December 26

Good thing we woke early because it was suddenly Sunday. The days had gotten away from us, and I'd forgotten that Christmas was on a Saturday. We had spent last Sunday night in a Dallas hotel to aclimatize us to this time zone, but I guess we still aren't quite over jetlag.

After hard boiled eggs and toast, we drove to church. It was great, so full of love for our Savior, Light of the world. "We'll never know how much it cost to see our sins upon that cross!" I know the Lord will touch the hearts of our new boys with His great love for them. He already has. After worship, they preferred sitting with their noses in their Russian and English picture Bibles to listening to the sermon. Afterwards, as James followed Rob out of our row, Rob had to take the book out of his hands, so he wouldn't bump into people!

Back home, we all helped set the table with leftovers, and after lunch went ice skating. The boys told us, "Odessa, two, Babushka Lela." Our dear missionary friend had taken them twice, so they were quite confident on their skates and, as with everything new, quite determined to improve. They enjoyed every minute of it. James tried to keep up with his big brother and Dad, and cocking his hat to the left like a rapper, he jived to the music with a big grin. Because I was wearing my own white skates, other children would come up and ask me for help. When that happened, Peter would stick like glue to Mom, and wear a puzzled expression. He wanted to know who these kids were. He is learning that, although he is one of my three favorite boys, like the Lord Jesus, Mama loves all the boys and girls in the world.

Last evening as a follow-up to church we all watched The Miracle Maker, a wonderful and touching movie of the life of Jesus, dramatized by cleverly constructed Russian puppets. At bedtime the boys prayed in Russian and quoted, "The Lord is my Shepherd." Their new five-word Bible thought is, "Be kind to each other," one word for each finger.

Next time we will spell J-E-S-U-S. If these children came from Ukraine merely to have a natural family and never meet their true older Brother and Heavenly Father, everything in life will remain empty and absurd.