Extras

     We have a lot of cool things going on this summer, so I decided I'd better post some older pictures that I'll surely forget once the adventures begin!  This was when Irene was here and Leif was in a faraway village.  We made a trip to the ethnographic museum, and there was this fun display.  We tried to do one with all of us, but Ella was absolutely certain that she did NOT want her head anywhere near that hole!

     This was also at the museum- there's a zoo part.  We bought some special granola-bar type things that we were allowed to feed to the animals.  The kids really enjoyed it.

     And then as we were leaving, this man was giving rides on his horse.  As this was the girls' dream, we couldn't pass up the opportunity!

     Our church had a picnic out in the woods a couple of weeks ago.  We invited people from the English Club as a way to make connections.  But sadly nobody from the club came.  It was a nice day all the same and we enjoyed being out in nature with our church family.  We bought a bunch of hotdogs to roast, but there was a fire ban, so we've been making strange foods out of hotdogs lately to use them up!

Ladies singing songs to God together

Wiggling a loose tooth, hanging out, having fun.  (Ike slept over three hours and when he woke up was very contented to be on Inka's lap).

     The kids and some of the adults played frisbee.  My parents sent us a great frisbee that is made out of string.  It flies really well and is perfect for kids to throw and catch!  It was fun to see our kids enjoying everyone.  In this picture, Kristina is swinging Ella.  A moment that brought me joy was to see Vera swinging Anneka and them both laughing and teasing each other.  Less than a year ago, Anneka had had an incident with Vera where she acted up and was very disrespectful.  I think a lot of it stemmed from the frustration in not being able communicate with her in Russian.  As I watched, I felt amazed by all that God has done this year in our hearts and in Anneka's.  And so grateful.

     Our oven broke!  Well, actually it's the Wicker's oven.  (Don't worry, Wickers, we're getting it fixed!)  Sasha came over to try and fix it.  It was a family affair.   It's changed how I cook and caused me to have to think a little bit more with food prep.

     We met some friends downtown on a really windy day, and due to a miscommunication, Ella ended up riding by herself in this princess carriage!!  She was so happy, and it made me smile so big to see her in there.  

     We look forward to sharing new adventures with you throughout this summer!

Playing Outside

     There are playgrounds popping up all over the place!  There is a great new one in the courtyard next to us and we just found out that they're going to put one in our courtyard, too!  (in fact we heard that EVERY courtyard is getting a new playground!)  This is so great, as the weather is nice, and these playgrounds bring everyone outside.  It makes it really easy to get to know neighbors and make connections.

     These boys LOVED it when Leif spun them super-fast.  Ella was loving riding with all of the boys for awhile, but finally reached her limit and preferred to be in Papa's arms.

     Anneka has been running into people from school and playing with them.  And I've been talking with the moms as I have opportunity.  In my Russian language classes I've started working on a plan of different questions to ask people that I meet as ways to open up the conversations to spiritual things.  I was encouraged recently by reading in 1 Corinthians 2 how Paul didn't use lofty words or impressive wisdom, how he came timid and trembling and his message was very plain.  This encouraged me, as I think sometimes I can believe the lie that my Russian isn't good enough to really share God with people.  But of course, this isn't true!  It's only God who can change hearts.  He likes to use weak things/people to show His greatness!  And I'm super excited to have a plan and to be more prepared.  I'm trusting God for good things.

     I met Katia and Yulia (from our church) at their neigbhorhood playground the other day.  It was encouraging to me for a few reasons.  One, I really like Yulia and Katia and am always happy to get time to hang out with them.  Two, it was in our old neighborhood, so it was fun to see our old apartment and where we used to live.  Three, the girl pictured in the middle is one that I had prayed God would take care of when we moved away.  And it turns out that Katia sees her and talks to her a lot and has shared with her about God.  It was nice to catch up with her and talk with her a bit.  And four, Katia's mom was with us, too, and she is a totally new person!  She went through some hard times and recently went through a three-month program of basically just hearing truth every day- times for personally reading the Bible, times of teaching, times of group Bible study... every day for 90 days.  And she is totally transformed.  Her eyes light up as she talks about God and about how she never really understood about Him before.  She had gone to church before but didn't really know what everyone was talking about.  Now it's all so real to her.  So fun to talk with her and hear her stories.

