Hello from Moldova!

This is my first post from our new abode, Moldova!  In case you need a quick brush-up on geography (because I sure did the first time I heard about this place), here is a map to show you where in the world we are:

See the dark blue sliver of land between Romania and Ukraine?  That's us.  We live about 45 minutes northwest of Chisinau, the capital city.

We have gotten moved in to our apartment at the camp and Josh is in his first day of "real" work today... an all-day meeting planning how the Bible Institute is going to run.

Let's see... what interesting things can I say about Moldova?

1.  Two common trends for men here are mullets and capri pants.  I'm trying to get Josh to buy into both of these trends.  "Be all things to all people," right? ;)

2.  Electric clothes dryers are very hard to find!  We will have a washing machine, but will be drying our clothes the old-fashioned way- on a clothesline.  I had mentioned to a few people before we left that I hoped there would be room for a clothesline.  Not only is there room, there is already a MASSIVE one right outside our apartment because they dry all of the sheets and blankets for the camp on it, and the Moldovan family who lives here dries their clothes on it as well.  I'm told that in the winter, your clothes freeze dry.  I'll probably stick to indoor drying racks when it's cold.  :)

3.  The tap water here (at the camp, not in all of Moldova) has a very strong sulphur smell.  Yes, like rotten eggs.  I thought it would be nearly impossible to get used to at first, but Josh and I were just commenting this morning that we already don't notice it hardly at all.  It is also a little brown from all of the minerals in it (it is well water).  Apparently the pipes need the mineral-heavy water to coat them, and purer water erodes the pipes.  We buy big 2-liters of water for drinking, and we have a pure, spring-fed well that we use for cooking.  Yes, that means walking down to the spicket and filling up my empty 2-liters with water.  I always said I wanted to be about half amish, right?

4.  There is a big store in Chisinau (pronounced Kish-now) called Metro that is kind of like a Sam's club.  That's where we got most of our stuff on the first day.   But most people buy things from local markets called bazaars.  Some are general bazaars that sell everything from plumbing fixtures to underwear to fresh produce, meat, dairy, and bread.  Other bazaars are specific.  Yesterday morning Josh and Eric went to an auto bazaar that was all cars.  I'm told that there is also a kind of bazaar that is all electronics.  I took pictures of the bazaar in Orhei that Stephanie and I went to yesterday, but can't post them yet because I'm not on our computer.

I guess I've written enough for now.  Jude is starting to get restless.  Speaking of Jude, he has been an angel (almost ;)) through all of this.  If you haven't heard already, he slept 7 of the 10 hours from DC to Moscow- an obvious answer to prayer!  We have had trouble falling asleep at night, but last night we went to bed around 11 and he only woke up twice between then and 8:30!   That's even better than he was sleeping before we moved.

I love everybody back home and will post again soon!