tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3409025604887726492023-11-16T09:51:49.693+02:00From the Heart of Mrs. MissionaryJessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.comBlogger346125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-58043970034131458482014-11-23T23:30:00.000+02:002014-11-23T23:30:10.456+02:00Heart TransplantA few months ago Eric came to me and said he was feeling like God may not be wanting us to go back to Ukraine and would I mind if he started praying, asking God where He wanted us to go. Of course I agreed and even agreed to pray together at night with him. But after he was asleep, sometimes even before that, I would silently weep - trying my best not to let him hear me, begging God to bring me back to my home. Not just my house, I told God that even Western Ukraine was okay. I felt as if my heart was being cut out.<br />
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As time went on, I had a very hard time being in that "waiting on the Lord" period. I was reading through Genesis at that time about Noah and oh! How I felt like I could relate!!! I was just waiting for that ark to rest somewhere and the doors to open! When Eric came to me about Victory, I could feel that it seemed like God was calling us there. It seemed as if our ark came to a rest and I was ready to get out. At each step, I felt for Noah's wife, especially as the last dove did not return and they removed the covering to see dry land. How exciting! Then to have to wait <i>ANOTHER </i>two months for God to open the doors! But God knew things weren't ready yet. How I could feel that desire to jump from the window!!!<br />
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I truly feel as if I've had a heart transplant. That is my home ~my life, completely different from this one in America and unless you've been there, it's probably not understandable. I love those people and have felt like they are <i>MY </i>people. Eric and I had even started looking into what we needed to do to switch our citizenship in case we were told we had to leave. But God had other plans. I feel as if my heart has been taken out and buried there. At the same time, I can feel that God has already been giving me a new heart and I feel excited to see what God is going to do. I feel a love already for the dear people in Sutherlin.<br />
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Oh, it is still very painful at times and I will probably still cry if I talk about it (I'm crying now), but what a peace and joy there is in God's will! I guess when you go through surgery you have pain for years.<br />
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But, do you want to know something amazing? About a year or two ago I started to get very burdened for the family and friends of missionaries - America really. I cried and prayed out to God regularly, "Lord, we are giving up everything, following You to tell others about Jesus Christ. What about <i>OUR</i> family and friends dying and going to hell in America? Please, send someone to them!"<br />
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OH! How I greatly desired for God to answer my prayer!</div>
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I just didn't realize ~</div>
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<i>He wanted me!</i></div>
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Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-69317085499117901762014-11-20T23:37:00.000+02:002014-11-20T23:37:40.587+02:00All the Way My Savior Leads MeWhat have I to ask beside?<br />
Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?<br />
Heav'nly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell!<br />
For I know whate'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well;<br />
For I know whate'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.<br />
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I plan on sharing my heart with you in my next post, but I'd like you to take the time to read our most recent {<a href="http://curtisnukraine.blogspot.com/2014/11/prayer-letter.html" target="_blank">prayer letter</a> } to see where God is leading us.Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-39781585651154841492014-08-06T04:54:00.000+03:002014-08-06T04:54:22.326+03:00Furlough, Friends and BirthdaysI am sure many of you were wondering if I was ever going to post again! It has been a long time. Even though furlough has been busy (we've been from MD to GA and are now visiting churches in the beautiful state of ME) and I have also been trying to finish school (and prepare for the upcoming school year), the main reason I have not posted is because I...ummm, well, I lost my password book. I don't know why I didn't just update everything sooner - it only took me a few minutes. Oh, well. <div>
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It has been a difficult furlough. All I have wanted is to be home...in Ukraine. But it always is refreshing to meet up with our supporting churches. We have the best! It is overwhelming how generous they have been to us, how much they pray for us and really keep up with us.</div>
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We have enjoyed making new friends and meeting up with dear, old friends.</div>
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Sammy turned 4...</div>
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I went "over-the-hill" and turned 31 (how did that happen?!)<br />
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And baby Abigail *sniff* is now 1 year old!!!<br />
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This past year has sure been exciting! But with this guy around, how couldn't it be? ;)</div>
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Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-5530967379806572962014-03-20T23:16:00.001+02:002014-03-20T23:25:37.812+02:00Family Photos 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Eric's favorite. (The reason for Sammy's sad face is probably because he wants to throw sticks in the water. Total boy. LOVE.)</td></tr>
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We are so terrible about taking family photos, but we finally got around to taking them...the day before we made plans to leave Ukraine. We had such a fun day, going to our favorite spots, like the river and the woods.</div>
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We always planned to have them taken on Sunday mornings, but that never works out with us running all over the place to pick people up. We thought about scheduling an appointment with a professional, but this just felt more comfortable...more like just a fun, family outing. That works out better with the kids. :) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abigail wanted me the entire time.</td></tr>
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We stuck the camera on top of the stroller and pushed shoot. They came out cute, except faces were a little blurrier than I wanted, but oh, well. I'll learn how to get it one of these days. And if I keep it this easy and fun I think I can get Eric to agree to family photos more often. :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I LOVE Daniel's pose in this picture. hehe! SO cute!!</td></tr>
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The biggest surprise is that no one yelled at us for not having the kids in snowsuits. ;) It wasn't freezing, but was still a little cooler out (in the 50s) and windy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I think this one is my favorite.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-78730199138689957362014-03-19T19:58:00.000+02:002014-03-19T19:58:21.770+02:00Waiting on the LordAs soon as we both heard it, we looked at each other and Eric said to me, "You know what that sounds like?" "Yeah, the Russians are bombing us..." I replied somewhat jokingly. We both came up with different things it could be and tried to go through our days ignoring the rumbling, the noise and it lighting up the night skies at night...it was just because we were hyped up about the situation that we were thinking like this, they must just be digging for gas. (The Wednesday night I wrote about when the fields were burning, we found
out later was not actually burning fields but the military base near us
