New Life!

 A week and a half ago my friend Sveta had a baby!  I felt blessed when she asked if I could pick her and her tiny new son up at the hospital.  Ike and Ella were with me, and we picked up Sveta's other three kids, her mother in law, and her husband!

     Pasha, Sveta's husband, was so excited!  It's a tradition to buy flowers for the mama, so we stopped at a flower shop on the way.  Pasha was hoping to be with Sveta for the birth.  This isn't normal here, but if you pay extra and sign up ahead of time, husbands can be there.  Well, the very day they had planned on going and paying/registering Sveta went into labor!  She had her baby more than 2 weeks before the due date, so they thought they'd have time.  But what I loved was that they were all praising God about His timing and provision and weren't at all bitter about Pasha not being there.

     The kids were so happy to see their mama, and this is Pasha looking at little David for the first time!  Such a special moment to witness. 

     Pasha has taken 3 weeks off from work to take care of the family and home and to let Sveta rest. I love this!  This is SO atypical here, and yet he is gladly serving his family and shining Jesus' light as he does it! 

On the steps of the birthing center.

    Unlike in America where you're discharged from the hospital whenever the doctor deems you "ready to go", here all of the ladies leave between the hours of 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon, and there is a line of who goes first.  Someone told me that the people who give the nurses the best presents get to go first.  

Ready to drive back home!

     I love how the babies who leave the hospital are all bundled so that you can barely see an inch of their little faces.  =)  In the winter time it's a much bigger bundle!

     Not only do we get to celebrate the new life of little David, but this family has recently been a part of leading a Shaman to Christ!  We are so excited to see God at work and to hear how this man's life is changed!  Such freedom we have in Jesus.  Life forever.