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.