Saturday & Sunday

Hi all,

It's Sunday evening and we are at the internet cafe. I didn't make it yesterday. I posted our Friday events and haven't had a chance to type out yesterday's or todays. They have been great days! So many things, not enough to record.

Before I write more - Cort is better today. We got a hold of the Doctor over all the Eastern Europe, Elder McMullin, and he thought he had an intestinal virus. The antibiotics and working, plus blessings from Heaven.

Yesterday, we went out to the orphanage, Cort and Steve were still back at the apartment. We went up to the kids rooms, I was still out in the hall. Natatlie said, come here. I walked down to the room and she said, Laina's uncle he here. That caught me completely of guard. I walked in and there he was, sitting on the bed with Laina, crying, looking at pictures from our experience in the fall. It broke my heart. We were really hoping to be able to meet him, but didn't know if we would get the chance or if it would appropriate. He had lost his cell phone, so Laina hadn't talked to him for awhile and wasn't expecting to him. We did our introductions and it was awkward at first. He had just gotten the news from Laina that we were there to adopt her. We were picking up the kids to go to the circus. We invited him to go with us and spend the day. It was great to have that opportunity. He is a gently young man, almost 24, who deeply loves and cares for Laina and she feels the same. After the circus (not Barnum and Bailey by any account, one tent, wooden bleachers, crowded, 3 hours, in Ukrainian, etc) we went and got Pizza and salads and went back to the apartment to eat. Carla and her girls, and Garretts went to McDonalds, so it was nice to take Laina and Fedya up to the apartment and meet Cort and Steve. We had a wonderful time together and he is very positive about the adoption and the opportunity she has to come to America to a good family.

(Cort and Steve are so distracting next to me). He expressed to us that he felt religion, family and getting an education were the most important things. Although his mother and father (Laina's grandparents) died from alcohol, he said he does not drink or smoke. We told him these are all the same things we believed in. We exchanged phone numbers and he has already texted and called. He asked Cort about our church. We will go out the village where he lives and talk to him more. These are just amazing experiences and blessings that we are having.

Steve and Cort had walked down to the store and Steve figured out how to make some chocolate chip cookies. They were way good. Right now I am craving some serious junk food.

Today we went to church with all the kids. All three hours. They were a little bored, but it was great for Cort to go back to the church that he spent 5 months and for him to see people he knew from this Branch. One gal that Cort knew here, taught the Gospel Essentials class and did an amazing job. It was on prayer. When Cort first served here, she was preparing to go on a mission, he helped her prepare. She served in Russia, Moscow South. Cort also spoke in Sacrament, I got a little teary watching him speak Russian, bearing a strong testimony, and seeing how the members love him. Although, there were many that were not at church today that he was hoping to see, including the Branch President.

After church, we got lunch and went back to the apartment and just spent some time together. Carla had to say goodbye to her girls and we sent her off to Kyiv, she leaves early in morning for Murray. That was hard for all of them, but they'l be back soon. Pray she will have a safe trip home.

Tomorrow the kids start their spring break so they won't have school. I think we will go home and eat something. I'm hungry. We miss you all. Send emails. Don't know if I can personally reply, but it would be great to hear from you.