Gracie's Birthday

OK so as usual....late with the blogging....anyway, here are some cute pics of Gracie's birthday! She is 4! Just before her birthday party at grandma Debbies house, Gracie kept asking, "am I 4 now?" My brother askes her, "Gracie, do you know what you have to do before you can turn 4?" of course the answer is, "no!" So Deric says to my mom, "tell her grandma, what she has to do in order to be 4!" Grandma says, "you have to tug your ears 4 times, turn around 4 times and then jump up and down 4 times, then you will be 4!" So after blowing out the candles on the cake that she decorated all by herself,(very interesting looking cake might I add)everyone including Gracie, tugged their ear and turned around and jumped up and down in order for Gracie to officially turn 4! It was so funny!!!


Here are a couple more pics of us this past week. Nothing huge happened,Seth went to his first hockey game and had a blast, pics of him with Uncle Charles and Daddy! Hurricane Ida, school, mom fell and had to go to the ER (she is fine),cleaned out mom and dads garage prepairing for a yardsale next weekend. That is about all. Please keep us in your prayers...

Were Back!!!!

Hello everyone! So sorry it took so long to update our blog. It has been crazy. We have been back for a while now and we have had to tie up some loose ends and pull ourselves together again...just kidding. It's just that we have been very busy. We got right in to getting school going and that has been a chore itself. It has been fun but we had to find what we needed and yada yada! So that takes up the good part of the day. Jeff had been blessed with a job while we are here and while he doesn't "love" it, it provides an awesome place to witness. He is working installing office cubicles, and along the line of construction you get yucky language and you know the deal... but it is helping us get by and we thank God for it. He will be able to work there until we go back to Colorado. We are staying with my parents. When we first got home Jeff helped his dad finish the deck in his backyard and he helped the neighbor Joe with his lawn and a few things around the house. These are a couple pics of Gracie helping daddy! She was making sure she got all the tags off the wood once it was installed!



Here we have Seth building a bird feeder for the back yard with an empty milk jug. We needed some pics of the local birds for school and Mrs.Jacki has just been great to have around to help us with ideas to feed the birds and identify them. She makes it alot of fun.....and the girls when we went to the park one day last week or so. Grandma got them blue icees and that explains the blue lips! It was in Navarre and we went to the butterfly house while we were there, it was free, and we got to see a butterfly lay an egg right in front of us on a leaf! It was really cool.






Shelby got to go with Jacki and I to take Sarah's dog Sasha to the vet. Wow was she a happy camper! The vet was wonderful and told Shelby everything she was doing to the dog and why. She went in the back and brought back a baby squirrel only days old. They were so great with Shelby and she had a blast!
And last but not least, our Gracie in the window catching a fly! She is 4 today and she is a hoot. Well that's all for now, I will try to be better at blogging and please please keep us in your prayers! Love you all

It's been a while

Well a lot has happened since the last blog entry and we have not been motivated enough to post anything. This is a short post. This is to say that we will try to post what has been going on in our life as soon as we can. I just wanted to give a quick shout out to everyone to let you all know that we are still alive and in Florida.

Gone to the Mountains

Ok everyone, dont panic...we wont be emailing or posting for about 10 days or so. We are on our way to western Ukraine in about 15 min. We will be doing 2 more VBS and going to Uchgarod on the western border. Please pray for our safty. We will be back soon and well email then. Love everyone.
The Applings

Youth Camp Ukraine 2009!!!

WOW!!!!

What a great time we had at youth camp. This was the first time for Steph and me to be part of camp like this. We had 26 youth attend the camp which is not as much as we were prepared to have but God is in control so these are the ones he wanted there I suppose. We experienced some very powerful and spiritual moments with the Lord during these 5 days of camp. There were two days in particular that God's presence was really felt. Every night Steph and I prepared a skit before the main service, but there was something unusual about Wednesdays service. Tonya Duddek came up with the idea for the skit that just happened to be the life story of one of our translator/workers Vita, Stepon's wife from Carpathia. After the skit she shared her testimoney and then Jeff Duddek preached for just a few minutes. That night 16 young people up front and prayed and asked Jesus into there heart. It was a very emotional and serious moment. The kids were just crying all over the place. Then later on Artyom who repented last year at youth camp made some confessions that he had not lived the life people thought he did. He would say he was a Christian but did not live the life of one. He asked us all including the Lord to forgive him and we did and God really has changed him. The past couple of days around him he has been so different. There has been a lot of stuff that he was holding on to that he is burning in the trash pit out back. Friday we had a really bad brush fire that started from another campsite and the wind blew it right in our direction. All of our campers and workers pitched in and getting water from the sea we were able to put it out quickly. God really helped us.

