I love nieces!

I'm pretty convinced I have the cutest nieces ever! It has been such a joy to spend time with family.

 

 

Updates & prayer requests

We are back in the states once again. It has been a bit since I posted, and I feel like an update will be best for this post. First, I'd like to share with you the latest in our visa situation. As you have probably noticed we have needed to come to the states to renew our visas every 3 months for the last year. It has been really difficult to go back and forth so often, not to mention expensive.  Recently a new visa has been "brought to the table". It is still being discussed by the Russian government. It would be a 3 year visa, but it appears it might end up being 6 months in Russia and then 6 months in the states. Obviously that would not be ideal. My husband also read that they might be doing away with the visa we have been currently using. God always has a plan though and has been opening some doors for us!! Someone we have recently met in Russia has said they can help us get the visas we need. It would be temporary residency status in Russia and would be a 3-5 year visa! These visas are very difficult for us to get in Moscow. They only have a certain amount per area per year, and all the officials and wealthy end up using them all. Joel's parents have tried and tried to get this visa in the past, but have always been denied. Please join us in prayer that we will be able to receive this longer visa!

Secondly, I'd like share with you an update on my dad's cancer. He started chemo and radiation last Monday. They had told my parents they would be able to go home on the weekends until the end when dad would probably be too sick to travel. Well, things have not gone as planned. He was admitted to the hospital on Friday. He is extremely weak and cannot keep anything down. He has 5 more weeks of treatments ahead of him. This has been extremely difficult on my mom as well. Dad was admitted to the hospital on their 33rd anniversary. Please pray for my parents! Pray that dad will regain some strength. Pray for grace, peace and strength for my mom.

Thank you to all those who have been in prayer for us and our family. It is appreciated more than we can express. As difficult as it is to travel back and forth, I am so thankful to be able to be with my parents during this difficult time. We are currently in the Northwest but are on our way to be with my parents. I know it will be so hard to see my dad in this kind of condition. I'm thankful for God's grace and strength!!

Cherry Pickin'

Happy summer days to everyone! We have finally started having a real summer here in the Moscow area of Russia. I was wondering if it was going to come this year. This week we have actually been in the low 30s! (or 80s F) The sun may be warm but it is lovely, and we are certainly thankful we are not enduring the extreme temperatures that our family and friends in the states are having! This last Saturday after handing out tracts, Joel and I walked on a "back road" then through our beautiful forest on our way home. We were tired and hot, but we enjoyed walk together. I love all the wild flowers that grow in the forest here.

The other day a lady who attends English club and church invited us to her home to pick cherries. We spent the day on ladders picking and picking, but feeling we were hardly even making a dent in all her cherries. She has an incredible flower garden, which of coarse was my favorite part! Here are some pictures from our fun!

We made compote (a Russian juice) with some of the cherries to share with everyone on Sunday. Compote is basically boiled berries with a whole lot of sugar! We had to use some of our sugar cubes because we ran out of regular sugar sand (as they call it here).