God's Smile When We Were In a Bit Of a Pickle

I can't load pictures on, as our computer isn't working and our super-old computer freezes up even if I try to add one picture to it. So I'll just tell you a little story.

Yesterday Martina and I got together with the mom that I told you about from the playground. We talked as the kids played outside, and it was nice. Meanwhile, Irene (my mother-in-law) was back at our new apartment, painting the girls' room door and their dressers pink. I was very grateful, as the paint fumes were SO STRONG and I didn't want the girls to be around that (or myself, being pregnant). I'd told Irene I would call her after an hour to check in, but she didn't answer. At first I thought her hands were sticky or that she was taking a shower (we don't have hot water where we're living, but there is hot water at our place-to-be). But after several calls, I thought it was a little odd.

Still, we talked a bit more as the kids played. When I'd been gone 2 hours I thought I should head back, as I still hadn't gotten ahold of Irene. Martina and the boys headed home and my new friend and her son walked me and the girls to our new place. When I ran the special phone for Irene to let me in the apartment building, it rang and rang and rang. My alarm-level went up. We waited for awhile until someone exited the building so that we could get in. And then we rang the doorbell several times. After a bit, I heard Irene yelling that she was trapped... and then she started coughing really hard. This totally freaked me out, as I didn't know where or how she was trapped, and I remembered just how strong those paint fumes were. I yelled some questions to her but got no response. I'd given her the key before I left so that she would have freedom to leave in case she needed to go somewhere. When she let me out, she'd dead-bolted the door. There was no way I could get in to her. And if you know anything about doors to Russian apartments, they are steel and VERY strong- made to keep anyone out.

Anneka started freaking out and crying. I said, "It's okay, Anneka. God will help us. Let's pray". So we prayed right there in front of our new friends that Jesus would help Irene and to help us to get to her.

We went outside and started shouting up at the windows. No answer. I went around to the back of the apartment and heard her! Irene had taken the door handle off of the door, but hadn't removed the inner workings while she was painting. The window had been open, and a big gust of wind slammed the door shut (and dumped the can of paint all over). There was practically nothing in the room for her to use as a tool to try and open the door. She'd tried for over an hour and had had no success.

I went back to my friend and had her call our friend, Erdenei, for me (as she could explain all of this way better over the phone in Russian... I don't know the words for deadbolt, etc.) He was calling for help and would get back to us. Meanwhile the girls and boy were shivering and eating cookies I'd bought them. My friend said that we needed to go to her home so that the kids would be warm and we'd wait for Erdenei's call from there. Just as we were leaving, we heard this voice from out the window, "I got out!". Irene had found the casing for a screw and had attached it to the end of her paintbrush and inserted it into the mechanism in the door. Hoory! We thanked God and went up to give our congratulations.

I told my friend that I was so thankful she'd been with me for this. It's kind of an odd thing to happen in the beginning of a friendship, but it's neat how God allowed it to work for good. He showed how He loves us and answers prayer, and he put me in a position where I needed my new friend. I love how fun God is!

Washing Babies and Making New Friends

Anneka lately has been very attached to her baby dolls. Usually at least one of them (if not both) is under her arm at any given time. And if she's not holding on to them, she makes sure that one of us will babysit them. If we neglect her babies by leaving them alone in a room, she gets quite upset. Because these babies travel so much, they get very dirty... in the sand, on the ground by the outhouse, in muck by the river, etc. I told her that we should give her babies a bath by putting them in the washing machine. "No!", she exclaimed, "You would never put a real baby in the washing machine!" I convinced her to give them baths in a little tub. But when I suggested hanging them on the clothesline outside she said, "No! You would never hang a real baby on a clothesline!" She enjoyed washing her babies and after bedtime, I gave them another "special bath". Nice and clean.

This week I got together with another mom that I met at a playground awhile ago. I was so happy and surprised that she called me! She invited me and Anneka over to her apartment (Ella, too, but I left her home with Gramma). Anneka was shy at first but then warmed up when the little boy (4 years) accidently let the parakeets out of the cage and they flew around the room. And when she got to play with all of his boy toys, especially his machine gun. While they played, I had a great conversation with Irina! I look forward to continuing this friendship, as she lives very close to where we'll be moving in August. I love how God places people into our lives, even when we don't expect it!

Gramma Irene Is Here!

Leif's mom is here for a month to visit us. The trip wasn't originally planned, but when we were in Germany, we found out that I'm pregnant! And I knew that with moving this summer and being tired and nauseous, I would need help... so we invited her last minute, and she came! We're so happy she's here, and the kids are thrilled to have Gramma around. She's even sharing a room with them. A tiny room, I might add. She's pretty brave!