Our Friend Katrina

Please pray for our friend Katrina. Yesterday she broke her ankle walking down a grassy hill in Crimea. Katrina,a missionary in Nova Odessa, took her friend Faith and the Duddek family down to see the Sanitsas in Crimea.Jeff Duddek is getting the documents he needs done so he can drive them all to Nova Odessa today. But Jeff and Jason are on their way to Kiev this morning to ride a bus down to Nova Odessa to pick her up and bring her back to Kiev to hop on a plane to go home in America for surgery.( that was a mouthful!LOL) I think Jason said she broke her leg in 3 places. I am not sure of all the details just pray that she makes it home safe and pray for youth camp. Katrina is in charge of youth camp and now she cant be there and it starts on the 10th. We love her and would like you to pray for her safety!

Bible Trip to Belarus border

Well thank the Lord for His help this week. We were in north Ukraine by the border of Belarus for 4 days passing out bibles and tracks and other liturature. I did get sick the second night at our primitive camp site with the flu and it was a very hard night for me but with God's help I made it through. Thank you for all that were praying I really felt the Lord's touch. As far as we can tell 11 people gave their hearts to the Lord during this trip and I am not sure how many excatly but we gave out several boxes of bibles. These areas that we were able to reach have never been touched with the Gospel before. Some of them may have been to an Orthodox church but most of these areas don't have a even one of those. Many people could not even read. There were a lot of older people and not so many young people. They all moved to the city. These people that we talked with have had a very hard life. Many if not all were here during WW2 and endured a lot of hardship so the lives they live now compared to that are very good. One village that Jeff D. and his translator Artyom stopped in we really got to reach the people. Most of the men were drunk. That is how everyone deals with their problems here. We got to open air preach to them and gave them bibles and some asked the Lord to save them right there. It was very amazing. There are so many details it is hard to remember them all and write them all down. Thank you all again for prayerfully supporting this trip.

They are Home!!!

Yes the guys are home! They had a wonderful trip. They got home last night (a day early) and Jeff D was on a bus to go down to Nova Odessa with his family! They decided to come home early because they were all tired and felt that they were able to accomplish a lot and wanted to get my Jeff home and Jeff D home and Jason had to get ready for Sunday and it just seemed like it was time. We haven't had an actual count but they seem to think that about 11 men were saved on this trip. They are going to set up the computer and put all pics into a folder and we are going to have a family night tonight and hear all the stories. Jeff will have more details for you later but I do know that they are already planning on returning in November to play the Jesus film and revisit the families who excepted them with open arms and received Bibles!I am so sad that I wont be here to go! I do know they did lots of open air preaching at bus stations and stores, and handed out Bibles by the handfuls! One place there were so many people crowding around the van asking for Bibles that they all had to get out, and put up a bench and began to preach!!! WOW! I know it was amazing!Jeff will make a post in a day or so but thank you everyone for your prayers. Thank you for following our blog and keep praying for the people in Ukraine. We love you all!

ALSO....please check out the "fav link" spot on my blog and visit Jeff and Tonya Duddeks blog as well as Jason and Joanna Sturtevant's blogs

Some more pics of Ukraine

Thank you Joanna for letting get some of your pics to post on my blog!!! Jeff left with mine! Oh anyway, the 1st pic is Shelby at the water hole LOL. This was the last day of VBS in Ocekiva, it was our picnic,and it was HOT! The 2nd pic is the 2 teams coming back together for a meeting in the middle of the week. We had supper outside and were so happy to see our friends from Kanyazachee( I am sure I am not spelling that right) and the last one is so funny, Jason dropped us off in different places in the village before VBS so we could invite people from the village to VBS. While we were out the clouds opened up and it poured!!!! WE WERE SOAKED! But we had so much fun, but we were freezing after running home in it and while we waited we took the wet clothes off the girls so they could get warm and wrapped them in a sheet that we got from the church and waited on Jason and Joanna to get back.When they got home we took a pic. Some lady in the village brought Joanna's team into her house and gave them all clothes, that is why they arnt as wet anymore. What a memory!
We love it here!

Ukraine Pics

Well here are some pics. The family one is on our way back to Ocekiva from Nova Odessa. We stopped on our way for some authentic Ukrainian food. The next one is VBS in Nova Odessa at Katrina's house. And the last one is Tonya and I helping with the crafts in that same VBS!

