Moldova – Just Gettin’ Here

The drama began when we arrived at DIA Friday in the early afternoon and learned our initial flight to Detroit was delayed 40 minutes. The problem with this news was that we only had 43 minutes from landing to departure in Detroit for our flight across the pond to Amsterdam. So being delayed 40 minutes would make catching that connector flight impossible.

Delta came up with a great plan of putting us on a Lufthansa flight directly into Frankfurt, Germany. Other than being stuck in a middle seat on a 9 hour flight, there were no problems…until we arrived in Frankfurt around 11:00am Saturday morning and learned we were booked stand-by to Bucharest. Not necessarily a real problem unless you’re traveling in a group. We determined we were not going to split up due to so many issues with that plan.

After several potential ideas dried up and staff at Delta Airlines went home by mid-day Saturday, we were told our best bet was to return to the airport at 6:30am Sunday to see what Delta could do for us. We got a hotel in Frankfurt and slept a few hours at best.

Today (Sunday), we got to Delta and were booked on a flight to Bucharest leaving around 11:00am putting us in Bucharest at 2:30pm their time. After arriving in Bucharest, grabbing our luggage, and finding our van driver, we took off on a 7 hour van ride that felt similar to being in a taxi cab riding around on the Mexican Riviera…without the all-inclusive meals, the white sandy beaches…and the tequila!

We finally arrived at the transition home in Ohrei, Moldova around 12:45am (monday)and met our host couple, Helen and Sergi. We sat drinking some hot tea communicating through an interpreter for 30-45 minutes. We laughed as the interpreter assisted us in talking with our van driver about a conflict we had at the Moldova/Romania border between our driver and a border officer. For much of the 7 hour drive, we had little ability to communicate with him.

So Here it is 3:35am Monday morning and others in the group have been asleep for about 90 minutes now. I’m wide awake wondering what is in store for us these next few days. I won’t lie to you…a couple times at the Frankfurt airport yesterday and this morning I heard announcements about flights leaving for American cities. Detroit sounded especially appealing this morning as I drank my $6.00 12oz coke.

I can’t help but be excited though as I’ve embarked on something I never really considered being involved in. Maureen consistently had a heart for missions, but we’ve had this independence in our marriage and I always encouraged her to go on one when she felt led….while I stayed at home…in the safety of my own culture.

We were created to find life through dieing to our “self.” It’s hard to explain the excitement I feel as I step completely out of my “kingdom” and step into something so much bigger than the world I am familiar with.

…..hmmm….it’s 3:37am and a rooster has started crowing in the neighborhood here……I’m calling the HOA after I wake up!