training.) We were seeing Ukrainian tanks and military on a constant basis and we knew that the Russians were gathering on the border only 30 kilometers from us. We couldn't share this with friends and family because they were concerned enough. But as the week went on, things only started to look worse. People in our village were almost constantly drunk and some were starting to threaten to get rid of us. Almost every time we called our church people, they thought we were going to say we were leaving. When we met with different people and said see you later, they would reply with, if you are here. They were very sweet to us and a few of them checked up on us during the weeks to make sure we were okay. There were several times we looked at tickets back to the States, but after praying about it, felt peace about staying. Thursday night, Eric talked to a few people and prayed all night. Friday morning when we woke up he told me to pack my bags we were flying out the next morning. <br />
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What changed our minds? I can't really tell you. We went from having perfect peace about staying to feeling a sense of urgency about getting out. Before that day, there were a few things that we did not want to leave without finishing, like Gala's Bible lessons and putting a John and Roman on every door this year (past year) in the village, and we completed all of that just the week before. Maybe God was just waiting for that to be finished...whatever it was, Eric now felt peace about leaving. When I went to order the tickets, I kept asking, "Are you sure?" As we shared that decision with others, it seemed like many of the Ukrainians were actually relieved. I must admit, I felt like they would feel like we were betraying them, leaving them in their time of need - that's how I felt. But they were concerned that the Russians were going to start the war in our front yard and how would we get out fast with five little ones? Some have told us that they don't know if our house or the church will be standing when we get back. I know it is in the Lord's hands and trust Him to bring us back to our home and to the people He has called us to. The entire time our prayer was that the Lord would direct us what to do in His perfect timing. On Sunday, we had a lady come up to us crying saying that she has felt an urgency to pray for us lately and has been praying for us to have wisdom concerning what to do. I know many of you were praying the same way and we greatly appreciate it. Thank you!<br />
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When we first told the children, they could tell we were upset and started to cry. Since then, we have tried to make it out like a fun vacation and they will get to see Grammy and Grampy! They still made sure to tell Vasily to give our dog back when we come home. hehe. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfvCT_G5QtTRQx_iV_7766Hds2HZHTeqIaDpAH-yskuf0bmaNqxyiNSZHLERbgALsPHR52ABnw9itCwBVojBaCdty1BCI1Q-MDFVA5HjOiLBjACWU9FqIFNWsb6Cc4YUJCpwzOPvQ11o/s1600/DSC_1510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtfvCT_G5QtTRQx_iV_7766Hds2HZHTeqIaDpAH-yskuf0bmaNqxyiNSZHLERbgALsPHR52ABnw9itCwBVojBaCdty1BCI1Q-MDFVA5HjOiLBjACWU9FqIFNWsb6Cc4YUJCpwzOPvQ11o/s1600/DSC_1510.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids were pretty excited at finding smileys at the place where we are staying. :)</td></tr>
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Our home and the church is being watched by Vasily. He is staying in our home and checks the church twice a day. I must admit I was a little apprehensive about this since we have had so many deceive us in the past. He does truly appear sincere, yet there is always a little bit of nervousness. I had hoped that Lina and her family could stay, but her husband moved their family to Western Ukraine. I am glad that they will be safe, or at least are closer to the border if they need to escape the country.<br />
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We would truly appreciate your prayers for our people at this time and for us as we anxiously await going home. We are keeping in close contact with them and Lina and her husband are keeping us up to date with any news they hear that we may not read from here. Pray also that we may get the rest we need as it has been a long year and we have been running since furlough Our church people are truly a blessing. In all the years past, whenever we had to leave the country even for a short period to renew our visas, there was always a dreadful feeling that we would be coming home to a mess in the church and have to start from scratch. It has been so exciting and encouraging to see those we have seen saved grow in their faith! Vasily said it was a test for them and that God wanted them to grow more. What a blessing it is! It also seems like God may have answered my prayers concerning a Russian mama. A few years ago, our dear Valentina, our Russian mama, left the church. I had prayed that maybe God would bring us another one. Over this past year, God has only drawn Gala closer to our family. This past week, God brought her to salvation! She has been very concerned about our family and has said she considers us family It is exciting to think that God may have answered my prayers when I had almost given up hope. Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-70302376052408964922014-03-12T22:40:00.000+02:002014-03-12T22:40:04.271+02:00A Village in SmokeDriving through the villages tonight on our way bringing people back to the city, everyone's attention was brought to a large fire. Everyone was a little startled and someone said they thought it was a house. As we continued we noticed another one, then another one. Because of all that is going on in the country, they were most likely thinking it was the Russians. This sight was nothing new to Eric and I...it is burn season in the village and they were burning the fields. If you sit up on the hillside and look over the village, it is covered in smoke during this time of year.<br />
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As we were driving through the city, one of the ladies said that it seemed like there were more large vehicles on the roads than usual, saying that maybe the Russians had sent them there to scare us...but that we weren't scared. <br />
<br />
The church still has a sweet atmosphere - possibly sweeter than before, yet over everyone's heads looms the thought that the Russians are coming...that they are already here. There are so many rumors floating around and we have tried to keep their attention focused on Jesus and the peace that He brings. We are in a part of Ukraine which has probably seen the least amount of the problems, yet there are always the "What if's" which for some people has been debilitating. They can do nothing but watch the news...and some just get drunk.<br />
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<br />
Yet through all of this, God has answered one of the prayers dearest to my heart ~ for Gala to be saved. I have been doing Bible lessons with her for some time now and she was so much on my mind that I even had dreams of her almost dying before getting saved. She is the first person that I have done the lessons with. Some days I felt so incapable of presenting them to her. It was extremely difficult to keep her attention at times - especially with cute, little Abigail there. Yet it was such a blessing to be able to be a part of sharing the Gospel with her! As we approached the last lesson, I carefully prayed and studied. When we sat down to do the lessons, it felt like there were more distractions than usual. Once Eric took Abigail, that helped, but even with no cuties there to distract her, she easily got talking about different things besides what we were talking about. <span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Lina
and I could both feel the spiritual battle for her soul. She already
knew so much, yet could not point to a time in her life where she had
made Christ her Savior. At one point, Lina turned to me and asked what
else should we say as we were sitting there in silence. I said, Let'<span class="text_exposed_show">s
pray. Then afterwards I turned to Gala and asked her if she were to stand before
God today, before the judgement seat of Christ, could she stand there
100% sure, knowing, without fear that He would let her into Heaven. She
sat there quietly, with her hands by her face for quite some time.
