New Puppets and Stage in Balaursti

Susan and Curt Adams are members of the Chisinau Branch even though they are living about 2 hours away in a small isolated village. Susan and Curt are serving as Peace Corp Volunteers for 27 months. Susan came to us with a request for materials to make a puppet stage and some puppets. She volunteers in the school and teaches health. She started a "Health Club" to make puppets and write scripts that would teach about good health habits. The girls in the club were so excited on their "opening night" performance and it was delightful to see the little children watching the play with awe.

After the performance we had dinner with Susan and Curt's host family, Leon & Eleesa. Their friend, Gregory, joined us and it was so interesting to hear his and Leon's experiences during the Soviet Union times and the war with Transnestria. A loving family. Their daughter and grandson made the evening perfect!

We chose the road less traveled today...

And it took us to the very middle of nowhere...

...in other words we went to a village in a far away place called Balauresti.

LDS Charities donated the funds to buy materials for the stage and the puppets. The school shop class made the stage. Very professional looking I think!

The girls that joined the "Health Club" made 17 puppets. They have necklaces, skirts, ear rings, bracelets, and tee shirts. Very darling!

Script is about how you should wash your hands so you don't get sick.

Script is about eating fruit instead of candy. Sang a song too.

Script was about going to the dentist and how you should brush your teeth.

This was their first performance. It was presented to all of the school children 3 - 6 years of age.

Take down was very easy.

Stage is going out the door. They are ready for their next performance!

My Friend Vera is Going to the Kiev Temple!

Vera is going to the Kiev Temple tomorrow for the first time! I am so excited for her. She and her two sons have been trying to immigrate to Switzerland for 5.5 years so they can be reunited with her husband. 5.5 years is a long time to be apart. Vera is hoping to gain strength by going to the Temple. I love her and know the Lord will give her strength to keep on keeping on until they can all a united family again.

Mission Shirts Drying

Tom's shirts are hanging to dry. There are no dryers in Moldova. Most people hang their laundry outside of their window to dry but we just hang everything in our bathroom. Only takes a hour or so to dry. Now tell me...why do we pay to dry our clothes in America??

Morristown to the Rescue!! Thank You My Sisters!

Tammy James is the mother of one of our missionaries that served in Moldova. She has followed our blog and became interested in helping us to help Moldovans. She has organized her Stake Relief Society to do some pretty wonderful service projects. One of those projects is to gather items that are badly needed in Moldova, like diapers for babies that currently don't have any diapers to use at all (if you can imagine that). She did an absolutely wonderful email with photos and backgrounds and everything to send to members of the Relief Society in her Stake. I was able to copy the words of the email but not all of the beautiful embellishments. Because this blog is also my mission journal I wanted to preserve her email even if it is only the words. Thank you Tammy for all you do to help others and to help my Moldovan "family" who have so many needs. I can hear the angels singing from here!

Enjoy Sister James email plea to her sister in Morristown:

YOU CAN DO

SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY!


Morristown Relief Society Service Projects:

This video is a powerful reminder of who we are as Relief Society Sisters and that this organization is truly the Lord's organization. If you haven't seen this Youtube video called "Relief Society: Something Extraordinary", please cut and paste this in your browser to watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqfCXBsXGfQ&feature=email

The Morristown Relief Society will be working through the Latter Day Saint Charities Humanitarian Services Director for the country Moldova to complete these projects. We aim to help babies in orphanages and women's shelters as well as a retirement home. You can see current photos as well as stories and photos of those in need at: TomandToniVanWormer.blogspot.com

(RETIREMENT HOME) http://tomandtonivanwormer.blogspot.com/2011/03/orhei-retirement-home-needs-help.html
(BABIES)-http://tomandtonivanwormer.blogspot.com/2010/05/blog-post.html


Here are some things that our ward will be collecting in addition to items for the Stake Clothing Drive, for the next few weeks. If you would like to help people in Moldova, please bring these items to the church or order online on the WALMART WISH LIST by April 13th. (Collection boxes will be located near the RS room.)

*QUILTS - (new or like new)

*BED SHEETS (new or like new) twin size

*KITCHEN TOWELS:(New) terrycloth preferred for absorbency or equivalent

*WASHCLOTHS/DISHCLOTHS: (New) terrycloth preferred for absorbency or equivalent

*SCHOOL SUPPLIES: (like new) markers, pencils, paper, glue sticks, crayons, small scissors, etc.

