There’s no better time to talk through ministry strategy and challenges with our area director than when we’re walking through a picturesque Cossack village. I wonder if it really was a simpler time…? *In case you didn’t notice these are 360-degree photos so try dragging them in all directions to experience the full effect.
16 was never sweeter than when this girl turned it. Her classmates surprised her with 16 gifts, some of which were 16 things each, like a batch of cookies or 16 roses. And a few other friends made it extra special as well, including our teammates who came for dinner and ice cream cake to help us celebrate. So much sweetness for one day!
Our 7th grader and 10th grader…both ready to see their friends and get back into a routine after a summer of fun, travel, and busyness. The hair-pulling photo is now a well-loved tradition and proof that sometimes Casey does start it. =)
August 24 is Ukrainian Independence Day, which is a hotly contested idea at the moment. Service men like these bravely risk their lives daily fighting for its freedom. Pray for them. They are heroes.
After a very busy summer of travel, we ended the summer with our dear friends from seminary who live in Georgia, which was the perfect place to finish…except that Jason couldn’t stay long. We went to a high school football game (first ever for my kids) and had a day at the lake all together before he had to leave to go to a class. But the girls and I stayed longer, and our kids got to go to school with theirs two days to […]
We didn’t expect to spend yesterday at the ER, but all is ok. Sophie took a fall and has a mild concussion, but the doctor said it doesn’t seem serious…just to watch her. Best possible answer. Amazingly, with all her antics, this is our first emergency with her in 12 years. (And she got to keep the high-tech finger monitor as a souvenir.)
“I have but one candle of life to burn and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light.” Ion-Keith Falconer This was the theme of our summer. We made t-shirts to give out, and everywhere we went, Jason shared this message about the focus of our ministry…lighting more candles. Here he is speaking at our mission’s 75th anniversary celebration. We’re thankful that this has also always been the focus of WorldVenture.
With only one exception, our whole team from Ukraine managed to make it to our mission’s 75 anniversary in Colorado! It was an amazing turnout, considering it’s even hard to get everyone together here in Kyiv. We are so thankful for these folks, who have become our family on this side of the world.
Casey went to a master class yesterday with a friend in my parents’ town who bakes professionally. And we all got to partake!
This year’s graduates from the missions program are dear to our hearts–all of them are, but we’ve known Ira and Sveta even longer than most. They have been in the program for longer than typical because they were so busy in ministry that they took their time getting all the classes they needed finished. And they lived in our neighborhood…they even stayed with our kids a couple of times when we needed to be go out of the country. We will miss them, but we […]
Two weeks from today, we’re hopping on a plane to the States for the summer! Hoping to see many of you. Not all of our dates are firm yet, but generally we’ll be in Texas (Dallas, Blanco and Houston) for June, and in Colorado (Estes Park and Colorado Springs) for July. Aug is still in the works…
People often assume our weather is like Siberia. Really it’s more like Chicago, but this week has been the coldest of the year (-15C), with lots of snow, despite the fact that March 1 is officially the first day of spring in this part of the world. Those of us who love the sun and really miss it in the winter are ready to get on with spring, but it comes SLOWLY here. After 12 years, we’ve learned not to trade out the winter clothes […]