Then said no. This time as we talked to her about a moment in her life
when she had repented of her sins and asked Jesus Christ as her Savior
she said that there had not been. She said she wanted to. I cannot
think of a good word in English to translate what she said after, it was
something like now her life would be lighter, brighter, happier,
enlightened...all those words plus more. The Russian word seems so much
better. She immediately asked us where she should start reading her
Bible!!! My heart is full with gratefulness and joy! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">So you see, yes, there may be rumors swirling all around us, but we cannot leave unless/until it is God's timing and will for us to leave. If we had left when everyone was telling us we should, I would not have been able to be used to help lead Gala to the cross. </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<br /><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">All growing up this was a favorite verse of mine and I have found myself turning to it over and over again this past year...<br /> </span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5<br /> </span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">This is our prayer. For God to give us wisdom. That is probably the
best way you can pray for us. It would be so easy for us just t<span class="text_exposed_show">o
leave until things calm down, but I truly and completely believe that I
am more safe here in GOD'S WILL then anywhere in America. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">So, how can
you pray? Pray first for the Ukrainians to be saved. Pray specifically
for Lina's family (her husband, her dad, her brother). God has already changed Lina's husband's political perspective...which is a miracle in itself. Now we are praying for his spiritual perspective.
Pray for those we have come in contact with over the years (Dr. Larissa,
Pasha and his mom, Dr. Andrea). Secondly, pray for God to give us
wisdom as to what He would have us to do in each circumstance. I love
you all very much and am so grateful to have so many on their knees
praying for us and Ukraine. Thank you!</span></span>Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-78340926751409583622014-03-10T22:22:00.001+02:002014-03-10T22:22:40.720+02:00Wars Within and Without<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
It has been so long that I hardly know how to even get started blogging again! This past year has contained so much that would to fill many blog posts, yet the ability to write seems to have completely left me. So many blessings and so many struggles! In our entire time here, I cannot remember a time when we have seen God work so much in the lives of the people here but I also cannot remember a time when we have been under such attack. One of those blessings of course was our dear, baby girl ~Abigail Grace. It truly was God's grace in giving her to us for she can bring a smile to your face no matter what you are going through. We have had answers to prayers like co-workers and those who we've been praying for get saved. Through all of this, there have also been struggles. I was brought to my knees...to my face many times this past year. <br />
<br />
It felt as if we were attacked on all sides. On the physical side, my baby boy was brought to the emergency room before his second birthday twice. The first time was not even 24 hours after Abigail was born. Daniel grabbed a can out of the trash and cut his finger. Eric brought him in and he had to have stitches. That's no big deal - except I knew where he had brought him. I had seen how rough the nurses were with Anna when she broke her collar bone and this time it was a different doctor who would not allow Eric to go in with him. It made my heart faint! To know my baby was in there with a bunch of strangers who were most likely not being very kind to him. Eric paid them extra for the cosmetic stitches and for anesthetics. The bandages accidentally came off one time and we noticed that they had not used cosmetic stitches but instead the cheaper stitches. I felt sick. Not so much at that thought, but at the possibility that they had just pocketed the couple dollars instead of giving him anesthetics to help with the pain...figuring he would cry anyways. How I wished that Eric would have at least stayed to make sure they administered that! I vowed NEVER to allow them to do anything else to my babies without me or Eric being there with them. The second time was New Year's Day. New Year's Eve Daniel had a big bruised looking bump on his leg and a high fever. We were nervous about bringing him in especially since all of the doctor's we would trust were on holiday break, but we felt like it was serious. When Eric got there they told him it was an infection and he needed to be brought in and have it opened and drained right away...but Eric could not go with him. Eric said he would just fly him out to America or somewhere else then. They said he had that right, but they did not think there was time for that. He could tell they were getting irritated with him for not just doing what they said right away. What a hard decision! Just remembering makes me want to cry all over again! After consulting with a few other people both Stateside and here in Ukraine, we agreed to do it. How hard it is just to hand your baby over to someone else when they could not even assure you that you would ever see him again! Originally they told Eric he could stay the night at the hospital, just not with Daniel; but when Daniel came out of surgery, they told him he had to leave. They told him Daniel was being moved into the intensive care unit and to come in the morning with all of the other parents to find out how he was doing, they did not even take his phone number...again warning him that there was still a possibility he could die and it could be 3 days before we could see him. I don't know if I've ever cried so hard. All I wanted was to hold my baby - yet he was SO far from me and I did not know if I'd ever get to hold him again. Laying there curled up, rocking - not knowing if I was going to wake up and find out my son did not make it through the night- I was brought to my breaking point. Eric sensed it too and knew there was a good possibility that we may be heading back to the States. It was more than a strong consideration for me, what exactly my thought process was I cannot remember. I do know that the Lord is gracious and merciful to my frailties. I surrendered myself and my son again to Him. How grateful I am that God did not chose to take my baby! And that He did not make me wait 3 days to see him! When Eric talked to the doctor the next day they said Daniel was awake and screaming. They were going to move him to a regular room and Eric could stay with him! (Probably because Daniel was too much work to try to hold down in bed. I guess he was kicking and screaming quite a bit, probably from all of the strangers and being in a strange place hooked up to IVs.) To be honest, it is only by the mercy and grace of God that I am still here. I am humbled that He would continue to use such a weak vessel as I.<br />
