A few more Sweet Sleep Pictures...

Not sure why this loaded sideways...but this Somne Dulce is Sweet Sleep in Romanian.

PRECIOUS :)

Sweet Sleep Pictures

This is Martin...he is a good friend of Sweet Sleep.

He had the sweetest laugh and smile.

Sweet Sleep

Again...I know it has been too long since I have written. I am really sorry about that. The 2nd week in March we had the pleasure of having the Sweet Sleep team join us at the team house. They spent the week building beds to give to kids at 2 different orphanages. You should definitely look this organization up if you have never heard of it. This wonderful woman, Jen, started the organization after she took a trip to a Moldovan orphanage and saw the state (and, sadly, smell) of the beds that children were sleeping on every night. She says that she could not get the picture of a room with tons of torn up ma tresses that smelled like...urine...out of her mind. As repulsive as that is to read, imagine having to sleep amongst that smell every night. Ambitious Jen saw a change that needed to happen and now Sweet Sleep sends amazing teams to Moldova to affect some SERIOUS change. Sweet Sleep is also starting to branch out to Africa. Great organization, life changing work, if you are ever looking for service trips...I totally recommend Sweet Sleep.

Leah and I joined the team for 2 days and Joy joined for 1. There were so many amazing things that happened, but the 2nd day that I joined was overwhelming and enlightening. We went to an orphanage in Orhei for the disabled. There are images that have been written into my thoughts that I fear I will never escape. Not that the orphanage does not do the best they can to care for these children...they do. Some of the physical therapy that we got to witness was amazing. However, the access to medical care and the mindset of parents is drastically different. While many children that live at orphanages or "boarding schools" are not true orphans, this is not the case for the disables. So many of these children were simply abandoned due to their differences. One child had severe feet and leg disfiguration that could have been remedied with 1, maybe 2 surgeries in the United States. Rather, this precious child was abandoned. I am not sure whether the emotional/social disabilities came about after the birth and the isolation that he suffers from or if he was born with these issues as well. It is impossible for me to ever know the full story, but I do know that I will be able to picture his sweet face for years to come, if not forever. Those are the moments that I would give anything to literally take away pain and give second chances. However...I am not God and I may not always understand what happens in this world, but I have to find peace even when at times when the restlessness and helplessness seems most extreme.

Even though we saw some devastating things, we also experienced intense joy. The hugs from Dancing Man and Martin when we first pulled up to the orphanage. The excitement that the boys experienced when they got to see their brand new beds for the first time. The smiles that spread across speechless faces when they felt touch for the first time in who knows how long. It was precious, life changing, difficult, and thought provoking. These are 4 words that I would not hesitate to describe everyday of my experience in Moldova. I am different because of what I have seen.

A strangely American Saturday in Moldova.

So this past Saturday we decided to do something fun, relaxing, and mindless. So, clearly, we headed to MALLdova. Ha. No, we did not go shopping again. First we ate at the little Greek restaurant that we found early on in our time here. For half of our meal, Constantine sat and chatted with us. He is our lovely (sarcasm) friend from Ft. Lauderdale who is in the restaurant business in Chisinau. He is a talker. Then we headed to the bowling alley. We spent $15 US a piece to bowl for a little over an hour. Pricey right? It was so much fun though. Joy and Leah got to see a little bit more of my shamefully competitive side, haha, but we really did have a blast. Our plan was to head over to the tanning salon that just opened in the mall, but it was not really opened yet, what a tease. I always claimed to not be a girly girl, but once pedicures, waxing, and tanning were not an option anymore, I realized that I am a bit more high maintanced that I would like to admit. Oh well, we all have our downfalls right? We then took a cab to Alex and Lucia's and ate pizza (with Tabasco sauce) and played UNO. The food was fantasic, as always, Lucia is such a wonderful cook, but the company is even better than the food.

Its always nice to have a meaningless afternoon with great friends. They are even better when you realize how much you take them for granted. Good times!!!

Pushing through...

So all three of us have been so busy, that the posts have been few and far between. Thanks to those who are following, praying, and supporting us in our work here. The picture above is of cards and sweet notes that I have recieved from my amazing family and fiance. Thanks guys!!

