Refreshing Week In St. Petersburg

On our way back from Egypt, we decided to take advantage of being on the western side of Russia and visiting our friends, 'Jamin and Ashley, and their family in St. Petersburg. We are SO thankful for this time and it was really good for our hearts to be with them.


We had a night's stay in Moscow between Egypt and St. Pete. Heather and Adam and their three kids graciously let us stay with them. We know them from back when we were here with CCC. It was so fun to meet them as a family (we haven't seen them since they've been married or met their kids) and to hear about how God is working through their ministry of Bible teaching and training of pastors throughout Russia. Their little girl, Anna, is a year younger than Anneka. I was just amazed at the difference in their size. She was such a cutie pie!



Anneka was very tired by the time we got back to the airport the next day. She liked being wheeled around in the cart, and it was nice for us, too, to have this!



'Jamin picked us up at the airport and Ashley had made yummy wraps (and hummus!!) to eat for when we got there. We enjoyed catching up with them that first evening while the kids slept. 'Jamin and Leif lived in Ulan-Ude together for two years way back when. And Ashley is just a really easy person to connect with and fun person to talk to. She's also pregnant, just a month behind me. I seriously feel like in the week and a half since we took this picture, my belly has popped out quite a bit more, but this gives an idea. =)




One evening, Leif and I got together with this family (Kevin, Emily, and Josiah). We met them at a conference for reaching Shamans here in Ulan-Ude last spring. Right now they are learning Russian in St. Pete and will soon be heading even farther north to a remote place to work with a Bible translating organization with one of the people groups near the north pole. Emily is also pregnant. We enjoyed our time with them.



While the guys were at Bible classes, Ashley and I and the kiddos had lots of fun! On this day, Joyelle (4) went to preschool and we took Silas and Anneka to an indoor playground at IKEA. They LOVED it. And I loved sitting and talking with Ashley and drinking a McDonalds chocolate milkshake. Mmmmm. St. Petersburg seriously felt like a different world! I'm encouraged by the ways that Ashley is intentional about teaching her kids about God and about loving her family, teammates and neighbors. I feel like I learned a lot from her just by hanging out with her!



In the evenings, 'Jamin had some intensive studying that he needed to do, so he popped in and out while Leif often played with the kids.



Anneka loved dressing up and dancing with Joyelle.




On the morning of 'Jamin's final, Ashley was so sweet to keep Anneka so that Leif and I could go on a date. We'd both been to St. Petersburg before, but it's still fun to see the beautiful buildings and to experience the city. And I love riding the subway! Here, we're standing in front of a church that was constructed in Roman style. We went inside and a service was going on, and it was SO BEAUTIFUL! A choir sang from an upper loft, and the notes swirled around the entire room, so lovely and worshipful. People were praying and lighting candles. I saw one lady bring a carton of eggs to give as an offering. I thought about the contrast between light and darkness and prayed that the people there would be filled with a true faith in Jesus and that His light would go out to this whole country.

I'm so happy for our time away, and I'm so happy to be back home, too. God is so good in the gifts that He gives!

Egypt (Part 3)

I know I'm posting a lot of Egypt pictures, but WHY NOT?! Last night Leif and I went on a date (half because we wanted time together and half because Anneka has been talking about Heidi for days and really wanted time with her), and on the way back from the bus stop, the wind was SO FIERCE, it was hard to even breath! I walked backwards for awhile and then we sort of ran, and then we ducked into the nearest store to buy ice cream (pregnancy craving) for a little shelter. I was thinking about what a DIFFERENT world we're in from two weeks ago!

Notice how white we all are. A Russian lady at the resort kept telling me that I'd look better if I got a tan. But I didn't want to risk getting a BURN, and it's not like we were coming home to show it off. We're covered from head to toe. Besides, I read that sunburn is a lot more dangerous when you're pregnant. So I'm still white. And full of vitamin B.




The resort had all-inclusive meals, which was WONDERFUL! Anneka loved the assortment, and every morning, she ate at least 2 or 3 boiled eggs along with the fruit, yogurt, pastries, etc. This picture shows a little pizza place (also with Greek and fruit salads, beverages, and ice cream) on the beach. A lot of us with kids would go there around 5:00 and fill up the kids because the other dining hall opened at 7:00 and they were so crazy-tired then, that they wouldn't eat. Of course, we still ate at the other place, too. =) We were never hungry.





Two of the ladies that serve as missionaries in Ukraine came to Egypt to watch the kids in the mornings while we had our conference. They had really fun ideas for the kids and incorporated stories of Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea as they stood right in front of the water. Anneka talked about the "big kids" and the little kids" and was happy to play with both. Because of jet lag, she took 3 hour naps in the morning (instead of after lunch), but I was so happy because that meant we got to play with her on the beach during our free time. It worked out perfectly! I love how God gives extra gifts that we wouldn't even imagine.




