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

Short note!

0 degrees here last night and that was at 8:30 PM! It is now 19 degrees and going up into the 20s. No snow and roads have been scraped for at least one lane of traffic on major roads. Electricity went out about 9 this morning but not the heat. Electricity just flickered but went back out! Oh well, at least we have heat!

We set up the tree and it looks so nice. Lights (when there is electricity) flickering, ornaments (many supplied by the Drew Wilson family who made origami ornaments that we brought with us!), and lots of excitement!

We are trying to intersperse learning English games with other games. Their English is better than expected but still not where we can communicate. Dan's sister, Sara, has sent us a translator. However we have to figure it out first. Remember the phrase, "garbage in, garbage out" that is still appropriate!

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful Sunday worshipping our Lord, some may be at home because church is called off because of snow (NC or VA), some are going to church as usual, or some like us will be in a foreign land worshipping in a different way. All are worshipping the one true God! May He be honored and raised up!

In Him Alone,

Leslie

The gang is here!

The flat was quiet for a few days...well, that has changed! Erin, Jake, Christina, Kolya make a full house. We have played games, gone shopping for ornaments and Christmas tree, set up Christmas tree, watched 101 Dalmatians, eaten spahgetti - both kids love it!, played hide and seek and had baths and dried hair! Wow, how full was our day.

Christina and Kolya quickly accepted Jake and Erin into the ranks, or is it the other way around. We were playing around and suddenly Kolya says to Erin in English, "stand up" so she stand, then "sit down" so she sits. He tried it on all of us! I do not know where he learned it but it sounds like from a game or song!

Christina can be caught just staring at Erin in a quiet moment. You have to wonder what is going through her head. Of course when Erin walked in with a small piece of chocolate, Christina quickly let Erin know what was in her mind. "Please, chocolate?"

Shopping was unusual. Kolya and Christina went around looking at everything. Sometimes asking for something, sometimes sulking as the answer is no. We went shopping for Christmas ornaments and tree. It must have seen like a lot that we did NOT get. However once we were home they were super excited about setting up the tree.

We found out that today was St. Nick day. They received candy yesterday and were to receive some today at the orphanage. We told them that we were celebrating on the 25th. But that we would getting a tree. Kolya let us know that he would like a watch:) Everytime he went by watches he slowed down and looked at them.

Baths were given because it is Saturday. Christina is feeling better. She had a slight headache and needed to slow down. She may slow down in the car. Our last thing today was playing hide and seek. Each one of us took a turn and it ended with Christina being tickled by Dad!

We found out that since our 10 day waiting period is over the holidays and the kids from the orphanage go to the sanitorium, we were asked if we would take Christina and Kolya for the 10 days. We said, yes, we would!! We were very excited as we did not know what the procedure was but we will have them for those days:)

Please continue to pray for us! God has opened the door wide for the adoption of these two precious kids. I will admit I am tired today but God will renew my strength in the morning!

In Him Alone,

Leslie

They made it!!!!

Jake and Erin made it to Odessa!! God allowed them to come in a miraulous way through late planes, planes just about to leave, snow and they made it!! Yeah!!! Kolya got to meet them but Christina was sick and not able to come today!

8 inches of snow expected tonight! We will awake to more snow! I still like it but it is troublesome. Layers of clothing to put on, layers to take off, slush, where do you put your feet without falling, do you wear the scarf inside the jacket or outside, hood up and mess my hair or hood down and the snow fizzes my hair. So many decisions:)

Seriously we are so thankful that Jake and Erin are here safely after several days of knowing, positively knowing that they would have to stay over in Warsaw for at least one night maybe the whole weekend. What is man that we are mindful of him....O Lord you are so awesome. You answer my prayers even when my faith in your answering is so weak!

In Him Alone,

Leslie

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

MAY SEE KIDS FOR A LITTLE BIT!! Better than not at all!

Snow is not falling but with 19 degree weather it is not melting either. Schools are off, no planes coming in, many cars stuck in slush but Sergey the magnificent was out all yesterday and today fighting for our cause!! He will be coming to pick us up, meaning he will stay on the main street and call us to hurry to the car. He needed 3 more docs today. One required the signature of the director, Marina, of the orphanage so we are tagging along just to see the kids for a little while. Then off to the bus station again to send another packet of docs off to Kiev.

He just called so I must run!

Snow flurries, now snow BLIZZARD!!

The official word from Bob Burnham, MTW missionary in Odessa, "This is not ordinary!" when told that we thought snow was in Kiev not in Odessa.

Pictures are of the Odessa Opera house, "on the street where we live", the pit where the bldg use to be next to the McDonalds on the walking street, and miscellaneous pics of our short 45 minute struggle through the snow from our flat to the Opera House and back. Many who have lived in snow may say this is nothing but for a Florida girl and Virginia guy - WOW!!

We will not be able to get to the orphanage today!! Please pray for Erin and Jake as they leave Thursday afternoon at 3 PM flying to Chicago, then Warsaw and then into Odessa, at least that is our plan. Pray for their safety and peace of mind flying into this weather. THANKS!!