Yikes! It's a Rat!

Soon after we got back, we started cleaning our house. I was in my room, cleaning it when Mom called me.
I went downstairs to see what she wanted. She asked me if I was brave enough to take a rat outside. At first I said no way. Then I thought if nobody took it out then it would stink up the house. So, I took two small plastic bags, one for my hand so I would have to tough with my bare hands and the other one to put the rat in it. When I started putting in the back it felt like I had ants crawling all over me. It was awful.
Then I tried to get Mom to take a picture of me holding. The thing was she was in the middle of making bread, so her hands were covered with doe. I tried to take it myself and this is what I got.

When I saw how big it was I desided to measure it. It was thirteen inches long. I think that is the longest rat I have ever seen. --Allona

Good Visit

Once we had our own vehicle we stopped by Allona and Vova's birth mother's home for a visit on their return to Ukraine. We had a good visit. Here are the three siblings.

And keep checking our blog for Allona's rat story!!

End of Winter

It appears that we've arrived in Ukraine just in time to catch the end of winter. It's a good sign that the cone-shaped piles of sand along hills on the highway used for the snow and stuck cars were being picked up in our region today. However, this is what it looked like when we came.

Cars sitting along the side with breakdowns were frequent as we travelled. We're so thankful that nothing gave out on our van when several parts on the front end were pretty bad.

Not So Hot

We've sent out by an email about our heating system. Pictures don't capture the musty smell or the puddles of water.

Here are a couple of pictures.

The snow blew into our attic as well and did this damage to our ceiling.

The good news is that better radiators are on sale right now for a price less than replacing the old radiators. Another bit of good news is that none of the drains were frozen in our water system.

We are now living in our house with the temperature in the 50's in the rooms that we sleep in. We haven't done too much on our radiators because we've been trying to help Katrina with her heating system.

The bad news is that the natural gas was cut off from Katrina's house (about three days after we arrived in Nova Odessa) which takes away the main source of heat there. She is now surviving with two medium-sized electric heaters.

To get the gas heat turned back on, required the signatures and inspections of multiple government officials, as in a list of 20 documents and an inspection.
Dave has been going from office to office most days until he gets as far as he can in one day. The inspection turned up a list of minor and major home repairs that were needed. A gas meter inspection showed that the previous owners had tampered with the meter, so there will be fines to pay.

We're glad to be serving God whose ways are high above ours and who is everything good. We know He knows about each problem. We're waiting to see the good things that are going to happen.

All Grown Up

Because ours was the only vehicle running out of the three, Sturtevants', Katrina's and ours, our VW has to be used to do the errands for the next day after we arrived in Ukraine.

They had youth night on Friday night and these children came in.


We prayed with the grandma of this girl because the girl's dad took drugs and the grandma greatly feared the results it would have on the child.


This boy sticking out his tongue, was premature a dangerous condition in Ukraine and spent around a month in the hospital before the prayers and worries were over and he could come home.


This little girl's dad committed suicide when she was less than six months old. We had a small part in his funeral and spent some time with her family.

Good-byes

In Indiana, my mother likes to watch the squirrels on her back porch. Andy throws food out so that they will come up. Here, they're having a breakfast of dry cereal while Mother and I watch from the window, the last time before we headed to Ukraine.

In the Middle of Moving

Even in the middle of packing up our house in PA, my fellow didn't forget Valentine's Day. Roses and a good book to read. Who can beat it?