Little Nathan (4) was very good at directing the adults and other kids to create what he wanted in the sand. This day, it was a big hole. (The teenagers made some AMAZING sand creations!!) We loved the time with the other families.




We went into the city of Hurghada one night and bought Anneka this little Egyptian shirt and headpiece. Inka got this great dress.




This picture isn't very good, but it proves that we DID in fact have a conference. Leif worked with the teens to create a fun power point presentation as people were arriving one day on how missionary kids are automatically trained for various jobs in the world through their experiences.

As we flew back to Moscow and got out Anneka's snow clothes, I was a little concerned that she may be sad about wearing them now that she knew that Egypt existed. But she giggled with glee at her snowpants and hats as though they were old friends.

And I have to say that I left feeling refreshed and happy to come back, too. I was reminded all the more at God's goodness in bringing us here to Siberia and about all of the people here that He so dearly loves. He wants them to know Him, and I want that, too!

Egypt (Part 2)

Anneka had her first grass sighting while we were in Egypt. She loved the feel of it through her toes. When she saw a sprinkler (also for the first time!), she looked alarmed and said, "Water dripping!!!".




Once we told her that the sprinkler wasn't broken and was a good thing, Leif showed her how to run through it. She laughed and laughed. What joy!




She loved playing with the other kids and in the water. One family with two boys (2 and 4 years old) will be moving to Ulan Ude in a few months. We're looking forward to having them close by!




She loves her Papa.



On this day, it got a little chilly near sunset after playing in the water all day. There was a breeze, and Anneka was nice and cuddly.

The last two nights have been interesting, as Anneka has jeg lag (Egypt is a 6-hour time difference). She's been up until 2 and 3 in the morning, wanting to play, play, play! (We put her down at 8:00, but then she wakes up a couple of hours later as if it was just a nap). Last night at about 2:30 after trying everything (reading quietly, rocking her, singing to her, eating cereal and bananas, letting her lay on the couch, etc).... she came trotting into our room. Both Leif and I were too tired to move her. But she wiggled and squiggled in our bed and said funny things. I had a bad case of the giggles, which I'm sure only perpetuated things! Finally, Leif moved her and she fell asleep in her own bed. This evening my new strategy is to keep her up until 11:00pm and hope that she'll sleep through. Then each night after I'll put her down 30 minutes earlier. We'll see if it works!

Egypt (Part 1)

We had a WONDERFUL week in Egypt for a conference! It was refreshing physically and spiritually, and we had tons of fun. It's so much easier traveling with Anneka now that she's two and can have her own seat on the airplane. Here are the older three Kerin kids and Anneka watching a movie together on the plane.


January is such a great month to have an excuse to be someplace WARM! This winter has been especially cold for especially long, and the reprieve was just what we needed. We went from -44F to over 80F... that's a +120 difference!! And it was so so amazing to just walk outside without needing a coat or boots or hats or scarves or ANYTHING like that! Anneka especially loved wearing her swimming suit. She wanted to help carry our bags. I have to admit that it was nice traveling there with teammates, as they often helped us. Heidi, thanks for carrying Anneka through the Moscow metro system!



Every morning we had sessions with a great speaker and heard from each person in Russia how God is at work in and through their ministries. This ended at 1:00pm and we had the rest of the day to play and hang out with other Christian workers from Russia and Kazakhstan. Here, Anneka and I are riding a camel on the beach. She thought it was so funny when the camel went from a kneeling position to a standing position (and back).




What a breath of fresh air (literally!) to smell fresh grass and flowers! Inka and I wore our hair extensions one day, and here we are walking like Egyptians.



One afternoon, the childcare workers took our kiddos and a group of us went snorkeling. The water was so warm and clear. We saw dolphins jumping in the water, amazing different fish and coral and Leif even saw an octopus!

Boy or Girl?

We've been traveling (in Egypt, Moscow, and St. Petersburg). I'll tell more about the trips with pictures when we return to Ulan Ude within the next few days.

The baby has been moving around a lot and even Leif has been able to feel him/her from the outside. Do you think it's a boy or a girl? Cast your vote in the comment section!

All Bundled Up

We had Leif's old teacher (and mine, too) and her grand daughter over for lunch yesterday. They're so nice. We always enjoy time with them. And Anneka loved that they would draw pictures in her little notebook. After they left she kept showing me the pictures that Olya drew, saying her name. I had to snap a picture of them in their warm coats. I think they look so cute all bundled up. Today it was -44F!! It keeps getting colder and colder!



