Learning more about Moldova

Monday was a quiet day. Spent much of the day reading and writing messages, my diary and blog. Quite hot outside, so spent most of the day in the Mission Cente. Sandy went to Helen's to help her with the home schooling which she enjoyed. There are a group of business men here from the States looking to work with OM in taking micro financing of Christian businesses to the next level of investment. We went with the Skirtons to their hotel where the kids had a great time using the pool, while I went to meeting in the hotel with the businessmen and a Christian MP, who shared about the political and spiritual state of Moldova. Too much info to put in this blog, but it is quite precarious as there as been no President for several years and the country is split between pro-European and pro-Russian factions, as Moldiva sits between the Ukraine and Romania. 2% of the country are evangelical believers. There are three out of 101 MPs who are believers but the Orthodox church has a strong influence over parliament. Most Moldovians are nominally Orthodox, but churches are pretty empty and it is mainly women who follow the Orthodox religion. He was a delightful brother who had at one time been President of the Baptist Union. After he left we all went to Andy's pizzas for a meal. Sandy sat with Helen and the kids while I sat with Matthew and the business guys. Again some very interesting discussions about Business for Transformation and what these guys are doing in various parts of the world. On Tuesday we went with some girls from the communications dept to a camp where churches in NL had provided finances through OM to provide a holiday for disabled adults and children. Met a wonderful disabled believer who has championed the cause of disabled people in Moldova and was the organiser of this camp for the disabled and their carers. Over 100 attended and the OM girls had to prepare a report on the camp fir the Dutch sponsors. The camp was a sort of ex-soviet holiday camp with small accommodation blocks, toilet & shower blocks a large refectory, a covered meeting area, swimming pools and sports facilities in the forest very close to the Transnistran border and river. In the evening all the team and visitors ate together at the Mission Centre and the prayer evening took a special form - every department shared what they were doing and we then prayed. It is very exciting to see what is being accomplished here in Moldova and how God is at work through all the ways that OM is helping and supporting the work of the local churches throughout the country. Awesome!