We are still waiting. Our agency recently informed us that the woman who is in charge of referring children from Krasnoyarsk is on vacation in October. This sounds strange to us, however, vacations are very important in Europe and Russia, and can last for weeks. Sounds good to me. The agency assures us that they expect to see some referrals of children in the next few months. We may be in that batch. MaryEllen and I continue to trust in God's perfect timing, and await the call that will start us on the next phase of our journey. Many of you have voiced your concern over the length of time that has elapsed since we first started down this path. However, we are on a normal time frame of international adoption.

I remember taking a mission trip to Haiti, and being prepared by words like, be patient, things move slower in other countries. As we prepared to take our mission trip in June '07 to Russia, the same sentiments were conveyed. We live in a world, and especially a nation, where we expect things to come to us instantaneously. I get upset if my computer is too slow. MaryEllen and I are learning to have peace in the moment. We are learning to trust that God has a purpose for this time of waiting, and we are enjoying the calm before the storm. We have learned that life has many seasons, and this is a quiet time of preparation.

MaryEllen continues to enjoy her new Russian class, and I am enjoying doing some stained glass projects. We are busy studying God's Word in BSF, and hosting a small group Bible study with some friends from church. These are the things God has for us to do now. But in time, we will be busy on other things. We look forward to instructing our children in spelling, reading, math (Pete),Jesus, and the many other things our children will need to learn. It is interesting to see all the educational tools that are new over the last 40 years!

Thank you for your patience and prayers along this seemingly long journey. It will be over before we know it. In the mean time, take a break from your busy schedule and listen to what God is calling you to do. Take a walk in the new fallen leaves, lay back and look at the stars, or spend some quiet time in God's Word. Enjoy the season.