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.