To The Unreached

     Last week, Leif had a few days of meetings with the Area Counsel to pray, research, cast vision, and start making plans for where SEND should send the next teams in Russia and to which unreached people groups.  There are over 100 unreached people groups all throughout Russia.  These men looked at which groups are currently being worked with and also looked at different statistics of numbers and locations and came up with several new places.  Exciting stuff.

      Ken was supposed to come, too, but he didn't get his visa in time... so instead of going to a retreat center, the guys met next door and skyped Ken into their meetings.

     While the guys had their meetings, Renata came and stayed the night.  It was really nice for many reasons- it was a big help that she stayed with the kids while I took Anneka to school (when it's so cold it's dangerous to take the little ones out in the mornings), the kids all loved having time with her, and I really enjoyed our time together, too!!

     Leif got me this new hat for Christmas, and Anneka tried on Renata's hat.  Wiith Ella's furry hat, we all made a very cute trio!

     We had a team meeting while John and Carl were here to hear about some of the decisions the Area Counsel had made.  Afterwards we had lunch- seven layer pasta and everyone brought different toppings (and yummy desserts).  It was fun to mingle and talk with everyone.

     We took a team picture (plus Carl and John).  The other kids were at their homes this time.

     Randomly, a bunch of us wore red/pink that day!  It was so notable that we took a picture.

     Carl and John stayed with us for a few days.  It was really nice to get time with them.  The girls were my helpers in preparing meals.  Anneka made their beds all by herself, and here she chopped the olives for pizza very small. =)  Our friends, the Knights sent us a BREAD MACHINE for Christmas and we LOVE IT and use it all the time!!  I tried out making some garlic pizza dough this day, and it was incredible.  I can never go back to regular dough again!

     If you turn your back, this little guy ends up here.  On top of the table.  We have to watch him like a hawk!

     Ella really likes helping me in the kitchen.  Here we made some cookies and cream ice cream.  You can see she's so proud!

 
     On Carl and John's last night, we played a rousing game of Twister.  Carl's back was hurting, so he was the spinner.  I was the first one out, so I was the photographer.

 Ike thought it was really funny and laughed at everyone.

We stayed up late talking with John and Carl and telling them our story of how we first met and ended up with SEND and in Russia.  It was fun to reminisce and to remember all that God has done.  Ike climbed up on Leif's lap in the middle and fell fast asleep.  So cozy with Papa!

Happy Birthday, Baby Ike!

     Ike had quite the start to his birthday last week!  He'd had a cold along with the rest of the family a couple of weeks ago (with a fever for a day or so)... then he continued to have cold symptoms but was okay other than that- had energy and ate and slept well... and then about a week later he got a pretty high fever (about 104) that would go down with ibuprofen and acetaminophen but would always come back up.  We weren't too worried because he still seemed okay.  When his fever was high, he was more tired and wanted to be held, but when we got his temperature down, he was mostly like himself.  However, by day 6 of his high fever, we started feeling a little more concerned and took him into a private clinic.   (We were also in touch with our doctor from the States and just about when we started feeling concerned was when he said it was probably a good idea to have him looked at).  The doctor here saw some "green stuff" in his throat and was guessing that it was a bacterial infection and prescribed an antibiotic and also some more tests to see if anything else serious was going on.

     We wrote to our doctor from the States and held off giving Ike the antibiotic until we heard back.  Ike's fever started to get high again in the evening so I gave him some ibuprofen and we went to bed.  In the night (at about 12:30am the morning of Ike's birthday), I felt him and he felt COLD, so I took his temperature and it was extremely low- 94.3!!  I thought it was probably a mistake, so I tried again and it was still low.  So I looked online and got freaked out that it was something super serious and then I woke up Leif.  We took his temperature rectally and with another thermometer and it was still low.  THANKFULLY our doctor in the States was home that day and was available to take our call.  He was very concerned and told us we needed to take him in to the hospital.  This meant we had to call the ambulance. (we also started him on the antibiotic... thankfully we had some that we'd brought with us from the States and our doctor gave a different/higher dosage than the doctor here).

     Leif called, and the paramedics didn't believe us!  They told us to take his temperature again and to call back.  So we did.  Three more times.  And we called back.  I packed a hospital bag and kissed the sleeping girls.  And Leif and I prayed and prayed.  They arrived at about 2:00am. The main doctor/EMT washed his hands while the other lady came in and sat down, looking very somber.  I asked her if it was really serious and she just looked like she was going to cry and nodded her head.  I had sent off a note on facebook after we called the ambulance and I knew people were praying.  I knew that God had our little guy in his hands, and I was so thankful for everyone's prayers.

