The overseas jobsite...

Hello to all!

I am going to keep this short...yesterday was spent with the kids. We played in the lobby area of the orphanage with Derek and his two boys and the newest American couple (Karei & Dave) from Minnesota. Please pray for their process to go smoothly. Their tentative travel plans for a return trip is Christmas Day.

Kateryna seems to comfortable with my coming and going from the orphanage. She has not had a crying fit the last few days when I leave. Perhaps it is because I have been walking her back to her teacher vs. allowing her to see me drive away. (My parenting skills are getting better...YEA!)

I am trying to be comfortable with the freedoms Sveta is accustom to here in Ukraine. Through orphanage rules, she is allowed to come and go as she pleases during the weekend. Example: After dinner last night she told me she planned to take a bus back into town to visit with her sister Tanya (the one in college). I was obviously concerned, especially knowing it was dark, 12 degrees farenheit and in order to catch the bus, she must walk through the woods for a bit... then down a very dark road to a main road. She obviously does this often so I bit my tongue and said OK.

Nikolas was not himself yesterday. I need to continue to encourage him to express his feelings. Please pray for me to have the right "motherly instincts".  I know he is ready to come home. I found a piece of paper hidden inside his jean pocket where he is marking off the days until the 18th (our return date). When I asked him about it, he simply said, "Why can't we leave now...why do we have to wait?" Again, please pray for him as he may struggling with his emotions with regards to the huge change in his life.

Here are photos of the town...