With each of the teams we did some home visits to some of
the most vulnerable in the village. We’d spend time chatting and praying with
them as well as leaving them some gifts. One of the visits was to see two sisters. As with many Moldovans, their mother was working in Italy (as their are more employment opportunities there). The Father had been a soldier and fought in
Afghanistan. Upon his return he suffered with post-traumatic stress disorder
and there was very little support services available to help. Sadly, not long
after the Mother left for Italy, he committed suicide.
The girls are in their
late teens and are now alone at home. It was such a difficult visit and I
really wanted to spend some more time with the girls. They have a few animals
as most Moldovans do, but I found out that in the time we were in the house
chatting someone had stolen their prized possession, a cow. It
really shuck me up to think our visit had provided the perfect distraction for
someone to take it and to think that someone had been watching us. I felt so
helpless leaving the girls at the end of the summer, but was able to leave most
of my clothes with them, which put the most lovely smiles on their faces as
they began trying them on and discussing who could have what. Such a simple
thing, that will never make a terrible situation right again, but at least can
bring a little bit of joy in a broken home. 