     And Ike is always amusing to watch.   He got in a fight with this other baby (maybe she stole his cracker?  I can't remember).  I love to watch him explore, and he's SO HAPPY outside!  If the kids start to get a little crabby, the cure-all is to all go outside.

Preschool Graduation

     We are praising God for a great year for Anneka at Russian preschool/kindergarten.  It was a big step for us and for her, and we can clearly see how God opened this door and how He's used it in Anneka's life in many positive ways.   Last Friday, we celebrated Anneka's class' graduation.  I love this picture, as it shows Anneka's smile the moment she spotted her Papa in the crowd.

     Anneka received a diploma, and her speech teacher said kind words about how well Anneka did, going from knowing very little Russian to speaking and interacting well with her teachers and classmates.

     I took Ike out in the hallway during a special part of the program with pirate clowns (where the kids sat and watched).  One of Anneka's classmates' Dad was in the hallway, too.  He handed this stuffed mouse to Ike, and Ike was SO serious. I couldn't get a smile out of him for anything.  He just kept staring at the man with this face.   He's rarely serious like this, so it was really funny to me.

     And Ella couldn't quite make it through the whole program with a little snooze on Papa.

     It was quite the event!  All of the kids got really dressed up.  Anneka was able to borrow a dress from her friend, Vera.  Each child was given a helium balloon with a bird tied to the end.  After the graduation, everyone went outside and sent their balloons up into the sky.

     The girls posed with the principal.  She was highly honored in the program with a big bouquet of flowers and many kind words.

                                      We just loved seeing all of the little girls together!

     After the program, the kids had a feast!  Ella was invited to join in, too.  She's sitting in the top right corner, and she loved being a part of it.   The kids were contented and happy.  Anneka came up to me at one point and said, "Mama, I feel like my tooth isn't there anymore".  Sure enough, she'd swallowed her tooth in the excitement of everything!

     We prayed that we'd be able to continue a relationship with at least one other kid in Anneka's class (and his/her family) after this year.  The day after we prayed that, we found out that one of the boys lives in the building next door to us.  He and Anneka have already played 3 or 4 times together.  Also, one of the little girls' moms and I exchanged phone numbers.  They also live quite close to us.  One bummer is that I tried to call her yesterday and somehow I'd saved a girl from our church's number under this lady's name on my phone.  So I'm not quite sure how this happened or how I can contact her.  But we trust that God is in control of these relationships and he opens and closes doors.  And if he wants us to connect with this little girl and her mom, it'll surely happen!

God's Not Dead, No, He's Alive!

     I called probably 11 different people last week, trying to find someone who could braid Anneka's hair for her end-of-the-year program for her school.  I finally found someone (the young roommate of Maria- the lady who Anneka is pictured with).  When we went over there, I was met with encouragement.  This other lady and man had come in from the village for a visit.  They were filled with joy, and this man was so EXCITED about his relationship with Jesus.  He has only been a Christian for a few weeks, but he shared about how transformed his life has been.  He said that he had been an alcoholic and had been obsessed with women, but now he his heart is free. He said he doesn't even think about those things in the same ways.

     While we were there, they asked me to sing a song.  Anneka came into the kitchen about that time with her beautiful hair, and we sang together, "Alleluia, God is holy".  We all prayed together, and they gave me some passages of scripture to pass out to others.  We were only there a short time, but it was encouraging to see people so alive and excited.  I feel like so many people here live defeated lives- even a lot of Christians.  And it's easy for us to feel defeated at times, too.  Lately, I've been really struck by how much defeat and discouragement come from believing lies- about who we are, about who God is.  When we focus on the amazing truths of who He says we are and who He is, we are FREE and ALIVE!  How we want to share this wonderful news with others!

     The other day when we were out shopping as a family, Ella sang over-and-over, loudly, in Russian: "God's not dead, no, He's alive!"  At first I was a little embarrassed, but then I thought about how cool it was what she was singing... and in a language that people could understand.  It's so true- God's not dead, He's alive.  And He wants to bring health and healing and water to this dry and weary land.  

