Sunday, March 29, 2009

Hello dear friends and family,

You are probably wondering why you haven't heard anything, and I am sure you are thinking that it is my ineptitude in operating my computer, however it is because I have not yet been able to connect to Internet here.  Joey is hoping to get my set up tomorrow with some help from an expert, other than Peter.

So a little catch up:  Our flight started out 2 hrs. late.  We had a 1 hr. delay before boarding and then another one in the plane due to congestion.  We were happy to be on our way, and were served our dinner at 10:30 PM.  None of us were able to sleep to much, but we were in pretty good shape when we got here.

We dropped our luggage off at our apartment and for the kids that was the beginning of culture shock.  For some reason our "retro", 50's apartment was not quite what they had expected.  The kids were actually afraid that it wouldn't be safe there.  The elevator doesn't help much.  Now we have slept there 2 nights and they are adjusting to our new "home".  They still have a hard time thinking that many people here live in these type of apartments.  We have 2 bedrooms and I told them that Lena's apartment is smaller than ours and doesn't have the 2 bedrooms.  We are about a five minute walk from Laura and Joey's apartment.  Their apartment is very nice and we are certainly enjoying our time with them.

Yesterday the kids, Joey, and Stan went to the Iron Mama (mother Russia), a very large statue near here.  There is a soccor field right near L & J's apartment and Sergey and Victor have been playing soccer with some neighborhood boys, who were also able to speak some English with them.  That was a neat experience for them.  The girls are being more shy.  The weather was very nice.

Today we went to church, an International church, which was in English.  Most of the worship was songs that we knew.  We saw a number of people we had met before, mostly from YWAM.  We were able to talk to Steve Webber who is the CBN contact here, and they definitely would like to do a follow up DVD with Kareel, maybe going to the orphanage with us.

Tomorrow we start facing real life and will meet Stephan for a trip to the older kids orphanages at 7:45.  We have permission to go to both orphanages tomorrow.  The one for Serg, and the one for the other 3.  It will be a full day since it is a bit of a ride.  We also hope to drive through their village as well.  A woman on staff with YWAM will make a Ukranian dinner for us at night.  I have had some of her cooking before and so I am looking forward to that.

A couple that runs the dental truck here mentioned to me this morning at church that her children were best friends of the family's children whose plane went down in Montana.  It was such a comfort to know they knew the Lord!!

Time for the dedication.