This picture is from the first day she arrived. We had to go downtown to register Irene, so we checked out a new fountain by the main square. I didn't get any really good pictures of the fountain (silly me!), but it's so beautiful. And every so often, music comes on and the water dances with the song. It was so cute because the first time this happened, Ella immediately began dancing, all on her own. Irene and Anneka joined her. Celebration!

A Little Construction

Our church is hoping to have a new room completed before the cold sets in so that there will be a place for a the kids during the service. Right now we have lots of little ones and they roam around or get fussy and it's challenging for parents and children alike.

Leif helped Denis and Dave last week with the frame that will go around the furnace. Dave has been working other days to encourage and help Denis with this construction. All of the parents are especially happy about the progress! =)

Summer Camping

Anneka and I had the wonderful opportunity to go camping two weeks ago. The bad news is this was supposed to be a trip where the whole family went. Unfortunately Jami hurt her back the day before we were supposed to leave and we decided that a long trip on bumpy roads and sleeping on the ground might not be the best thing when she couldn't even straighten her back. We decided that it might actually be more relaxing for Anneka and I to be out of the house so off we went with a bunch of people for our church to camp on Lake Baikal. Jami and Ella did well and had a great time and thankfully Jami's back is feeling a lot better now.



We spent a lot of good time hanging out together with people around the campfire, eating meals and spending time on the beach. We had good times praying together and studying the Bible too. I was so thankful that there were other kids there that Anneka could play with. She especially liked having the Brubacher boys there (Nathan and Matthew). One of my favorite moments was hearing them playing in the background and hearing Nathan yell out, "I'm the knight!" Matthew yell out, "I'm the king!" and Anneka yell out, "I'm the princess!" In fact on more than one occasion I heard Anneka making up games where she was the princess :).



Here is my little princess enjoying some of the wonderful treasures in nature (i.e. rocks, sticks and flowers).



These cows where the closest thing to wildlife that we saw, but it was still pretty fun, and the kids enjoyed watching them walk through the camp down to the beach.



Anneka and I got to share a tent together too. She liked having this little temporary home.


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But probably most of all Anneka loved playing in the sand on the beach...



and getting very, very dirty!!!!!

If you want to see more camping pictures, you can check out the Brubacher's blog.

Summer Fruits

We're enjoying summer fruits- watermelon, plums, peaches, and strawberries!


On a much more serious note, it's been a stressful and emotionally charged last week for Leif as he's been part of the process to help guide a church through a difficult time. We see God's hand at work amidst opposition from Satan, and yet it still is not easy. Pray for incredible wisdom as these local leaders and the local church make big decisions.

Uh-Oh!

Ella's favorite new word is "uh-oh". She says it all of the time and purposefully drops things so that she can say it. She's already much better at saying it then when I took this little clip. =)

The Goats Are Out

What are goat owners called? Shepherds? Well, they're out with their goats in our neighborhood again. They like to eat all of the grass. The name of our neighborhood is "green" in Russian. It's one of the greener areas of the city, hence the name. On the fourth of July, we walked out to the road to meet the Wickers for dinner. It was a hot day, and Anneka had on a cute sundress. But on top she had on several layers of dress-up clothes from her toy box. She loves to wear these, and was very happy that we let her wear them out in public. She also loved walking up close to the goats. Thankfully they didn't try to butt her. (is that what you call it when they ram into you with their horns? That looks so funny written out).




And here's a duck that Anneka drew all by herself. Her artistic skills are growing every day!

Until We Meet Again...

It was a sad day on Tuesday when we drove the Wickers to the airport to say goodbye. The Russian word for goodbye literally means "until we meet again". I like that. I explained to Anneka what we were doing and that we'd be saying goodbye to our friends for a long time. "Yah," she said, "and Heidi is my really best friend". We're thankful for these last years with this wonderful family and cherish many memories with them (and hope for many more to come).



The week leading up to their departure, we spent as much time with them as they could spare. We had a picnic together at the river one evening (a few minutes drive away).


And we celebrated Heidi's 16th birthday.



And made a day trip to Lake Baikal.



They shipped a bunch of luggage by train to Moscow and had to sew them into these bags. I went over one day to help Sharon and Heidi helped me by taking the girls outside. Some help I was! The fabric was so thick and I had to push so hard that the needle went all the way through the bottle cap I was using as a thimble and all the way through my thumb!

It's hard for me to get used to all of the goodbyes we'll have in our lives as missionaries... and in that all of the goodbyes that Anneka will have. I know that God has called us, and therefore He'll take care of all of our hearts. I hope that we will continue to seek and have deep relationships always.