4 year old Katya, 2 yr old Artem and older sister Liza - part of the family opening gifts.
Katya and older family brother, Alexy in the back ground.
6 yr. old Eloyna in the back ground, Liza and the twins, Alexey and Andrey with new jackets!
The kids and Momma Inna helping them out! She said that they never had so many New Year's (Ukrainian way of Christmas gifts) before!
2 boxes of Christmas presents were sent to us from "His Kids Too" for the orphan home family that we work with. Here I am with little 2 year old Artem.Some of this you have seen some of this before if you have read this blog, but this is more detail. I have sent it out as my journal. The last section from Jan.7th should be new to all!
Thursday, December 14, 2006 – January 12, 2007
Thursday morning Ksusha and her mother picked me up at my house at 5:40am to go to the mini-bus to take me to the airport in Borispil, near Kiev. Ivanna came too. Ksusha also came all the way to the airport with me and saw me off. My flight was 2 ½ hours late taking off – an omen of things to come! When we got to NY, JFK airport, the flights to go on were delayed and then canceled. I had to stay the night in NY and got to Janessa’s 24 hours later than expected. I had a God blessed stay with Janessa, BJ and Gavin. Being there for her at this difficult time in her life, seemed to be really good for her. As well as for BJ as well. I know that I was greatly blessed to be able to spend 8 days with them. The last day, the 23rd, we celebrated Christmas together.
Dec.24th
From there on the 24th, I took a 15 hour bus ride to Pierre, SD and spent about 2 days with my sister, Ida and some of lovely family. Of course we spent the 25th, my 2nd Christmas together. It was very gracious of them to allow me to come and spend some time with them. On the 26th, my cousin Paul drove me to Rapid City, SD where I spent the evening with my cousin Randy (Paul’s son) and his wife.
Dec.27th
They took me to the airport the next morning and I flew out to Seattle, WA. This was the first transportation where I had no problems – the only one! About 35 minutes after I arrived there, I met my oldest Butch, Erin and their girls Hannah and Ella at the airport as they flew in from Iowa. We went to their home in Puyallup, WA, where we had 3 full, but wonderful days together. We celebrated Christmas together (my 3rd). We also has a wonderful, laugh filled time with some of Butch and Erin’s Christian friends! That was a really good time!
Dec.31st
Here we spent my 3rd Christmas together and again had a great time! On the 31st, I flew to San Angelo, TX by the way of DFW airport in Dallas. I got to spend an extra 2 ½ hours (magical number!) in this airport than planned. I got to San Angelo at 7:30pm and since it was Sunday and since it was New Year’s Eve, I went with Jenise and Jon to worship – a long one until midnight with a few extra’s like food thrown in! Jon spoke and did a wonderful job. Jenise is now 31 weeks pregnant and doing well. I got to go with her and Jon to see Jenise’s sonogram see the baby boy! It was so cool to see and hear the baby! I spent another 3 full days with them. I am so truly blessed to have wonderful Christian children that love and serve the Lord in such a dedicated way!! I am so proud of Jenise and Jon and their new Christian family together!!! We celebrated Christmas together, (my 4th!) and then left for Ukraine, or so I thought on Jan. 4th!
Jan.4th
I got to Dallas and on to Charlotte, NC just fine and no problems with connections. But the plane we were going to take from there was 2 ½ hours late getting to Charlotte. When we got to NY we sat on the runway for 45 minutes and I missed my plane to Ukraine! So, I got the privilege of staying in the same expensive hotel by the JFK airport again! With many trials and yet blessings, I got the next flight to Ukraine 24 hours later and got into Borispil and then Kremenchuk just fine. I arrived on January 6th to my house at 7pm and was met by 6 of my friends! This was special, because it is Christmas eve for Ukrainians (their Christmas is Jan.7th) and so most were with their families.
Jan.7th
Thursday, December 14, 2006 – January 12, 2007
Thursday morning Ksusha and her mother picked me up at my house at 5:40am to go to the mini-bus to take me to the airport in Borispil, near Kiev. Ivanna came too. Ksusha also came all the way to the airport with me and saw me off. My flight was 2 ½ hours late taking off – an omen of things to come! When we got to NY, JFK airport, the flights to go on were delayed and then canceled. I had to stay the night in NY and got to Janessa’s 24 hours later than expected. I had a God blessed stay with Janessa, BJ and Gavin. Being there for her at this difficult time in her life, seemed to be really good for her. As well as for BJ as well. I know that I was greatly blessed to be able to spend 8 days with them. The last day, the 23rd, we celebrated Christmas together.