I am not sure that we knew just exactly how amazingly intense and enlightening this experience would be. We knew we would get to see more of the world and have an exciting opportunity to put everything we have learned in our education into practice in a country that, honestly, needs all the help it can get. We did not realize how it would change us though. Being away from home for an extended period of time forces one to get into touch with a side (or sides) of themself that they usually overlook. Facing the realities of the world and the layers of myself at the same time has been trying, but fruitful. I have a firmer grasp on what I have to offer and where I need to grow and I have a little bit more insight into the complication and confusion that is poverty, oppression, human rights, etc. I sit here knowing that this time is coming to an end. In just a few weeks all three of us will be plopped back into the world and culture that we left only a short time ago, though it seems like we have been here for a much longer time. Maybe the "culture shock" will be overwhelming as we step back into consistency and comfort. Maybe it will be refreshing. I know that I am ready to get home and see the people that I love and miss with all of my heart, but as I prepare to leave Moldova behind, I am curious what I will do with this experience. I have just about completed the class requirements and will graduate in May, but what will I do with what I have seen? Will I remember it as a study abroad opportunity that I have some neat pictures and cool stories or will I allow this growth to shape not only what I do, but who I become? If nothing else, at least I know that I am capable of pushing through challenging times.

Joy brings Hope to Moldova

Moldova is forgotten. It is a country that has suffered under the rule of harsh communism. It is lacking in smiles and laughter. It almost seems that the coldness of the air has infiltrated the hearts of the people here…

In all the gloom, there is a glimmer of hope that I see: a community of people who come alive, who laugh and smile, who embrace each other warmly. These are the people I have met at Bridge of Hope. They have created a world for themselves-a world that is silent, yet beautiful….it is silent because they are deaf. The silence has isolated them from the rest of society; and so, they cling to each other for love and support.

It has been my honor to be invited into this community of sweet souls during my time in Moldova. From my conversations with the Deaf here, I have found that this population has experienced significant oppression and discrimination, all because they do not have a voice to speak out against the injustices they encounter. My time and energy is spent on a few specific tasks in the hopes of raising awareness about the Deaf in Moldova, as well as promoting empowerment, self-awareness, and self-advocacy. Primarily, I am working to create a basic curriculum on self-awareness and self-advocacy that I will leave behind for the director of Bridge of Hope. With the curriculum I create, I facilitate weekly group discussions among the Deaf at the organization. Lastly, I am writing up the stories of all the Deaf who are currently participating in Bridge of Hope’s educational program. Their stories will be sent to their sponsor to be posted on the organization’s future website.

This has been an incredible growing experience for me. I am learning so much from these people, and I love every minute I spend with them.
If you would like more information on the Deaf in Moldova, feel free to contact me at: Joy_Pfanner@baylor.edu. I would love to share the little that I know with anyone who is interested.

Blessings to you and yours from afar….

Working with CERI...A day in the life of Leah!

So the best way for me to explain this to you is to tell you a hypothetical story.
Jacob is a 16-year-old boy living in the orphanage (boarding school is what they call it here). Jacob is a client for CERI. Jacob became a client by being involved in the quality of life program, where he has an American sponsor that supports him financially and emotionally. Jacob met this sponsor through one of the summer camps CERI puts on, where American mission teams come and hang out with the kids for a week. In a perfect world, Jacob is placed in the foster care program so he can have a family and witness first hand the dynamics of a family, healthy relationship building, basic household chores, etc. Once Jacob ages out of the orphanage after completing the 9th grade (16-17 years old) he is encouraged to go to further school, whether it is high school or a professional trade school. Jacob decided to go to the Technical College. He is allowed to enter CERI’s transitional living program because he went on to get a higher degree. While in the transitional program Jacob attends 36 hours of class spread out over a 10 month time span. Jacob is taught modules such as life management, self-esteem, career planning, money management, etc.; skills he would not otherwise understand because of the lack of guidance he receives growing up in the orphanage. Jacob is also paired up with a mentor that meets with him at least once a week. Also, during the first training Jacob fills out a circle of support that includes people that his social worker, mentor, foster family, guardian, sponsor or teacher, people that he trust to support him and guide him. This Circle of Support is contacted by the social worker and meets on a needs basis in the best interest of Jacob.

So, I am doing informal evaluations of the case management preformed by the social workers, the mentoring program, and the circle of support while doing a formal program evaluation of the transitional living program. I am trying to bring some fluidity to these programs since they all intertwine. I have also taken on a caseload of one J to show a social worker what strength’s based assessment and a plan of service look like. I am writing curriculum for the transitional training and the mentoring training and I am trying to bring the circle of support program to life. I have also been teaching some training sessions.

I love the work here! It is exhausting at times with the language barrier and cultural differences, but I am learning so much!
So, there is just a little explanation about some of the work I do on a daily basis.

The Dyers are HERE!!!