Update on Jeff

Jeff is better today!! He is back out sharing the Gospel with the other men. They have been able to reach 3 villages at one time by splitting up. Another man got saved a few minutes ago, he was in his 80's and as far as we can tell there is no religion and very primitive. They said it was like stepping into a musum. Everyone has a cow and a horse and no cars only buggies. They are so amazed at how simple these people live. Keep praying for them. Jeff will make a post when he gets home to give you all more details.

Update from Ocekiva!

Well I'm sure most of you have heard what we have been up to the past few weeks. We had two more VBS's here in Ocekiva and one in Kanyazachee(spelling)which went very well. 9 kids prayed with Joanna and Stepon and received Bibles. The kids really do love the program that she set up for them this summer. Jeff and Tonya were on the 2nd team with Ramon and Nadia. Thing went good although we have been fighting head lice. Several of the people here in Ocekiva got it from the village kids here then we found out that Romans family was dealing with the same thing. Then we found out that Jeff and Tonya and the kids were battling a stomach flu and as you know we got it here too. Then we noticed some spots on Gracie's head that looked just like a ring worm we went to the store and got some cream that we thought would cure it right up, and found out that Romans daughter in Kanyazachee had one on her shoulder. Well Gracie's did not heal like we thought it should so Ramon and Jason felt it would be best to take her to a doctor in Kiev. At this point what ever it was had spread all cross the crown of her head. Well they took her and found out what it was(don't ask I would not even be able to spell it out LOL)she gave us some medicine that would clear it up but she couldn't wash her head for 3 days and the medicine was yellow/green color and with every application we had to wash her head with olive oil...that would be 3 times a day!! SO....Gracie looked GROSS!! But we still showered her with lots of kisses and covered her hair with a bandanna!You should have seen the village people pointing at the girl with green curls!! Now thank the Lord she is better. That was a long week of stomach flu and stuff but when it was over we recover the next weekend with swimming and playing outside with the kids. Stepon finished the cellar and Jeff cut down some trees and Jason worked on the van to prepair for the Bible trek. We did keep losing power that weekend and had a great storm come through. There was not much rain but the wind was powerful. It blew bunches and bunches of cherries off the tree the clothes off the line. We laughed as we ran outside to pick up the clothes and Joanna ran outside with a bowel and we all picked the cherries off the ground and Vita and Joanna baked us a homemade cherry pie!!! Well that weekend was over and now the guys are on the border of Belarus on a Bible trek. The will be home on Sat. They have been having a wonderful time meeting families in the villages however one of the translators Artyome forgot his passport. If they get stopped he will have to stay in jail until we can get his passport to him. Here everyone gets a passport, its like a form of identification. They have not been pulled over yet but we are praying that it would not happen. Several villages have invited them back for children's ministry and have heard the Gospel and the guys are very encouraged. But last night I got a phone call from Jeff and he is not doing so well. He has this stomach virus and it is bad! He was a mess on the phone and I worried about him all night. We started a prayer chain with the churches back in Colorado to pray for him, and Joanna called her parents to pray for him. We all prayed with the kids.It is just hard to be so far away from home and your bed when your sick like that and having no running water or toilet or bed, but its pitch black and lots of mosquitos. We haven't heard from anyone today so I don't know how he is doing but I'm sure God has answered our prayers. Jeff was determined to stay, he said he wouldn't even consider coming home, so I'm sure he is feeling better by now. Thank you everyone for your support in prayer last night.They camped last night 2 miles from the border. I'm not sure what direction they will be going but aside from Jeff being sick they were encouraged! So meanwhile the kids and I are here with Joanna and we are helping her can. So far we have done pickles, pickled relish and cherry juice and apricot jam and pickled tomatoes and stewed tomatoes. We have been paying the kids by the bucket fulls of apricots! They will get paid tomorrow and we will take them to the bazaar to buy pocket knives and mugs for youth camp. Yesterday I found myself in the apricot tree shaking it and the boys were under it laughing because they were getting hit in the head and holding their buckets up in the air to catch! It was so funny! (Until had to figure out how to get down..LOL) But we will make some appricot juice and more jelly and jam and more pickles. We are learning so much. They had an expensive winter last year so this year Joanna wanted to have plenty to live on in the cellar! I don't think she will be disappointed. Well I guess that is all for now. I will try to get more pics on later. Jeff took the camera with him so I am without! I love everyone and thank you for your prayers.


Update on Jeff! He is all better! He is out visiting with the rest of the guys today. They have been able to reach 3 villiges at one time by splitting up and it sounds like God is really helping them.