*SMALL STUFFED ANIMALS: (like new) "Beanie Baby size"

*WALMART GIFT CARDS: for diapers and to help purchase items above or to get bulk discounts

*DIAPERS WISH LIST: We are providing a registry/WISH LIST through Walmart.com who will ship for free to Moldova!

SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY WISH LIST (registry): (for gift cards(preferred)-order online, diapers, towels, sheets etc) Go to WALMART.COM, click REGISTRY, then WISH LIST, then enter in name of wish list which is SOMETHING (first name) EXTRAORDINARY (last name) then click FIND, proceed to order.

**While the diapers will be shipped for free, we will also be shipping items in a unique way at a reduced rate. If you would like to donate cash for shipping you may do this also. Please make check payable to Heather Behrmann.

Here is the link to donate to LDS Charities/Humanitarian Services to help people around the globe including those in Japan. http://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/humanitarian-services/

QUESTIONS:

call Heather Behrmann ivyporch@aol.com 973-507-9040 or Tammy @ TammyJames1@me.com 973-543-0643

If you have an idea, connection for a service project or organization we can help, please contact us.

(please feel free to forward this message to family, friends,neighbors and those you visit teach)

God Bless the PennYan New York Branch!!!

"Relief Society 169th Birthday celebration. Fleece tie blankets for

Moldova (yeah!!) and baby hats for the NICU at Strong Memorial Hospital"

The PennYan branch is sending us some fleece tied blankets!!! Yeah!!! We can't wait to find homes for those blankets! God bless you ladies for the good you are doing. I just copied this photo from facebook.

Girls Scout Cookies- M-M-M-M!!!

Julia and the family sent us some Girl Scout Cookies and we really enjoyed them!

Elder Olsen-Visiting Authority from Sweden

Elder Olsen came from Sweden to speak at our District Conference...and boy did he speak...1 hour in the Priesthood session, 1 hour at the Saturday night session, and 45 minutes at the Sunday session. Very nice to have an Area Authority come to Moldova!

Elder Olsen has 11 children! He is the temple recorder for the Sweden Temple.


Our Saturday night session was the most spiritual meeting we have attended since coming to Moldova. Hripseme bore a wonderful mature testimony, Kesli Aiken spoke on how to not become lost, I spoke about nurturing the followers of Christ, Sister Lundburgh spoke about looking for the lost saints, President Lundburgh spoke about the importance of having and being a friend in the gospel, and Elder Olsen spoke about everything else!

Horesti Kindergarten Closing Ceremony

USAid repaired the outside and replaced windows 2 years ago

This child gave us an angel and said we were angels sent to them

5 classrooms got 30 tables & 120 chairs. Notice the pillows on top of the 3 tier pull-out napping beds. Our tables color match the beds-how cool is that?!

The Raion (county) President attended the closing ceremony
as well as the current mayor, the past mayor, and a contender to be next mayor

The children are beautiful in Moldova. They loved their new tables & chairs.

The traditional Moldovan welcome with bread and salt.
Traditional Moldovan clothing.

The children put on an hour long concert of dancing, singing & reciting poems

The star performers!

Are they not just the most adorable couple??!!!

This teacher marched this group of children in and they lead us in the Chicken Dance.

We had fun giving Elena the Director a Moldovan flag.

We also made the first donation to their "Kitchen Cooking Pot" collection because they need cooking pots badly.

We were presented with a hand carved wooden fruit bowl plaque. Love it!

They ended up putting so much food on this table you could NOT see the tablecloth!

Remember the cats Tom feeds and cares for everyday? Well, one of the two babies that he has nurtured since we arrived in Moldova came back to the apartment with a broken back leg. The one we named Vlad. Bone sticking out and he was dragging the leg. Real gross.

The clinic is 1 block from our apartment

Vlad was totally calm-it was Tom that was a wreck!

Dorina came to translate on the day of surgery.

One perk of going to the Vet is we were able to confirm that Vlad is boy!

Surgery cost a total of $50 including medicines & follow up


Vlad was totally knocked out after surgery.
We're dealing with some follow up infection and he sure looks werid with a
shaved leg and it's wired up.

