I (Alicia) hadn't written anything in a while, so I thought I'd write a few thoughts.
We've had more snow in the past month than we have all winter. I unfortunately didn't get any good pictures. Every time it snowed, several times a day for a few days, it would melt slightly but not completely then it would snow and add more. Today and yesterday have been very messy on the street with warmer temperatures. Melting snow in the city is a muddy, wet mess!

Well, I think everyone knows at this point, but Brett and I are going to have a baby at the beginning of September! That's the most exciting thing to share. We have our second appointment next week. We absolutely love our Dr. She was very warm and encouraging and spent lots of time with us explaining everything. Here is our baby's first picture! He/She is the white fuzzy to the left.

We plan to go the States this summer to be with our families and to give birth. I'm very excited to share this time with them!

School is quickly coming to a close. It feels like we just started. I am no where near fluent, but I sure can say a lot more than I could this time last year. I can have chit chat in the elevator with neighbors and a week or so ago I met a lady when I was out with Lilly. She was also out with her dog. She actually started the conversation and asked about Lilly. We talked at least 10-15 minutes. I did a lot of listening and trying my best to understand. I didn't understand every word but I think I understood all the main ideas. I hope to run into her again soon.

Thank you to all who read to keep up with us and thank you for your prayers.

Life Together

Alicia and I just finished reading a book together about the life of the church called Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It's a small book, but it's taken us several weeks to get through it. We usually took turns reading sections, taking time to comment and discuss whenever something seemed interesting to us. We have been meditating on the importance of community among believers. The process of reading a book together reminded me of an era gone past where people actually used to do that (instead of watching television, being busy with lots of other things). Maybe it wouldn't have taken us so long had we read together and not been so busy with those other things!

Personal Notes

Language Victory

Language learning is definitely a discipline. I have a victory to share: I have finished going through Romans in Russian! I have a page of vocabulary words for each chapter. Pray for our ability to speak with boldness.

As our last post ended, we were sitting in school... and we still are figuratively speaking, but only for another short few months.

Christmas and NewYear's has come and gone, so has Old Christmas and Old New Years, which is a whole 'nother thing. Our anniversary past, and so did Alicia's Birthday. The weather's been cold and icy most of the time.

We've been picture short lately, but here are a few offerings:


Alicia and some of the girls from the home they've been visiting, at the final day of the special program.


We had dinner at our friends home, some Korean missionaries, plus our teacher and her daughter.

I was invited to speak at a chapel program of a Christian School here, Kiev Christian Academy. Both of us have been involved in Life Transformation Groups which will be integral to our future ministries.

We have lots of changes coming up that we would ask you all to pray for-- plus, a special timely request for prayers for our friends Chad and Mandy Smith's baby Evangeline, who was recently born with heart problems.

Love,
Brett and Alicia