     We took his temperature again with their thermometer.  The doctor did a check and thought that Ike's vital signs seemed good for having such a temperature.  He told us to give him a bath to warm him up.  This just made his temperature dip a little more!  He then told us that Ike needed sleep and to call back at 8:00am.  If his temperature was still low, they would take him to the hospital.  Of course, I didn't sleep all night.  Our apartment is so HOT (85 degrees) and I had Ike bundled in warm clothes, wrapped in a down comforter and up against me.  I kept checking his temperature every 15 minutes and it was still low.  Finally, I stopped checking and knew there was nothing I could do anyways except pray.  Anneka had just memorized Proverbs 3:5 that day on the way to school and it was going through my head:  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding".    I knew that God is good and that God loves Ike more than we do.

     The girls woke up at about 6:45, and I got up with them.  I checked Ike's temperature shortly after, and it was back in the normal range!  I was sooooo happy!  The girls just looked at me with smiles and big eyes, as they had missed all of the drama in the night.  Ike didn't seem really sick, and I knew we'd still be taking him in for blood and urine testing that morning, so we didn't call the paramedics back.

     Ike's lab results ruled out any kind of deep infection (the previously thought cause of such a low temperature).  While it's still a mystery what happened, I have no doubt of God's healing touch.  I'm so thankful that we didn't have to go to the hospital and were able to rest and recover at home!!  A couple of days later Ike got a rash, so it could have been the virus Roseola that gave him the fevers.  And it seems to me that he probably did have a sinus infection from his previous cold.  But all of that doesn't really matter.  What matters is that our baby is okay!  What a gift on his birthday and what a reminder of how precious is his life!!  Happy Birthday Isaac Jack!  We love you so much!  Because of the events, we were very low key on Ike's actual birthday.  We played a game of rolling a ball as a family.  =)  But on Saturday, we went to a brand new mall with a brand new indoor play place with some other kids from our team to celebrate!

   

     This mall and play place are incredible.  We're still kind of in shock that they exist!  The Jordans and Brubachers along with some out of town guests (John, Carl, Rich) and Daniela went with us.  Ike was pretty mellow that day (still in recovery and lots of stimulation), but I think he liked it.  =)

     Ella wanted to be close to Mama or Papa the whole time, but after awhile she warmed up enough to slip down from our arms and play a bit.

     Leif and I remember loving big rooms full of balls as kids.  Anneka definitely shared that love!

 Ike was so cute riding this tiny little merry-go-round!

     His favorite part was playing with these balls.  There was a big launcher that shot them into the air at a target.  You can tell in this picture that he wasn't feeling 100%, but he was still happy.

The girls helped me make these froggie cupcakes.

None of our pictures of the other kids/people turned out!  But we all sang happy birthday to Ike!  

     Anneka and Ella each separately went shopping with me to pick out a toy for Ike.  It was special for each of them.  Ella picked out a car, and Anneka chose these bath paints.

     Ella was very timid around Carl at first.  She hid behind me and didn't want to look at him (and even gave him grumpy looks).  But after a few hours, she warmed up, as you can see!

     In the morning, we had hosted a welcome breakfast for the guys who flew in and for our team and then after the mall excursion, we had dinner for those who wanted to come.  Anneka, Matty, and Nathan convinced John and Rich to be a house or a garage or something.

And after everyone left, the girls tried out Ike's new bath paints while he slept!

We'll have to include him in the fun some day soon! 

 

And we ended the day with another game of ball.  After his nap, Ike was back to his happy self!

After another day of recovery, we actually let Ike EAT one of his cupcakes!

Anneka and Papa, showing how it's done!  

He really liked it!  (He also really likes carrots, by the way.  But don't worry, it's cooked!)

Such a sweet family!

     Ike really likes being one, I think.  A few weeks ago when Ike was running around, Anneka said, "Ike is a real person now!  He's walking like a real person!"  And Ike certainly feels like he can do everything that anyone else can do!  

     Ike, we love you so much!  You bring us so much joy and laughter!  We love that you already tease us and have a sense of humor.  We love how you can be both cuddly and busy.  We love how you enjoy each of us in different ways, and oh, how we enjoy you, too!  We thank God for you and for your life!  