We are so so so happy to have Preston and Genie here!!! Spending time with them is so refreshing. They came bearing gifts from the School of Social Work and Joy's mom!! We loved the cards and the goodies! THANKS so much everyone! You have NO idea what a Grandaddy Preston hug will do for you once you have been away from home for a month :) We have developed a Sunday night ritual with them. We go over to Alex and Lucia's, eat some yummy food, and visit for a few hours. Too bad this will only last for 3 weeks. I feel so blessed to be a part of a learning community that allows you to develop relationships that promote growth and learning on so many levels. I feel as though I have a dozen mentors. The genuine concern that the SSW professors have for us, as students and people in general, is touching.

Last Tuesday, we joined their research class at the College of Theology and Education. Is it crazy for me to say that I actually miss the classroom setting?? Well, I do. The day actually flew by and it was probably a much needed refresher as we look towards writing up our research this semester. Genie had to remind Preston to not get ahead of the translator, it is no wonder that they were famous for their team-teaching abilities. They are adorable!! I am also getting a few marriage tips here and there from the wise, happy couple that they are. I wish they could stay with us for the rest of the semester, I bet they will be ready to get back to good 'ol Baylor though.

More to come soon...lots of stories and pictures to share. We are missing everyone. Much love from Moldova :)

Balti

Let me just say, I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to update, things have been crazy busy here. Which is such a good thing, right?? On Friday, January 31, we took a day trip to Balti (pronounced Belts) for a wonderfully productive day. Leah has been working with the transitional living program that CERI has developed for children who are “graduating” from the orphanages. The participants of the program must be enrolled in high school or a professional school to be involved in the classes. The program hopes to teach the children life skills as they make the transition from the institution to independence. Leah was telling us a story about a child who literally had no idea what an egg looked like. They knew what it looked like after it was cooked and served to them, but they had no idea that an egg had a shell. They had never seen a fresh egg. How can a child who could not even identify an uncooked egg be expected to survive when they all the sudden at the age of 16 have no guidance? In response, CERI, with the amazing help of our Leah, hopes to prepare some of these kids to live happily and successfully following their release from the orphanage. Leah is so great at this too. From choosing a good roommate to budgeting, Leah is equipping these youngsters with some great information.

I had the opportunity to join Connie and Svetlana to go visit a foster family in a rural village close to Balti. This family has taken in four beautiful children. Their mother died last year from Tuberculosis and the children have been in multiple institutions from the time of her death until now. Connie was very involved in the conversation with the mother and only had time to translate parts of their interaction for me. I was forced to catch on to the dynamics of this family using non-verbal cues. It was an interesting experiment for me, especially when my assumptions were confirmed by Connie. The children seemed happy and safe in this home and the mother’s eyes and obvious concern for the well being of these kids warmed my heart. I was so ready for some time to love on kids. I love the work that I am doing, but I spend so much time researching and writing, I needed to see the energy and love that people have to share.

Pictures of Biesti

Biesti

In partnership with Moldova Christian Aid, I will be working on a community development project in the village of Biesti. My emphasis will be on the social development side. I am so pumped about this work, it is totally community practice in a nutshell. Joy will also be doing some work to raise awareness and knowledge of and in the disabled population of Biesti. Currently, they have no idea how many persons with disabilities are living in this community. Joy wants to find out so that these people can obtain the services they need. We are not totally sure where this will take us, but trust that we will learn and grow so much. I want to share some of the facts that we DO know about Biesti:

- 25% of the children are social orphans - many parents migrate out of Moldova to find work
- 1% of the population has access to centralized water, the remaining 99% rely on 2 functioning wells
- 0% of the homes in Biesti are connected to gas
- High rates of unemployment, alcoholism, morbidity
- High dropout rates in school, especially post-9th grade

These are merely a few of the shocking issues that the people of this community face. MCA is already working to promote the economy (with special attention to the farming population) and they are working with a number of experts to secure a water supply and sanitation system for this community. There is great enthusiasm and participation from the local authorities and the 3 NGO's that are active in the community. As far as social development goes, we are full of ideas. Hopefully with the resources we have access to, a purposeful and sustainable plan will be developed in the next month.

Pictures to come...

A Quarter of a Century!!!

On January 19, 2009 Leah Francis Smith turned 25!!!! Joy and I woke up and made her breakfast, the ladies at the CERI office brought cake and told Leah their wishes for her in the next year, and after a long day of internship, we went to celebrate at El Paso. It is a Mexican food place here in Chisinau!! Not exactly the Tex-Mex that we are used to, but it did the job! We had a great time celebrating with Leah. Leah looked so cute in her PARTY HAT and Jon even went to dinner with us. Good times. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEAH, we looove you!