Special Guests from Utah Come to Help Us

Tom, Toni, Lynnae, Elaine, Rodica(secretary), Mr. Turcan (Minister of Health)

Elaine licking her fingers of dill and feta cheese from the salad

Dr.Elaine Bond and Lynnae Napoli came from Salt Lake as Short Term Specialists (STS) to help us prepare for our September 2011 project. We are planning to do 3 training sessions at 2 Moldova hospitals for neo-natal resusitation, where we train doctors and midwives and nurses how to resusitate newborn babies that don't breath when born. The techniques taught should save hundreds of babies lives.

We met with Dr. Stratulot at the Chisinau Hospital for Women and Children to work out the details for 2 training sessions in Chisinau. Then we went to Balti to set up a 3rd training session. The hospitals and each participant will recieve training, training manuals, and all the equipment needed to help these babies.

They will also get training kits with baby maniquins to practice on. The major goal of this project will be to train all those who attend to go back to their clinics, hospitals, villages and train others. It is a "train the trainer" program. We should train about 150 trainers who should train another 150 to 300 people within 6 months. Thousands and thousands of dollars of equipment will be donated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to help these care providers to save these precious babies.

These ladies are so dedicated. It takes them from 21 to 32 hours to get to Moldova and then they do it again to get back home. It was a fun 7 days working with these ladies and we can't wait for "September when they will return!

Florin Blesses Sacrament for the First Time

Florin in his new suit is sitting in the chair in front of his favorite missionary

Florin joined the church a few weeks ago. His car wash boss would not give Florin Sundays off to come to church then he quit paying Florin. When he asked for his Sundays off and for his pay he was fired! Since Florin lived in an apartment owned by his boss he was also evicted! Rather than being upset he just went out and got another job and apartment. He also was able to come to church on Sundays! He received the Aaronic Priesthood last week and prepared all week to pass the sacrament. He even bought his first suit and tie. He showed up to church with a new haircut and a new suit and glow on his face.

When he blessed the sacrament he had to do it about 4 times until he got it perfectly right. When he was finished we "thumbs up" him and President Aiken stood up and congratulated him on getting it right and told him not to worry about messing up because when he (President Aiken) blessed the Sacrament the first time he had to do it SEVEN times before he got it right! It was handled well and Florin is on top of the world now.

The Finest Example of Provident Living

Dr.Vera is the neighbor to the left of Olesea's family's new home. She is representing the seller in the sale of Olesea's home. She is one of the most AMAZING women we have ever met. She is the greatest example of the principal of provident living we have ever seen. She is the doctor for the village-the station wagon ambulance was parked in front of her home when we arrived. She is a widow of 4 years now and has more energy than all of my 5 children AND 10 grandchildren put together!

Dr. Vera lives on muddy roads in a village about an hour from the capital city of Chisinau. She has a house with a root cellar that is full of her bottled compote and vegetables of every kind. She had bags of her homegrown potatoes, onions, carrots plus she had two huge barrels of her homemade wine (important to Moldovans even if not to us LDS). In her yard she had a pig that she will slaugher herself (WHAT A WOMAN!!)on April 20th for Easter and share with her children's families. She has chickens too. Other animals were out to pasture somewhere out of sight. Everything is so neat and clean and orderly-even the firewood and kindling crib. Amazing. She had a grape vineyard for harvesting to sell, fruit trees, and vegetable gardens. Dr Vera has an impressive "summer kitchen" for baking her bread and bottling her fruit in. She has her own huge wagon too. The house is neat and large enough to entertain or have her family over for meals.

The electricity in the village was out when we were there but that didn't slow her down at all. She went to the summer kitchen and cooked us up some fresh eggs on the propane gas cook stove, sliced her homemade sheep cheese and bread then poured us some compote to drink. Delicious! We Latter Day Saints could learn many lessons from this incredible woman on how to work and live providently!

Dr. Vera, Lidia, and Galina. Galina lives on the othe side of Olesea's new home.

Dr. Vera "officially" receiving $2,000 payment for Olesea's home.

Dr.Vera's vineyard and some fruit trees in the winter.

Chicken house with the kindling crib attached.

The pig that she will slaughter herself for Easter.

She didn't tell me but I think his name must be Wilber.

Wash sink just outside the animal yard gate and near the summer kitchen.

Huge wagon in her driveway. Not sure how many ways she uses it!

She carried these bottles up from the cellar and gave 3 to us to take home.

We drank the 4th with her, Lidia, and Galina. Yummm!

Compote- drink the juice and eat the fruit. A Moldovan favorite.

She served us her homemade sheep cheese, fresh eggs, homemade bread, & compote.

This is the corner she lives on. The roads were too muddy to for our car to go further.