Happy Easter
Just want to wish everyone a happy Easter. I hope you had a great day. We are so blessed! I didn't make it to church with the family last week but I was there today. It was my first time back since we returned from Ukraine and OH MY GOODNESS was it great to be back home again! We were extra blessed by going to CBC's Easter service during the week and then back to our home church on Sunday. I couldn't stop smiling. We had communion, and neither Bill nor I could hold back the tears as we took communion from Mike and Mer, who stood in front of the church with the bread and juice, representing Jesus' body that died for us and the blood that He shed for us. Viktor didn't go with us as our family went to take the Lord's Supper. After church he wanted to explain to us why. He said he didn't take it because he wasn't baptized yet. From other discussions we have had with him we know he has asked Jesus to be his Savior but just hasn't been baptized yet. We tried to explain that the Bible tells us to "do this in remembrance of Me" but he was adamant about being baptized first. It gave us a great opportunity to talk to him about this and confirm with him that he wants to be baptized. What a blessing that we will get to be a part of this in his life.
We had an awesome weekend of friends and family. Several families got together and went to a river and spent the whole day together in the gorgeous weather. Viktor loved his time getting to know our friends and felt very comfortable talking with people and trying out his English. Saturday night our boys colored Easter eggs. It was cute watching our 13 years old - 18 year old sons coloring eggs. They had fun sharing this new experience with their new brother. We watched "The Passion" afterwards. Some of our kids were too young to see this movie when it first came out so they saw it for the first time Saturday. What a reminder of all that Jesus sacrificed for us. It's so hard to watch (I cover my eyes a lot) but it's so necessary to remind ourselves of what Jesus willing chose to do for us.
Sunday after church we spent the day with family. grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends were all gathered at my sister's home for the day. Again, Viktor felt very at home and comfortable getting to know everyone. He enjoyed his first Easter Egg hunt, which we had him do with his younger cousins, just so he could experience an Easter Egg hunt. He loved it.
Viktor is doing great on his English. He is so happy and full of smiles. Bill and I took him shopping Saturday because the clothes that Dana and the boys got for him on the first shopping trips are already getting too small. Bill kept tearing up as we shopped. Watching this boy get excited over sunglasses or flip flops and shorts would just be overwhelming sometimes as our memory would go back to that day we were in his village when he took food to his mom. Knowing the life he came from and knowing that God has put our lives together, STILL completely blows our minds. Did we really go to another country and spend 2 months and bring back a teenager? Yeah! We did! By God's grace and power, we did! Thank You, God, for calling us to do this and thank You, God, for blessing us with Viktor.
Mostly, thank You, God, for sending us Jesus, Who is the way, the truth, and the life.
Click on the link (that I HOPE works) for pictures.
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