Pictures...here and there

Dr. Jon Meyer...he is our field supervisor. He is a great man. We give him a tough time for being a scatter-brained, absent-minded PhD. I have a feeling he likes us being here :)

Leah and Eli - Eli LOOOOVES music.


Hot new boots!!!

We love eachother!!!

The Turlacs

This is Oleg, Natasha, and Roma. They are such a precious family and we are so blessed to have them here!

Post Communist Culture

It will be impossible to discuss everything that is going through my mind on this subject. It is absolutely fascinating. We knew coming into this country would be a culture shock. Understanding that the Iron Curtain fell a relatively short time ago and that most people that we would interact with were alive and affected by the Soviet Union and Moldova's civil war, we knew the mindset would be different. But as much as I thought "I knew," I know nothing. I learn so much every single day and with every single conversation. Some people do act and dress in ways that help them blend in. While living in communist society, it is unacceptable to stand out. Individuality was looked down upon. People often do not talk very much throughout meals, this came from not knowing whether or not you would get a next meal and from the fear that if you did not eat the food you had in front of you quickly, someone else would come eat it for you. Lines, personal space, etc. do not exist. Its like everyone is in survival mode at times.

However, there is also this tendency for people to want to give you everything they possibly can. Eli, one of our young friends, literally gave Joy his camera so that she could use it for a couple of weeks. Oleg and Natasha would give us the shirts off their backs if they asked. We have spent 2 evenings with them and already they have given us meals, desserts, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, free haircuts (Natasha is a hair stylist,) and paid for our taxi rides twice. Everytime we ask them for advice on where to buy things, they try to buy it for us or give us what they already have. They are the sweetest people and we appreciate their genuine concern for us so much. We also feel very lucky to have Oleg because we can ask him anything. He laughs at us and our ignorance a lot, but he also helps to make sense of the many things that we do not understand.

One thing that I consitently recognize, but still have not been able to grasp or understand is the separatism between Russian and Romanian. Most people are either fluent in both languages or are at least conversational. However, there are many preconceptions or attitudes related to the language the you predominately speak. There is the obvious fear or discontent associated with Russia, this leads to a certain attitude towards people who attend Russian speaking schools or choose to speak Russian more often. However, I have heard so many different opinions. Romanian speaking individuals have certain ideas that are consistent; however, many people have their own individual perception of this relationship. The same is true with Russian speaking individuals. We have heard that there is quite a bit a segragation, as far as where certain people groups live in the city. It is so interesting to live in a city where this exists. My mind is boggled and all I want to do is learn more about this relationship and achieve some level of understanding.

MALLdova

Who knew thata FOUR story shopping mall would open in Chisinau before three lonely American girls arrived?? Providential? I would be willing to argue that point.

So we had the impression that conservative, dark attire that did not make a statement was the way to dress in Moldova. We packed accordingly with lots of pants, skirts, and sweaters. No heels, very little jewelry. Little did we know that not only are there a ton of beautiful women, they dress well. ALL THE TIME. Fashion before function seems to be the mantra of most women in this city. Boots, boots, boots. Great boots. With high heels. Of every color. Great boots. We needed some. So we spent the first two Saturdays in Chisinau upping the ante that is our wardrobe.

We also all have new hair. I have bangs, I cut them myself. Joy's hair is short now, Leah's is shorter than before and she has side bangs. The first morning that I came upstairs with my new hair, boots and skinny jeans, our supervisor Connie and her friend Olga said with suprise, "You look good Megan!!" Wow. Who knew?

Don't worry though...we are experiencing simplicity in other ways. Like...food. We are not exactly used to the cuisine that is Moldovan food. I am not sure that this adjustment will ever happen. Lets just say, as soon as I get off the plane we are heading straight to a steak house. I forgot what it tastes like already. Also, walking. We walk a lot. We use public transportation a lot. Its a good experience, but I never realized how many personal space issues I had. My biggest issue is that I really really enjoy having my personal space and I lose that a lot here. A lot. I can handle it though, how many times have I said that in this blog? We can handle it. We can, we are a force. More to come soon!

Finding community on the other side of the world

The first week in Chisinau was a bit lonely for us. Knowing that this was not a vacation and we would be catching a flight home in a couple of weeks definitley encouraged this loneliness. I can say that if I had not had Joy and Leah to interact with in a country where English is not widely spoken and I had little to no clue how to get around, I would have gone absolutely crazy. Whoever made the decision that at least 2 of us had to go was brilliant.

