Furlough, Friends and Birthdays

I 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.  

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.

We have enjoyed making new friends and meeting up with dear, old friends.

  

Sammy turned 4...

I went "over-the-hill" and turned 31 (how did that happen?!)

And baby Abigail *sniff* is now 1 year old!!!

This past year has sure been exciting!  But with this guy around, how couldn't it be? ;)

For Grumpy & Grammy Curtis ;)

 

Found these today when I was looking at some pictures taken of church on my little kodak and thought you guys would enjoy them.  Maybe as much as they enjoyed their ice creams...though, by the looks of their faces {and clothes}, that's debatable. 

We miss you guys!  Thank you for the SWEET memories!

Across the World

 {Sammy's first hayride at a dear church in Maine during their mission's conference...just a couple weeks before we flew out.  We love you guys!}

I apologize for being absent from the blogging world for a little while.  I did some lurking, but didn't feel much like writing.  The last three weeks we were in the states were filled with 2 missions conferences, a ladies conference I went to with my pastor's wife (yes, Eric watched ALL the kids AND cooked and cleaned!  I need to get away more often. ;)), and my parents made a quick (2-day) last minute trip up from Florida when we were in VA to visit.  Even if it was a quick visit, the kids made so many memories and had a great time visiting with them.  Then there were all of the good-bye's.  I also wasn't sure if I was going to be able to continue to use this blog as I have no more photo uploads available...can you believe that? ;)  BUT I found out, I can just open an account with photobucket and use URL!  

{Anna at the kids first hayride.  They went twice!}

We flew out of Dulles airport Thursday evening and arrived in Moscow, Russia about 9-10 hours later.  Then we walked around the airport, slept in the waiting areas, walked around some more...we had an eleven hour layover, so we had plenty of time.  We didn't like walking around much because of the attention we attracted {4 kids + luggage}.  We felt like celebrities with our own paparazzi!  Serious!  Every time we were walking around people would take our picture and talk about how many kids we had.  Some even would squat down ahead of us and take our picture while we were walking, each kid dragging along a rolling bag.

We have now been in Ukraine for about 10 days.  Our first Sunday went well, we had at least 21 not counting our family.  Tamara has started coming again and seems very sincere and faithful.  Her son, Ruslan (whom Eric did Bible lessons in the prison with), has visited with us a few times and has promised to come to church, but hasn't come yet.  I think the hardest thing about church is that Valentina, our Russian mama, is no longer coming and has talked to Eric about removing her membership.  Sometimes I am okay, knowing that God has a plan and His plan is always best.  At others, it is extremely heartbreaking.  I want to say, "Never again will I allow myself or my family to become so close to someone."  But is that wrong?  I don't know.  We have to love, and I don't think I could help that, but we definitely can't put our faith in man.

Since we have been home, we have been busy unpacking, organizing, starting school again (a post about that soon for those who have asked about what we are doing), working on paperwork...there never ceases to be work.  In fact, I almost waited to start school just so I could get things more in order, but I am SO glad I didn't!  That first week was so hard as no one would sleep at night.  I had Eric moving furniture at 3 AM!  The kids didn't sleep either and many times, we'd just let them play in their rooms (we've worked it out so that the boys have a room and the girls have a room...again, I'll save this for another post).  Finally, it seems we are adjusting to the time change.

{Uncle Micah knows how to win their favor, just pull up Cinderella. ;)}

Another exciting thing that's happened is Eric started teaching the adult's Sunday School class IN Russian!!  Yesterday was his first day and it sounds like he did pretty good.  Slavic helped him a lot, he said.  (Lina, the church translator, teaches the children's Sunday School.)  I know he'd appreciate your prayers as he plans to continue teaching in Russian.  Also for our registration.  Without it, we will have to leave the country again.  That would be so difficult, especially at this time.  It would also be nice to have our heating system working.  Our little electric heaters are doing a pretty good job at the moment.

I would love your prayers too that God would direct me in how to wisely use my time.  I have a long list of things I would like to do, but I don't think it is possible to do them all.  I would LOVE to learn the Russian sign language, start an English class using the Bible, I'm also starting a children's bell choir, then there are ladies' meeting ideas, I'd love to pick back up my violin, learn to play the flute {I may just have to wait for my kids to do those and just stick to the piano}...anyways, you get the idea.  I'm a BIG dreamer.  At the moment, I am just trying to help the kids get into a routine and get things organized around the house.  My prayer is that God will give me wisdom as I slowly add in things and that they would only be what He desires for me to do.

{Goodbye kisses}

Well, hope I haven't overloaded you with my update.  Looking forward to sharing with you some more specific posts soon.  Thank you all for your prayers, kind emails and comments.  What an encouragement they have been!

Capturing the Sunsets

Where has the time gone?  It felt like we had forever and already we are having to say goodbye.  I am very ready to be back home, yet it is always so hard to say goodbye.  How thankful I am for the time we have had!  We have enjoyed so much!  

We LOVED walking over to see the cows!

Then there were the somersaults with papa...

The follow-up shots were the best, but, alas, they were banned. ;)

Yes, that was the last time he said he would be doing that. hehe

With all these boys, there was plenty of rough housing going on...

Daniel even joined in on the fun.

Anna was awarded the name of "Mighty Squirrel Hunter"

for attempting to capture the big, grey squirrels who stole the bird food from 

Great Gram's feeders.

They will let you tag along, but you've got to be very quiet when hunting those squirrels.

One of our favorite jobs was helping Grumpy oops, I meant Grampy in the garden.

As you can see, Sammy was the biggest helper. ;)

(I think KNOW he ate more than he picked.)

One of the nice things about visiting a church in Maine is, skipping rocks between services.

Yes, this was the view at one of our churches.  Isn't it beautiful?

In the evenings, we would sometimes hop around the yard like bunnies.

Our time here has been just like the sunsets, amazingly beautiful, but over in a matter of seconds.

So, although there were many posts I wanted and even started to post,

I don't have any regrets as I was busy capturing the 

Sunsets of our lives.

Hope you have a goodnight!  I must get back to packing.  We say goodbye tomorrow morning and continue on to three more conferences over the next two weeks.  After a quick stop at our home church, we fly out November 8th at 5 pm!

Season of Change

Six and a half more weeks until we hope to be flying out to Ukraine.  It seems so far away, yet so close considering how much more we have to do.  As I type, our passports and visa applications are sitting somewhere at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, D.C. waiting to be either denied or granted.  During this (short) period of time, we were told of the White's situation with the registration.  As far as we know, they are the first missionaries in Ukraine to experience this new law of UN-registering.  My heart goes out to them as I know it has already been a long, hard almost year for them.  We kept joking with them (in a serious way) about staying and working with us, but they always said they were too old for that.  Now to have to deal with the Ukrainian system...I know they covet your prayers.  They have been told that, according to the law, they must now un-register, pay a fine, then immediately leave the country and stay out for 3 months.  This would leave our dear church once again without a Pastor for a month.  Please, please pray for our little-growing church that God would protect it if it is His will for this to be.  God has been bringing in many new visitors and Nastia's dad even said that, if she gets her homework done, she can go to Sunday School on Sunday.  Pray, pray, pray for this little girl and her family.

As I think about our little church, I cannot help but remember our dear Russian Mama, Valentina.  It has been nearly 3 months since she has come to the church.  I would love to believe that once we get back, she will also come back, but I am thinking that she probably will not.  When she first left, it was extremely difficult...it just won't be the same without her...but the Lord has help give me peace through this and I have left her in His hands.

Everyone keeps asking us, "What will you do if you can't get back in?"  To be honest, we don't really entertain that thought often.  We tried talking about it a few times, going between Ukraine and somewhere else every 3 months, switching mission fields...but nothing seems right.  How can it?  Our hearts our there and we will pray and trust that God will make a way for us to get back home.  If not, He will change our hearts.

Thank you so much for your prayers and sweet notes.  You are all such a blessing and encouragement to me and I have enjoyed getting a chance to visit with some of you.

Rest

 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Mark 6:31 

Reading this verse this morning I felt as if Jesus was speaking directly to me.  The disciples were coming to Jesus and telling Him what they were doing (in His name) and teaching.  They were constantly surrounded by people coming and going, and they couldn't even sit down to have a meal in peace!  Some days it seems as if the kids are up before me, they are tired and cranky during meal times...oh!  To find a desert place!

So many times I have felt guilty over this overwhelming desire to have some quiet time.  Some time to come away.  I felt as if it was some faulty character.  But Jesus Himself understood the frailty of man, being a man Himself.  And He too, separated Himself to pray and rest.

May I follow His example and withdraw myself from the noise and cares of this life, even if it requires me to get up earlier in the morning, that I may not get too tired to do what He has called me to do...which is, first, to be a wife and mother; second, a missionary to Ukraine.  I cannot do it of my own strength.  I NEED His guidance in every aspect of my life.

Quick Hi!

Where to begin?  I have written so many posts...just in my head.  I have MILLIONS of photos and picking which ones to share is going to be impossible.  For starters, we posted an update on our visas and the church in Ukraine on our ministry blog.  We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we get prepare to head back home.

 And I know you are all wondering, "Could that possibly be little Daniel?!?!"  Yes.  That chubby rascal is my Daniel.  He's not so tiny any more!!  (But he's still just as adorable!)

 The past few weeks I have felt about like these pictures and have not been feeling very well.  Praying that we can get things all figured out before we head back.  We are trying to take it easy and enjoy our time here.  This part of Maine is absolutely gorgeous! 

 We brought the kids down to the ocean a few times.  Each time I said we were just going to 'wade' into the water and not get wet, but this is what ended up happening...

 They were SO cute and had a BLAST.  I am surprised I got any face pictures at all because they were very busy. ;)  I LOVE this next picture.

 Sometimes just going with the flow makes the best pictures.

 

See what I mean?  His first taste of the ocean. :)

 

 Then we have our sea princess. (Yes. That is seaweed.)

 

The kids are growing so fast!  Sammy 'boy' is now 2. (He turned 2 in June, but I forgot to mention it.)

 And Anna turned 5 in August!  She's already talking about getting married, AHHHHH!!!  We told her she is going to have to wait a little while for that. ;)

 I know this was not much of an update, especially for having been missing in action for so long, but I need to get some sleep before my little guy decides he needs to eat again.  This is one of the only things I don't miss about them growing up 'cause I'm not much of a late night type of gal.  Hope you all have a good night/day!