Four More Days Until it's Official...

More than one post for Monday...

     We were greeted early this morning by Yana and Oleg at the train station.  They took us and got us situated into our new flat for the week.  Each place we go to seems a little nicer than the previous one.  The variety helps break up the waiting period.  :)  After we got checked in we both went back to bed until 11:30 AM!  It was great.    

     We ate all the supplies we had left (microwaveable Macaroni & Cheese and Instant Mashed Potatoes - delicious lunch - ha ha!)  Then, Yana and Oleg picked us up again at 1:30 PM to visit our kids.  It was so good to get back to them after being away four days!  We were greeted by James and Angela at the playground with smiles... 

Angela loves to jump rope.  She is pretty good at it.  She also loves to hang upside down from the monkey bars.  She isn't the biggest fan, however, of getting her picture taken so we have to be quick...

James loves to explore and create and repair and take pictures.   Below are two pictures he took!  Quite impressive!  He still needs a lot of practice (I erased several crazy shots) but he has an eye for things...

After an hour outside with the older two, we headed upstairs for a crafts project.  Thank you, Mary Ellen, for the leftover hat crafts.  The kids loved them!  They thrive with projects...
When 4 o'clock rolled around I went downstairs to pick up Jana and Victoria from their nap.  When Victoria saw me coming she starting shouting, "Mommy came!  Mommy came!"  If that doesn't do your heart good, I don't know what would!.  :)  They were both excited to see us and ran upstairs to greet Papa.  Then, they focused hard on creating their own visors...

James brought a picture he had drawn in class.  I wish I remembered the exact translation, but it was something to the effect of, "When you do something good you feel good inside"...
After Jana and Victoria were finished decorating their visors they pleaded with us to take them outside.  It was our first time to have all four outside.  I don't think there was a moment, aside from walking back inside, that we were all in the same place.  They are fairly used to free reign outside making it difficult to gather them in to one location... ha ha.  We enjoyed a bit of organized chaos but all bore smiles and had a chance to release some energy!



Looking at the tulips in full bloom (that were planted when we first came to Zapporizhia) and the above picture Tony took, brought to mind the following passage:

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grown they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  Matthew 6:25-34

Prayer Requests...

     * Pray that we will be able to get our court decree (as planned) at the end of this week

     * Pray for safe travel to and from another region (Sunday 5/3 - Tuesday 5/5) to pick up the kids' birth certificates (this could be a twelve hour trip)

     * PRAY that the passports can be put together BEFORE May 9th!!!  This would be FABULOUS!  Otherwise, we are looking at another week beyond then in Zapporizhia

     * Pray for continued wisdom and grace as we walk this journey

Thanks for your prayers, encouragement, ideas and support.  We are very blessed and ever grateful for the Body of Christ!  God is good.  He works all things together for our good and for His glory!  May you rest in His Providential ways...