Odds 'N Ends

     In this season of life, I feel like I'm living so much moment-by-moment (with these sweet busy kids) that I often have a hard time remembering what happened earlier TODAY much less a few days or weeks ago. So I looked through the pictures and will give little captions and catch up a little on the things we have photos for.
     Leif leads a Buryat Partnership every month.  People from different churches come together to pray for the Buryat people and to share anything they may know about how people are being reached with the good news of Jesus.  Each month they focus on a different region of Buryatia and the people living there.  Irene snapped this picture after the partnership when she was here.

     The clay that kids use here is really hard, but Anneka has become a pro at making things with it and whips them out very quickly.  She always knows exactly what she wants to do and sees it in her mind beforehand.  The one on the right is baby Jesus in a manger and then the cross, to show how God came to earth as a baby and then grew up to die for us.  I am often surprised that she thinks about these things. 

     There's a family that the Kerins were friends with before they moved away that we're becoming friends with.  We had them over one evening to play a game and this evening will take their son to the circus with us.

     One day I made lunch for the guys who were working on the construction at the church.  Our family ate before they came, but Anneka wanted to sit with them when they arrived.

     Irene snapped this picture at our little fruit stand.  There are two ladies who work there and they are both soooo nice!  Often there is not a line, so it's easy to talk for a few minutes with them.  They are always interested in our lives and only sell us the best of the fruits and vegetables.  Anneka loves to go there by herself (while I watch her from the window), and the ladies are always so sweet to her.

Spring flowers are here!  These are literally translated as "beneath the snow" flowers.

     Ella is AMAZING at a game called "Pass The Pigs".  She always wins and always gets these amazing high-rolls.  Before Ella, I always thought it was a game of luck, as you just roll the pigs to see how they land.  But she is so consistently good at it that we now try to imitate her hand and the way she rolls them.  So fun!

Ella and Ike just LOVE each other.  Here they are in their boat.

And here Anneka made a special bed for Ike.

     We had the Jordan family over for dinner and games before they headed back to the States for the summer.  A lot of our team is gone this summer, and all of the families with kids will be gone for a good chunk of the summer.  I'm praying to meet new friends/families on the playground this year!

     It was so nice having Irene with us for Easter.  Because of how the dates fell, she got to have Easter with her other son's family before she came and then Easter here with us.  She brought fun egg dyeing kids and American candy.  What a special holiday to share the meaning with our kids!

Ike's first haircut

     When Ike was first born, we wondered if he or Ella would get their haircut first.  Well, our question was answered yesterday when Leif pulled out the clippers and gave Ike his first haircut!  He was sooo cute sitting there.  I was amazed at how still he sat.  It was a family affair, as you can see!

     I wondered if I would feel sad about him getting a haircut, as I knew he'd probably look less like a baby and more like a boy.  But, nope, I'm not sad.  He looks super cute, and while I've loved our kids at each of their ages, it's also rewarding to watch them grow.  And, all that said, he still looks like a baby.  =)

Sleeping Beauty

     Leif was working in the office and little Ella went in there, curled up on the chair next to him, and fell asleep.  Sometimes she seems so big, and sometimes she's still just a baby.  This is a moment when she just seems like little baby Ella.  She loves whenever she gets me or Leif all to herself.  And we love it, too.

     And a sidenote:  the first time I ever saw these couches/chairs, I thought they were sooooo ugly.  And now I think they're almost nice.  We've lived in Russia long enough that our tastes have changed (Leif is included in this).  There are many things that we used to think looked ugly/strange/tacky that now we really like.  We'll never be the same again!

A Day In The Life

Two ladies who were in town for a conference stayed overnight and posed with our kids.

     I told Irene that I often don't know what is interesting for people to read on our blog.  I'm mostly writing for family, so of course I write about our kids so they can see pictures and know how we're doing.  And some things are hard to write about without asking permission first from people (which I usually opt just not to write about them).  Anyways, she said she liked it when I wrote "a day in the life" blogs occasionally in the past.  So I will try and do this more often.  I feel like no day is ever the same, so the days vary a lot!  But here's a  little "day in the life" from yesterday.

