Milo- Grogan

We have made it to Columbus. The first day or so there was kinda a snow/ice "storm?".We got about 12 inches of snow and a bunch of ice. Some of us went on a walk, as seen in the picture. Mama, Ethan, Daddy,Jonathan and Susanna

Hay there Jonathan. Kinda cold ride...hu?

Snow in the city

Playing catch-phrase. Here's the it-er trying to describe a phrase to...

...yelling guess-ers.

Milo-Grogan, here at last. I posted some pictures first of the beautiful snow up here. There isn't that much all the time but at least it's more than Kentucky. The second were a couple shots from last night's playing games. Emmy turned 26 yesterday. A few of "her" boys came over for supper and we played fun games.

Monday night was RXN ( youth bible study). Four kids came ... It was ... can't think of a good describing word. Here's how it goes. Play games - eat junk food. Then Daddy shared about wisdom . In talking about wisdom, he mentioned how cheating is wrong. For cheating is lying and lying a sin. Explaining to one boy that just didn't get how cheating was a sin. Later when asked to share what he(different boy) had learned 12 years old, Jonathan said, "I learned that lying is a sin" Emmy told us later that he wasn't joking. His only exposure to church has been Emmy and Aaron's. Which has been about the last 6 months or so. They hadn't gotten around to telling him that lying is a sin ... These kids don't know some stuff we would consider basic knowledge. Aaron shared that they had one girl here that thought God was dead. "God's dead. Right? I thought He died on the cross.?" Then they could share "NO, He's Alive and will be forevermore." But how can they know unless someone teaches them?

I love the kids around here ... and the Starrs.

Good-bye Kentucky

Myself in Janurary

Irina and Susanna reading/posing for Sveta

Jonathan and Susanna doing dishes the day before we left

Can you find the faucet?

Here it is . Mama pumping water. (She looks like a Russian here)

As of now, we are in Cincinnati staying with some friends for a couple days on our way up to Columbus where my family will leave me. (This week is also special in that my parents will be celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary ... )Today is Sunday ... by the end of this week I will have said my good-byes to my family, at least for a time. I am excited and "ready" for it to get "started". I really don't know what to be expecting ... So I have my thoughts and wonderings in my mind. If that makes any since. I'll share an exert from my diary :

1-18-09

My greatest fear is that I would be a seed unwilling to die so that much life would be produced. One of those seeds that lay in the cold, dark earth laying dormant. Unwilling to let go of the little life I hold - to die in order to live ... " Vanity of vanities, "says the Preacher.'Vanity if vanities, all is vanity" ' that is how Ecclesiastes starts. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

" Fear God and keep His commandments. For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgement, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil." The words of Solomon. A man in whom God has bestowed Wisdom - in abundance...My Spirit is befuddled within ... conflicting thoughts... paradoxes... confusion... passion...
Then I proceeded with many questions of life. In the end , I wrote ..."God is sovereign and truly His Yoke is easy and burden light. And I don't have to figure out this madness. All I have to do is lean on His never- failing arm and obey His commands."

Anyhow, many thoughts... I ask for your prayers. That I would learn true servanthood/selflessness as I attend this Pilate program at the school of Servanthood. And also that I will be able to develop good relationships with the youth in Columbus as that also is one of my fears. For some reason in my mind, I think since I grew up in such a different culture then the inner-city that I won't be able to relate with them as well as some people. So please pray with me about these things.

quote

If my life is broken when given to Jesus,
it is because pieces will feed a multitude,
while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad
- Ruth Stull

My job - my second family

Brandon and myself

Look what Rachael found under her bed ... Never know what you'll find there.

A bunch of us girls watching a movie - Sveta, Amanda, Rebecca, me, Miriam, JoAnn, Rachael, And Lilli

Jodi and Destiny. Destiny comes over some afternoons to do activities with the girls. She calls me "teacher".

Brandon

The field

Rachael and myself

Rachael and Lilli
Lilli and Teresa
Rebecca and myself

Ann
These are a few pictures of some of the kids I work with. The Kreiders have a ministry of caring for special needs kids/ adults. This is a family with people coming from all different places, with different needs, yet united with love because of how God has worked in Ron and Joann's hearts to take into their care anyone who would need care and love. This family has become like a second family to me. I've been working here about a year and a half or so. In that time the family has changed many times. As of now. They're is Rachael(18) ,downs-syndrome. She's full of life and spunk. She's my little buddy and is quit a talker. When I first started working here I would come here a couple days a week and play games with her, teach reading etc. Lilli (19)and Teresa(25) are sisters and they have been adopted. Ann(14) and Brandon(4) are special needs foster childen. Brittany is a 20 year old girl that is bed- ridden and has ceribal palsy. That's all the kids they have now.
20, 19, 18 ... I've been counting down the days till I leave for Columbus. And until then I will be mostly working at the Kreiders place. Since Just after Christmas, I have been working like this is a full time job. ( Before, I worked like about 3 or 4 afternoons and evenings a week, now about every day for long hours) I don't mind because they have become like a second family to me. It also is helping me save money for the up-coming school and get used to missing my family.

Psalm 100

Psalm 100
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before his presence with singing,

Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and
not we ourselves;
We are his people the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with
thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless
His name.
For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting And His truth endures to all generations.

(Here are some pictures from our hike to Iceburg Lake in Glacier Na' Park in Montana this summer. The first is Susanna sitting on an piece of ice that was floating on Iceburg Lake. Some are braver then others. The ranger had told us the water was 36 degrees the day before. Then next picture is 5 wild flowers amongst a meadow of alpine wild flowers. One of my favorite things in the mountains was the meadows filled with varieties of wild flowers. The last photo is Papa and Mama looking on to Iceburg Lake. Notice the bloomed flowers in the foreground and the ice in the back.)

Susanna

Susanna Grace In 2005 - age 3

Susanna Grace in 2007 - age 6