<br />
Besides our physical trials, there have been the spiritual battles within the church. One of the biggest of those was with Slavic and Olea, who have since left the church.<br />
<br />
Then there are the wars without, which I am sure all of you know about. At the moment, we have perfect peace about staying here and we are seeing God confirm that decision by blessing and answering some prayers that are closest and dearest to our hearts. I will share those blessings and answered prayers in my next post (hopefully very soon), since this post has ended up being much longer that I intended...and MUCH more open and candid than I planned. I think that is the biggest reason I have avoided blogging - I was afraid of sharing too much of my heart. It's a little scary to do that, but I pray that God will use it. I look forward to sharing with you next time how little all of this is in comparison to God's blessings. Pray for Ukraine. Pray for their salvation, and pray for us.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;"</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>II Corinthians 4:8 </i></div>
Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-52416486462644056882013-12-19T07:53:00.001+02:002013-12-19T07:53:20.136+02:00To Walk Worthy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Abigail with Gala</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
Thank you all so much for your sweet, encouraging emails. Each of them were such a blessing to me. I have tried to reply to each of you. If you have not received an email back, it is because I sent it, but my email said it did not send a couple. I will retry again once I get a chance. <br />
<br />
Things around here have been busy as usual, with people coming in and out constantly. This is something I've had to get use to as I greatly enjoy "<i>my</i>" privacy and "<i>my</i>" quiet time. <br />
<br />
For those of you who don't know, our dining room/living room is also our bedroom. So even through the night, kids are coming through to go to the bathroom, and this past week, others were to. But there is one time of the day when it is quiet (at least in the winter when it is dark) and that is early in the morning between 5- sometimes 7. That is when Eric and I get up, light a candle on the table and read our Bibles. Sitting next to each other in sweet quietness, sharing what God is showing us. During the week that Slavic, Olea and Vasily were here, it was sometimes a little interrupted, but for the most part, we still had our quiet time...except for one morning...<br />
<br />
Abigail has been pretty restless at nights, so one particular morning I propped up some pillows and stayed by her while starting my devotions. In comes Vasily, pulls up a stool and sits at the table in <i>MY SPOT</i>!!! "I'm not disturbing anything am I?" he asks Eric. The first thought that comes into my head is, "Oh, no. You're not disturbing anyone. This is just the <i>ONLY</i> time Eric and I have together, but no. You're not disturbing anyone." Afterwards, I almost starting laughing about it.<br />
<br />
So, God has been teaching me patience and love this past year. It is quite funny. I thought I had it down. I've even been complimented multiple times on how patient I am. So, even if I was failing in every other area, I was good in the patient area. hehe...Pride goeth before a fall. Thankfully, God hasn't just been giving me testing, but has also been encouraging me and convicting through Scriptures almost daily about it. I thought I would share one of my devotion journal entries from this past week. <br />
<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">12/14 Ephesians 4</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>4:1 "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,"</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>~ To walk worthy of our calling...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> We are not worthy of the privilege to be missionaries, yet the Lord has allowed us to be here. It is not the lowest calling someone could have on their lives, but it is a privilege.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>4:2 "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>~ We aren't supposed to puff ourselves up and say, "Look what I am." No. We are to serve realizing just how unworthy we are of this position. It is not because we are super Christians that we have been called to the field. God says He likes to use the weak things so that He can be seen and glorified rather than for us to be seen and glorified.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>~ He also says we are to forbear one another in love.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> Sometimes on the mission field, we will just have to forbear in love because, for the most part, we are surrounded by baby Christians who will do things wrong. It would be very easy and natural to get angry and say, "You don't want to do right? Well, forget you!"</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> No. We must <u>forbear</u> in <u>love</u>, tenderly and gently guiding them into the right path.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>4:3 "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>~ Endeavor is a good word here as sometimes it is an endeavor to keep people in the Spirit in peace with each other. It is an endeavor just to keep ourselves in the Spirit and at peace with other Christians! We all have the fleshly tendency to gossip and get irritated with each other.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> I believe some people are better at this than others...Eric is so good at it and I can learn a lot from him. Thank you Lord for giving me a peacemaking husband and pastor for our little, sometimes contentious, church here. YOU knew what we needed.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>4:7 "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>~He has given each of us a gift. Some of us He has called to be missionaries, some teachers, etc. Each of us that are saved have been called Christians and we ought to walk worthy of that calling - <b>to be Christ-like</b>.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> He says He has called us to be Christ-like and He will give us the grace to do it.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Why has He given us our different gifts or callings?</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>4:12 "For the perfecting of the saints, </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> for the work of the ministry,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> for the edifying of the body of Christ."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> </i>I know it could probably be written out more beautifully, but I left it just as I wrote it. Sometimes when we are going through some trials, especially with the people in our church, I have a tendency to say (like Moses), "Lord, why did you give us these people!" But He reminds me over and over that I am not "above" my calling. I am not worthy to be here. I am weak and sinful. I am not even above them, yet HE has called me and put me here. Thank You, Lord, for choosing me and using me! Thank you also for Your grace and strength as I am such a weak vessel!</div>
Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-61573712302403670432013-12-18T10:15:00.001+02:002013-12-18T10:15:33.751+02:00Psalm 51:10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-86229590265768140762013-12-10T15:06:00.000+02:002013-12-10T15:06:31.313+02:00To Brighten Your Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Her giggles never fail to brighten my days and bring a smile to my face. :)</div>
Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-9316475683915014892013-12-09T21:36:00.000+02:002013-12-09T21:36:41.290+02:00To Surrender a Light Bulb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
This past year since furlough has been a trying and exhausting year.<br />
Over and over again, I found myself <i>telling</i> God that I needed a break. I <i>needed</i> fellowship.<br />
Over and over I found myself brought to a place where I was physically so weak that all I could do was lay down on the bathroom floor and cry, begging God for just some relief from my exhaustion.<br />
<br />
At the moment, my mind is drawing a blank as to why it was so physically and spiritually draining for me.<br />
It just felt like we had one thing after another happen.<br />
<br />
I knew and know that this is where God wants us, but still I struggled with wanting to buy a ticket and fly back to America...even if it was just for a visit.<br />
<br />
Would it have helped?<br />
Probably not, but there is always this fantasy that "everything is better when OFF the mission field".<br />
<br />
It's funny.<br />
I thought I was surrendered.<br />
Fully surrendered.<br />
Yet I've come to realize, especially over the course of this past year, how truly selfish I am.<br />
<br />
As our church has grown, I have been selfish of my husband's time and attention.<br />
As our family has grown, I have been selfish of my own time.<br />
<br />
On the outside, oh yeah. I was surrendered.<br />
I live in a small home.<br />
Away from my family.<br />
<br />
You know the list...<br />
<br />
But I wasn't even willing to surrender a light bulb.<br />
<br />
Oh, it wasn't your ordinary light bulb.<br />
No. This one is 'cool'.<br />
You just pull the plug and there's light.<br />
I liked this little light for doing my devotions and it is great when we lose electricity.<br />
<br />
Well, a couple in our church lost electricity a few weeks ago and asked to borrow it.<br />
My first reaction was, "NOOOO!!!" They don't NEED it. They just want it because it's neat.<br />
They have matches and flashlights. This isn't practical anyways because the batteries run out so quickly.<br />
The Lord convicted me of my selfishness and I knew it wasn't just for them, but I wasn't willing to surrender it to HIM. He has blessed me with SO much, and yet I wasn't willing to give a little light bulb. So we gave it to them...happily.<br />
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Again, a few weeks ago I was feeling completely exhausted. <br />
I just begged God for a break...maybe even for Thanksgiving. <br />
Just a few days to visit with another missionary.<br />
God answered my prayer and another missionary couple invited us to stay with them for Thanksgiving!<br />
You can imagine my excitement!<br />
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It wasn't going to be easy since it was the week we were doing all of our registration work, but we booked our tickets.<br />
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The day before we were to leave, we 'happened' to call a couple in our church to see if they could take care of our dog.<br />
They were drunk.<br />
Eric said he was going to go get them.<br />
Right then I KNEW what was going to happen and what God would ask of me. <br />
How I hardened to the idea!<br />
The Lord KNEW how much I NEEDED this break!<br />
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Well, by the time Eric got home hours later, the Lord softened my heart so that I was willing to surrender.<br />
We still had a GREAT Thanksgiving and I had the energy to go on.<br />
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Eric helped this couple a few times the past two weeks, yet they continued to get drunk.<br />
We kept talking about how needed a mission was here, where people like that could stay...<br />
we just needed a bigger house. <br />
Yep, you guessed it!<br />
Yesterday, they begged for help as they just couldn't stop. So, we moved them into one of our rooms.<br />
Another young man in our church is staying here too to help us. (He is sleeping in the mudroom.)<br />
And you guess what?<br />
As I laid on the ground begging God for strength, I found out...<br />
It was not a vacation I needed,<br />
It was HIM.<br />
Getting up from prayer, HE renewed my strength and my joy.<br />
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I have found out this past year,<br />
surrender is not a one time thing...<br />
it must be done <i>daily</i>.<br />
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And sometimes it's not the big things.<br />
<br />
Sometimes it's just a light bulb. <br />
<br />Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-21524561703873745152013-12-02T08:26:00.001+02:002013-12-02T08:26:25.345+02:00Happy Thanksgiving!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!</div>
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We didn't have a big thanksgiving dinner this year </div>
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because we were planning on visiting other missionaries, </div>
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but plans changed at the last minute. </div>
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We still had a great day.</div>