Ukraine Pics

Hey everyone,
Here is a couple pics of Ukraine. We miss everyone and have way too many pics to show everyone when we get home. But until then, this is us on the train going to Nova Odessa with Joanna. And Gracie playing in the rain and mud and Shelby and Josh in a summer kitchen at the VBS camp in Ulanivka. We have had such a great time helping Jason and Joanna. We really do feel like missionaries. We realize how busy they are and how much of their time is taken up with these kids. But I am also amazed at how well our family has taken the culture in. It is not as bad as we thought it would be. We have eaten some authentic Ukrainian food on the way back to Ocekiva and thought it was pretty good. We stopped at several different places and had a variety. I cant wait to see what God is going to work out for us, but so far I praised Him for the experiance we have had to get to know the people. Jeff and I feel like we have known Jason and Joanna and the kids forever and we have only known them for 3-4 weeks!! Its amazing! Our kids have never been so free to be kids. They spend 2 hours in morning helping parent and the rest of the day they play and they play and they play and not one of them gives me a hard time when it comes time for bed!! Thank you everyone for your prayers! We miss everyone and cant wait to get home ( wherever that may be to you,colorado or florida lol) and show you all the rest of the pics. love
Applings






Here are some pics of everyone snacking on the mulberries, and Gracie playing in the sand at the black sea and some local ukrainian lady teaching our kids to play with their food...lol they love baby chicks..

Hi Everyone,
this is the VBS we had in Nova Odessa. This was the last day, picnic day. We took the kids to an open area and fed them lunch and played games with them. We had fun. Our kids really took a liking to many of those village kids and it was sad to say goodbye. In the pics the kids are playing a game where they throw the balls up in the air with the shoot, and Jason was tossing water baloons in the mix. That was fun!Anyway, more pic to come...

Vacation week!!!

Well this week has been our vacation week. We are in Ocekiva with Jason and Joanna, Stepon and Vita. We are having a wonderful time. The women have been canning( Vita did it)and the guys are working on the cellar and the yard. They have to pour cement and build up the walls around the staircase going down there. We are planning on going to the second hand bizaar tomarrow to get some more clothes and later on tonight we are going to go to the forest to get some rasberries. We are really enjoying our week of rest!!!LOL Today Seth and Josh and some of the village boys went fishin'! They brought their sticks and bait and walked to the pond. After a while I went to check on them and they were ate the mulburry bush(i dont know why they call it a bush....its a tree....) they stopped to get a snack on the way home. They said they didnt catch any fish, so they caught frogs instead. Jason asked why they didnt catch fish, and Josh said," I dunno, they figured out how to catch the bait, but we just couldnt figure out how to catch them!!!" I had a good laugh. Shelby and Gracie are having a great time too. This week they have ate more cherries and mulberries then I have in a lifetime! The other morning we went for a walk and that was all we did was walk around the village and eat berries and cherries. Their clothes are all stained.LOL. Yesterday the women decided to take off for a while for a swim, so girls only, jumped in the van (yes Jason let me drive...)and we took off to the lake and had so much fun trying to teach Vita how to swim, well first she had to learn to float..LOL. In the pics Jeff is eating borsht at a little side shop we found on the way back to this village, and Seth was helping Stepon for 2 hours braking up dirt and shoveling it into the wheelbarrow and using it level our the lawn. Working hard on our vacation week but loving it! Well we will try to keep up with the blog updates its hard cause were always doing something. love everyone. Applings

Kids at Play

Here are a couple pics of the kids at play. Shelby trying to wear the skates that Savannah gave her and she still cant fit in them. But just like her mother....shes still gonna try! Seth on his skateboard and scooter, Gracie riding her bike.
Last week we took the kids to the Vision Van,sponsored by Lenscrafters, to get Seth's eyes checked, we suspected he may need them,(glasses,not his eyes) and they said they would look at Shelby too since she was there, and Seths eyes are fine, Shelby needed reading glasses. So these are the ones she picked out. She only needs them while doing school and reading etc.
The stranger in the pic is our good friend Steve. You may have heard the kids talk about him, he hangs out with us alot and we even have a Steveday! He comes for dinner every Thursday and usualy Friday too, and sometimes on Saturday...(I think you get the point..LOL) but we love him. He makes #10 in our family...LOL
The pic with the girls in the dresses, our friend Judy made them for the girls and another 5 year old at the church named Michelle. So they all had matching dresses on Easter Sunday! They were cute!!!
Anyway, I think that is all, sorry that it has been a while since our last update, its been busy.
Love you all,
S