The Lord has been so good to us along the way. We were able to spend time with all of our children before we left, including Tiffany who caught a ride with her roommate, Lacey, at Master's College and met us at LAX. There, along with our friends Sue Weaver and her daughter Amy, we all enjoyed In n Out together. The rumor of 25 cent hamburgers for their 60th anniversary was truly a rumor!
We managed to sleep fairly well on a flight that was probably less than 1/2 full to London. We arrived on Thursday night at midnight in Budapest and the owners of the Pension Alex were there to meet us. It is a nice old manor with the upper level prepared for guests. Our hosts here, the Romanov family, speak Czech as well as many other Slavic languages, and English. It was enjoyable to speak the Czech language again. As I am writing this, Mr. Romanov has come up to take breakfast plates away and handed me a Czech picture book of southern Moravia, which is where we lived and served in Brno for 10 years. The pension is just 10 minutes or less from the airport and so we'll get a ride there in less than an hour.
While waiting in LAX we spoke with a lady who is from Finland. She has traveled extensively in Europe and she provided us with some encouraging tips about Ukraine.
Please pray for the Lord to provide us with affordable housing in or near to Odessa and the same in the town of Belgorod where the orphanage sits. This is something we've not been able to arrange ahead of time.
In our devotions this morning we looked at October 24th in the devotional Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon. "The trees of the Lord are full of sap", Psalm 104: 16. At first glance one might think what kind of silly little phrase is that? But in the New American Standard it explains the verse as meaning they "drink their fill" or literally "are satisfied". The rest of the verse says, "the cedars of Lebanon, which He planted." It speaks both of finding satisfaction in the source of life, God Himself and in trusting His sovereignty, since it is He who is the planter of and sustainer of our life. Spurgeon writes, "Without sap the tree cannot flourish or even exist. VITALITY is essential to a Christian. There must be life, a vital principle infused into us by God the Holy Ghost, or we cannot be trees of the Lord. The mere name of being a Christian is but a dead thing, we must be filled with the spirit of divine life... Regeneration is wrought by the Holy Ghost entering into a man and becoming man's life... Our root is Christ Jesus, and our life is hid in Him.... As the sap manifests itself in producing the foliage and fruit of the tree, so with a truly healthy Christian, his grace is externally manifested in his walk and conversation."
May the Lord give us the ability to live the life "full of sap" or in a satisfied way in Him, showing life and bearing fruit.
4 comments:
So glad you made it safely. You are in our prayers. We will see you soon!
We adopted our youngest daughter from Odessa last January, so I wanted to pass along the name of the place we stayed at. While it is not necessarily cheap, there are several amenities which I think save you some money over the course of your stay.
We stayed at the Odessa Executive Suites. We had free high-speed internet, satellite TV, whirlpool tub, a phone where you can make free calls to the U.S. (although I used Skype instead) and all kinds of services and sight-seeing opportunities at your fingertips. Plus the staff all speaks English (and it is owned by an American) which was SO nice after being there for six weeks!
If you decide to talk to them about getting a room, ask for the adoption rate. Its considerably cheaper than their advertised rates.
Best wishes on your journey. We'll be praying for you.
The Varnell family will continue to be praying for you along the way.
This is such exciting news. Please keep us posted. I can hardly contain myself that one of us is finally on their way. We are praying for you. Love you!!!
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