Doris here..

January 26th

The apartment is very quiet. I can hear the stray dogs outside barking. They can be
seen, from our seventh floor apartment, running through the construction site to the east.
They are of all sizes, shapes, and breeds. They must survive on scavenging in the trash
as we have seen evidence of such deeds in different locations.

We had four hours with the oldest boy yesterday. This time he walked into the room with a smile on his face. The facilitator was not with us to translate, so we used sign language and did fine. He consistently shows that he likes to participate in helping. We played UNO and “golf’-it is his job to help shuffle the cards and then deal them. He seems to enjoy having that responsibility. He also likes to know where he stands when keeping score. He looks so dapper in his school uniform. We continue to pray for each boy as
they process this chapter of their lives. We don’t know their histories, but God does. We pray that we have sensitivity to them.

This morning school work is in full swing. Mike has been carrying the bulk of the load as he takes care of the physics, calculus, chemistry, algebra, and biology. I am the encourager. It is great father/daughter bonding!

Words cannot express how wonderful it is to experience all this with the girls. For them to be able to see, hear, feel, smell, and touch this adventure is priceless. To deal with the different people, foods, currency, and cars, is great for them. To see that other people live, and do it well, in very different circumstances broadens all of our horizons. We have had to, on numerous occasions, walk long distances in the bitter cold (-5F) on icy, uneven, poorly lit sidewalks. They have not complained because that is reality here. Everyone in Ukraine is out and about no matter the conditions because that is how they live. You even see clothes hanging outside to dry in this cold weather.

The faith process has been good for us as a family. To remember that God is in control, that nothing comes as a surprise to him, and keeping that in mind gives peace. Ellen seems to be the most engaged in this process and she continues to be ever encouraging us to remember we serve a God who works in impossibilities.

Another Indiana family arrived from Kiev last night. They are getting their paperwork going this morning. We will probably be on the same time schedule. Our paperwork is taking longer because we are dealing with two locations. Nothing new on the Interpol check to report. We are sharing the two bedroom apartment to save money and to enjoy one another’s company.

Counting my blessings….Doris