The Gospel reminds us that we are to give our lives away.
The morning was spent rushing as usual to get everyone dressed and finishing their breakfast, so we could spend more countless hours driving all over town, from the grocery store to the inspector’s office, to the orphanage, back to the judge’s office, the notary and copy shop, on and on. We literally spent hours sitting in the back of the car, waiting for Natasha to work her magic, which she did. We have a tentative court date for June 11! She is like a bulldog with lipstick and heels -- she knows how to get things done, cut the corners, and charm every official she meets.
At the orphanage we dropped Katya off and Tanya picked up a few more of her things. Many of the kids have gone off to camp so it was a bit sad being back there, seeing the empty courtyard and not having children run out to greet us as before. Tanya delivered the beautiful cards the kids at our church made for Tanya and Viktor’s friends. They were well-received (thank you Jamie Ewald for heading that up!)
Once we were back home, reality seemed to hit a bit, and some of that fairy-tale magic seemed to disappear. After Scott and Viktor’s 3 hour excursion down to the dam, we were all tired, and boredom set in for everyone. This adjustment period is not a lot of fun. Today it was a bit like a dance, as one tried to move closer, the other moved away, and on it went like that this afternoon.
We decided to get out of the apartment and go exploring, which did help. We walked toward downtown Zaporozhye, watching the people go by, the younger women in their close-fitting clothes and heels looking like they were ready for a night on the town, the babushkas with their long, loose skirts and tired eyes, selling cups of strawberries at corner make-shift markets. We spotted some restaurants we want to try one of these days, found a notary’s office and bank, and bought some ice cream on the street.
One highlight of the day included what has become our daily foot washing (Anna, Tanya and I) in the tub when we get home from walking the dirty streets. Even if someone is grumpy when we start, soon we are all giggling and splashing, slippery soap sliding everywhere. Tanya and Anna are both super ticklish on their feet!
At the end of the day, we sat around the table as Scott read from Matthew 7 about Jesus Christ being our foundation while Natasha translated. He shared with us how even though this process is tough on everyone, and a lot of adjustment, we have a firm foundation in Jesus Christ, who is our hope and strength. We are clinging to Him tonight.
The morning was spent rushing as usual to get everyone dressed and finishing their breakfast, so we could spend more countless hours driving all over town, from the grocery store to the inspector’s office, to the orphanage, back to the judge’s office, the notary and copy shop, on and on. We literally spent hours sitting in the back of the car, waiting for Natasha to work her magic, which she did. We have a tentative court date for June 11! She is like a bulldog with lipstick and heels -- she knows how to get things done, cut the corners, and charm every official she meets.
At the orphanage we dropped Katya off and Tanya picked up a few more of her things. Many of the kids have gone off to camp so it was a bit sad being back there, seeing the empty courtyard and not having children run out to greet us as before. Tanya delivered the beautiful cards the kids at our church made for Tanya and Viktor’s friends. They were well-received (thank you Jamie Ewald for heading that up!)
Once we were back home, reality seemed to hit a bit, and some of that fairy-tale magic seemed to disappear. After Scott and Viktor’s 3 hour excursion down to the dam, we were all tired, and boredom set in for everyone. This adjustment period is not a lot of fun. Today it was a bit like a dance, as one tried to move closer, the other moved away, and on it went like that this afternoon.
We decided to get out of the apartment and go exploring, which did help. We walked toward downtown Zaporozhye, watching the people go by, the younger women in their close-fitting clothes and heels looking like they were ready for a night on the town, the babushkas with their long, loose skirts and tired eyes, selling cups of strawberries at corner make-shift markets. We spotted some restaurants we want to try one of these days, found a notary’s office and bank, and bought some ice cream on the street.
One highlight of the day included what has become our daily foot washing (Anna, Tanya and I) in the tub when we get home from walking the dirty streets. Even if someone is grumpy when we start, soon we are all giggling and splashing, slippery soap sliding everywhere. Tanya and Anna are both super ticklish on their feet!
At the end of the day, we sat around the table as Scott read from Matthew 7 about Jesus Christ being our foundation while Natasha translated. He shared with us how even though this process is tough on everyone, and a lot of adjustment, we have a firm foundation in Jesus Christ, who is our hope and strength. We are clinging to Him tonight.