As I've stated in previous blog posts, the trip to Moldova was exhausting. January was really a month to try to get my energy back and it has taken all month. I'm feeling about 85% and happy with that. Today, the good news was that I got up and ran. The bad news was it was only a mile. It's amazing how fast you can lose muscle tone, but at least I got back on the road.
I also was able to play golf this weekend for the first time this month and it felt great getting back on the course. Because of the weather being cold, the ground wet and the air windy, we played from the senior tees this weekend. It was fun to play from those tees for the first time and to have a different line to hit down. I was happy with my 82, when you figure in the 5 penalty strokes. Three birdies helped.
February will be fun with a cruise to the Caribbean in the middle of the month. I plan on getting a lot of rest on the ship and enjoy the weather and scenery in Mexico, Belize, Honduras and the Caymans.
Next big date medically is February 27th, when I have my next Cystoscope. We are looking and praying for an all clear of no cancer and then I can resume my BCG treatments in March.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Moldova Trip Coming To A Close
Today is January 3rd and it is my final full day in Moldova. I'm still at the team house and everyone else is at the orphanage in Orhei. I hit the proverbial wall yesterday physically and had to elect today to stay back in Chisinau. With my recovery timeline from my recent BCG treatments and the travel to Moldova, my body finally said, "enough". It was very humbling to watch everyone leave and a reminder to me that the process of treating my cancer is going to be a full 2 year process. This will certainly be my last trip to Moldova until at least 2013 when I finish my treatments.
The trip has had more highlights than I can post, but here are some:
Having Nancy along and experiencing a mission trip together to Moldova. Watching her with the girl in Falesti and seeing her literally give the sweatshirt off her back, so she could have a new piece of clothing like everyone else was classic Nancy. These kids grabbed a part of her heart. I know this trip was out of her comfort zone and I love that she was willing to come and do this trip by my side. I can't imagine going through this life without her. I truly out kicked my coverage with her!
The quality of some of the orphanages that we saw for the first time and the leadership of the directors. I always worry about the motives of an orphanage director and we met some high quality ones on this trip that are looking out for the kids. The numbers of orphans are going down in this country and facilities will need to be shut down. I pray that they shutdown the right ones.
The JMI team really operated as one on this trip. There was great harmony among everyone and everyone contributed. The team was led by Jennifer Kelly was has a heart for the kids of Moldova that is seldom scene. Her organizational skills are great. Probably her most impressive skill is her ability to remember every child and who sponsors them. It was a huge highlight watching her greet the children that she sponsors and mothers.
The kids are the reason we make this trip and they continue to pull on the strings of my heart. The anticipation of seeing a sponsored child is no different from waiting for your own child to get home after a long absence. Watching the kids faces when Father Christmas walked through the door was priceless. Even the older boys would have big smiles on the faces when they walked up to get their presents.
Lastly, the two images that will stand out for me the most were of two little girls that were experiencing the exact opposite emotion. One little girl was walking to a taxi with her mother for some time at home. The huge smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes were ones that I will never forget. The other small girl had just been dropped off to the orphanage for the first time. When we were done handing out presents to everyone, we realized that she wasn't on our list and everyone quickly got her a bag of food and a present. Hopefully, we made the worst day in her young a little better.
Tomorrow will be the bittersweet day of being excited to get home and disappointed because of leaving those we have come to love in Moldova.
The trip has had more highlights than I can post, but here are some:
Having Nancy along and experiencing a mission trip together to Moldova. Watching her with the girl in Falesti and seeing her literally give the sweatshirt off her back, so she could have a new piece of clothing like everyone else was classic Nancy. These kids grabbed a part of her heart. I know this trip was out of her comfort zone and I love that she was willing to come and do this trip by my side. I can't imagine going through this life without her. I truly out kicked my coverage with her!
The quality of some of the orphanages that we saw for the first time and the leadership of the directors. I always worry about the motives of an orphanage director and we met some high quality ones on this trip that are looking out for the kids. The numbers of orphans are going down in this country and facilities will need to be shut down. I pray that they shutdown the right ones.
The JMI team really operated as one on this trip. There was great harmony among everyone and everyone contributed. The team was led by Jennifer Kelly was has a heart for the kids of Moldova that is seldom scene. Her organizational skills are great. Probably her most impressive skill is her ability to remember every child and who sponsors them. It was a huge highlight watching her greet the children that she sponsors and mothers.
The kids are the reason we make this trip and they continue to pull on the strings of my heart. The anticipation of seeing a sponsored child is no different from waiting for your own child to get home after a long absence. Watching the kids faces when Father Christmas walked through the door was priceless. Even the older boys would have big smiles on the faces when they walked up to get their presents.