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Vasily has been eating with us lately, so he came over and visited.</div>
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We also had a lot of Indians and Pilgrims. :) </div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tloL87mqgGxcOOuzA-UWacZJoBWuxbdtTXr6ek4z1RBhB56yOxoTDLoDKLuOIuJnGDQSV0OCjEv4k9s0m_BywnzknzsCT7CQr32KLnlpv6Sd7SgD6GZRg9zebTxKDQvCzDfiALgO58M/s640/The+crew.jpg" width="640" /> </div>
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Eric eluded the camera all day, so sorry, there's no pictures of him...unless you count the Indian mask. </div>
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Daniel ripped his Indian hat before we got started.</div>
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(Thank you, Anna and Lydia for making all the hats and decorations! You did a GREAT job!)</div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVlIBceTYqFAZCyS5vhwU5YsyOc811OTY_orbEFfczAJ1sqrihQBDkI7j8I4zK0nyE9IuNIY7DeXkRlU1KVLI1saHHRMqdO4qM_EdgRAkz53k2uu3N3pyhcCsGMhuFV74QCzXA2kCDtE/s640/little+indian.jpg" width="640" /> </div>
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Anna didn't think Abigail should be left out so kept adding feathers to her headband.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyRQpcb3YfTlYHq5tIxKaIKe6RjlEDdFYka1swNJYfdViQHaGjtSQdmN5kvBa-xSjt1h5W-4zag2WEw-eTlp-AsTJdni6O3k9Ei3mDmU8MlRVknh57s3Y3VmSYiSE3iQdU4Faw5FSQFE/s640/Girls.jpg" width="382" /> </div>
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Everyone got to take turns being the photographer, so we have lots of pictures of Mama.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZQyagIleg0WdIm5n90n7Lroo5pivp2SvTprLJ78RWRNKQdabWSexODSbi8LDFmah4bKNqEIcjjSBPK-yuXDqm581nFhn8MqDZFU7TOBNqKwCzMb2WHwJFjM9wS0AWlkyex4tBohH1UY/s640/Games.jpg" width="640" /> </div>
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Then we played games...Sammy photobombed the first picture. hehe</div>
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I noticed afterwards that I didn't get as many as him. Poor guy! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVfWNq6-i_6QPFgc1sQTK60IB_5orSCezalz8Lt7yQzY04-qxdK4REIGG7YEnSqtR-IQR3Je2Rgmg8avNeOWbXby3Eh49N_yOXgeM8gyWLookAfF-2lQv48STJQvO6v5yzWDOaPFrpDI/s1600/pumpkin+pies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVfWNq6-i_6QPFgc1sQTK60IB_5orSCezalz8Lt7yQzY04-qxdK4REIGG7YEnSqtR-IQR3Je2Rgmg8avNeOWbXby3Eh49N_yOXgeM8gyWLookAfF-2lQv48STJQvO6v5yzWDOaPFrpDI/s640/pumpkin+pies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And lastly, EVERYONE wanted pumpkin pie. BUT I didn't have time to buy a pumpkin (or squash) ahead of time. Thankfully, I had enough pumpkin in the freezer to make mini pumpkin pies. Eric was especially excited that they were gluten-refined sugar free. We were planning on breaking it, but since we had to be home, he asked that I try to stay by the diet. It has been fun to come up with different ways to make the things he likes. He was even more excited about the cream and ate all the left over. It was a cashew cream. It's not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie and what's pumpkin pie without cream? </div>
Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-58847460108273575142013-11-30T22:59:00.001+02:002013-11-30T22:59:44.536+02:00Bible Lessons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACHn2-kUGdKyF9XKuzZAzdS77iFezuqV51b8TkUEXef7nGXcJslEb0aMVqILjAI8xTdswUsivUhMkXC2MSaOopf-bZvJaANJiMqUj4KJKNXmuYIl12YZlMJ_8k4UWS_pM4y_12vIMxaw/s1600/Katia+Anna+n+Lydia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACHn2-kUGdKyF9XKuzZAzdS77iFezuqV51b8TkUEXef7nGXcJslEb0aMVqILjAI8xTdswUsivUhMkXC2MSaOopf-bZvJaANJiMqUj4KJKNXmuYIl12YZlMJ_8k4UWS_pM4y_12vIMxaw/s640/Katia+Anna+n+Lydia.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know I have been the most sporadic blogger lately and I have wanted to share this with you for a while, but we have had people in our home almost constant, so blogging time has been at a minimum. I am giving 3 Bible lessons now and one of those is to Katiya, Bogdan's mom. We were so excited when she said that she wanted to start her lessons! <br />
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She is on her 4th or 5th lesson now. My heart was stirred each time I talked with her as it seemed like she was searching. After the 2nd lesson, she really wanted to know HOW she could be saved and Lina and I spent about 1-2 hours with her talking about how she could be saved. How exciting it was when she bowed her head to ask Jesus as her Savior! She has been coming to every single service since then and been doing devotions with her boys every night. We're praying that God will continue to work in this family and that Ruselan (her husband) and her son, Nikita, will be saved too. Her lessons are on Fridays.<br />
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I am giving two other lessons on Sundays. One lady, Luda, has also recently made a profession so the lessons are just for clarity. The other lesson is with Gala. I don't think she is saved, but she seems to know a lot of the information. Please be in prayers especially for her lessons. Pray for me also that God will give me clarity of speech and especially of mind as sometimes it is difficult to give lessons with little ones running around.<br />
Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-28611174339959431232013-11-17T19:12:00.002+02:002013-11-17T19:12:26.076+02:00Strange Americans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaqGi_xTIFdnhF8pwzgchpuAp9XNkVw5TLY01ZA9x7VuA0B0gYt2pd5AG2waJcvZ6gbUpGL25tbVxd507mOnAbqdjDazJLoCGVr6eZpMQzIic5QzNna-imTximybuW8JzeTtRfyyMKcc/s1600/pickle+jar+bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaqGi_xTIFdnhF8pwzgchpuAp9XNkVw5TLY01ZA9x7VuA0B0gYt2pd5AG2waJcvZ6gbUpGL25tbVxd507mOnAbqdjDazJLoCGVr6eZpMQzIic5QzNna-imTximybuW8JzeTtRfyyMKcc/s640/pickle+jar+bw.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"NO!!! What are you doing?!" </span></i> </div>
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I exclaimed in complete disbelief </div>
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as Lydia's dirty little hand started going down into the pickle jar. </div>
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By this time, Eric was rolling over laughing. </div>
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I ignored him and continued, </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"Not at MY table!"</span></i></div>
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I still remember the first time someone stuck their hand in, </div>
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grabbed out a pickle and offered it to me.</div>
