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

Merry Christmas!

We've had a BIG busy last month, apologies to those who've looked for posts earlier.

We've worked hard at school... here's us with our teacher Irina. She's been a good teacher for us-- the second year things usually start coming together pretty good. And it has been for us.



We also went to an organic church greenhouse conference that we learned a lot from. The main thing: the only way to be unsuccessful in sharing your faith is by not saying anything!

We joined some friends for an American Thanksgiving...



We have been having people over-- we introduced some Ukrainians to Thanksgiving


Alicia's been going to the orphanage-- here's the girls doing a "trust" game.



We visited the Sumy church. Here's some of the kids doing decorations


One of the really special treats was that we visited a ministry in Bila Tserkva, a city south of Kiev, where an American lady started ministering to invalids. The ministry has grown into a huge service center with many handicapped folks being employed there. It's called God's Hidden Treasures, and the lady pictured here with Alicia is the director, Nita Hanson showing Alicia some of the "clients."


It is a really big interest for Alicia with her background in Physical Therapy. They also have been working with stroke patients. One thing we learned from Nita is that when God calls someone to do something, he equips the chosen, instead of choosing the qualified. Here is a picture of some of the equipment they work on.

It's Winter

Things in Kiev have changed a lot since our last blogging. It rained all day yesterday and some time last night it began snowing and has not stopped all day. Brett and I were reminded this morning of the importance of water-proof, warm shoes!









Brett and I traveled back to the States a few weeks ago because my grandmother passed away suddenly. It was a huge shock to everyone; we are so thankful we were able to be there with my family. We also visited with Brett's mom and dad who were able to drive up to WV for the weekend.

My Aunt Deb also came to visit

We also got to celebrate mom's birthday!

Tiffany, Megan, Elizabeth and her babies

Me, Amanda, Megan, and Tiffany

Josh and Brett

When we came back to Kiev, we traveled to Sumy that weekend to visit with the church. Brett preached and Grady translated. The preacher, Vova, was in Russia visiting his in-laws.

The children's church with Nina and Ira


The Bryan Family

Nina and Ivan had us over after church. Nina is teaching me(in Russian!) how to knit. I definitely need some more practice.(with knitting and russian)

A typical day

Alicia on the way to school

Taking tea in the kitchen at school

The teacher team eating lunch-- the lady in the middle in pink is Irena, our teacher

Going back home-- this is in the entrance of our building

Our mailboxes

Brett after going out for groceries

in the courtyard outside our kitchen window, this is how they take the trash out.

On Wednesdays, Alicia and her friend Amberly (below) go to an orphanage to spend time with the girls.

This is Amberly in front of the girls

Alicia, Leah, Sara and Sara (all girls from our school) and Nadia. Nadia taught the group of us how to make Ukrainian traditional egg art, pysanky. It was an interesting lesson of Ukrainian culture.

Pysanky, our final product

What We've Been Doing

School started again on Sept 3rd. It was good to be back on a schedule again. I am also ready to buckle in and learn a lot more Russian. We have a new class time, noon, and a new teacher named Irina. She's great; we do miss our other teacher though. Please pray for her as she cares for her husband.

Just before class started, we had a picnic in the "forest" near our apt with a new missionary couple to the country named the Hornes. We cooked chicken and veggies over some sort of burnt wood chips that Ollie bought at the store. It turned out great.








Also before school started we traveled to a town named Yagatine with our friend and the preacher from our church Sergui. He and his wife Larissa recently moved there from Kiev. He has been remodeling it and we went to help.

Larissa had me sewing curtains. I told her I had no idea what I was doing but she trusted me anyway.

Sergui and Anya with Lilly

Last week I met with a missionary named Mandy Smith to visit a children's rehabilitation center for street kids that she and her husband are now directing. She took me on a tour of the center and I got to meet some of the kids. She is looking for volunteers to work with the kids in whatever ways we are gifted! It's a great opportunity for me to really get involved in some kids' lives under a christian director. I am also praying about how much to be involved in the orphange I visited earlier this year.

Yesterday, Brett and I missed school to go to a friend's wedding. He is an American we know from our school and his wife is Ukrainian. They asked me to be their wedding photographer! I was nervous and excited to do this for them. This is the first time I was The Photographer; I've usually only been a pre-wedding photographer for fun.
The day began around noon for us once we found the right building. The ceremony was performed at cultural center by their Ukrainian preacher.

Next we went to the courthouse for paper signing, picture taking, and another ceremony. All Ukrainian couples have to come to the courthouse for the ceremony there, so John and Sasha had a scheduled appt. among all the other couples there that day. It was kind of chaotic with all the limos and bridal parties coming in and out of the courthouse. There happened to be a famous Ukrainian actress there in the wedding party of her daughter. The whole day was a new cultural experience for Brett and I.

Finally, we went to a restaurant for the rest of the evening. Here is Brett with some of our friends.

Besides wedding cake and a 4 course meal, many games were played like this one with shaving cream, a razor and a balloon. I used shaving cream to draw Brett's face, then I used the blunt side of a razor to shave off the beard I drew, with my eyes shut! It was a lot of fun.

This is Sunday morning a few weeks ago

Dinners at our church usually include lots of fruit and lots of sweets!