OUR LAST TRAINING TRIP-MOLDOVA

On Monday we flew to Moldova for the last of our trips to train a new Welfare/Humanitarian missionary couple.  It feels strange to think that we are now within four weeks of returning home and have just traveled for the last time in our assignment here.  As I (Russell) sit here looking at our map of Europe with the pictures of the 15 couples whom we serve, I never would have believed years ago that we would have gone to the places we have on this mission.  Most of the countries we have worked in were formerly communist, and before a few years ago I never even knew Cape Verde existed.  Now those places seem familiar and the couples serving there are our friends.  I can testify to the truth of the statement that “you grow to love those whom you serve.” 

We spent this last week with Elder Randall and Sister Cheryl Brown in Chisinau.  They are wonderful people who have left their home in Kanab, Utah to serve in Moldova.  Moldova is the least economically prosperous country in Europe and one of the largest recipients of aid from LDS Charities.  The Browns will be kept very busy with the numerous Clean Water, Wheelchair, Vision, and Maternal and Newborn Care projects currently in progress there.

On Thursday we experienced another answer to a prayer.  Eileen had been struggling for three days to get the computer and printer/scanner working for the Browns.  Despite having had the Welfare Department provided computer supposedly fully prepared by the IT Department prior to our going, and having been on the phone for many hours with IT support both from Frankfurt and SLC, things just were not fully functional (I’m being polite).  We were being told by IT support that the scanner could not be fixed and that certain applications on the computer could not be fixed.  Before we started our work on Thursday morning we said a prayer together asking for help.  That help came in the form of assistance from Ruben Marzolla, a member of the Frankfurt IT Department we usually don’t get access to.  Within an hour-and-a-half he had the problems solved.  We are very grateful for Ruben’s and God’s help on our behalf.

Once again we experienced how small the LDS world can be at times.  On Thursday night we had dinner with the Browns and two other missionary couples.  One of the Elders, Elder Ron Godfrey, asked where we were from and quickly many common acquaintances were found.  Although a few years older than me, Elder Godfrey knew several of my father’s cousins from Murray, where he had grown up.  He also remembered my father’s wife Pat from high school.  Elder and Sister Godfrey’s home is now in Logan and they know my cousin Bryan; and Sister Godfrey is a friend of Jessica’s mother-in-law.  When I said I had served briefly in the Church’s Self-reliance Department, Elder Godfrey asked if I worked with Kai Hintze.  I said no but that he was in my ward in Centerville!  It is interesting how even in a small, remote country far from home you can make common connections with other members of the Church.

Of course the sisters had a copy of the Book of Mormon with them in Romanian

Russell and Elder and Sister Brown discussing humanitarian principles

Melon hanging from tree. Excess food is left hanging outside so that it can be shared.

                                             

Local men

While in Chisinau we noticed a group practicing for a concert to celebrate a special holiday in Moldova. Eileen loved the music. Please click on the link above to view and listen.

While in Moldova we learned from news reports accessed on our phone that an unexploded bomb from WWII had been uncovered not far from our home in Frankfurt.  Unexploded bombs are not uncommon finds in Germany but this one was very large and reportedly if detonated could take out an entire city block.  Today (Sunday) from 8:00 AM until 6:00 PM there is a mandatory evacuation of everyone within a 1.5 km radius of the bomb to allow those laboring to defuse the bomb time to do their work.  It is estimated that over 60,000 people, including all those from two hospitals and over a dozen nursing/retirement homes, have been evacuated.  The evacuation area/ring extends to within a couple hundred yards of our apartment building.  It is early afternoon and I have yet to hear an explosion so I am assuming things are progressing well.  Despite our Church building being just outside the ring, Church meetings were changed to another building for the day.

An unexploded bomb found in Hildesheim in July. Photo: DPA