it's 9:30 am here, and the sun seems just about to rise.
The big, BIG, news for us is that Diana has been scheduled by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for an interview to receive an immigrant visa. We adopted her from a Russian orphanage, so she doesn't have U.S. citizenship yet. Several years ago we filed for her get U.S. citizenship. After filing lots of documents and waiting (and waiting), things are moving forward. The meeting is scheduled on February 14th, and we'll have to go to Moscow earlier to get her medical examination completed. Right now we're working out the details. Please pray for this trip to all come together.
In November we fixed a Thanksgiving meal for Open
Heart homeless shelter. They have grown in numbers and in
facilities. We preached a short history lesson about the
Pilgrims and why they had the first Thanksgiving.
And then we served a meal and ate.
Vera had her 14th birthday (on the last day of the year). She decided to take some friends roller skating at a new rink that has opened near our house. We're not sure if she's really going to go to Valley Forge, but we know the girl in the shirt with the American flag is really a Russian. Anyway, they all had a great time as friends.
Christmas, which in Russia is on January 7th, went well. A local church had a special Christmas service at Hope Center, then afterward we had our game night (which we usually do on Tuesday evenings to connect with older orphans). The folks who come for game night enjoyed the additional Christmas service, so a number of older orphans were able to hear the Christmas message. Afterwards the folks from the church joined in the games with us. Merry Christmas again.
We had a couple of girls who live in an orphanage spend part of the holidays with us at our place. That's a picture of them, along with Tonya and Vera, standing behind an ice carving in the city square. On Christmas they decided to follow Christ, and Tonya lead them in prayer in our living room. Yes, a very good Christmas.
Life Skills lessons for orphans continue-
A new ministry is being started by a local church. They are starting a residential facility for unwed, pregnant women. There isn't any kind of ministry like this in our part of Russia, so the workers have no experience, just a desire to help. Please pray for them to have wisdom.
Please pray for Nastia, who recently gave her heart to the Lord. She is trying to quit smoking. She lives in an orphanage and constantly faces temptations.
Please pray for our household organization. We've had a lot of guests lately.
Blessings!
Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera, and Dianna
P.S. We hear from our cousins in Pennsylvania that some of you are getting Siberian weather lately. Good for you! So it was colder in Elizabethtown than in Khabarovsk for a day. Enjoy it while it lasts! Here's the forecast someone sent me (notice Khabarovsk at zero degrees F and E-town at minus 1 degrees!):
