|
|
|
|
Dear family and friends,
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Merry Christmas again! Please pray for us as we are in the midst of this busy time of year. We pray for you, too, that you've been enjoying your family and celebrating Christ's birth.
For now, I wanted to tell you a bit about the Autumn that recently ended here. Since we've been in Kherson a little over a year now, and since our days continue to be quite predictable, instead of repeating what I've written before, I thought I'd give you a list of a few of our favorite things in Kherson:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Agape - It's such a good ministry, and such a good place for us! Honestly, we're still not overly involved, but Will keeps busy with some time in the office there and at the computer, working on translating, corresponding, and promoting the ministry. It's great to be a little part of so much love being poured into orphans' lives.
|
|
|
|
Church - We've really been enjoying the church we go to here. I wouldn't have thought that we would find our place in a big church, but it's been just right for us. There's good teaching for us, and our children love everything there for them: Sunday school, children's choir, art academy, camps, friends, holidays, and other activities. They are there many days out of every week.
|
|
|
|
Friends! - ...especially the missionary group that we have gotten to know. There's a small, diverse group of North American missionaries here, and they've pulled us right in to that family. We meet about twice a month as a whole group, and sometimes just the men or just the women get together, or--once a year--even just the little girls. We love it! (I was asking each child in our family what their favorite parts of life in Kherson are, and they all pretty much said what I have listed above. Bogdan said "babies and uncles," which is what he calls this group.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tsyurupinsk (where I get to visit the special needs orphanage) - Again, it's a great place and ministry for me. I've been able to help at the orphanage for children with special needs all year, and I love it. Lately, I've been doing Saturday Bible lessons there every week with older kids and playing with and feeding little ones. We're also able to help with other related ministries, like the homes that are being built for "graduates," visiting them after they're moved on, and reaching out to the orphanage workers, too.
|
|
|
|
House and neighbors - Living in a house instead of an apartment has been a dream come true, especially for me. Our close-knit neighborhood makes it even better; getting to know our neigbors and interacting with them daily is wonderful. Also, now the family in the other half of the house we rent is really lovely, and they have opened our eyes to a new-to-us people group, the Crimean Tatars.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
