreciate the prayers already offered as this non-flyer made it safely through 3 flights in 1 day! My longest flight was from Charlotte to Munich and the Lord blessed me with an adorable seat mate who didn't sleep on planes either! Her name was Ursilla and she has been all over the world. She was able to give me plenty of travel pointers too :)

For those who have not had the privilege of a trip to Moldova, I'll start with a few of the basic differences. The DRIVING!!!! Oh my goodness, my life has flashed before my eyes more than once in just 3 days on these roads. There aren't a lot of lines and the bigger vehicle almost always wins. Each time I get into a car I get an extra chance to talk to God :). The food is delicious and prepared without all the junk we put in ours. The Moldovans seem to love carbs and sweets just as much as Americans, but the obesity epidemic has not hit here. According to our translator, that is due to the heavy influence of European fashion. The girls here will starve themselves to be able to be in style. Oh wait, that isn't too different from America :(...... Yesterday we went to a local school for a class on domestic violence. Here, domestic violence is prevalent and many men think (and are told) that if they hit their wives it means they love them. Here, the women are considered weak and expendable.

Our translator and our guide were both intrigued and completely ecstatic when they found out what I do. They insisted that the girls needed to see me up there. We had 6 classes total and each time I got up, you could tell it was out of the cultural norm for me to be a strong woman....who likes to hit things and teaches self defense. Wait, my only lot in life isn't popping out babies? Not quite. Many shocked faces looked up at me and I got several interesting questions. "Have you ever fought your husband?", "Who is the head of your household?", "Why do you do this?", and "Why are you here?". My personal favorite was "Are there cowboys in Texas?" :) Why yes there are....

It amazed me that the thought of a woman actually defending herself was a totally new thing here. I was also asked if there were any other women like me in America, to which I replied "There is only one me" :). Modesty....it's a gift. The most interesting part in this particular school was that the youngest class (16 years old) was the most open minded. They were completely enthralled by the Americans and even asked if they could get a picture with us! During the course the social worker asked questions like "If a woman provokes her husband, is it acceptable for him to hit her?". In all the other classes there were some that either agreed fully, agreed to some degree, or chose not to answer. The younger class ALL disagreed, including the boys. So, it seems as though there is a hope springing in Moldova.

Today is a late start and I am getting ready to drag my booty down for some breakfast. That too is just a little different. They ALWAYS have fresh vegetables, which makes me very happy :) I have always heard the coffee here is too strong to drink, but it's right up this girls alley. As I close I do ask for your prayers. Pray for the people here in Moldova. They are rich in heritage and are a very loving people, but there are also scores of past sins that continue to plague each generation. This cycle can be broken, but only by the Creator.

I'll see you soon :)
Michelle