This was my first meeting with the American Club after being in Budapest and Prague and so I was really looking forward to the kids coming.  I had decided to tell the story about the widow and how she cooked her last flour and oil into a little biscuit for Elijah. I had planned to tell it in first person, pretending to be the widow and I had made up biscuit dough for me to kneed while I was telling the story.  At the end I let each of them cut out several biscuits and then they baked in the over while we were doing our craft for the day.

Earlier I had told Melody that I wished I had some clay that I could use to let them make the pitchers for the oil and then I could dry them. She told me to go online and find a recipe to make the clay.  It turned out great and the girls had so much fun making them.  However the biggest surprise for me came while we were drinking tea and eating the biscuits with butter and jam.  They started asking me for the recipe for biscuits...actually almost begging.  So we gave them the recipe and they promised that they would bake some in their own home.

Our family continues to be spread out around the world.  Pictured on the right is our daughter, Melody, visiting the Taj Mahal in India.  She is in Chennai, India for her second trip this fall. Her company is outsourcing jobs to India and she is training new workers.

Isn't modern technology wonderful?  She is in India, calling our U.S. telephone number, and talking to us in Ukraine. The world has certainly become smaller.

We arrived home yesterday afternoon and our apartment was sure a welcome sight.  After the three weeks in Prague and the week before that spent in Budapest, I had been gone for almost a month.

Of course you always miss sleeping in your own bed and believe it or not I had actually gotten tired of eating out.  However, the thing I probably was looking forward to the most was seeing friends. And this morning I actually got my wish.  I called Valya to tell her that I was home and she said, "You won't believe this...my mom and I are on a marshrewdka right by your apartment."  Of course I told her to get off the bus and come over to the apartment.  So the four of us set around the table drinking tea and eating American cookies (compliments of treats in Prague) and catching one another up on all the news. It sure is good to be home! 

About mid afternoon Joel and I decided to go into town to get a cup of tea at one of the outdoor cafes...the weather was simply beautiful. But before we left Viktor text messaged us to say his mother had accepted the Lord this morning  in church.  We were so thrilled that  Joel telephoned Viktor in Budapest to tell him how excited we were.  That led to sending everyone an email to tell them the great news. Even now I am overwhelmed by the miracle of new birth...we are so happy for Olya.

Well we took the metro into town and had been standing at a street corner waiting on the light (there were probably 8 or 9 of us.  A big van pulled up  part way around the intersection and stopped.  We all started walking and then van started up again and I just happened to be the one closest to the van! Although there was impact, I was not hurt at all.  The man was visibly distraught...I think his foot surely must have slipped off the brake. Anyway by the time we reached the little cafe I needed to sit awhile and just sip my tea. It was a new little place on a back street that a friend had shown Joel. 

We enjoyed the quiet time there and then went  walking down on Krashadeek...the main street in downtown Kiev.  As you can see in the photo they block off the street every weekend.  Because of the beautiful weather there were people EVERYWHERE just walking up and down the street, sitting in cafes, and listening to music.

What an afternoon. Joel  says every day in Ukraine is an adventure and he must be right! 

It had been a long, but exhilerating day when we came home around 2:00 pm today (I had to leave for school around 6:30 this morning) to meet with the workmen installing some cabinets for storage in our entrance. So I was really surprised when the doobell rang and when I opened the door was greeted with shouts of enthusiasm from two of my American Club girls and a third girl they'd brought with them. Marina and Alina had brought Nastia with them.  

God was looking out for me ...I had just put some blank puzzles in the cabinet and I had food left over from the morning reception and so I was set.  The girls told me what they had done this summer and then drew their favorite activity of the summer on the blank jigsaw puzzle. They had to incorporate two new English words in their drawing and use them in sentences for next week.  I was sorry to hear that one of my girls had moved away and another one did not have time anymore because of having to help after school with a new baby, but we were glad to welcome Nastia and look forward to Oleg coming back too. 

This week has been a blessing and a trial at the same time.  IMB missionaries are blessed to have the support in place to help us with medical needs.  I had several issues, some medical and also some very pressing dental work that had to be done and so I  spent the week in Budapest.  However, I was under pressure to get back in order to start school Monday and set up the reception on Sunday.

One day after office visits to the doctor, my friend, J...and I set off on our own to see some of the city before going back home to go to more doctor's visits.  The city is beautiful, nestled around the Danube River. And the buildings are beautiful. Standing in front of one example is my friend.

I have spent the last five days working fervently to get ready to go to Budapest.  It was like this in the states so I don't know what made me think it would be any different here. Some things are just the same the world over.

Joel is going around the apartment like a sad puppy...I'm leaving him for three or four days...he doesn't seem to remember all of those weekends that he is traveling and I am at home alone! And if you have known us long, you know that Joel is not particularly gifted in the kitchen...in fact he can't boil water without burning it!  (actually that was before we moved to Kiev and got a hot pot...now he can boil it in the automatic hot pot.)

So that means that I have to have all his meals ready ahead of time so that all he has to do is nuke them.  His favorites include hot dogs, chili, great northern bean soup (with country ham ends), country ham, grits, peanut butter and jelly and bacon.  Do you think he is from the south...or at least craves southern cooking. Of course he is counting on Valya to fry him some potatoes while I'm gone.

I start teaching a week from tomorrow so I have to get everything ready for my class this afternoon at seminary so that I can just fly in and start teaching. 

There is no picture to go with this entry...I look to unkept.  :) ...but Praise the Lord I am ready!

As we were praying for our family last week, it seemed like we had to pray for the various continents where we all are.  Sean and Carlee and the kids are of course in North America, as are my mother and Joel's father and KK, our adopted family member.  Then Melody is in India, having gone there with her job, but finding opportunities to witness there also. Regardless of where we all are, our One True God knows where each of  us are and is watching over us individually.

The other thought  that came to me was that the Lord has had the nations on the heart of this Ragains family for a long time and it seems he continues to do that. Melody was with the IMB in Poland for two years and  Sean and Carlee have done a number of mission trips overseas as well as the fact that Sean got to go to Bosnia, compliments of Uncle Sam for close to a year. Joel and I are tremendously blessed to be able to serve here in Ukraine but are even more blessed that our children also recognize the call to the nations.