12/24/2009

This was written before the court and the pics from the last post were related to this blog...SORRY!

Many, many people have sent messages that you are praying. Thanks so much! We are seeing an improvement in relations. Christina and Kolya are calling us Mama and Papa or Dad, asking us to help, responding as Jake and Erin respond to us. Jake and Erin have been a great help to play with the kids, help as we walk through snow and ice, Erin blow dries Christina’s hair, plays hide and seek with the whole family. In a 2 bedroom flat the hiding places run out but it does not really matter.J

Yesterday we walked down to the Black Sea, saw Catherine the Great’s statue, took pics at the Ptotemkin Steps, rode the incline down and up as Jake ran up the Steps! Then we walked the park that parallels the sea to the statue of Puskin.

We then walked back toward the flat but stopped first to eat lunch at Top Sandwich. The menu is Russian BUT has great pictures. 4 of us had sandwiches, Christina had a plate of meat and finished off the end of 2 sandwiches, and Mama had a plate of grilled vegetables. Vegetables are harder to order so when there is a picture of a whole plate full vegetables I get it!

We then went back to the flat where everyone had an hour rest with 1 toy. I went to the Martins’ flat and met the women of the MTW team for a time of sharing and praying.

Then we all met at the Burnham’s flat to make gingerbread houses, one house for the Burnham’s and one house for the Edwards’! We licked our fingers and tasted many of the different kind of Ukrainian candy. Some were good, some looked good but were notJ The house is now drying at the Burnhams’. We hope to get Sergey to drive over today and pick it up for us. I do not think the house will make walking the many blocks in the slush to our flat.

One of the areas of domestic life that is different is cooking. Or maybe it is everything up to the cooking. In the States, I grocery shop for several weeks at Cosco and then just pick up little things as I need them. Here you buy for a day or 2 maybe because it is what you can carry. Then you have to think when to cook it and by the time you have it all planned out, it changes!! So everyday is different. We do have a lady, Vica from the church, who is cooking for us one day a week. This allows me to do all the other stuff needed as we love on the kids. I will try not to get use to thisJ

Today is Christmas Eve. We are shopping for Christmas gifts for the kids today, jackets, little things. Then on New Years’ Day they will each get one gift for this is the Ukrainian culture. Jake and Erin want in on this too!!



Remembering our dear Savior’s birth,

Leslie