Jesus told us that man does not live on bread alone. Just don’t tell that to a Moldovan. They would try to change that verse!

I know the world is full of anti-carb books, but this is the pro-carb epicenter. South Beach and Atkin’s diet books are not allowed in the country!

Bread is cheap, plentiful, and present at every meal. We eat it with cheese, with soup, with fat-filled slices of sausage, with breakfast, with little smoked fish, and every other feasible way. To remove bread from the Moldovan diet would be like asking Italians to cut the pasta, British to quit drinking tea, and the Raatz family lineage to fast from dessert! Asking Moldovans to quit eating bread would be like asking all women to walk past a clearance rack and refuse to browse.

In other words—I would not want to bet on it!

When Jesus spoke those words, he was not talking about our diet. He has talking about satisfaction-permanent versus temporal. Men and women cannot live on physical food alone. They have a deeper desire for more: for purpose, for mission, for relationship.

I love a good BLT sandwich. The thought of salty bacon, juicy red tomatoes, and crisp green lettuce will send my mouth watering! Nevertheless, within a few hours, the satisfaction of that sandwich has worn off and I am ready for something else. The things of this world offer a temporary satisfaction, but they quickly fade away.

Each person has a desire for relationships. Some people think they can find it in a romantic fling or affair. Other people jump from marriage to marriage, trying to find Mr. or Mrs. Right. After all their searching, they will never be satisfied with anything less than a relationship with the living God.

Others look to drugs or alcohol. Moldova is full of people who think they will be satisfied with another liter of vodka. After their headache wears away, they have to search for more. Their thirst will be only filled with the Living Water—Jesus.

Other people hunt for religion, whether Islam, Buddhism, Atheism, or even Christianity. They think by living a set of rules and regulations they will find peace, never to realize that following Jesus involves knowing a living God.

Our spirit can find mercy and forgiveness when we know His Spirit. There is a world of difference in knowing God and knowing ABOUT Him!

I have eaten some incredible dinners in Moldova. I love the fruits and vegetables, the soups and salads. I loved the fresh grilled lamb (and I mean fresh! The lamb came to the BBQ still wearing his coat!). And at every meal, we have had bread.

But the only deep, lasting satisfaction I have comes from my daily obedience to my Lord and Savior. As I follow Jesus through the bumpy roads of Moldova, I am content. As I stumble through another Russian lesson, I know I’m learning how to better share God’s love. As I share lunch with fellow believers, pinching salt out of a common bowl, I am satisfied to be with fellow believers.

Moldovan bread still leaves me hungry. But the love of Christ and serving Him here keeps me satisfied.

Satisfied in Moldova, Andy Raatz