Just a quick update to let you know we arrived safely at our hotel in Chernivitsi. This place is growing in value, now we know they have a great reasonable breakfast buffet and free wireless wifi! Make a note future travelers of the Magnum Lux Hotel. A short walk from City Hall. We are bushed but grateful that all the connections, baggage, weather, passport checks could not have gone better. This time we flew in Lviv (see small but very comfortable Lufthansa jet in photo) and had our dear friend Vitalik and his pal Igor make the 5 hour trip to pick us up. Five hours in a car beats 15 on the train from Kiev any day. We made contact with our facilitator who is on that train right now. She tells us that T has been prepared for court, that all arrangements have been made and we are ready to go Tuesday at 10 (pray at midnight Monday please!). T will have to appear in court and S will not, presumably because of age. Tonight we saw the other family for literally about 5 minutes as we barely arrived at their apt in time to give them a care package we brought, pick up our suitcases we had left (with our court clothes), hug and say goodbye. They are on the train to Kiev tonight to put some of the kids on a plane back home. They will not be back til Wednesday, by which time we may be gone from the region if all goes well. But to all who sent things for children and the family, all will be delivered before we leave. Thats it for now. We have to get a bite to eat and get to bed so we have some rest before court. Big update coming tomorrow. Please pray for God's will and for us to embrace Luke 12:22 (Do Not Worry). Blessings to each reader
Thanks so much for the update. I missed the prayer deadline - hope your court date was successful. Please let T and S know that they are in our prayers, too. We consider them part of our extended family already.
ReplyDeleteI think what I really want to say and how I want to encourage you can best be said through Deuteronomy 28:2-12:
ReplyDeleteAll these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock--the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity--in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground--in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.
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I hope these words that "proceed from the mouth of God" find fertile ground in your hearts.
I really pray that the Lord grants you the blessing of having T and S become the "fruits of your womb" and the "lambs of your flock."
God's Abundant Blessings on You Both,
Mark