Our internet has been out for ten days.  It's been very enlightening.  I realized how MUCH we use the internet (Bible study materials, Russian language classes and help, skype meetings, email, connections with family, friends & supporters, music, recipes, finding out the days' temperature, audio stories for the girls' rest times, ETC!)... and how helpful many of these tools are.  But I've also seen ways that the internet can suck time and make life seem busier than it needs to be.  So now we have internet again, and we're very thankful.  But I'd say these days away from it have been a gift, and I hope that we can take what we've learned in regards to our time and apply it!

     This man pictured above has been coming to our church.  Martina pointed out that he was wearing a GAP sweater, so I asked him if I could take a picture of him in his sweater.  It's always so interesting to see people wearing name brands that have come up through China.  It's so common that I honestly didn't even notice!  =)
    

     This picture is for my dad.  After church we have a light lunch together, and someone had brought a big jar of homemade pickles.  My dad makes pickles every year, and everyone loves them.  I, however, never shared the family's love for pickles.  But, boy, did Ella LOVE the pickles!  She had juice streaming everywhere (this is so gross to me!), and ate many of them.  She wouldn't let me take her picture, so I had to sneak this one in!

     I love how we have this time to talk with people and mingle after the service.  It's also nice for the kids to get a bite to eat so that we can put the little ones straight to bed when we get home. 

     On the way home from church a couple of weeks ago, Leif took Anneka and carried a sleeping Ella (who had fallen asleep on the bus) home while I stopped at the fruit stand to buy potatoes, milk, and a flat of eggs.  I was holding a sleeping Ike, and the lady who worked there kept asking me how I was going to carry everything (I got some bananas, too).  I told her that my arms are strong from carrying kids all of the time and it would be no problem.  But another lady there insisted on carrying everything for me (despite my insistence that it wasn't necessary).  She came all the way home and had tea and cookies with us.

     It turns out she's recently lost both parents and lives all alone.  She asked if she could come and visit again that week, and of course we said "yes!"  I was so touched by her kindness and took a liking to her immediately.   I love how God orchestrates our meetings with people and trust that He's brought this kind woman into our lives.

     The girls and I took some pictures that they'd drawn to the lady at work that week and a few days later she came over for lunch.  She stopped by another day, too, and has given the girls gifts from her little store.  She said that she's been thinking of us.  Pray for this relationship with this kind woman!