GREAT NEWS!!

Just got the great news that the court date is ....Christmas Day 12/25 at 2:20 PM. We are excited! However this is the last court date until Jan after the 10th I think. Please pray for no delays that the court date will take place on 12/25. Sergey, the facilitator, has already confirmed it with the orphanage director, Marina, and she is ok. Sooo......we pray and wait!

We went to the English worship at the Martins, MTW missionaries, home last night. The Burnham family, Michelle Malay and her roommate Laura were all there also. Great singing, sang a tune that was described as a gregorian chant-like "From the Father's love begotten" which we have just sung at Covenant! A time of preaching was by Tim Keller!! Yes, really... it was a recording but an excellent preaching on "Emmanuel" GOD with us, God WITH us and God with US - those were the 3 points! Tim said that who do we think we are when we judge God, that the uncreated creator who spoke and all things were created, but this same God cannot take care of us, cannot help us to turn from our sinful habits or bring my children, Jake and Erin, to Odessa without a big delay in Warsaw - ok that was MY unfaithfulness I am confessing! Then more singing, a time of prayer, and a benediction!

All this time Christina, Kolya, Emily B. and Iris B. were quietly drawing on a small table in the corner. Our kids would look up at times to see what we were doing, like the singing! And then the coocoo clock told us what time it was, Kolya's head poked up and looked all around until he focused on the clock. It is a good thing he had 6 coocoos to find the clock:)

We spent most of the afternoon in the apartment, more low keyed playing of cards and games. Then Dad declared a 30 minute rest. Everyone took a sofa - "divon" or divan like the British, chair or bed for Dad. Christina and Kolya curled up with their fleeces and 1 play item. Everyone did well. The kids were are use to resting in the afternoon and we have decided to keep it up:)

They are also use to doing choirs. So Jake, Kolya and Dad cleaned the dishes after lunch. The girls will clean today. Christina and Kolya always take their plates over to the sink and wipe off the tables.

I must tell you the truth that the honeymoon is over! We are dealing with tempers when they do not get what they want, also taking things and then not telling the truth, learning to be kind and not laugh when someone else is in trouble - all the normal things with our own kids, oh, that is right - they are our kids! We do make sure they know we love them before we deal with it and after we deal with it. I tell you this just so that you know we are in the real world here.

Erin said this morning that she thought she and Jake would be bored at night after the kids went back. Now she says she is too exhausted after they leave to do anything!! Maybe she is an adult after all!

In Him Alone,

Leslie