So thankful

Asya has a visa to get residency in Ukraine! I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. We recently asked for extra prayer for both Raia and Asya. We're seeing lots of answers to those prayers. Please keep praying for both girls, and for all of us.

On Thursday Asya and I got on a bus to travel to Krakow. Our trip was long, but went smoothly. The border guard on the way out hassled Asya a little about supposedly overstaying in Ukraine, but he couldn't fine us, as he seemed to want to. We spent the night in a hostel, and the next morning was just miraculous. We have never gotten a visa so easily. Never. Please remember, Raia's visa application was turned down two years ago, so we went into this with a lot of fear and trepidation. It's been hanging over us for quite a while now. Raia had other plans and options, so being refused was sad, but not a disaster. It felt like Asya just had to get this and didn't have much of a chance.

We got to the Ukrainian embassy right on time for Asya's appointment, they took our documents, and told us where to go pay. At that point we got a little turned around, because my phone wasn't wanting to connect to Polish internet to follow their map to the bank. But we figured it out, paid, and went back. They took the receipt and told us to have a seat because there was someone in line in front of us. A few minutes later they called us back, we thought to ask questions and go over all the papers, but no, the man told Asya to sit for her photo and do her fingerprints. And then I saw that he was already printing her visa! We just couldn't believe it! Like I said, always before there have been questions, or something that needs to be added or changed, or even just "come back later to get your visa." This time he didn't ask a single question and printed the visa out and stuck it into her passport right then! He laughed a little at how excited we were.

After that we celebrated by going to a modern art museum (Asya) and walking along the river (me) and dinner at a restaurant (both of us, of course). We spent another night in the hostel, and got back on another bus for another all-day trip.

So strange to see!

Lots of memories here

And here. She was shocked by how small the dragon is.

The next morning we hosted 80-90 people at our house for the church Harvest Holiday/Thanksgiving. To quote our pastor we were "on the vibes of thankfulness," even if Asya and I were exhausted from our travels. The holiday was beautiful. Honestly, I didn't even see much of it, because I was so busy with the kids. I only had a little planned part in doing a cooking activity with all the Sunday school kids, but I also kept the little ones whose parents were running everything busy and happy the whole time. I know there were a lot of people, there was praise and worship, a short message and small group discussions, and lots of good food. An amazing wedding photographer from the church took photos and posted them here; I'm picking out some of hers and some of ours for this.

Leadership team

A little visitor I have babysat

Two of my biggest thankfulnesses right now are for Asya's visa and that we can live in this house, where we can be a part of a beautiful day like this.

Now that Asya has a visa, we'll need to apply for her residency card. That means gathering another set of documents, figuring out where to turn them in, and then registration. It should be all downhill from here, but you can keep praying for the process.

Hoverla

I had the best birthday celebration ever! My actual birthday was back on August 18, but on August 27, we climbed Hoverla, Ukraine's highest mountain, to celebrate. The climb was hard, but so worth it. And our little blind dog heroically kept up with us. Bogdan only carried him for a few minutes, when it was absolutely impossible for Leo to get through the boulders he couldn't see, and Leo cried that whole time, because he wanted to be walking by himself.

This is something I've wanted to do for a while. At first I had thought that I would have to hire a guide and just go by myself, or with Bogdan. But then we found out that our Ivano-Frankivsk friends have done this before (of course!), I asked them to show us the way. That made it all so much more fun. We started out early on a bus to the town closest to Hoverla. There we hired a transfer car, went to the base, and ate our breakfast. Will and Asya stayed there. The rest of us went up, and yes, it seemed like straight up. Tanya planned for us to take the shorter, steeper way up, then the longer, "gentler" way down. That worked well. 

Leo and I were the last of our little group to make it all the way to the summit, and our friends greeted me with a Hoverla medal, a cupcake, and a birthday candle. Then we took tons of photos and started back down.

My view for most of the day

Coming out of the tree line

Berries!

Lunch break, almost at the top

We made it!

Bogdan's friend slept like this most of the way back.

I should get more of Asya's photos. She and Will had a great time in the beautiful forest around the base.

Many thanks to my parents! This trip was their birthday gift to me.