Dec.24th
From there on the 24th, I took a 15 hour bus ride to Pierre, SD and spent about 2 days with my sister, Ida and some of lovely family. Of course we spent the 25th, my 2nd Christmas together. It was very gracious of them to allow me to come and spend some time with them. On the 26th, my cousin Paul drove me to Rapid City, SD where I spent the evening with my cousin Randy (Paul’s son) and his wife.
Dec.27th
They took me to the airport the next morning and I flew out to Seattle, WA. This was the first transportation where I had no problems – the only one! About 35 minutes after I arrived there, I met my oldest Butch, Erin and their girls Hannah and Ella at the airport as they flew in from Iowa. We went to their home in Puyallup, WA, where we had 3 full, but wonderful days together. We celebrated Christmas together (my 3rd). We also has a wonderful, laugh filled time with some of Butch and Erin’s Christian friends! That was a really good time!
Dec.31st
Here we spent my 3rd Christmas together and again had a great time! On the 31st, I flew to San Angelo, TX by the way of DFW airport in Dallas. I got to spend an extra 2 ½ hours (magical number!) in this airport than planned. I got to San Angelo at 7:30pm and since it was Sunday and since it was New Year’s Eve, I went with Jenise and Jon to worship – a long one until midnight with a few extra’s like food thrown in! Jon spoke and did a wonderful job. Jenise is now 31 weeks pregnant and doing well. I got to go with her and Jon to see Jenise’s sonogram see the baby boy! It was so cool to see and hear the baby! I spent another 3 full days with them. I am so truly blessed to have wonderful Christian children that love and serve the Lord in such a dedicated way!! I am so proud of Jenise and Jon and their new Christian family together!!! We celebrated Christmas together, (my 4th!) and then left for Ukraine, or so I thought on Jan. 4th!
Jan.4th
I got to Dallas and on to Charlotte, NC just fine and no problems with connections. But the plane we were going to take from there was 2 ½ hours late getting to Charlotte. When we got to NY we sat on the runway for 45 minutes and I missed my plane to Ukraine! So, I got the privilege of staying in the same expensive hotel by the JFK airport again! With many trials and yet blessings, I got the next flight to Ukraine 24 hours later and got into Borispil and then Kremenchuk just fine. I arrived on January 6th to my house at 7pm and was met by 6 of my friends! This was special, because it is Christmas eve for Ukrainians (their Christmas is Jan.7th) and so most were with their families.
Jan.7th
We had a great worship on Sunday morning and then I went shopping to replace my empty house with food and prepare for our Christmas party (yes you are counting right – the 5th) at my house at 4:30! We cooked food, we hung 35 stockings (29 came) and had a wonderful American Christmas on Ukrainian Christmas day. Basically on Monday I rested. Oksana’s Mom has been in England for 2 months, so she and her brother asked me to go to the airport and pick her up – they paid for the gas. We left at 1pm and got back at 9. On Wednesday (2 big boxes for the Orphan’s home family had come while I was gone) we took these things out to them at 9:30 and got back around 1pm. I am still very tired at this point. I spent much of Wednesday and Thursday cleaning my bedroom/office and unpacking. On Thursday at 11am, Max came over and helped to measure and go and order a new bookcase for my house that is VERY badly needed. It will cost me about $120 to have made as I want it. Then we went looking for me a new bed. I have been waking up every morning with excruciating back pain. I have been sleeping on this very soft double mattress of mine for 3 years and it is enough! So we shopped for about 4 hours and finally settled on a bed/divan for a little less than $400. I have now slept on it 2 nights and I believe that it is going to be pretty good. It is much firmer than the other, but I believe it will be better! We had our devotional on Thursday night with 17 people here. I really missed this time together, so it was a real blessing to be sharing this time together. We had 6 people here on Friday night for our fun night. I talked a lot about special my time was with my physical family in the US (who are also my spiritual family – thank God!). But it is really great to be back in Ukraine with Christian family here and with the work that I am doing here. I am so blessed to have this work and these Christians and non-Christians to be working with in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ! I am so thankful that God has given me this very valuable and important work to do!
2 comments:
these are flabbergastic pictures! in other words, they are super tops. love 'em. love what God is doing through you guys with the orphans. it's amazing.
What cute kids! You guys do amazing work over there, Dad. We are soo proud of you and what you let God do through you!! Love, Nes
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