A Few Outreaches

 

     The holiday season extends longer into January here, as January 7th is when the Orthodox church celebrates Christmas.  This comes from the Julian calendar, while the west uses the newer Gregorian calendar.   Because of this, we got to be a part of a Christmas program geared toward reaching out to friends, family members, and neighbors of those in one of our sister churches.  They had heard about our play in December and asked us to be a part of this special outreach.  Ike fell asleep in Leif's arms right in the middle.  So sweet. (this season continues with the Old New Year at the end of January and Buryat New Year in February).

   There were a lot of people who came, and 40 of them were kids.  Each child got to take home a big bag of candy.

     It was nice because there was a meal in the middle of the program (which was 3 hours) to break it up nicely.  Our kids did really well with being patient (and hot in their costumes), and it was fun to mingle with different people that we don't often get to see.

    We pray that God used this play and other parts of this evening to draw people to himself!  It was fun to be a part of this.

     I also got to be a part of the English Club Christmas Party!  This is the first time I've been able to go with Leif to the club, and it was really fun.  Nettie graciously agreed to stay with our girls (and of course, they LOVED it!)  At this club, we played silly games, sang a couple of Christmas carols (and explained the meaning), had people act out the Christmas story, and then broke into groups for the lesson part.  During this time we teach grammar and study a Bible verse together and have time for discussion.  On this week, the advanced students (Leif's group) didn't come, so we sat in on other groups.  And then afterwards we decorated Christmas cookies.  I was thankful for this chance to be a part of the club "in person".  Exciting things have been happening through conversations in this club over the past few weeks!

     Ike (or Ella) hid our battery charger for our camera, so Leif was without the ability to take pictures when members from our church served at the local hospital.  I found this royalty-free picture and thought it looked just like a Russian hospital!  Often during the few days after the new year, hospitals are filled with people who almost froze outside or got into alcohol-related accidents.  Also, some of the staff is often drunk or unavailable.... so coming and volunteering is really shining light into darkness.   Leif along with others did everything from scrub floors to move furniture to talk with patients and workers about why they were there and to hand out the gospel of John and some copies of a local Christian newspaper.   One lady told Leif to leave his silly religion, leave his family and marry her daughter!  (a little strange)  People get bored in the hospital and really like visitors.  It seems like a lot of them were baffled that people would want to come and serve- without pay- during the holidays!

Anneka's New Year Program

     I was waiting to post this blog until we got Anneka's New Year's pictures back from school.  But I decided that I can just post that later.  As New Years is the biggest holiday in Russia, all of the preschools, kindergartens, and schools have special programs called yolkas.  The kids dress in special dresses and costumes and sing and dance.  Anneka's class practiced for weeks, even cutting out other subjects to go to music extra times each week.  I was SO thankful that Anneka's yolka wasn't on December 25th (as often this is the case).  The timing worked out perfectly into our little family's schedule.  Above is Leif with the three kids on the COLD walk to the yolka. 

 

     Our friend, Yulia, came over beforehand to fix Anneka's hair.   A few days before the yolka we were told that Anneka needed a fish costume.  Then we were told she just needed a green dress.  Then we were told any pretty dress would do.  We found out later that the music teacher felt that Anneka wasn't ready yet for the fish part, as the other girls had had extra afternoon practices (while Anneka wasn't at school).  This was devastating for Anneka- the first time she's been truly sad since starting preschool.  She came home in tears when she found out she wouldn't be a fish (and it turns out they looked like pretty mermaids).  The music teacher said that if Anneka can come to extra practices before Women's Day that she can have a special part in that program.  We'll have to see if that's realistic or not for our lives!

 

     

     It was hard to get good pictures with the dark room and all of the heads in front of us... and the swarm of kids!  But here, Anneka had a special part of a game where the kids balanced eggs on spoons.  She also did another game where she had to shovel a white ball (snow) around the room.  She did great, and she had a fun time, even though she didn't get to be a mermaid.  

     Ike got into the theme of the party and wore his new lion costume from Gramma Irene.  He wasn't so sure about Grandfather Frost, however.  (We think "he" was a "she")

     Grandfather Frost and his granddaughter, Snow Girl, are a part of every yolka.  Anneka thought Snow Girl was so pretty and wanted her picture with her afterwards.

     And we decided to get Ella and me in there, too.  It would be perfect if Leif were in it (he was taking the picture).

     And then on the way back, the girls looked like this.  They were tired and cold and crabby, and I was SO thankful for the sled so that we could just pull them along and kind of ignore the rantings. 

     When we got home, we were pleasantly greeted by Inka- this helped to take away the tears.  AND Anneka got a huge bag full of candy.  We have SO MUCH candy right now.  The kids got bags at our church play, and bags from the church play at the second church, and our neighbors brought a bag for each of them when they came for dinner.  CANDY EVERYWHERE!   We are rationing it.

