Moldova … the last week

 

Greetings  from Moldova,

My last week here has begun.  It's rather bittersweet.  It's been hard and challenging... but with that came faith, confidence in God, courage to face what I needed to, and satisfaction at jobs well done.  I've realized that though I am weak, God's sufficient strength shines through for what He wants to accomplish through me.  And that is more than I could have asked for.

My lessons finished on Friday.  My students all improved, even though some don't see it.  Two of my students voiced how they were discouraged because they did not learn all that they wanted to.  It's sad knowing I have taught them all that I can, especially knowing that they have so much more to learn.  I guess that's one of the points where teachers must dedicate their students to God.

God has taught me so much from being here among the Moldovan people.  He has taught me to show love through the small things, like offering a cup of tea; to pray in faith and to act on it in expectation. I am so thankful for the chance I have been given, and for all the supporters that have helped to give it.  I am also so very thankful for all of you who have surrounded me and the people here in prayer.  I pray God's blessings on you all.

Please continue to pray...

• Pray that I finish well and continue to be a blessing in this last week.
• Pray that my students will be encouraged to continue to learn English.
• Pray for the girls in the small group that they will continue to seek God.
• Pray for the church, that they are given the grace to reach out to their community for the sake of the glory of God.
• Pray for the people of Moldova, that they will turn to the truth of the gospel.

Thank you sincerely,
Naomi

Moldova–with God’s help

 

Greetings from Moldova,

This past week has been a blessing.  This past Tuesday, Michelle took us and  three girls to Soroca.  Soroca is in northern Moldova, it is home to an ancient castle and is right at the border of Ukraine.  We enjoyed the trip immensely (though by the end, we were all wiped out).    We climbed 635(ish) steps to and from a landmark.  Right underneath the landmark is a ten foot wooden cross that looks out across the landscape.  It reminded me that God loves this land and is calling it to himself.  Afterward we climbed a steep mountain on shifting sand to reach a large stone of limestone.  I put myself in  God's hands as I grasped at exposed roots and flowers for leverage.  God provided pure spring water for me to drink (I forgot to prepare a water bottle for myself)... no stomach problems, so I was grateful.  We then walked by a river and gazed at Ukraine on the other side as we headed to the castle.  I got the chance to become better acquainted with one of the girls.  She recently told me that she enjoyed the walk with me, I was very happy because the Lord had laid her on my heart.  She is drawn to the Lord, but her family is very cautious regarding her interaction with the church. They do not hinder her, but she does refrain from much participation out of love for her family.  On our way to the castle we sang (rather out of key) to rock songs that we both liked, then laughed at how bad we sounded.  We enjoyed being tourists at the castle.  Our tour guide, who was a sister to one of our friends, invited us to her house for some soup.  We gratefully accepted, and we rested and enjoyed each other's company.
My students are doing well and nearing the end of the lessons. I was not sure how far I could bring them, and unfortunately, I don't think they will get as far as I was preparing. Lack of practice is becoming clearer to see the more advanced the material becomes.  But aside from that, God is taking the lessons into His hands.  I am realizing my weaknesses and I am learning to give the classes to God, for Him to do with what He will.  I am also learning to understand my own teachers... I hope to be a better student this coming year of classes.  I am thankful for all of the training that I have been given because it all comes in handy here on the field. I have cultivated friendships with a handful of my students.  Before coming I chose to be an English teacher on a "why not" basis, but recently I have realized that I truly do love teaching.  I am so excited when my students have "AHA!" moments.  Thank God for His grace.

• Please pray that I finish my classes well and continue to bless my students.
• Please pray that my being here has been an encouragement in someway to those I have come to know.
• Please pray for me, that I stick to my tasks and not fall into procrastination.
• Please pray that God would continue to mold, stretch, and teach me.
• Please pray for my teammates, that God will grant them more ways to be blessings to others.
• Please pray for the girl (above) that God will call her to Himself and that she can be a living testimony to her family.
• Please pray for the church as they are going through a time of transition with leaders and goals.
• Please pray for Moldova, that God will continue to draw its people to Himself.

