Bus4Life was in Moldova for two weeks in October, and visited five villages near the Ukrainian border in the north. Two of the villages had only a few believers in them and no church.
An older woman, Maria*, told the team she was the only believer in her home village. Every Sunday she travels to a nearby village to attend church. “It’s exhausting,” she admitted to a volunteer who measured her blood pressure on the bus.
There is no public transportation so Maria hires someone to drive her to church. Spending between 70-100 lei (4-5€) each week for the round trip is a significant investment. “Five euros would be enough to buy bread for half a month,” OMer Ion Manoli explains. Maria was encouraged to see the Bus4Life team hard at work in her village, and she especially rejoiced in seeing a team of young Christians spreading the Gospel.
The team consisted of nine individuals, and included young adults enrolled in OM’s Challenge into Missions program at the OM Moldova base. Bus4Life offers a platform that enables the students to take what they have learned in the classroom out onto the streets. Taking part in outreaches such as this is an integral part of the program.
In another village, the team met Thomas*, a 12-year-old boy who came to the bus with his mother and grandmother. The team members chatted with Thomas about his family and life in general while his grandmother’s blood pressure was being measured. “Have you heard of Jesus?” a team member asked the boy. Thomas shook his head. “Do you want me to tell you about him?” he was asked. “He is very important.” Thomas agreed, and a Children’s Bible was pulled out. He was told about Jesus and what he did for us, and then given the Bible as a gift. Thomas’ mother, Natalia*, who is in her early thirties, is busy trying to make the ends meet by working hard every day. She was surprised to find out that her son hadn’t recognised the name of Jesus. “I haven’t talked to him about God because I haven’t known how to do it,” she admitted. “Thank you for reminding me to talk about God with my son. I need to do it.”
*Name changed.
Photo: Ion Manoli