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I wondered if they had washed their hands.</div>
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Is this typical Ukrainian? </div>
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No. I don't think I could say that, but it is very common in the village where we live. </div>
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Something that I have not really gotten use to. </div>
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I still rush for a fork before someone sticks their hand in the pickle jar or other canned goods, </div>
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making everyone smile. </div>
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I think I will forever be amusing to them because I am a... </div>
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<i>strange American.</i></div>
Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-67337961253464763462013-11-13T06:00:00.000+02:002013-11-13T06:00:00.439+02:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_KWUL4Z6YaSwlstw0tFV_jQbFhc3xpZrOBXJBVIe3tK-PPxDOGZOZs-sz5g1g1-7dMPCMvsnRqhr4WT1PdioJ_ks58NG1yT2owqT1xlBxTgWwf2M-N8Sov9axDGEdLQUyQsJmyV9TWg/s1600/DSC_0496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_KWUL4Z6YaSwlstw0tFV_jQbFhc3xpZrOBXJBVIe3tK-PPxDOGZOZs-sz5g1g1-7dMPCMvsnRqhr4WT1PdioJ_ks58NG1yT2owqT1xlBxTgWwf2M-N8Sov9axDGEdLQUyQsJmyV9TWg/s640/DSC_0496.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSi2433dEHlLHQtT9hn4svANqpChbBd_Bucom7g_Hcw9JqlIDRFZwhYSuwMWsi9QTMIkKsQbeeB7YuJwQWx7zjX27CkPw2cag16CMh8DB7a-h__FYIKzULfsZ_NyrlYuwA_l5XmtKAjs/s1600/DSC_0498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSi2433dEHlLHQtT9hn4svANqpChbBd_Bucom7g_Hcw9JqlIDRFZwhYSuwMWsi9QTMIkKsQbeeB7YuJwQWx7zjX27CkPw2cag16CMh8DB7a-h__FYIKzULfsZ_NyrlYuwA_l5XmtKAjs/s640/DSC_0498.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-77430031510512213162013-11-11T20:53:00.000+02:002013-11-11T20:53:05.473+02:00Gluten-Free Oven Fried Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGhsUcK-hxNrP-ec09GrOlqYKzxHq7T6gzhs4H0UoA3lRb4aQ2u9DBPKxCvzfRU8sixwHtIQ35xgRC-RT00lo84N0O0m8GVcd91rkD6qBwY686m-VNuxoUbiyjCyAVNNx2FhtZ6423G4/s1600/DSC_0612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGhsUcK-hxNrP-ec09GrOlqYKzxHq7T6gzhs4H0UoA3lRb4aQ2u9DBPKxCvzfRU8sixwHtIQ35xgRC-RT00lo84N0O0m8GVcd91rkD6qBwY686m-VNuxoUbiyjCyAVNNx2FhtZ6423G4/s640/DSC_0612.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the things we've missed the most since we started doing a gluten-free diet was oven fried chicken. So last week I surprised my family with it...just a modified version of it. I substituted ground oatmeal (oat flour) for the flour and skipped dipping it in the milk and egg whites. It came out SO good! When it was all gone, the kids were still asking for more!<br />
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It is easy too - my favorite kind of recipe. <br />
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Put about 1/4 cup of butter in a baking dish and melt in the oven.<br />
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Grind in the blender about a cup of oatmeal, then mix the oatmeal with your favorite seasonings. <br />
Roll your chicken strips in the oatmeal until thickly coated.<br />
Place the chicken in your pan - coating both sides of the chicken with butter.<br />
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Bake on 425 for about 20 minutes - or until tender and white.<br />
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It's been exciting to be able to find recipes for my family that we enjoy, are healthy and that actually taste great. I've just had to be a little more creative. ;) I'm thinking about Thanksgiving over here and excited to try a green bean casserole with this type of topping on onions. Now, if only to find a substitute for stuffing...Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-59594759452441011502013-11-09T21:11:00.000+02:002013-11-09T21:11:17.589+02:00Strange Americans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lQQpXkm4usTULHzEYT5SgnXFT_yD77TUW7cRFYTV3u69H72-gRJzIoDfyl-l50bHZ-BKFAKRxwUAxv5uIuq2JqjgHkIn5Z1JHrNQW0wH9W-0BF7vvhBhBpPcBz67-nf135UIhuIvOao/s1600/whistle+def.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lQQpXkm4usTULHzEYT5SgnXFT_yD77TUW7cRFYTV3u69H72-gRJzIoDfyl-l50bHZ-BKFAKRxwUAxv5uIuq2JqjgHkIn5Z1JHrNQW0wH9W-0BF7vvhBhBpPcBz67-nf135UIhuIvOao/s640/whistle+def.png" width="546" /></a></div>
What do you think of when you think of whistling? The first thing that comes to my mind is happiness. I think of someone happily walking along, cleaning the house, etc. whistling a happy tune.<br />
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Eric, without even thinking about it, goes around whistling hymns. One Sunday as he was whistling a hymn throughout the church, filling the building with the joyful sound, a few people came up to him and firmly said, "You can't do that!" or "That is rude!"<br />
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It took us a minute to figure out that they were talking about him whistling! To them, whistling is rude - ESPECIALLY inside a building.<br />
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We were told this comes from the superstition that, if you whistle you will lose your money...so it is even more rude to whistle at someone else's house. ;)<br />
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Even if Eric tried, he can't refrain from whistling. Everyone still says something, but they all just laugh and understand...<br />
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Americans are Strange!</div>
Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-80361195740430924362013-11-07T07:30:00.002+02:002013-11-07T21:14:18.529+02:00Vladamir Vonavich<div style="text-align: center;">
He sat there, slouched over in the chair, just listening to the conversations around him, when Anna came up to him. </div>
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Her little hand slipped into his large wrinkled hands. </div>
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His first thought was that she was trying to greet him. </div>
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Then she sweetly and quietly asked, "Will you please go outside with me?" </div>
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"Why?" he asked with a puzzled look. </div>
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I quickly replied, "Her papa said that she could not go out unless an adult was out there..." </div>
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Before I could finish, he was out of his seat and walking with her towards the door. </div>
