There are moments living in Moldova, that I forget that I'm in such a poor country. I forget that I'm privileged. I don't say this with arrogance or pride, but almost ashamed of how blessed I am.
It hasn't always been the easiest decision to pursue the life that the Lord has called me to, but I have so many resources to fall back on. Here, it's just not so.
Today, I had a humble, stark reminder of the poverty Moldovans face.
I stayed at the office today for lunch break and ate my tupperware of chili while talking with my Moldova coworkers. I walked in the kitchen as they were discussing proposals of how to celebrate Christmas as an office. Suggestions included bowling, ice-skating, and sauna and massages, and of course, pizza.
But as the kitchen cleared out, I entered into more discussions about Moldova with one of my coworkers, Dan. Dan speaks English quite well, and he shares honestly and willingly all about Moldova. So today we were discussing our apartments and neighbors and that led to a discussion about the job situation in Moldova. Dan asked me what a normal salary might be at a bank in the States. To be honest, I hate answering questions like this, because I selfishly can't bear seeing the longing when Moldovans hear the amounts. I explained that it varies a lot based on your position, but the lowest salary would probably be close to $24,000 a year. He processed that for a minute, and then said, "Two thousand a month. Is this enough for a good life?" And then I had to be honest and say no, it would be very little. A good salary for a family would be between $35,000 and $60,000, with $60,000 to $90,000 for someone with lots of experience.
And I know, I underquoted. Dan explained that the salary of a police officer might be $200-250 a month, but that this is a low-paying job. Still, he explained that even for him, now having a wife and family and responsibilities, most of his income goes towards bills and rent each month. Just for the sake of perspective, I'm living off something between $400-500/month and that's just my figures on expenses, not planning for any savings or emergency funds.
He then asked how much apartments would be in the States. I told him that where I was during university, students paid anywhere from $300-600/month. He asked if this was on credit (like a mortgage), and I explained that with an apartment you typically pay monthly to the apartment complex owner. He was surprised. As we finished our meals and went back to work, he repeated to himself, "$300-$600."
~ Redeemed and very blessed
*Title from Melody by Kate Earl
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