Inka took this picture of Anneka a couple of weeks ago. She's wearing Heidi's hat and mittens and Inka's boots. She loves wearing other people's clothes!

This morning Leif and I went on a little date. We had an appointment at a doctor's office so that I could get a note for traveling. (We'll be going somewhere warm and wonderful for a conference in a few days!) I don't know if they're harmful or not, but the metal detectors that work like X-ray machines kind of freak me out. On two levels: one (and the biggest reason), I don't want to do anything that would harm our baby and two, it's kind of disconcerting to have everyone in a nearby vicinity be able to look at the screen and see every part of your body on a screen. Anyways, I wanted a doctors note so that I could be hand checked at the airport. While we were there, they said we couldn't get a note unless I had an ultrasound. I wasn't really prepared and I really wanted Inka to be with us for the ultrasound, but we went ahead and did it. It's so amazing to see the baby moving and to look at all of the parts of it's little body and to watch and hear the heart beating! It looks like everything is good with the little one. She said something about my placenta being low or something, but she didn't seem too concerned, so I'm not going to be. It's still too early to tell if it's a boy or a girl. She wants us to come back for a second ultrasound in seven weeks, so as long as our doctor in the States thinks it's a good idea, we'll get to go again and take Inka this time!! =) It was a private clinic, so we had to pay a whopping $20 for the ultrasound instead of what we paid for Anneka's ultrasound ($4.65) at a government women's hospital. But the place was really nice and clean and there were NO LINES. I figure it's like paying a co-pay in the States. =) It was so fun to go out with Leif afterward and talk about our baby and how exciting it is! What a blessing!

Brrr, Brrr, and Brrr!

It's been -42F the last couple of days. It's been so cold for so long that our apartment is pretty chilly (between 52 and 59 degrees, depending on the room). I've been kind of cranky about it. I'm tired of being cold. Here's the door to outside of our apartment building. The lock on it broke, so our stairwell is trashed again with broken bottles and cigarette butts and other unmentionables. I dropped a whole bag of eggs in the stairwell to add to the mess (but Inka helped clean it up!)

Yesterday, Inka, Anneka, and I went to our friend Lena and Sasha's to see a wedding dress that Lena made. It is SO PRETTY! I wish I'd had my camera. And she hand-embroidered THOUSANDS of tiny beads in a beautiful pattern. It's amazing! They served us a layer cake made out of liver. Anneka ate a few bites and then I had to eat the rest. I'll admit I'm not a big liver fan. But I kept telling myself that it's good for my iron levels (as my iron is low). Last night, Anneka threw up more than I thought a little girl could hold in her stomach. Maybe it was the liver, maybe not. We may never know!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010! We brought in the New Year with friends at church. There were just a few of us there before 2:00am (around the time we left), but we had a nice time together. New Years is the biggest holiday in Russia. We each brought food and had posie (steamed meat dumplings) at about 10:30. Anneka helped us set the table. We brought all of the candy that we don't like from home to share with everyone. (I know, we're so bad... but most people really like it!) She put it into a bowl to serve. I also brought yummy homemade candies, too. =) By the way, Anneka chose her head decorations for the evening.




We put Anneka down for a late nap on New Years Eve, and she slept until 7:00pm. She did really well that evening, laughing and playing with everyone. And then a little before eleven, she layed down on the floor and said "Anneka tired".




So we put her on Sasha's bed and she feel asleep so well... even while we played a game and were talking and laughing. What a good little girl!




At midnight, we all went outside and lit sparklers and watched all of the fireworks. We were on a hill, so we could see tons of them. It was very cool. And cold! (almost -40!) Then we came inside and prayed together about this coming year. What a comfort to know that each moment is in God's hands! And He knows about everything we'll go through before it even happens!



On New Years Day, Anneka and I delivered goodies to our local store ladies. Our church also gave us calendars to pass out as gifts to neighbors. Inside was the gospel of Luke and a few other booklets that explain about knowing God personally. Leif looked through it all first and it was good stuff. And the ladies were SO happy to receive the candy and the gifts! (And, of course, they especially loved the little delivery girl!)

Neighborhood Christmas Outreach

Last Saturday we helped put on a Christmas/New Years outreach for the kids in our neighborhood. Leif has been volunteering in the local kids club each week and has developed relationships with the workers there. The head lady asked him to help plan this Christmas extravaganza and Leif jumped at the chance. He spent hours working with her to write out scripts for the program and to figure out how the time would look. In this picture, Leif is Santa Claus (not Grandfather Frost like they usually have... but "Santa" from America) with Grandfather Frost's grand daughter. They were the emcees, along with Inka and the head lady. (other characters that are hard to describe!)