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By the time I made it out to the yard, they had already started a game of soccer. I could not believe he was playing with them! I rushed back inside to get my camera (everyone probably wondering what I was doing), turned it on, then Oh! No SD card! Then I remembered the old one still in my camera bag. Just maybe, maybe...yes! It still had enough memory on it! </div>
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I quickly snapped a few pictures then sat down to watch them play. I watched him, hunched over almost running around. I watched him as he held his leg the entire time he played and thought, "He really shouldn't be doing that." Then I looked up at his smile. And I remembered the hard life he has had.</div>
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I remembered the years he spent caring for his bedridden wife with alzheimer's so bad that she would beat on him and scream "what did you do to my husband?"<br />
He still brought her flowers. </div>
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I remembered how disheveled he looked after she passed away. </div>
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I remembered all of the other troubles he's had this past year.</div>
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I remembered all of this and looked at his happy face and wanted to cry for the sweet moments of happiness he was having. And there was no way I was going to make him stop playing.</div>
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How thankful I am that God saved this dear, sweet man!</div>
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<br />Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-18435778551947078472013-11-06T06:30:00.000+02:002013-11-06T06:30:02.476+02:00Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-46356333621214437452013-11-04T18:38:00.001+02:002013-11-04T18:38:52.292+02:00Lydia is 5!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How can it even be possible?! Only yesterday you were a little bundle in my arms with hair that looked like I styled it...my perfect little baby doll. How I have enjoyed the years with you!<br />
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For the most part, you are </div>
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Though you definitely have your silly, noisy moments ~ ESPECIALLY if you have one on one time. :)</div>
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We started the day with birthday spanks/kisses.</div>
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Then the hunt was on.</div>
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The wrapping is becoming part of our tradition. ;)</div>
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It's always interesting to buy English toys in a foreign country. </div>
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All of the kids were busy playing house while Daniel and I prepared the birthday meal...well, I prepared. He was too busy digging into the cake to help cook.<br />
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You requested a green, chocolate cake. It's hard to see, but it is a light green. And one of the candles was one of those ever-flame candles. That always makes it more exciting.<br />
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Poor baby Abigail was sick all day, but she got lots of love still.<br />
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We finished of the day with a tea party. With three girls, we have plenty of those.<br />
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Happy Birthday my Lyda-bug!<br />
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Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-27163592734270670932013-10-29T14:30:00.000+02:002013-10-29T14:33:32.814+02:00Getting Back<br />
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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. ;)<br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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! <br />
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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!<br />
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Well, baby Abigail is crying so my mind is having trouble writing. ;) Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-70382962596065404902013-10-27T19:47:00.000+02:002013-10-27T19:47:50.310+02:00Scripture Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-58502166237098738462013-10-20T22:30:00.002+03:002013-10-20T22:30:54.177+03:00Sunday LessonsAnother 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.<br />
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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. <br />
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As you can see, I am quite awful at it...or I have a little card shark on my hands. </div>
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Then we had some fun with the camera. </div>
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She took some silly pictures of me too, but don't think I'll be posting those. ;)</div>
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When Lydia got back she decided to try her hand at GoFish too.</div>
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I think I just may be their favorite person to play against.</div>
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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. Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-77734323062704016272013-10-13T20:22:00.001+03:002013-10-13T20:22:50.693+03:00VBSSince 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. <br />
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 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/curtisnukraine/photos" target="_blank">pictures . </a><br />
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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. <br />
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<br />Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340902560488772649.post-81421882923521769942013-10-10T16:17:00.002+03:002013-10-10T16:17:59.776+03:00Abigail Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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! </div>
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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). </div>
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(Almost 3 months)</div>
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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.</div>
Jessica Curtishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04764438640150488190noreply@blogger.com4