Got to see the kids!

This is our flat, our "dom" while in Odessa. From the corner of the building going in the front and to the side are the windows of the flat - on the 2nd floor. Here of course it is in the snow. This is the same flat where the Saxons lived .

Back from the trek to the orphanage! Sergey had called from the car. Dan and I quickly put on our layers and boots and stood in the street until Sergey pulled up in the car.

It took 1 1/2 hours to get to 88. Some parts of the road had been scraped so that 2 lanes could get by with plenty of room. Some parts were 1 lane because of discarded trucks or cars that had gotten stuck, broken down or run out of gas. So needless to say we just saw the kids, hugged them, gave them bananas and m&ms. There had been no school so all the kids were down at the school area awaiting dinner. We gave out snow boots to Maxim, little blond Sasha, Vitalik, Artom was fine with his other boots so we have an extra pair. Lyuda, her brothers' Sasha and Dima are at the health spa - read sanatorium here and will return after jan 1st. So I am keeping their boots until then. Also Kostya was not there so will bring his boots and letter when school starts up again.

We also picked up the needed document, said goodbye, or paKA "see you later", and drove to the bus station, parked in slush. When Sergey went in to send off the documents, I asked Dan, Did he park in the deep slush? Dan and I laughed because he had. We thought ok, we will have to get out and push but we were wrong! Sergey, the magnificent, got in, rived up the engine and backed out of the slush! We then headed for the flat. Parked on the street, which means we found a cleared spot and Sergey shot up onto the sidewalk to be out of the way of the snow plow!

We are now awaiting the arrival of Jake and Erin. We got an email saying that they left from Atlanta and arrived in Chicago. They then were late, over 1 1/2 hours late, leaving Chicago. So according to our tracking of their flight, they will now miss their flight to Odessa from Warsaw. The AIRPORT IS OPEN as of this morning. So if they can get the next flight they might just make it here! We had told them to expect to stay over in Warsaw. We had a report that there might be more snow Friday night! Erin has changed her cell to international as well as a blackberry so we will get email room her or phone calls, which ever work!

We continue to pray for the safe arrival of Jake and Erin, of the opportunities to see Christina and Kolya, of all the docs being in the right place at the right time in the right manner, and most of all that we will honor the Lord throughout this process.

In Him Alone,

Leslie