Things started to turn around this weekend. Jon, our supervisor, arrived on Friday night. Saturday, we went shopping at MALLdova. This is a 4 story mall with lots of restaurants and a bowling alley. Its sooooooooo nice. Shopping was familiar, it helped me feel at home. Ha. But it was Sunday that truly made us realize that we would be able to find community here so far from home. Jon invited us to join him at church on Sunday night. Dorrell is a pastor who used to work for CERI and is in the process of starting a church that is held in a library on Sunday nights. He started this in hopes that he would give the children at the orphanages a place to find community and hope. Everyone was so kind and welcoming from the moment we walked in. The entire church body at this point consists of about 20 people. I love this. Rather than corporate worship, it is intimate community. With a keyboard and a guitar, Jon and Dorrell led worship. Lots of familiar tunes, but every word was Romanian. Trying to sing along was pretty entertaining. This may be a great way to pick up the language though. If you can't speak it, sing it?? Hmm, maybe not so much. The best part was seeing some of the children that we had met during the week at the orphanage. Not only did they remember us, they greeted us with hugs. When we got our cameras out after the service, they proceeded to take a TON of pictures of us. It was such a fun and relaxing time. I now look forward to Sunday nights.

Update on gas crisis...

From the Moldova Bureau of Statistics..."On Monday Russia and Ukraine signed a deal on the deployment of a EU-brokered gas monitoring mission which was to enable the resumption of Russian gas supplies. Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine last week amidst a row with Kiev over unpaid bills and transit prices."

While there are so many people who have suffered as a result of this crisis, we have been quite lucky. The IMB team house (where we are currently staying) did not miss one single day of heat or hot water. Our friend Oleg, who also lives in Chisinau, lost his gas supply early on and, clearly, was greatly uncomfortable. With temperatures reaching as low as around 12 degrees, no heat or hot water is disastrous. I am just happy to know that this crisis is coming to an end and that people will once again be more able to meet their basic needs.

Being so close to such a struggle was definitely an intense reality. I have never had to worry about whether or not I would have a warm house to go home to at the end of the day. Can you imagine not being able to secure this luxury at all? When we delivered food one week ago to families, the two homes that I went into did not have heating in any form aside from a small stove that they also use for cooking their meals. I wonder what they thought about the world going crazy over the fact that people had their access to natural gas taken away when they never had it in the first place?

Russian & Ukraine conflict...yikes

The conflict over gas between Russia and Ukraine will most likely start affecting us (our hot water, heat, ability to cook, etc) as soon as tomorrow. We are not completely clear on to what extent and for how long we will be affected. If you have more information, let us know or just want to say a prayer for us...please do. We are crossing our fingers and enjoying what could be our last warm night and hot shower for awhile. Much love.

Working with the CERI team

So the Orthodox Christmas is one January 7th!! We got to celebrate the holidays twice this year. What a treat?! We were also excited to find out that there was a CERI mission team staying at the Team House when we got here. We have been able to tag along on some of their escapades and have amazing experiences. We helped wrap presents to take to the children at the orphanage on Christmas. Clothes, toothbrushes, pens, etc. The team also let us go along with them to take food to families in poverty in the village of Calarasi. It was so touching to see the hospitality and joy of these families and their willingness to let us in their lives. My favorite opportunity was spending time at the orphanage. Getting to know the children was so much fun and such a great reminder of why we are here. I just hope we can make half as much of an impression on Moldova as it has already made on us.

Questionable train rides and loads of laughs...

So we traveled for about 36 hours to get from Budapest to Chisinau, Moldova. Yes, this is as long and miserable as it sounds. Yes, we were exhaaaauuuusssssted. Did you know that trains in Eastern Europe are super creepy? Well they are. The particular train that we took looked like the perfect setting for a horror movie. The lights that the actually train had were flickering on and off. There was an interesting box that we assume was for luggage, but looked like a great place to store bodies. All that said, I was more than out of my comfort zone. But our delirium from sitting in freezing cold Bucharest for 5 hours made everything hilarious to us. Especially when they had to change the wheels on the train. I have never been in an earthquake, but we are certain that a train being picked up and down and up and down and up and down feels similar. I think you all probably get the point. I wish I could pass on the reality of this situation, but I do not think it is possible. However, with all odds against us, we made it to Chisinau safe and sound. We would totally do it all over again too. Good times.