Anneka was part of the program, as she was the little American girl... the reason Santa came all the way to Russia. Of course, she played her part perfectly.




This was the part we were most excited about. Leif wrote a small play in Russian of the Christmas story. He took volunteers from the audience, and each acted out parts like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, King Herod, the wisemen, etc. The kids and parents there seemed really interested (there were about 80 people total who came).




Inka and I taught some of the kids "Jingle Bells" in English in the weeks prior to the program, and we all sang for the others.




There were also several games that the kids played as part of the holiday.





And the kids seemed really happy to decorate the cookies that Anneka and I made with Sharon and Heidi last week.




Santa and Grandfather Frost's Grand daughter had several kids pose with them for pictures after the program was over.



Tatianya (Grandfather Frost's grand daughter) baked scrumptious treats for all of the workers for afterwards. We stayed and talked with everyone and had a nice time. Anneke stole some girl's hat and wore it around. Eventually, it found it's owner again.

It was neat to be able to be a part of something like this right in our neighborhood! We're happy about the relationships that are continuing to form here.

P.S. For those who asked, the costumes were made by a lady in our church,and she graciously let us borrow them for the program. I just HAD to get into the grand daugther's costume for a family picture!)

A Christmas Family Photo

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! This is always a bittersweet time of the year- being away from our families in the States and yet still being amazed at how God still provides special relationships here and enjoying focusing on Jesus and his coming to this earth. We spent Christmas Eve with a few of our teammates.


Shannon's family has the tradition of eating fondue on Christmas Eve. She brought this tradition with her to Russia, and we've adopted it, too! It was fun to talk and graze and enjoy all of the yummy meats, appetizers, and desserts dipped in different sauces.


The Kerins got Anneka a doll stroller and she loves it. She's been pushing her doll around everywhere.


Nettie read the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke and we all acted it out. Here, Anneka suddenly decided she wanted to be baby Jesus, so she interjected in the play and sat down on "Mary's" lap. We also had a neat time of singing carols and taking communion together- celebrating Christ and his first coming and looking forward to his second coming. There was a scary moment in the middle when Matthew wrapped a ribbon around his neck and Anneka yanked it so tight that his face turned beat red and we needed scissors to get it off. We are SO thankful that there were scissors so close and that Matthew is okay!!



Last year we began the tradition of sleeping in the living room as a family, under the Christmas tree. Anneka was thrilled about this!



Sleeping in heavenly peace.



We had Swedish pancakes for breakfast(a tradition since Leif and I have been married). Mmmmmm!



It was so amazing to have so many presents from family and friends to open on Christmas morning! We all had so much fun opening everything!! And Anneka enjoyed playing with all of her new toys and books all day long.

A Time of Remembering

We had Shannon's family over for dinner last night. I'm so grateful that we got that time with them. They came after a long day of sorting through all of Shannon's belongings. I'm sure the process was not an easy one... and definitely exhausting. I find that it helps me in the grieving process to talk about Shannon with others. But it's hard to talk about her with people who don't know her! It was a gift to get that time with them.



Anneka has been talking about Shannon's brother, Matt, all day today. She enjoyed sitting on his lap to read a few books. Shannon's mom, Sharon, also read to Anneka. It's the key to Anneka's heart! Matt brought her a present (a cute little barn with letters, shapes, and animals that fit in different shaped holes). She loves it. Last night when Leif and I went into her room to look at her (we often do this because she's just so sweet), we found her asleep holding her new barn:





I've been CRAVING Cheerios in this pregnancy and look how many the Wengers brought me!!! I couldn't believe it. SO SO NICE. I had a bowl right after everyone left last night and a bowl for breakfast this morning. It was a little taste of heaven!

Zillions of Cookies

Last night Heidi and Sharon came over to help me and Anneka make zillions and zillions of cookies for our neighborhood kids' Christmas outreach next week. We made sugar cookies and a few examples of how to frost them and then the kids will get to decorate their own. Three out of three of our cameras lost their battery power, so I was only able to get this and one other picture. I got the worst haircut of my life a couple of weeks ago, though, so I don't really mind not being in pictures for a few more weeks until it grows out and I can at least pull it back!! It's almost a mullet. It's bad.

John and Matthew went with Leif to a neighborhood table tennis tournament. It was geared to reach out to boys and their dads. Unfortunately, the dads didn't come (except for maybe one?), but the guys were ones that Leif has connected with through the sports court in the summer. And they had fun.

Shannon's family arrived today from the States. It was good to see them this morning and we look forward to having more time with them the next couple of days. Having them here is such a reminder that Shannon is really gone. It still seems unreal at times.