Thank you for your prayers and support, they are so encouraging to me.
Sincerely,
Naomi Lynn Vann

[For more information about Moldova and its prayer needs, visit http://www.operationworld.org/mold]

Moldova update

Greetings from Moldova,

I apologize for the tardiness in this update, this is from last week

This past week has been rather fast-paced. On Monday, Michelle, Emily, and I and five girls from the small group went out to a small town.  There we aided a local church in their ministry for street children. Our goal was to help and work alongside the Moldovan people, hopefully spurring them to continue going on trips like these in the future. In Cornesti, flexibility was a grace given by God.  The girls had planned outdoor games and activities for about 50+ kids.  We were also told that the language of the village was Russian.  We all planned for an evening program where we were to share our grace stories, show a skit, etc... It rained the whole time we were there... so the outdoor games were a no go (the indoors was too small to hold them).  The number of kids that came were about 20, half of which were older than what we had prepared for. More than that... the language was completely Romanian (not Russian).  The girls who had prepared the lessons spoke mainly Russian so they had to work hard to translate all that they had prepared.  The evening program became us attending the local youth group.  The power went out right before we were to show our skit, so we could not use the music and had to improvise with Emily's iPod.  But God moved in our hearts.  The girls changed their plans and lessons without any complaint.  Michelle, Emily, and I learned to be servants of our fellow sisters in Christ.  I learned most of all that God can move to show his love beyond the barriers of language and culture.  On the morning of our second day there, we went to the house of 5 kids.  Their parents had left them.  They rely partially on the church for support.  The oldest is 15 and he acts as a father to his much younger siblings.  We helped with cleaning their two room house.  I mostly helped with washing the mountain of dirty clothes that had been festering for quite some time.  One of my favorite little boys is part of that family, his name is Pavlusha.  He is six years old and washed dishes in hot water.  He helped us clean the house and was wonderfully behaved during the lessons.  But, just like any young child, he enjoyed making faces, funny noises, and imitating me.  This reminded me that though life may be harder for some, God can give them joy in the small things.  A lesson to us all.
The day we came back to Chisinau, I had no time to rest because I had two English classes to teach.  God has kept me going, and has been strong in my weakness.  I continue to learn to give all to Him to handle as I prepare for it, because I can do very little but He can move mountains.  In the midst of loss and grief, God gives comfort, strength, and hope.
Please continue to pray for me...

Please pray that God will continue to teach and stretch me through my last few weeks here.
Pray that He will bless my English students with understanding.
Pray for Emily that she gets a good grasp of what to teach for the children's curriculum that she is writing.
Pray for Moldovan people that they would step away from nominalism and see God for real.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, they are encouragements to me.
Sincerely,
Naomi Lynn Vann
P.S. Happy 4th of July (belated of course).

Moldova... in God's hands

Greetings from Moldova,
I would like to thank all of you that are praying for me.  It encourages me so much that you do.  This week I began teaching English.  I officially have sixteen students separated into two classes.  They are both for beginners, though the levels within the classes vary.  I was very nervous when I started teaching my first two classes of the week; thankfully, Michelle (my supervisor) was there for support and to make sure I am paid attention to.  After each class that she attended, she very graciously commented on the class and told me hints on teaching my students better (according to their culture).  I am very grateful to her for doing that. One thing I am having trouble with though is keeping the balance between the varying levels within my class, especially my second one.  Those that know a lot already either act bored, or translate everything I say (which is not good in the long run for the students who really want to know English). 
Next week, Michelle, Emily, and I  are bringing some girls from the church to a village called Cornesti.  There we will be staying two days and running a children's program and talking to young women.  We hope that the girls who are going with us will make this their ministry and will keep going even after "the missionaries" leave. 
One interesting thing that I have learned here, is trying everything to fix something, before trying to buy another.  I was given a permanent marker to write on a whiteboard one day for my class (it was written in Russian)... after using everything from hand wipes to toilet cleaner to try and clean the board, Olga (a girl who works at the office of Crossover here in Moldova) used a Clorox type thing.  The whiteboard went white again... though the glaze did come off.  But instead of buying a new board... I just erase the new marker writings with a wet sponge.  It may be different, but It works :D.
Please pray for Emily as she tries to think up ways to reach out to the community, especially through children's ministry.
Please pray for me as I try to teach my student's, that I will continue to give my classes to God and rely on Him for strength and for wisdom in handling my class for their good and not for my own.
Please pray for Michelle as she is not feeling well, that God will give his strength to do all that she has ahead of her and for the rest she needs.
Please pray for my students that God will bless them with understanding.
Please continue praying for the local church here, that they continue to reach out to the community who is trying so hard to find more (of anything).
Thank you so much for your encouragement.
Naomi

Moldova... really on the other side of the world!

