More Language

Here we are with our language teacher, Olga! She is great! We meet with her twice a week. We actually meet right here in our kitchen. Usually either Philip or I will take the girls in the living room to play while the other is having lessons.
This is our last week of lessons, as we will be leaving for the States next Wednesday. We will pick back up when we return in January!

Sometimes I feel like I have made little to no progress with language, and then at other times I feel like, "yeah! I can understand what they just said!". It is a toss up. Just last week, Adalynn and I were on the bus back home, and we were sitting across from an older lady. She fixed Adalynn's hat because it wasn't over her ears all the way. Then she asked how old Adalynn was. I totally understood her and was able to answer in Russian. I suddenly had the urge to lose eye contact with her so I wouldn't have to talk to her in case I couldn't understand. But I decided to be brave and continue to talk with her. She asked where I was from, China (the usual), Korea, or Japan. I told her I was American, but that I was born in Korea (Thank you, Russian Language Institute in SC for making me memorize where I was from!). She asked if my parents where Korean, and I said no they were American. I couldn't remember how to say I was adopted, so I suppose she is totally confused. She is probably at home right now thinking about it! I was able to tell her that my family and I lived here in Vladimir, and that I had a husband and another daughter at home. That was the end because we came to our stop and I had to hull Adalynn, snowsuit and all, off the bus!
This was one of those days where I can say, "Yes! I have made some progress as far as language learning goes..." Obviously I am not having in depth conversations with people, but I can understand more and talk more than when we were here last January. Praise the Lord for His help! And Praise the Lord for a great language tutor here to help us!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Children

I have been doing the children's lessons for our large group meetings (for Grace of Christ church) on Sundays. We have tried to stay with the theme that the adults are studying. This past week we talked about Lazarus being raised from the dead. The kids did a great job listening to the story. Then we acted the story out---as best as we could with a 2 year old, 3 year old, and 2 kindergarten age girls! It was pretty funny!

Here Adalynn is Mary, Natasha is Martha, and Sophia is Lazarus!

This is the best "tomb" we could come up with! haha!

Of course we played some games, did a craft, ate snack, and played some more games! We even learned a new Bible verse! Tanya came and interrupted for me, which I was grateful for! She even got in on the game of "mummy"!


Adalynn had fun wrapping Sophia up...and I think Sophia had just as much fun!

Thanks for keeping Grace of Christ Church in your prayers. The children are just as important as anyone else in the church!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Thanks Be to God

Well this little one just wanted you to know that she has been ACCEPTED into the 2011 quota! She can officially stay with our family! Praise the Lord! Thank you for your hard, fervent prayers for this request! Now...on to getting us all accepted for our residency...

Psalm 55:17
"Evening and morning, and at noon, I will pray and cry aloud; and He shall hear my voice."

Giving Thanks to the Lord,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

It has Arrived!

Well this morning we woke up to snow falling. Beautiful. Cold. Slippery. Yes, it is a beautiful sight, but it comes with a few negatives like it being cold and slippery outside! Welcome to the next 5 months of our lives, right?! We turned some Christmas music on to celebrate the first real snow fall in Vladimir!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Torpedo Soccer Game

Last Friday, Philip had the opportunity to go to the Vladimir Torpedo Soccer game! He was really excited and had been looking forward to going to one of these games. It was pretty cold, so the long underwear was brought out from the closet! He and Brian went while the girls and I stayed with Cara and Sophia! We had fun being WARM, drinking apple cider and talking...sounds better than a soccer game any day!

There weren't too many people at the game this time, but Philip said it was still fun. He even got a Torpedo scarf as a souvenir!

They are all soccer fans...2 of them just don't know it yet!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Lessons

Sometimes it is hard to study Russian. Sometimes I don't want to study Russian. Sometimes I need to study Russian. With all that said, I try to find some interesting ways to study. The other day we had to memorize another tongue twister, so I memorized it will I was washing the dishes. Philip is really good at pronouncing the words, so he usually helps me. I washed the dishes, looked at the tongue twister, and Philip just repeated it over and over. Sounds like a romantic evening, doesn't it? We are trying to get into our Russian studies each day/evening. Usually when the girls are tucked in bed (around 7pm), we hit the books. Most evenings we try to do this, but sometimes one of us may be gone, we may be out late, or we just need a night to unwind and not think. at. all.
Overall, we really enjoy our Russian tutor, and have found that she has been helpful. She does speak some English which makes explaining things easier.
Thank you for praying for us as we learn Russian. We appreciate it...and need it!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Answered Prayers

Have you been praying for me?!

...because I have been a good sleeper lately...

Thank you for your prayers for Gwen and her lack of sleep. She has been doing well at bedtime lately! She goes to bed at 7pm, and has been staying asleep for those "hard" hours in the early evening. She has been having 1 1/2 to 2 hour naps as well! We are down to 3 naps now, eating rice cereal, carrots, and avocados! When Gwen smiles, she melts our hearts! Oh, what a blessing she is! Now, if she would only sleep THROUGH the night:)!

(Gwen likes the gourd, our neighbor gave us!)

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen