A new digit to play with!

On Saturday, we had some firsts for our time in Ukraine. We got mail! We received our Prayer Journals from Gleanings and a Christmas card from our daughter Ashley. There was a sticky note attached to Ashley's letter, but we had no clue what it said. We gave the note to Max after supper and he told us that they are no longer doing mail deliveries to our community. We will have to put a new address in our next newsletter and then everything will go to Victor in Dnipro. This is too bad as many people in our village do not own a car and will have to make other arrangements to get their mail.

Going back to Friday, we received a very special blessing from a Bible College that we attended. They invited past students to receive RightNow Media free of charge! That is an amazing blessing! I have looked at having it available in churches we have been in and it costs close to $100/month. To receive it for free is amazing! We have conferences, Bible studies and all kinds of information available to us and that is such a blessing! What a provision to keep us well grounded in our faith.

Saturday was also a big day for Scott as he TURNED 60! He would now be regarded as a pensioner, although he is not interested in receiving his Canada Pension until at least 65 because they take 6% off your pension every year you take it before 65. We figure the extra income will be more beneficial to us later when our income will be more reliant on pensions.

For the birthday supper we made Plov which is a popular recipe in Ukraine. It is made of meat, carrots, onions, garlic and rice with spices. It turned out fairly good for a first time although we would add more water next time to make it a bit more moist. The recipe said it would feed 15 - 20 people, but we probably had enough for at least 25!!

visiting before supper

l-r - Yana, Vova, Scott, Teresa, Garry, Max


Julia, Scott , Vika


l-r - Scott, Valentina, Garry, Teresa, Julia, Leila, Dima, Vika

Scott's parents sent him birthday greetings that included "old fella". I am their firstborn and now one of their kids is old enough to get a pension. I wonder if this makes them feel older? It is amazing what life and time does to change your perspective on age. When I(Scott) was in my 20's or early 30's, I thought 60 was older than the hills, but now it doesn't seem so old. Now my parents don't seem as old to me as they once did when I was younger. I remember looking at a picture of Dad and his brothers and realized that I was now older than any of them were in the picture.

The weather has been above freezing for several days now, although there hasn't been much sunshine. Most of the snow has disappeared except in the shadows and it looks rather drab and muddy in the yards. But soon it will dry up and we can be working out in the yard (repeating our Russian sentences to ourselves!).

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