Book recommendations

In case anyone doesn't know, I read a lot. I say that books are my love language. And I thought I would share a little of that love here now. I'm actually writing this in Kherson, which calls for some Kherson books. I'll say where we are, now that the main event we came here to help with is over. (More on that in an upcoming private newsletter.) 

Recently I've gotten to read several books connected to the time of occupation in Kherson specifically or the beginning stages of the full-scale war in general. I highly recommend them. Two aren't out yet, but will be soon. Save up your money for this first one. It's going to be expensive, but it's worth it. 

Serving God Under Siege: How War Transformed a Ukrainian Community, by Valentyn Syniy 

(Ukr/rus title: The Person Whose Home Was Stolen) 

This is my personal favorite. It's about the community that we've been around for many years. We know people and places on almost every page of this book. They evacuated to Ivano-Frankivsk while we stayed under occupation. This book tells the story of that move and how they served God in all of it. It's the view from the other side of the line that we were behind. (If you read want to read it now, before the translation comes out, like I did: link.)  

Finding Home Again, by Sharon Markey 

Another excellent book. Sharon and I have been friends online for years, although we've only met once in person. I've read her book several times now, as she gets it ready for publication. It's a work of art and really shows the emotions that can come with war and displacement. (Not about Kherson, but still close to my heart. Sharon's writing helps me sort my own feelings.) There's not a preorder page, as far as I know, but there's more info here. 

And then a different type of book: 

Walking Past Tombstones, by Timothy Morales 

Don't read this one if you're offended by swearing or typos. (The latter bothers me! But I could actually get past them here.) The author is a great storyteller and really gets across a picture of what occupation was like. See if you can find Will in his story. There's a chapter name specifically for my Dad, even though I'm sure that's unintentional. I devoured this book in two days, while listening to Kherson artillery pounding outside as the perfect soundtrack for it. 

And, along with reading, you can do what I don't usually like to do: watch. Please watch Zarina Zabrisky's documentary about Kherson. Also, please watch this interview to go with it. 

Asya's hand

I'll put this up here, because I looked back through the blog to remember when was the last time Asya broke a bone. 

On Sunday she was running around after church, playing with kids, and she slipped. I didn't see what happened, but I hear that she flew. She jumped up and ran on. But then a little later her hand started hurting, and her finger was obviously swelling and bruising. The general opinion was that it was too dangerous to go to the hospital. (We're not in Ivano-Frankivsk now.) She was in a lot of pain, so a doctor who goes to our church sent directions on how to cut up a syringe to make a splint. That worked beautifully for the night. 

In the morning it was still getting worse, though, so we went on a wild ride to the hospital. We got x-rays, diagnosis of a minor fracture in her middle finger, and a cast put on, all in a few minutes. She's doing much better now that it's immobilized, but she's going to have to learn to do everything with her left hand for four weeks.

Vacation

Soon after Raia left we had another wonderful adventure. A missionary pastor in Mukachevo had written to Will, saying that he had been lying awake praying for us, and God had prompted him to use a financial gift that had come in to offer us a vacation in the mountains near them. We were absolutely floored. Who can turn down an offer like that? So, on March 19 we got on a bus and headed that way. Joel and his family met us at the bus, took us shopping for groceries for 10 days, got us dinner, and then drove us out to the place they had reserved for us. Wow. Like I said, we were wonderfully overwhelmed. I don't even know how to express it. 

It was dark when we got there, but the next morning we discovered that we were in a really lovely place. We settled into a pattern that was usually Bogdan and I hiking in the mornings, maybe getting coffee together, then showing Will and Asya a place that we had discovered. Ira, Asya's friend from Kherson, had planned to spend her spring break with us, so she came and joined us there for a few days, too. 

Also, a family that I had met many years ago when they adopted now lives in Mukachevo. We got to spend time with them, too, and our kids--who hadn't met before--really hit it off well. Even Leo found a friend among their many dogs. We went to church with them, visited two castles, and spent time in their home, too. And someone we had spent time with many years ago in Luhansk actually serves now right near where we were staying, so she came over for a short and sweet visit, too.

In the bus

From the bus

First morning in the mountains

And there I run out of time to keep sorting through these photos, at least for now. That was a taste of some of them from beginning of our time away, plus Leo and his friend.