Greetings from Moldova,

A good many things have happened this week.  On Sunday Emily and I attended the local church in the morning.  They played some Hillsong songs in Romanian and Russian... I tried the Romanian, but when the Russian began (since I can't understand much Cyrillic) I tried to sing the English version.  A Brazilian missionary spoke (and was translated for into Romanian). He spoke on the grace of God, which is a big topic here, where the Orthodox Church is large, and salvation by works (being a good person) is culturally understood.  That night we went to the "International Church" where many business people and missionaries come together every other week to worship in English.  I met a girl who was an MK from Cameroon.  It was here that Emily and I had our first taste of cactus juice (which we drink regularly now).  On Monday, Emily and I went to a local English camp with Michelle (she was teaching music there).  The students brought Michelle many trials, to the point where she dreaded going.  The following two days I went back with her to aid in her goal to prepare the students for their presentation.

On Thursday, frustration and stress took their toll.  I have never truly been thrown into a culture that I do not understand and (according to Michelle) cannot hope to understand.  When I tried to reach out to people, my speech slurred and bumbled about like slightly melted Jello.  I asked what the name of certain dish was and after people discussed amongst themselves, they said "meatballs".  I had been hoping for a Romanian answer, but was feeling so out of place and nervous, I stopped asking.  I didn't finish anything that I wanted to and felt like a total failure.  My mind raced with things like "You're the English teacher? You can'y even speak properly to anyone" and "You really don't know anything, do you?".  I accepted my lack of know-how, in this culture, saying to myself "It's a completely different place than anywhere you have ever been."  That night, Michelle had a meeting with Emily and I.  She told us all the options and opportunities that we had ahead of us this summer and asked us how we were doing.  I was honest in saying that it was a totally humbling situation for me.  I had relied so much on my intuition in the States and in the Philippines that I had forgotten how to discipline myself.  I begged God to teach me... and here He was doing just that, taking away my faith in my own intuition and making me rely totally on Him.  Michelle encouraged me to trust God and the moving of the Holy Spirit.  Friday,  God granted me the motivation to get up and do what I needed to.  I rode to the office alone, and completed my preparation for my first English class (that night) and got home safe and sound.  That night I gave English level assessments to four Moldovan who are going to be in my class.  I may end up privately tutoring a girl who is much more advanced... but we shall see.

Today was a much needed rest day.  We went to the presentation at the English Camp, then went downtown and Michelle showed us around.  The downtown is full of trees and has the sent of honeysuckle on the breeze.  And tonight, the youth group showed Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in RUSSIAN. I enjoyed it very much.

I apologize for the long windedness of this update.

Thank you all so much for your prayers.  I am so encouraged in knowing that you are doing so.

Please pray that...

1. I will learn how to interact with people who know very little English.

2. That my relationship with my team mate, Emily, will reflect the love of Christ.

3. That I will be able to teach my English classes in a way that will help my students the most.

4. For patience with myself in not knowing the culture.

5. For Michelle, who has had a tough two weeks.

6. For the local church here, that they continue to reach out to others for the sake of the gospel.

Sincerely,

Naomi Lynn Vann

News from Naomi in Moldova!

Greetings from Moldova!

Thank God that my partner and I got here.  Before we left, we got news that our flight from Frankfurt to Moldova was delayed from 3:00pm on Wednesday to 5:00pm.  We got to Frankfurt, got our boarding passes and checked our bags for the flight to Moldova.  30 minutes before we were supposed to leave, Air Moldova delayed the flight until 8:00 that night.  They gave us vouchers and we waited.  8:00 came and went, then a German man told us that the flight was cancelled and that we would be put in a hotel for the night.  All the people who once were strangers came together in their mutual need and became friends as we left the airport and went of to a German hotel.  So I got to actually visit Germany! (There's a good point in every thing.)  My partner and I received a key for our room and at first it did not work, then when we could open the door, there was someone in the shower.  So we drank soft drinks in the hotel restaurant until a room could be found for us.  We finally slept in beds that night.  The plane was supposed to leave on Thursday at 10:00, but it was soon delayed till 1:30.  We got new vouchers and waited some more.  The flight was moved to 3:00, then to 5:00.  The lady behind the counter was hinting at another possible night in Germany.  Then finally, the boarding call was announced and we all happily headed for the plane. 