     We woke up to Anneka and Ella coming into our room at 5:15.  Ella had had a little accident.  Ike woke up to nurse so I was with him while Leif got up with the girls to clean up the mess.  Then Anneka joined me in bed for an hour while Leif went and got Ella back to sleep in her bed.  After an hour of listening to Anneka talking and kicking around, I told her to get up.  I tried to got back to sleep, but just got a little catnap before Ike woke up for good.

     I started making making some oatmeal and then got a Bible story loaded up on the computer (we read a Bible story every morning at the breakfast table).  By the time we were putting toppings on our oatmeal (we like to use things like raisins, dried apricots, honey, walnuts, honey, milk, chocolate, etc), Leif and Ella wandered in and joined us.

     After breakfast together, Leif gave me 45 minutes to read my Bible and pray before he left for the day.  He played with the kids (as well as got his things gathered for the day) and headed out to a conference that 4 local churches are putting on with different local speakers and topics.  It's a holiday so there's no school.

     When Leif got there, they were missing two ladies in the kitchen to prepare lunch and dinner, so Leif offered to take over.  He spent the day doing things like chopping heads of cabbages.  People were grateful for his help.

    They turned off the heat in our apartment on this day for the summer, so I made a mad dash to do a load of laundry to hang while there was still heat in the apartment  for it to dry.  Then I decided to get the kids outside.  Before we went out we prayed that God would lead us to a little friend for the girls.  He answered, and they played with the girl for quite awhile.  Ike loved playing in the dirt and running around.  I chased after him and Ella.  Then we stopped into a store to get some groceries.  We had to got to three different stands for fruit, noodles, yogurt and juice.  I tried to get Ella a new spring coat, but she didn't want one- she likes her winter one.  It's getting to be such weather that everyone (strangers included) tells me that she has the wrong kind of coat.  But I'm not going to spend $30 on a new coat if she doesn't want to wear it.  I would rather spend nothing and have a happy girl.

     We walked home, I made lunch, and then ALL of us slept!!  This happens rarely (like maybe 2 other times ever).  I woke up right before Katia called me and said that she and the kids were on their way over.  So I ran around, picking up things.  I also hid the hamster, as one of the boys that was coming has knocked her cage onto the ground more than once.  I also asked Anneka to hide any special toys.

     Then Katia, Natasha, and I planned a baby shower for a couple of friends while the kids played.  I fed everyone sandwiches for dinner but at the same time made pizzas for our small group that evening.  We had about an hour between the ladies and kids leaving and our small group.  Leif called me during that time and said that there were a couple of ladies from the conference who needed a place to stay.  So I made sure things were ready for them.

     We greeted Leif and the ladies, fed the family, and had a nice small group.  The kids stayed up late because they'd all napped.

     We offered the ladies tea and then headed to bed to get rested for the next day!

Of course, by the time I finished writing this, it's now a few days later!  I feel like I wrote too many boring details and most likely forgot points of interest, but hopefully my skills will improve with practice!  =)

     

A Fun Answer To Prayer

     We said goodbye to Gramma Irene today, filled with both sadness and thankfulness that she was able to come.  A year ago (after her diagnosis with stage 4 cancer), we didn't know how much more time we'd have with her on this earth.  We thank God for her health and for this special time togeter.  She feels well and her cancer is very slow growing... in fact, her numbers were down at her last doctors appointment.  A huge answer to prayer!  I know that her being her was a big encouragement to many of our friends here as well, as they see her live a life of faith in Jesus.  

     We were able to make a trip to Lake Baikal for two days while Irene was here.  It was so nice to get away from the busyness of life here and just be together.  There was snow and yet it was warm.... this was an another answer to prayer!  A few weeks ago, the girls and I prayed together that we'd be able to make a snowman this year.  All winter the snow was too cold/dry to make a snowman.  Yet, as we prayed, I also REALLY wanted it to be spring!  This trip to Baikal had BOTH- a snowman AND spring!  I love how God cares about big things and little things.  And He loves to answer prayers like being able to make a snowman.

