A Couple of Easy Days

Well, I got no takers on answering my latest trivia question (update: To correct myself, I did get one answer, and a correct answer at that...see in comments below). Nevertheless, if you're interested in the arts, and you visit the Russian-dominated Transnistrian city of Tiraspol, you can enter the beautiful theater there and watch the play, “I Don't Want to Live in Amerika.”

repeat from a comment below: Thanks for all the food suggestions! The lack of an oven is somewhat limiting, and my lack of cooking experience is equally limiting. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes - and apple pie - sound exactly right. Except the one time I tried frying chicken it was a disaster, and it would take quite a bit of practice to get pie crust done well. Pot roast also a very good idea...and i can do a great one at home in a crock pot (please discount the one at the WR potluck last year!)...not too sure about me and a stovetop pot roast though, seeing as I'll be representing America! I'm leaning toward chili (it's cool weather here). Besides pickles and crackers, what might you serve alongside chili? Will let you know when I decide. For the time being, Nathan requests anyone with a rice pudding recipe to send it to us. Thx!

Well, so far this week has been pretty easy. Monday of course was our Day of Rest. Tuesday we only had an appointment at the church meeting place, at which time whomever of the Christians as have time meet together for study/discussion. And today our only work was a trip to Balti.

(a hot dog we bought on the street: topped with ketchup, mayonnaise, and shredded carrots. Ya know, once you open your mind to some things, they're actually kinda good:)

Since we had most of Tuesday free, we used the time to get some things done around town, and since school is out this week, we had Dennis along for translation in places where no English was spoken. First was a stop at the hospital to see Valerii, a Christian here who is already missing one leg from the knee down, and gangreene has infected his other foot also, necessitating the removal of the little toe and big toe. We arrived at his room just 30 minutes after he returned from surgery. Seems that things went well, although due to weakness of heart, they were not able to fully anesthetise the area. The doctor also did some work on his veins to restore blood flow to his remaining leg, and Valerii showed us that his leg is now warm, for the first time in (I think) months. He now has hope that with crutches he can be mobile and get outside again. Except for wheelchair trips to the doctor or to the assemblies here, he apparently hasn't been outside in several months. We asked (through translation of course) if he needed anything from the store and he requested grapefruit, cottage cheese, and water. We told him we'd return with the goods later in the day.

(following are some pics I took during a walk to the center this evening; at right, evening falls in the park)

Nathan, Dennis, and I then headed downtown to finish our investigation of options for the trip to Turkey. First stop was the car rental agency I had contacted before leaving the States. Got a price on a diesel Ford Fusion (I believe it's smaller and different than the American version). Turns out the “unlimited kilometers” I had been promised was only for driving within Moldova. Price is still doable though. Then we got an air fare quote to see if we could beat what Nathan found a few days ago; we missed the earlier price by one Euro. Then checked buses to Turkey. Turns out that the bus lines shut down their routes to Turkey this late in the year. Happy about that. And because of the few flights going between here and Istanbul, we can get there as soon or even sooner by car. We're pretty much decided on renting here and driving.

Got a very late lunch in the center, and then it was time to get a haircut. Had dreaded this. Got it cut in Starkville last minute to make it last as long as possible. Thankfully, Dennis was with us and at least I could give some instruction. And actually, it looks pretty much like my normal haircuts, though I would have preferred a little more cut off. Finished our 5 hour trip to town by stopping by the hospital again to drop off the food items for Valerii.

Then last night was our Tuesday night study at the church meeting place. Only a few were present, so I held off on my planned study, and answered a question Serghei Sergheiovich's father-in-law had about translations and the reasons for their differences. The rest of the time, Serghei had Nathan and me teach them some new songs, which he again recorded as per the procedure previously described.

(Stephen the Great, ruler of Moldova from 1457 to 1504; statesman and military tactician; defended Moldova against the Ottoman invasion, building churches or monasteries in thanks to God after each victory)

Today we were in Balti, where I answered questions about how to deal with one who is not listening to counsel and admonition. This grows out of the decision and announcement that Serghei made a couple of weeks ago, that he would no longer give financial assistance to the ladies there unless it were a dire situation (see Oct. 16 entry, “Settling Into Moldova”). On Sunday of this week, one of the ladies about whom Serghei had worried that material help might be a central motivator asked for help again. When she was answered in the negative, she became upset and said she would not be back. Thus the question in Balti today.

(intersection of Pushkin St. and
Stephen-the-Great; government building in background)

Tomorrow morning should be interesting. I mentioned last week that one of the ladies from the Benderi congregation would be inviting all those of the Benderi congregation to come to her flat this week to hear some discussion on the problems of institutionalism, power centers within the congregation, and on what is going on in that congregation (see Oct. 26 entry, “Developments in Tiraspol/Benderi”). Then on Sunday there were some developments within the Benderi congregation, of which I am as of yet unclear, but will find out on the way in the morning as we drive to Benderi for that meeting. I see obstacles to reaching very many: there appears to be in a number of them a desire to accept many things if they can just keep what American money has bought them, a very nice building, clothing, and big meals bought and paid for. But we will see what can be accomplished, and hope that a number will come.