Welcome to the Morari House

The Morari House

Today marks three weeks since arriving in Moldova. We are still in the hunt for the right apartment to help us call Moldova home. In the meantime we have been staying at Nick and Uliana's house. They have offered to have us stay two months until a possible apartment we know of becomes available. That's who Nick and Uliana are. That is the Morari house.

It has been six years since the foundation of the home was laid. Just this past summer they were able to put a roof on it. As the money comes in and availability to work, it slowly becomes closer to being complete.

Nick, Uliana and their kids temporarily live on the bottom floor. We enjoy a nice sized room on the third floor. So, it is already a home, but it is so much more than that. It is a place of refuge, a constant meal being provided, shelter to youth, a place where discipleship and fellowship occur. It is a home that serves God and his kingdom. God's love is always being poured from their home.

Helping make a special meal of fajitas

After basketball camps and practices, the boys take buses to the house as they know Uliana has cooked them a meal. Imagine feeding a group of teenage boys! Uliana loves it! They greet you with a smile, shake the men's hands and enjoy what she has to offer them. It is evident the love, time and mentorship Nick and Uliana have poured into their lives.

Yesterday they were able to do some work on their home. Little Nick's room was painted and work was done on the second story floor. Five boys showed up and were willing to help out.

Little Nick's room gets color

Working on the second floor

It would be a blessing to see the Morari's home completed. They don't live the typical life of a 8-5 job and a monthly income. They have chosen to disciple and pour the gospel into to the youth of Moldova, and their home is one means of doing so.

Everything is Alright Except......

I was relieved when our passenger plane landed in the capital of Moldova. The whole trip was a little exhausting with a one year old who was rather active and fussy due to not sleeping on the overnight flight. The poor child screamed the last half hour of our flight from Munich to Chisinau. I'm assuming he had issues with his ears. Thus our final landing brought relief that our travels were over.

We had purchased our tickets for January first because no other flight was landing in Chisinau from Munich a few days prior. So I was surprised to find only eleven other passengers on our flight into the capital. I was also surprised to see another American on our flight. She was kind and tried to help me with Josiah's screaming. When we landed her comment struck me, "Everything is alright except we are in Chisinau." What was that supposed to mean? I had heard that Moldova is a poor country, struggles with corruption and has issues with human trafficking. But I was a little taken back by this lady's perspective.

I will admit, Moldova is a little poorer than I thought it to be, but my experiences have shown me that is where you can find the most giving of people.

Someone was sharing with me about life during the Soviet Union. She shared that they thought they had the best life. They were told by their government that they had the best products, quality of life and health compared to the rest of the world, especially those in the United States. When the Soviet Union fell, she said that people became 'broken', realizing the type of life that they really were living in compared to the rest of Europe and the United States.

From driving around the city, you can see the new advancements the country has made. You can also see that there isn't a middle class, just lower and upper. I've already met kids who live in a single parent family because either father or mother is working abroad to support their family. Just this morning one of the basketball players took a bus to his home town where his sister is raising him as his mother works in Turkey.

Greetings From Chisinau, Moldova

It has been over a week since our simple family has moved to this tiny country in east Europe, and already we have dived right into Moldovan life. I really didn't want to commit to an extra activity such as blogging, but I already have the urge to share what it is like in this little country. For those of us who are Americans, it can be difficult to imagine life outside our boarders, this is why I feel compelled to share about Moldova and the lives of the people here. Sure I'll share about our adjustments, experiences and of course updates on our little JuJu (Josiah), but I hope to provide glimpses into another side of God's beauty, through the Moldovan people.