Lastly, the two images that will stand out for me the most were of two little girls that were experiencing the exact opposite emotion. One little girl was walking to a taxi with her mother for some time at home. The huge smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes were ones that I will never forget. The other small girl had just been dropped off to the orphanage for the first time. When we were done handing out presents to everyone, we realized that she wasn't on our list and everyone quickly got her a bag of food and a present. Hopefully, we made the worst day in her young a little better.
Tomorrow will be the bittersweet day of being excited to get home and disappointed because of leaving those we have come to love in Moldova.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Running on Empty in Moldova
It's been a long 5 days in Moldova...
First, let me say that physically, it has been one of my toughest trips ever of my 6 trips to Moldova. I thought that based on my trips to Europe in August and October that I would be able to handle the travel, but what I failed to realize was that the prior trips were direct to London and Dublin, so the travel time was not too bad. Getting to Chisinau, Moldova means a 22 hour trip with a 7 hour layover in Frankfurt that has brutal on most of us. I've been dealing with a bad cold most of the trip and the 30 degree weather is not helping. But, I'm very glad to be here and do not regret the decision to come back.
Now, the orphans. We have been to at least one orphanage a day since getting to Moldova. Thursday we were in Drachia, Friday in Falesti, Saturday in Balti and Sunday in Chisinau. All of visits have included a time to get to know each other, games, crafts, singing, worship time and then Father Christmas comes out with all the presents. Oh, we also shot off fireworks, thanks to Cat Financial's givings and they were spectacular at Falesti.
Nancy had a nice moment in Falesti with an older girl that because of her size did not receive any clothing from the team that would fit. So, Nancy gave her the Nashville sweatshirt that she was wearing and the girl did not leave her side the rest of our visit. It was very touching on how much one act of kindness can have on a child.
I've really enjoyed spending time with my Moldovan boy, Igor yesterday. His english is much better and it is a lot easier to communicate. It was fun to watch him interact with the kids at Internat II, where he was an orphan for 8 years. We had both Igor and Eduard along with us and they both sang and played the guitar during our singing time.
The new orphanages that we visited in Drachia and Balti had children that were very open to sharing their stories with us. We also visited a transitional living home for at risk children in Balti that was amazing. It was very clean and had big rooms, with one that included a number of computers. It was nice to see the upgraded facilities compared to the orphanages, but with the limit of 18 months for each child you could see that they were all worried about what was going to happen to them after they were moved out of the house.
The winter trip is very much different from the summer trip because of the short amount of time that we spend at each orphanage versus spending a week at one camp. But, the trade off is that you get to bring gifts to kids that get maybe one gift from the state. They light up when Steve Davis walks in dressed like Father Christmas (Santa Claus).
Due to the limited bandwith of the Internet hear in Chisinau, I don't know if I will be able to post any photos this week. I will definitely post photos when I get back home.
First, let me say that physically, it has been one of my toughest trips ever of my 6 trips to Moldova. I thought that based on my trips to Europe in August and October that I would be able to handle the travel, but what I failed to realize was that the prior trips were direct to London and Dublin, so the travel time was not too bad. Getting to Chisinau, Moldova means a 22 hour trip with a 7 hour layover in Frankfurt that has brutal on most of us. I've been dealing with a bad cold most of the trip and the 30 degree weather is not helping. But, I'm very glad to be here and do not regret the decision to come back.
Now, the orphans. We have been to at least one orphanage a day since getting to Moldova. Thursday we were in Drachia, Friday in Falesti, Saturday in Balti and Sunday in Chisinau. All of visits have included a time to get to know each other, games, crafts, singing, worship time and then Father Christmas comes out with all the presents. Oh, we also shot off fireworks, thanks to Cat Financial's givings and they were spectacular at Falesti.
Nancy had a nice moment in Falesti with an older girl that because of her size did not receive any clothing from the team that would fit. So, Nancy gave her the Nashville sweatshirt that she was wearing and the girl did not leave her side the rest of our visit. It was very touching on how much one act of kindness can have on a child.
I've really enjoyed spending time with my Moldovan boy, Igor yesterday. His english is much better and it is a lot easier to communicate. It was fun to watch him interact with the kids at Internat II, where he was an orphan for 8 years. We had both Igor and Eduard along with us and they both sang and played the guitar during our singing time.
The new orphanages that we visited in Drachia and Balti had children that were very open to sharing their stories with us. We also visited a transitional living home for at risk children in Balti that was amazing. It was very clean and had big rooms, with one that included a number of computers. It was nice to see the upgraded facilities compared to the orphanages, but with the limit of 18 months for each child you could see that they were all worried about what was going to happen to them after they were moved out of the house.
The winter trip is very much different from the summer trip because of the short amount of time that we spend at each orphanage versus spending a week at one camp. But, the trade off is that you get to bring gifts to kids that get maybe one gift from the state. They light up when Steve Davis walks in dressed like Father Christmas (Santa Claus).
Due to the limited bandwith of the Internet hear in Chisinau, I don't know if I will be able to post any photos this week. I will definitely post photos when I get back home.
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