Ask the Time...

before you volunteer or you might find yourself planting peppers at 6 AM.  I learned that lesson the hard way this week...did I mention that I volunteered Bree too?  So, off we headed at around 5:30 AM on Thursday morning to go plant peppers at Yuri and Kristina's.  The plan was for Bree to work until Eric needed to go to the city at 7:30 and I would continue, but I ended up going home with her because Sammy had a fever, bad cough, runny/stuffy nose...poor, little guy.

Even with everyone being sick, we were able to accomplish a lot this week.  The biggest thing I wanted done was the garden and (a BIG thanks to Bree) we finished weeding it.  It has been very beautiful out - even a bit hot.  The kids have really enjoyed staying outside.  Doesn't Sammy look thrilled to be watching the girls play from the stroller? hehe

On Tuesday (sorry, I'm posting out of order) I surprised Eric by meeting him at the train stop but instead of the nice walk home together, he told me that Yuri had called and said there was some trouble over at the new church building.  His nephew met us and drove us over there.  When we arrived we saw a firetruck (wish I had had my camera, that would have been interesting for you to see) and an abulance.  The former owner's son had started a fire in the shed connected to the little house, burning it down.  Eric had given them 3 months before they needed to move out, but has now asked that they be moved out by this upcoming Tuesday and we would take care of the cost of the firemen and damages.  The big house (the church) is looking very nice and we are praising the Lord that no damage was done to that building.  I can't wait to take pictures and show you the progress that has been made...though it still needs quite a bit of work.

The brownies I made for Valodia's Bible study on Thursday were such a hit that the girls and I decided to make some more for services on Sunday.  The girls were wanting to lick their spoons the entire time...as you can see, they ditched the spoons before they were finished.  Fingers do a much better job at cleaning bowls. ;)

They had fun sprinkling these on the brownies...

...though I think more ended up in their mouths than on the brownies.

And I actually bought those here!  Last year I was super excited to see tons of sprinkles and sugar cake decorations, but didn't buy any.  As soon as the Easter holiday was over, they stopped selling them.  Talk about disappointment!  I kicked myself the rest of the year!  This year Lina gave me two packets then Eric found some more and bought a few things for me.

I'm not sure how much I will or will not be able to post because our computer is not working very well (which explains, if you have been looking for us on skype why we haven't been on as regularly).  Should have bought an Apple. ;)

~To Love Their Own Husbands~

I took a break from posting the Titus 2 study while we were in Poland.  Now that we are home, I will start posting them again weekly.

When I first went in to this, I was thinking it might be kinda hard to find verses for "to love their own husbands"....but I was SO wrong. Using a concordance, I started looking up verses for the word love and was amazed at how much I have missed by not applying these verses in my relationship with my husband. I wrote down a million verses with many different ways to apply them, but the one that stood out to me the most was one of the first verses I read...

 ~ "He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends." Proverbs 17:9 ~

How many times have I brought back up something that he has done (which he can't even remember because it was so long ago)?

Other verses I read along those lines...

 ~ "Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins." Proverbs 10:12 ~

 Am I willing to cover up his sins or look past his faults?

~ "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, then a stalled ox and hatred therewith." Proverbs 15:17 ~

He'd rather come home to a meal of bread and have me doting on him, loving him, giggling with him...then to come home to a perfect home, huge meal and a nagging, tired wife.

~"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams...He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to LOVE MERCY, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:7a,8 ~

The Lord has told us what to do. In Titus He says we are to learn these things (the things in verses 4,5) "that the word of God be not blasphemed."  Neither our husbands or the Lord will be pleased with me - no matter how much time in Bible study I spend or how much Bible I know - if I neglect to learn and do these things.

For those who missed it, here are the first two parts of the study:

Titus 2 introduction

To be Sober

What a Difference 4 Years Can Make

Flying over the Ukrainian runway, I was shocked and appalled by what I was feeling and thinking.  All throughout deputation I wept as I thought of the many Ukrainians dying and going to hell; I dreamed and longed to be there...and now that that day was a reality, I wanted nothing more to return HOME...I HATED Ukraine.  All I wanted to do was lock myself in a room and weep, but I was not allowed that luxury.  I was thrust fully into a different culture, hoping that food I just bought really was what I thought it was, and even more preparing to give birth to our first child.  That was April 6, 2007.

Flying over Ukraine on April 22, 2011, I felt such peace and contentment.  I was home.  This is my home.  These are my people.  I then remembered my struggle over 4 years ago, and though there still are and will be struggles sometimes, I praise the Lord for the work He has done in my heart.

1st Icecream

Poland is where each of our kids have had their first taste of icecream...

a special tradition we started.