     I had hoped the yolka would be a good place to connect with other parents.  But it was so crowded and hot and chaotic that it really wasn't.  I've had a few connections with one mom of a boy from Anneka's class.  (and we talked a little at the yolka when we had to take our babies into the hallway).  She has three kids, too!  And she talked to me first the first time we met when I was leaving the school after dropping Anneka off.  Pray for more opportunities to connect with those we are supposed to connect with!

Connecting and Having Fun!

    It's always nice during the holiday season to connect with people, as they are on vacation from work.  Most businesses shut down from January 1st through the 10th around here.  One day we went bowling with our friend, Ira, and her son.  I met her about a year and a half ago on the playground, and we've gotten to know each other better since.  She has to work A LOT (usually six days a week!), so it's special to get time with her.  Bowling has become the latest thing in Ulan Ude.  Several bowling alleys have been built recently.  The kids really liked it (it was all of their first time)!

S and A, showing off the balls that they chose!

     Ike loved slapping the bowling balls... we just had to make sure he wasn't too close to where they popped out.

     I love in this picture how Ella is flopped over the side.  She liked to "help" by pushing the balls if they went too slowly down the lane.

Ike was halfway down the lane before you could say the word "pins".  He's so busy and so FAST!

     We also had some neighbors from our building over for dinner this past week.  Their little boy had a great time at our place (he's normally very shy), and Ella took a special liking to him.

     We had some good conversations with these friends, but please pray that God will open doors to share more and more about Him!  Pray that they will have a hunger to know God and will see how much God loves them!

С Новым Годом!

     Happy New Year!  New Years is the biggest holiday by far in Russia.  We gave out some Christmas cookies to neighbors and a store worker for Christmas, and they weren't aware of what day Christmas fell on.  It's so interesting, as probably most everyone in North America knows it's December 25th!  Since everyone else celebrates New Years (and largely with family), we decided that we needed to celebrate, too!  However, with three small kids, we didn't want to go anywhere (Russians stay up ALL NIGHT.... the party BEGINS at midnight!)... so we invited the Jordans to come and spend the night at our place.  It was really fun.  We don't get to spend a whole lot of time with this family usually, and it was so great to have a ton of time to just have fun together!  We had fondue for dinner.  Alan said, "Fondue is fun to do".  "Yes it is, Alan, yes it is!"

Ike likes to feed people.  Here, he enjoyed feeding Eric.

     We went outside and lit sparklers and some small fireworks.  It was COLD (but fun)!  The kids were rolling around on the cold ground, so they were freezing.  We came in and warmed up with some hot cocoa.  Then we decorated some Christmas cookies.  We played a couple of games of Taboo and Beyond Balderdash and watched a short movie.

     Then at midnight, the fireworks started!  We had a GREAT view from our 7th story apartment which is on a hill that overlooks the city.  There were big fireworks as far as the eye could see, as well as big fireworks right in our courtyard.  (someone was even shooting them off of a balcony to the right of us).  We let Anneka stay up until 10:30, and then we could tell she was tired, so we put her to bed and promised to wake her up at midnight for the turn of the new year and the fireworks.  I have this picture to prove that she was awake because she doesn't remember a speck of it!  Her eyes were open, but she was still asleep!

     The Jordan boys are so sweet with our kids.  (Here they're playing hide-and-seek).  They all woke up and played nicely together the next morning.  Leif slept until after 8:00 and began making a great breakfast of pancakes and potatoes... and I got to sleep until 9:00!!!

     It was  relaxing day with the kids playing nicely and the guys playing Monopoly.  I got to skype with my parents and brother and talk with Juli.  We're blessed by having this family in our lives!  I had to post this picture of when Darin was getting ready to go.  I love how Ike is smiling and watching him from the couch.  =)

     I want to learn to play the guitar as my New Year's Resolution.  Leif said he'd teach me.  He taught me two chords so far.  I'm looking forward to learning more.  I think that this will be a good way for me to praise God and have an outlet, as I'm often home with the kids.  Both Leif and I have noticed what a difference music makes when it is in our home!

It's vacation time now (no school or work for most people), and we're on a later schedule.  This past week, Leif and I have stayed up past midnight each night drinking tons of raspberry black tea (with cream!) and playing a game called Lost Cities.  It's nice because the kids are sleeping in later now (8:00) that we don't have to wake Anneka for school.  It's dark in the mornings until after 9:00, so it's nice to get up a little later instead of at 6:30 and feel like it's the middle of the night forever.

Happy New Year!