We Made It!!!

Wow it's hard to believe that God really did call us overseas.  I admit for the last 7 or 8 years I have begun to be more sceptical each passing day.  Now that that day actually arrived on June 17, I am beginning to second guess if we are called.  Well maybe not second guess, but it is hard to uproot your family and move to a country where English is not prevalent, in the last week I have met 1 person in all of Kiev who speaks English (aside from missionaries).  And quite frankly, I feel just like Colleen does in this picture.  The kids are going crazy having a blast and we are fighting to keep it all together.  I told Colleen just today, "I think next time we go somewhere we will skip the orientation and just go straight into things, then it won't be so hard, right?"  Now I know it is in tongue and cheek that I said this, but honestly, this is exactly how I am feeling right now in the middle of things.

I was encouraged by a good friend of mine, whom I email once a month at least, by his observation of the situation and his quotes from Scripture.  It seems like any question I ask him, he points me to Scripture and I am super encouraged by this.  We may be at the end of the world (or so it seems) but God and His Word are there with us. His Word points us to Him in difficult situations as well as good!  I know this post is short, but honestly, that is what God has been teaching me/us this last week.  He is so good!!!

I have also included a few pictures of our time, just to prove we actually are over here.

 Colleen and her Mom with Big Ben in the background

 Blake at the London Eye (He didn't get to ride it as it is one of his goals in life, maybe next time!)

 St Michael's Golden Dome Monastery in Kiev (That is an actual monk in the picture)

 A playground in Kiev

Jolen eating his first meal!  (Try buying baby food when the whole box is in Russian/Ukrainian!)

Father's Blessings

It has been a while since I last posted, but so much has happened so fast that I have not had time until right now as it is Father's day and Ellianna has gone down for a nap.

Right now my wife is making fun of me because of my ties.  For Father's day every year I have told my family I would like a tie.  This year, I got many ties.  My wardrobe for teaching requires I wear dress pants and a shirt with a tie, so we spent 3 hours this last week in Walmart trying on different combinations of pants and shirts and ties.  I thought we were done, but then Colleen goes to a different store and buys me a solid pink tie.  I love the tie and will be proud to wear it.  Thanks for the Father's Day gift.

Looking at the picture you will see our children packed and ready to go, tomorrow!  Yikes, not weeks from now, or even days, but hours, about 30 as I write this.  We found out Thursday our plane will be leaving Monday so this did not give much time.  Also, we found out Wednesday night our house has sold!  Many, many blessings being poured out; where if you were to ask me even 3 weeks ago about our trip, I would have said we are patiently waiting and it feels like a dry time, where nothing is happening, but now the floodgates have opened and everything is happening fast and furious.

Another reason I have not blogged much in the last while is I am going through Ezekiel in my devotions and it is a difficult book.  It feels like day after day it is God pronouncing judgement on Judah and the surrounding countries for turning to the idols of this world and I will have to admit, I don't feel like I am growing.  But as I look back on the last month or so, God has moved me from a carpenter to a teacher, kind of like Jesus whose example I am following.  I guess what I am trying to say is that I can get caught up in the day to day that I forget to look at the big picture and see God is moving in our life.  Kind of like our children.  We met Emily Willms last night and she hasn't seen Jolen since the middle of April, 2 months ago, and I have not seen much of a difference in him, but to Emily, who did not see him everyday, he has grown a ton.  So, if I look at where God has moved me from doing deputation to different churches to now, ready to leave, He has moved me and prepared the way for us to go, but I, being in the moment, cannot see it until I step back and see the big picture.

So my next blog will be from Kiev, Ukraine (God willing) and I will be happy to share more of what God is teaching me.  Blessings until then!