To keep with our tradition,

Sammy had a his first icecream (not counting the bite Lina snuck to him a couple months ago).

 He made a mess!

 Though the girls didn't do much better. :)

 Afterwards, the girls did something they were begging to do the entire time...

pose with a corny Winnie the Pooh. 

Lydia waved at him every time we went by and couldn't take her eyes off of him long enough for a picture.  It made her day!

Church tonight, then flying to Ukraine in the morning.

Can't wait to get home!

Pretty Little Flowers

Today was hot and sunny...and all the girls wanted to do was play in the grass.

Aren't they pretty little flowers?

 Flowers for Mama.

 Anna hugging the tree "Take a picture, Mommy!"

Lydia...well, she decided to give it a kiss!

With Sammy at the Park

This was his first time playing at a park

and he loved it.

Can't fully enjoy anything unless you try it.

He's growing so fast!

This picture makes me want to cry...

He looks like such a little man!

Enjoying kissing those chubby, adorable cheeks as long as I can.

We caught the girls sitting for a moment and joined them.

A Water Jug to a Girl

Boys may kick it around or throw it, but to a girl....

It's a baby.

Night-night, baby.

On Our Walk to Pizza Hut

We stopped to pick some flowers...

 Saw some boats...

And the castle...

Stopped for some pictures...

Fed the ducks...

And enjoyed just running through grass...

Sunday Service in Poland

Sunday we visited with the missionary church again.  They had me play piano because their daughter was away for the weekend...or maybe it was because I've been trying to sing in Polish?  Sammy was able to wear his new suit...doesn't he look handsome?  I'm completely in love!

The Glass family has been super sweet and we have really enjoyed the fellowship with them...the girls (especially Anna) have LOVED having a girl playmate around their age.

I have really enjoyed being able to come to the same place every year.  This has given us a chance to get to know some of the church people a little better and puts a face to the names we read about in their prayer letters.  I love this little church and pray that God will work upon the hearts of those needing to be saved.

Aladdin's Secret

I don't have any pictures from Friday.  We walked to Pizza Hut then stopped at every second hand store we saw on the way back.  I found a skirt for under $3. :)   Then we walked around the center.  They had a lot of stands set up because everyone is busy preparing for Palm Sunday...only it looks more like an open air market.

Today we spent most of our time in the center just walking around and I took a few pictures.

 In the corners, there are witches waiting to tell you your future.  They always hide away in the shadows.  She never lacks for customers.  Every time I walk by my heart sinks.  How sad to see these people reject Christ and turn to Satan for answers!

 There were also other venders.  This lady was making beautiful photos using spray paint, scraping tools, paper to make impressions in the paint.

Then we set up our own "station"...blowing bubbles. :)  We drew quite a crowd.  There is nothing more beautiful than bubbles glistenning in the sunlight with the Polish sights in the background.  Adults stopped to take pictures and children stopped to play with them.  We were thinking we should have put out Sammy's hat to collect money like all of the other venders. ;)

And lastly, How does "Aladdin" sit above his magic carpet?  Well, they were pretty secretive, but if you look closely you can see some metal bars and a board with metal bars under the carpet.  Still not sure exactly how they do it, but I'll be keeping my eyes open.  While we were blowing bubbles a huge crowd was around him, then we heard clapping so I'm guessing they saw how he does it.  I'll be more prepared next time. ;)

A Few More Pictures

I'm getting a little behind in my posting...I think all of these pictures are from Wednesday.  We spent the day walking around the center and went to the aquarium.  It's not huge and fancy, but the girls LOVED it.

 They had a little area set up with for the kids...probably one of their favorite things about the aquarium.

 Missionaries kids are so good at going with the flow...

(The picture is a little blurry, but I LOVED his little smile.)

This is the longest we have been away from home and I must admit I am so anxious to get back.  Not only do I miss my own bed, routine (or something like it), regular home cooked meals (can you believe I'm already sick of Pizza Hut, Burger King, KFC and Subway....well, maybe not totally sick of them...), and I long to hear people speaking in Russian.  Even though Polish is similar in sound, it is still very strange to my ears.  When someone talks to me I am at a loss as to what to say and end up replying in mixed English/Russian.  AND we still have until next Friday!  It has been a nice vacation though, nights have been a little rough because of the bars surrounding us, and I have enjoyed visiting with the Glass family, the missionary family here in Poland.  It has been a year since we have seen another missionary family.  (We are kinda home bodies, so we don't travel unless we have to...besides, there is so much work to do that we never feel we can leave...a plus of a forced vacation.)  I have also enjoyed having more time to spend with my husband.  But even with all of that...I'm ready to be home.  This vacation has given me time to plan some things I'd like to accomplish -with the language, home, ministry...  I always go back renewed, energized and ready to work.