 

As we descended upon Moldova, I was taken aback by the lush green landscape below me.  I fell in love with the land at first sight and true excitement began to fill me.  We landed and everyone on the plane clapped their hands in relief.  Finally in Chisinau. We got through customs like a breeze and met Michelle (our overseas supervisor) and Fyoder (the head of Crossover Moldova) and headed for our lovely apartment.  We are actually staying at Fyoder's house as his family house-sits for an Italian family that is out of town.  Today, jet lag reared its ugly face and I woke up at 4:30 in the morning and could not go back to sleep until a few hours later, where I could sleep one hour before I had to wake up again.  We toured the city and visited the office building of Crossover Moldova.  Then this night we had some girls over, who would usually be having Bible study here, and ate wonderful food (sheep cheese is great!) and play minute-to-win-it games.  We had a blast and surprisingly enough the girls took to us quickly and we were all friends by the time they had to leave. 

 

Prayer requests:

1. There are some parts of this culture that I am used to from growing up overseas.  Please pray that I will remain a humble learner.

2. I am feeling insecure because of my failure to act quickly.  My wonderful partner easily takes on so many things that it it hard for me to volunteer.  So please pray that I will be given the opportunity to serve beyond what is require of me.

3. Please pray that God work through my up coming English classes for his glory and not mine.

4. Pray for the girls that were in this Bible study, that their lives will be changed for Christ.

5. Pray for my partner that God will give her the strength to fully do all that she has taken on.

Thank you so much for your support.  I will be sending you another email update next week.

Sincerely,

Naomi Lynn Vann

two cars… two Englishes

 

Both U.S.A. and New Zealand speak the same language – ostensibly. But it is a case of the two nations being separated by a common language. You can see this well by comparing how the two cultures talk about their cars.

Penny and I have a car in the States … a nice PT Cruiser. I love that car, and my sister Gina says that it’s me. It’s a kind of retro thing.

We also had a car in NZ. It was a Hyundai Sonata. It was a gift horse – so we didn’t look it in the mouth.

They pronounce the “y” in Hyundai there, but not in the States. In the U.S.A. it would be called a “HUNDAY".”

One of differences between the two cars is that the Hyundai is built for driving on the left side of the road. For some reason, Kiwis like doing that. The steering wheel is on the right side, and the wipers and the directional signal devices are reversed. All of this makes for some rather surreal experiences once one decides to give driving a try.  It took months before Penny and I remembered which side of the car to get in on.

The Cruiser has a windshield, but the Sonata has a windscreen.

The Cruiser has a back hatch, but the Sonata has a boot – which in the States would be called a trunk.

The Cruiser has a hood, but the Sonata has a bonnet.

The Cruiser has tires, so does the Sonata, but they can also be spelled TYRES.

You can adjust a nut on the Cruiser with a wrench, but to do the same thing on the Sonata you would use a spanner.

The Sonata is older, but in ok condition. If it were in disrepair, Kiwis would call it a bomb, Americans would call it a clunker. The Sonata has had its share of dings (which we Americans call fender benders). We had one the other day, and had to go to the Panel Beaters instead of the auto body shop. We had to replace the driver’s side door, because it had a bad prang (dent).

Cars have to be periodically inspected in NZ. If they pass, they get a WOF (Warrant of Fitness), which allows you to keep driving them.

In New Zealand, I could drive the Sonata to a dairy, and park in the car park. In the States, I drive my Cruiser to a convenience store, and park in the parking lot.

Most of the road signs are the same, except for the speeds being in kph. 100 kph seems high to me.  Their “Yield” signs there say “Give Way” instead. Speed bumps are called judder bars.

Now that  we have returned to the States – back to our PT Cruiser – we have fond memories of our times on the road in New Zealand with the Sonata. We will probably use words like “interesting” and “remarkable” to describe the experience.  It has been both.