The time here in Moldova is coming to a sweet, satisfying end. The girls at the home have blessed my life in ways that they will never know. Their beautiful souls and heroic lives will forever be etched on my soul.
This small country that is a speck on the map has molded my heart and worldview to love more. It has taught me that trafficking is not just an issue that has become a fad with my generation but a pandemic that is escalating out of control. It has showed me that so many people talk the talk about abolishing trafficking around the world but so little is being done. It's great that there is so much awareness, and that is the first step, but where is the fruit? Many organizations, like Project Rescue, are in the small percent that is giving women and girls their freedom. This little country has taught me that a solid identity in a person is essential for developing hope and trust. It has taught me that these people had more to teach me than I realized. In return I am not sure if I made a difference or taught anyone anything. It's alright. God moves.
The children at the home have stolen my heart. I love them so much. Little Elena, Alexandra, Nastea, and Veronica are little faces that brightened my mornings. Their laughs and their way of making me smile made me feel so great. Little Elena loved to bark like the Freedom Homes dog, Jack. She would yell, "Mama!" (The word she would say to anyone to do something for her) and walk towards the couch. We would get up on the couch and look out the window and we would both make barking noises and chant Jacks name. I'm sure the poor dog didn't hear us or he was ignoring our annoying calls. Or when Veronica would quietly creep towards me with small steps and whisper to me to be quiet. She would giggle and say "Shh, shh!" then laugh histerically because it was the funniest thing in the world. Little Alexandra loved to run. Her little feet would barely touch the ground but her joyful laugh would fill the home. Nastea was a 5-year old. Haha, she would love to do puzzles with you and she LOVED to do your hair. She was a mamas girl and it showed. Who wouldn't love someone who loved you back? All of these sweet memories are wonderful. I only wish that I could videotape or take pictures of every second of every day, there are too many things to remember. I will miss the women at the home. I will miss *Tina running to me when I walked through the door and telling me she was happy to see me and that she missed me. I'm going to miss *Samantha telling me over and over again that a trolley bus would be faster than a plane when I travel back to America. She was a little stinker. Love her. I will miss *Vanessa telling me that she loved me over and over again. I will miss the time that I found out she disliked fish soup and offered her some, she thought it was the funniest thing in the world. I will miss communicating with the women with my broken Romanian and hand gestures. Such sweet moments. I will miss being surrounded by amazing, heroic women. All the more reason to act on ending modern-day slavery. I'm going to miss the laughter and the praises that filled the home. I will miss the chaos that comes with a home full of women. Life is not perfect so don't think that because so many of my memories may bring a smile to your face or a tear to your eye that every single day was perfect. There were times where I just wanted to leave. There was too much to handle or the kids were so not cooperative. There were times when I just wanted to bawl because the moods of the women could change so easily because of their broken spirits and mentality by the people who broke them. It broke my heart. But those are times that we don't need to dwell on, there are all the beautiful times that were found amidst the desperation. Those are the times I will remember. Those are the times that I am praying all the women and girls who are held captive in trafficking will feel and find.
The fresh fruit and vegetables here are incomparable to any other place I have been to. When was the last time you could go to the outdoor market and buy raspberries, peaches, strawberries, cherries, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and beans for a small price? It was wonderful! I will miss that. Wouldn't you?
I may or may not miss the rides on the rutieras and trolley buses. The 101 rutiera was always packed and just recently I was butt to butt with some lady I didn't even know! Plus I was like the hunchback of notre dame in the front windshield. Praise the Lord we never got an any accidents in the rutieras. I will miss the drivers though. They cracked me up when it came to rolling up their windows because the current can make you "sick". And when they would roll up their shirts and tuck it in under their chests. It made me laugh when they laughed at my Romanian. It made me angry when they would yell at someone. I won't miss that no one smiled on the rutieras or trolley buses. I have concluded that it is because of the culture; hopelessness and loss of identity have a great effect on the outer-image. I will miss being able to communicate with a group of people because I chose to learn their language.
Going overseas is more than just a ticket to experience another culture. It can be a heart changing experience that makes or breaks your life. The Lord will shape you from the people that you meet, the things that you see and what you allow Him to do in your life.
Moldova you have been wonderful and I am sad to say good-bye but my beautiful family awaits me and I am so stinkin' excited to see them at the airport tomorrow night!
Love you little girlies. So much.
