Greetings

If this is your first time to visit our blog then we welcome you. You will find here some of the goings on of our day-to-day life as well as our mission work here in Ukraine and further abroad. We'll try to be serious for those of you who want to know seriously what is going on here, but we can't guarantee that this blog may not trip and fall into some silliness at times. After all, life is just too short to be serious all the time and if you can't have a little fun then things just get toooo boring.

OK, so this is Coleen writing. I'll probably be the one twisting your ear most of the time (well, I guess eye would be more appropriate) since Jeff is gone a lot or surgically attached to his computer trying to keep up with all the email. I do help with this as well, but some things the boss just has to do himself. As for Leah, well she has been pretty steeped in busyness herself, but we might be able to get her on now and then.

Now if you don't like what goes on here then you can blame Cindy Williams of Conway, Arkansas. Those of you who know this crazy lady will understand. She is the one who started all this. She sent us a blog address of one of her mannny kids, or so she thought, and it sent us directly to this "create a blog" site. Never did find the kid's site. Oh well, nice try Cindy! Now you know who to blame!

As many of you know we returned in mid-January from almost 6 months furlough in the U.S. We had a wonderful time, renewed many friendships, but sure came home (Bucha, Ukraine) tired. We always said we would rest when we got back to our own beds. However, a whirlwind of meetings and conferences was waiting for us. Now, a month later we are starting to adjust. Praise God for his mercy.

We are grateful to all who looked after us, friends and family, and for all the loving support we felt while there. What a joy, but bittersweet when you have to leave. Yes, we love all of you, but we are glad to finally be back in our own home.

Jeff started the day with one of our missionaries and a time of fellowship, reporting and prayer. Volodya is a really sharp, intelligent young man who is working to start new churches. Jeff is mentoring him and he has a sweet family with two young boys.

Later in the day Jeff went to the "banya" This is very much Ukrainian custom of steam bath. That was a time of fellowship for Jeff and Alyosha. Jeff has been mentoring Alyosha for many years. Alyosha was a former drug addict who got saved and is now in seminary and active in ministry.

With Jeff gone and our old Daihatsu trapped in the yard from the new fence built (without the gate yet) while in the U.S., I jumped a bus to the church this afternoon to meet one of the ladies there who came to help prepare crafts for Sunday school. Since it was only she and I, we had a good time of fellowship and I learned a lot about her and we got a lot done. PTL!