Getting Back

I took so many pictures of the Kuenzi's visit that I had a hard time narrowing it down!  They took even more than I did, of EVERYTHING.  The bread truck, our little store...they are much bolder with the camera than I am.  We get looked at enough without me flashing a camera around everywhere. ;)

They were a huge blessing - both physically and spiritually.  Not only did they help with evangelism, but they also helped paint my kitchen, got my laundry caught up for me (I NEED her to come back since it seemed like everyone had accidents the day after she left. :( )...but the thing I enjoyed the most was the fellowship.  I have felt lonely this term, which is one of the reasons I have avoided the internet.  Once I started getting back on, I only had time for things that took a couple of minutes and that definitely did not include the blog.  We have been rushing from one thing to the next ever since Abigail was born -VBS, the Kuenzi's visit, going to Kiev to get Abigail's birth abroad, etc.  We are finally starting to get back into somewhat of a routine - though I still crash as soon as the kids go to bed.  I fell asleep at 8:30 last night!  The time change is helping me get up earlier, which blesses me with a few minutes of quiet.  Many times I have thought about getting an apron to put over my head like Susannah Wesley did.

Even amidst my discouragement, God has been blessing us so much.  The church has been growing not just in number, but it has been exciting to see the growth in the new Christians and others coming to know the Lord.  Eric has a full schedule of Salvation Bible lessons and discipleship lessons and I have had the opportunity to give some lessons too.  As I shared before, I am really enjoying it.

I have felt really discouraged by my language skills lately - or lack of.  How I want to be able to fluently speak the language!  Eric says my biggest problem is that I don't like to talk unless I can do it perfectly.  I was encouraged the other day though.  Someone asked if I was speaking Ukrainian, since I had an accent.  The more we talked, I'm sure they understood it was just bad Russian. haha!

Also part of our weekly schedule now is mommy time out - either with Eric or Lina, and sometimes a few kids.  This has helped me get some things done that we have needed and also some time away from the house.  It has opened up many witnessing opportunities and special time with my girls.  They are growing into such good little helpers!

Well, baby Abigail is crying so my mind is having trouble writing. ;) 

Scripture Sunday

Sunday Lessons

Another Sunday has past.  They go by so quickly!  This Sunday was the third Bible lesson that I have given.  It has been so exciting to give these lessons and God gave me a good "pupil".  Gala gets so into her lessons and everything is so new to her.  It makes it even more fun for me.  But at the same time it has been humbling and I almost cry at the end of every lesson.  Why?  I can't exactly put that into words.  I'm just so excited and nervous.  Please continue to pray for me that God will give me the words to say and that the Holy Spirit will give her the understanding and conviction to be saved.  She already readily admits she is a sinner, so that's a step.  Also pray that the kids behave during this time.  Our second lesson was a little harder for me because I had one sick kid and the rest kept needing something too.

Following services and Bible studies, Eric brought all the kids with him except Anna and Abigail to bring everyone home.  Anna and I enjoyed this girls' time alone and took advantage of it to play a game of Go Fish. 

As you can see, I am quite awful at it...or I have a little card shark on my hands.

Then we had some fun with the camera.  

 She took some silly pictures of me too, but don't think I'll be posting those. ;)

When Lydia got back she decided to try her hand at GoFish too.

I think I just may be their favorite person to play against.

I'm still planning on sharing with you pictures from when our visitors came in September.  We had such a great time with them and they were a HUGE blessing.  Tonight though, I am too tired.  Hopefully I can get to it this week.  Even though Abigail is 3 months today, we are still haven't seemed to find a routine for our family and because of that my computer time is limited to a few minutes here and there.  I think we're getting there.

VBS

Since we are so behind in updates, we have created a new facebook page which will hopefully help us to better keep you posted with pictures and updates.
In July we had our VBS.  We had about 17 kids coming almost regularly and one young lady professed Christ as her Savior.  It was a fun, yet exhausting week.  If you would like to see pictures I have posted them here at this link...VBS pictures .

Also, we had a safe trip to and from Kiev.  The trains are MUCH nicer then they use to be and they are quicker.  It only took us 4-5 hours instead of the 8-10 it use to take!  The toilets still were dirty so Lydia still refused to use them, but a lot better than before.  There are also a few Dominoes Pizza restaurants in Kiev now!  We are still not eating breads, sugars or processed foods, but we were willing to break it for that...boy was I disappointed when I found out it would take 45 minutes to get there and cost about $35 - one way. :(  I know my husband would have gladly done it for me, but I guess it will have to wait for another time.  We did find a KFC there, which made Eric and Lydia VERY happy.  I must admit it didn't cut it for me, but I had been planning for months to break my diet for a nice big piece of Dominoes Pizza.  I think I need to go make me some cauliflower pizza - in the end, I'd probably decide that I liked it better anyways.

Abigail Grace

 

Abigail Grace was born on August 20th and weighed about 6 1/2 pounds.  As you can see, we are all in love with her.  But who wouldn't be?  Daniel especially seems to adore his baby sister.  She was so tiny!  At her 2 month visit she was double that!

 

She is now almost 3 months and lights up our days.  She seems like our smiliest and giggliest...but it could just be my memory (or lack of).  

(Almost 3 months)

So many exciting things have been happening and I am looking forward to getting you caught up...just a little at a time.  We already have Abigail's Ukrainian papers, now we will be working on her birth abroad,passport, and SS.  We leave on the train for Kiev tomorrow morning at 6:45 AM.

Where is the Red Glare?

Intently he peered into the night, hoping for glimpses of the stars of freedom.  His persistence was rewarded as the thunderous noise of bombs burst into a red glare, illuminating our flag stating, "Freedom is still here!"  Anxiously he searched the shoreline as the early light of dawn cracked the horizon.  Our flag?  Our freedom?  Our America?  Was it still there?

Sitting on the banks of another shore, I peer into the approaching night to see if our flag is still there, searching for some evidence that we truly are still the home of the free and brave, but America is silent.  There is no light to the night sky.  The darkness of night quickly closes in, the colors of those broad stripes and bright stars start to fade, my heart cries out, "What happened?  Where are our brave?"  But there is no reason to question, I already know the answer why.  Not too long after our fathers fought and died, losing houses, lands and families for the freedom of our land, we started concentrating on ourselves building bigger homes and surrounding ourselves with comfortable things.  As we busily built up our homes, we ignored the little red flags as we really were busy and "I'm sure someone else will take care of that."  Our comfort zones became bigger and we could not stand up for truth, not for fear of losing our lives, but for fear of a raised eye brow.  And though I will still cry each time I hear our Spangled Banner sung as I fear I will not see the flag flying as the dawning approaches, I cannot spend my time searching for that beautiful flag of freedom.  No.  I must press forward while there is yet time, impressing the Bible upon my children's hearts and minds and compelling the lost, occasionally glancing to see if our flag is still there.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?