Yikes

So, things are starting to get crazy...well maybe more in my mind, but it is going to start getting crazy messy around the house (sorry Mom and Dad!). We leave 2 weeks from tomorrow. 2 weeks. YIKES. Ask me if we have started packing yet? Nope. No. Nada.
Today we got a call from the people who are working on our visas. Troubles. A few things went wrong. There is too much to write, so I'll just cut to the chase. They are overnighting us some things to fix and then I will overnight them back tomorrow. Please pray with us that things get ironed out.
Next thing on the agenda...Gwen. She has not been doing so great the last couple of days. She has had a really hard time going to bed at night and calming down. Nothing calms her down. She desperately wants to suck on something, but refuses to take a pacifier or suck on her thumb (she is a little young to get the thumb under control and in her mouth). I am trying not to worry about a plane ride in just 2 weeks or a 5 hour layover in the airport with no bed for the girl to nap in. Pray that she does ok and learns to suck on her thumb.
You know, I as I sit here and write and begin to think of all the things I can start to worry about I am reminded of something: My God is GREATER than all these worries. I am amazed as I ask people to pray for us, that people all over are actually lifting us up to the Lord...and in it gets better... our Lord hears and ANSWERS those prayers.
So, if you are praying for us or just said a pray for this mother who has so much on her plate, I want to thank you. A serious heart-felt thank you. I want you to know that those prayers that you have lifted up on our behalf in the past...well they have been answered. Soooo many of them.
Our God is so good. Can I get an Amen?

Blessings,
Kara, Philip, Adalynn, and Gwen

p.s. Did you know we got an apartment?! It is beyond what we even dreamed we could have! God did it again...knocked our socks off with His goodness.

Ordination

This past Sunday Philip became an ordained minister of the Wesleyan Church. There was a special service held in Paoli, Indiana on Sunday afternoon. Both of our families were able to make it, so it was a very special day. Philip has worked hard toward ordination and we are very proud of him and how the Lord is going to continue to use him in ministry.

Our sweet family of four...heading back to Vladimir in just 3 weeks!

Home...

Our field directors are currently looking for an apartment for us. This week Cara and Paul (a Russian we work with in Russia) will be going to look at a few places! We are so excited to hear about our future home in Russia. Will you join with us in praying for the right apartment? We are looking for a 2 bedroom apartment which is not easy to come by, so we are told. Please pray for wisdom for Cara as she has to pick one out for us. Also pray for the people (our neighbors) that will surround us in our apartments. We have hopes to get to know our neighbors. Please pray for the right apartment, with the right landlord, and the right neighbors...

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Reminders

"Praise to the Lord, Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how they desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?"

We went to church on Wednesday night for the first time since Gwen was born. We rushed the kids into the nursery and made our way into the fellowship hall. During the summer, different people have been giving the devotions or scripture challenges for the Wednesday night prayer meetings. I am sorry that I have missed so many of them because I heard they have been really good. Last night, Stan, shared from Psalm 107 and also from the song "Praise to the Lord, The Almighty". I personally was challenged and the Lord spoke to my heart and I thought you might be encouraged/challenged as I share.

Since I was a little girl I dreamed of many things. Obviously I dreamed of one day getting married, having kids, decorating my home, basically living the American dream, right? I mean what little girl doesn't want to live that life? Throughout college as Philip and I dated we prayed and talked about missions. My heart was excited and I was on board with what the Lord had planned for us. We got married, started the process to "become" missionaries, and life seemed like it was all as it was suppose to be. Then we had Adalynn, our first baby. She was (still is) as precious as ever. The mother inside of me wanted to provide for her the way any normal mother wanted to. I was sad I didn't get to decorate a nursery for her and do "normal" mom stuff, but I got over it and knew that my situation was different. I was once again excited as our family of 3 packed and went away to Russia for our first missionary journey together. I knew the Lord had us in His hands, right where He wanted us.
A few months ago we flew back to the States and had our second baby, Gwen. Oh how precious it is to have 2 little girls. Sometimes I look at me holding one girl and Philip holding the other and I am overwhelmed at how good the Lord has been to us, giving us these precious children. Once again, the mother in me, the woman in me, wants to "provide" for my girls, my family. Having 2 children now has made me start to slowly wonder what life would be like in the States. What color would I paint my living room? How would I decorate the girls' rooms? What would life be like with Philip gone all day and the girls and I to be "normal" as we stayed at home, went to the library, grocery shopping, or whatever "normal" moms do...I just started wondering. Then I started to think about all the things I didn't have. Why Lord do I not have my own house? Why Lord do I not do "normal" mom stuff with my girls on my own without feeling like I need help from Philip? Why don't I...Didn't the Lord remember what I dreamed about when I was little? As I started to think these thoughts and started to wonder why I am living the missionary life, the Lord started to speak to me.

"Hast thou not seen how they desires ever have been granted in what He ordaineth?

The Lord has not forgotten about me. I suppose I have forgotten who the Lord is...He loves and cares for me, and has not just placed these desires in my heart to then turn around and make me only dream about them. How foolish I have been to be thinking only about my desires and not trusting the Lord in what He will give me...and when He will fulfill those dreams.
Someone said last night, "We should be praying that the way we live is in such a way that people see Jesus through us". I haven't been praying lately that people would see Jesus in me, I think I have been thinking about how people will view the "Kara" that is in me.

God is good at speaking to us, isn't He? Here I am once again excited to be side by side with my husband and our 2 little girls as we journey forward in what the Lord has in store for our family.

Blessings,
Kara, Philip, Adalynn, and Gwen

Married

Remember how in Russia they wear their wedding rings on the right hand (ring finger) instead of the left? Well, here is my "Russian" wedding ring! For our anniversary Philip bought me this amazingly beautiful ring from Pandora to represent our marriage in Russia. Now, no one will think I am a single mother of 2 little girls:)!

Prayer Request:
-For our residency applications we need criminal background checks on all of us. Philip, Adalynn, and I all did them back in April when we arrived home. Sometimes these government things take up to 12 weeks, so we wanted to make sure we got them before we had to leave for Russia again. Well, we received the criminal background checks. Bad news though. Mine got rejected...not because I am a criminal, but because my fingerprints didn't get accepted. So, I have to do it again. (Philip has to redo his as well because to be accepted for the residency visas the criminal background checks have to have been done within 90 days and when we return it will have been more than 90 days since our first criminal background check).
Today we went in and got our fingerprints taken again and sent in the paperwork for the criminal background check. We have 7 weeks to get them back (approved), get them notarized, and then apostilled. Like I said before, these things can take up to 12 weeks...we don't have 12 weeks.
Please, please, please pray that we get these documents in a speedy fashion! We know the Lord is on our side, so we are going to continue to trust in Him as we work toward these residency visas and all the paperwork that accompanies them!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Moving Forward

As our August departure draws closer here are a few things we are looking forward to as well as a few things we will miss!

Things we are looking forward to

*Joining our Russian team!


*Seeing friends again
*Our own apartment
*Russian food
*Globus
*Coffee Bean
*Not driving!

Things we are going to miss
*Family
*Indiana sweet corn


*Air conditioning
*Starbucks coffee
*Target
*Our pillows
*Talking to friends and family on the phone whenever we want


Thanks for your support!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Russia...Here We Come!

TICKETS ARE PURCHASED!

We have purchased our return flights to Russia! We are leaving August 24th and are so excited to have a date to look forward to! We are hoping life will have settled down more with a newborn (who will be 3 months when we leave).
We think about our friends and teammates in Russia often. Can't wait to rejoin them in just 2 months!

Please pray for our Letters of Invitations and Visa to come through quickly.

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen