What a Blessed New Year
MK Beauties
Candelight Nativity
Daegan on the train to Kiev
Fletchers in Kiev
Making Christmas cookies
Kids' shuttle bus to school
Tristyn playing hand chimes
Daegan as Sargent Sam Star
Thank you all for your faithful prayers and emails of encouragement.
Current prayer needs:
· Falyn having pain from her mouth expander
· Doyle is experiencing a very bad left elbow pain
· Kids adjusting to going back to school
· Kids’ homework loads
· Our language learning
· The Stamey family and Mark Sprinkle
· A place to meet for the Timi group
· Non-believers who attended Jesus film this weekend
What a truly blessed new year this has been already for our family. A few days ago, Daegan prayed to receive Christ! We rejoice in this as we know you will also. He has been showing such a hunger for God’s Word now reading every day and asking many great questions. We are thankful that God has worked in Daegan’s heart and that He has brought him from death to life!!! What a wonderful beginning to a new year and a new life for Daegan!
Before the holidays, the kids all had Christmas programs at school. Falyn’s choir sang some Christmas songs, Tristyn’s class played hand chimes, and Daegan had a lead part in a program where the kids were all stars. They all did GREAT!
We have so enjoyed having our kids home for their three-week long winter break. Though we did not have enough snow for sledding, we had some wonderful family times just playing games together and fellowshipping together (with no homework!).
Our Christmas was quite different this year, but we are learning to start some new traditions here. For those of you who know us well and know our infamous tradition of Christmas cookie-making, yes, we did continue that tradition. There is no way Falyn (and Doyle) would let that one slip by. Thanks to my mom and our wonderful GCC family, we had colored frosting and sprinkles galore to decorate them. It was a little more challenging finding room to lay out all the cookies in this kitchen, but we made do, and they were just like home!
We missed having a real Christmas tree, but we are so thankful that the family that lived in our apartment before us left us an artificial one (thank you, VanKirks!). Falyn was a little skeptical (she is so headstrong about family traditions), but once we got it all together, she said that it didn’t look as fake as she thought it would. We had to buy ornaments and decorations, so we went shopping altogether. I let the kids (and Doyle) pick out whatever they wanted. Doyle said, “You mean, it doesn’t have to be all color-coordinated?” And I said no (he was shocked). We didn’t realize how much we would miss all the same decorations we put out every year (especially our nativity), but we will add a little more every year.
We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas! Thanks to our GCC family, our kids had what they called “the best Christmas ever!” We had our traditional family Christmas on Christmas morning, then in the afternoon we went to the Stameys with another missionary family for dinner and games. We did a white elephant gift exchange, and the kids thought that was so much fun. Tristyn treasured a coffee mug with a few packets of hot chocolate in it, and no one could dare take it from him. We also came home with the highly treasured package of candy canes. The kids did a nativity candlelight drama. As the Christmas story was read with singing throughout, different kids lit different shaped candles to represent the parts of the story (angels, shepherds, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, etc.). With the lights out, it was a very moving drama. Daegan and Tristyn especially enjoyed getting to actually light a match. When we arrived home, we were able to talk to all of our families back home on skype. We so wished we were there, but we made it through. The day after Christmas, we visited with another missionary family and had a great time as well. The rest of our holidays, the kids just wanted to stay home and play. So play we did (with a little bit of language lessons thrown in as well).
New Year’s Eve was very interesting. New Year’s is a huge holiday and celebration for the Russians. We knew this but not to the degree that it actually is until now. They began setting off fireworks around 12:30. Since they were firing them right outside our building and we are on the 18th floor, we had a perfect view of them bursting, and we didn’t even have to stand out in the cold. Out every window and on every side of our building as far as you could see, there were non-stop fireworks going off all over the city. It was so amazing. Then, by around 3am, we weren’t so fascinated anymore. They actually did them until daylight! Next year, we will know that we need a nap that day! The other interesting thing that we have found is that Russians pretty much take off until around the 9th or so of January. This means that except for a few of the grocery stores, they just don’t get anymore trucks in stock. From New Year’s Eve until the 9th, our grocery store has been slowly dwindling...and it doesn't start with a whole lot anyway. They have no butter, milk, bread, etc. So, Doyle has been making runs to other Metro stops searching for bread and other such items. Next year, we will know to stock up before the New Year.
The kids went back to school today (Monday), and it was so sad having them gone all day again and coming home with all that homework. They are enjoying it, but they are looking forward to homeschooling once again.
The Russian home group that we meet with on Thursday nights has lost their place to meet. This is the Timi group. This Thursday we will be hosting them in our home (our first time to host a group of Russians in our home). The Golovinsky group showed the Jesus film on Saturday and Sunday, and it is estimated that 20 or so non-believers did attend. Many filled out a simple contact form (which is very unusual here in Russia) and we are praying that God will do what only He can do.
Before the holidays, the kids all had Christmas programs at school. Falyn’s choir sang some Christmas songs, Tristyn’s class played hand chimes, and Daegan had a lead part in a program where the kids were all stars. They all did GREAT!
We have so enjoyed having our kids home for their three-week long winter break. Though we did not have enough snow for sledding, we had some wonderful family times just playing games together and fellowshipping together (with no homework!).
Our Christmas was quite different this year, but we are learning to start some new traditions here. For those of you who know us well and know our infamous tradition of Christmas cookie-making, yes, we did continue that tradition. There is no way Falyn (and Doyle) would let that one slip by. Thanks to my mom and our wonderful GCC family, we had colored frosting and sprinkles galore to decorate them. It was a little more challenging finding room to lay out all the cookies in this kitchen, but we made do, and they were just like home!
We missed having a real Christmas tree, but we are so thankful that the family that lived in our apartment before us left us an artificial one (thank you, VanKirks!). Falyn was a little skeptical (she is so headstrong about family traditions), but once we got it all together, she said that it didn’t look as fake as she thought it would. We had to buy ornaments and decorations, so we went shopping altogether. I let the kids (and Doyle) pick out whatever they wanted. Doyle said, “You mean, it doesn’t have to be all color-coordinated?” And I said no (he was shocked). We didn’t realize how much we would miss all the same decorations we put out every year (especially our nativity), but we will add a little more every year.
We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas! Thanks to our GCC family, our kids had what they called “the best Christmas ever!” We had our traditional family Christmas on Christmas morning, then in the afternoon we went to the Stameys with another missionary family for dinner and games. We did a white elephant gift exchange, and the kids thought that was so much fun. Tristyn treasured a coffee mug with a few packets of hot chocolate in it, and no one could dare take it from him. We also came home with the highly treasured package of candy canes. The kids did a nativity candlelight drama. As the Christmas story was read with singing throughout, different kids lit different shaped candles to represent the parts of the story (angels, shepherds, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, etc.). With the lights out, it was a very moving drama. Daegan and Tristyn especially enjoyed getting to actually light a match. When we arrived home, we were able to talk to all of our families back home on skype. We so wished we were there, but we made it through. The day after Christmas, we visited with another missionary family and had a great time as well. The rest of our holidays, the kids just wanted to stay home and play. So play we did (with a little bit of language lessons thrown in as well).
New Year’s Eve was very interesting. New Year’s is a huge holiday and celebration for the Russians. We knew this but not to the degree that it actually is until now. They began setting off fireworks around 12:30. Since they were firing them right outside our building and we are on the 18th floor, we had a perfect view of them bursting, and we didn’t even have to stand out in the cold. Out every window and on every side of our building as far as you could see, there were non-stop fireworks going off all over the city. It was so amazing. Then, by around 3am, we weren’t so fascinated anymore. They actually did them until daylight! Next year, we will know that we need a nap that day! The other interesting thing that we have found is that Russians pretty much take off until around the 9th or so of January. This means that except for a few of the grocery stores, they just don’t get anymore trucks in stock. From New Year’s Eve until the 9th, our grocery store has been slowly dwindling...and it doesn't start with a whole lot anyway. They have no butter, milk, bread, etc. So, Doyle has been making runs to other Metro stops searching for bread and other such items. Next year, we will know to stock up before the New Year.
The kids went back to school today (Monday), and it was so sad having them gone all day again and coming home with all that homework. They are enjoying it, but they are looking forward to homeschooling once again.
The Russian home group that we meet with on Thursday nights has lost their place to meet. This is the Timi group. This Thursday we will be hosting them in our home (our first time to host a group of Russians in our home). The Golovinsky group showed the Jesus film on Saturday and Sunday, and it is estimated that 20 or so non-believers did attend. Many filled out a simple contact form (which is very unusual here in Russia) and we are praying that God will do what only He can do.
Thank you all for your faithful prayers and emails of encouragement.
Current prayer needs:
· Falyn having pain from her mouth expander
· Doyle is experiencing a very bad left elbow pain
· Kids adjusting to going back to school
· Kids’ homework loads
· Our language learning
· The Stamey family and Mark Sprinkle
· A place to meet for the Timi group
· Non-believers who attended Jesus film this weekend
posted by The Fletcher Family | 9:30 PM
3 Comments:
Wow!! That is great. God is always faithful. I am excited for Daegan! That is the best gift of all. I know it has been a long time, it almost seems like since Scotland. I agree with Falyn and Doyle, the cookies are a tradition that must stay. That sounds very fun. You guys are in my prayers.
Hello, Fletchers! I just found out about your blog about a week ago, so I thought I'd say hello.
It sounds like you guys are all doing really well, and I am praying for you.
God bless you, Fletchers! Hearing your stories is an inspiration and an eye-opener to me. I am thankful to be part of your journey of obedience, and I count it a privilege to pray for you. Keep to the straight path (it always leads upward for the wise...Proverbs 15:24)!
Post a Comment
<< Home