     The first evening we arrived, we found out that dinner was at 7:00 (usually our kids' bedtime during the school year!), so we had a couple of hours to head down to the lake.  The snow was really deep in places and we kept falling through (and getting thoroughly wet!).  Ike was on my back and every time I fell through I shrieked a little, he just laughed and laughed!!  We didn't get a video of the real falling through, but here's a little clip of me pretending.  He had the giggles for the longest time.  It was so fun.

     Then the next day it was so sunny and beautiful- snowman day!!  Oh, but it wasn't a snowman... it was a snow QUEEN.  The girls enjoyed making it.

   Posing next to our snow queen

   Anneka was so proud... the tiny pinecones at the bottom are "roses" on her dress.

I loved watching Leif and his girls running together!

 

We also went to the banya  (sauna/bath house) that evening.  We had planned to do it before dinner, but the message somehow didn't get to the right person, so we did it after dinner.  It was super late for the kids, but we'd already paid for it (back when we'd planned to do it before dinner) and the kids had already gotten excited about it.  So, it truth, it turned out to be kind of disastrous.  Ella and Ike were crying most of the time and Anneka was wanting to spray and splash water but was met by cries so then she started crying.  It was very memorable.  

     So I tried to get the kids as quickly as possible cleaned up to take them upstairs where there were comfy chairs and a pool table (while we waited for Leif and Irene).  All 3 kids were cute in their banya sheets and played pool for awhile, returning to a state of happiness.   And they slept well that night!

The sleeping beauties!

     I had to post this picture because it kind of shows how things are ALWAYS busy with these kids around!  One of the kids had dropped some crumbs on the floor so I went and got a vacuum cleaner.  Isaac LOVES vacuum cleaners.  A few times a day he gets ours out of the closet and drags it all over the apartment, pretending to clean.  He also does this with the broom.  It's so funny.  Hopefully all of this practice will pay off someday and he'll be a good cleaner for us!  Currently he makes more messes than he cleans up!

Just as much as they loved playing in the snow, the girls loved playing in the sand!

Thank you, God, for this gift of Irene's visit and for special times together!

Church Work Day

     Tomorrow is Easter, so many of the members of our church got together today to clean and get the the room ready for us to start meeting in there (we haven't met in there since the major construction last summer).  Isaac spent most of the time on my back and was a really good little guy.  It's amazing how dirty everything gets here- lots of pollution in the air, lots of dirt from outside (there's no grass, so everything is really dirty),  plus the extra construction created more dirt.  Add this to no running water and scrubbing with water that quickly turns black, it was quite the process to get things clean.  I wanted to just take the big water barrels home and wash them with hot running water and dish soap and scrub them really good.  But people weren't so sure about that, as they needed the water jugs.  So I spent a long time rubbing dirty water around on them.  I do have to say that they looked way better in the end, (and one of these days I hope to steal them away and execute my cleaning plan).

     But it was so neat to see everyone coming together.  I love how work is made fun when you're with friends.  It was fun hearing Irene communicate with others with hand gestures and English.

     The kids played outside in the SUNSHINE!!  They found all sorts of things to do- making dirt balls, chasing spiders, and creating games with sticks.   It was in the 70s today.  SO NICE.  They came home totally filthy, but completely happy.

 Leif put up the molding in the new room (white decorated styrofoam).

     I enjoyed helping Yulia in the kitchen, getting lunch prepared.  Her husband almost died this week, so she filled me in on how he's doing and what God taught her through it all.  We are thanking God that he's getting better and better (still in the hospital, but he's alive!)  She's reminded that God is near and so loving and that He takes cares about all of the details of our lives.

     Ella loved the lunch of potatoes and canned meat, and she especially loved how Nathan spoon-fed her!

     So if I was really thinking, I would have gotten pictures of the JUNK and DIRT that was everywhere when we arrived this morning.  The Brubachers gave us this "after picture" of the room where our church will meet tomorrow.  It looks great and will hold over twice as many people as the old room.  We haven't had room for people the past weeks, so this is a welcome change!  We're looking forward to celebrating Easter and our risen Lord with our church family tomorrow!