Jer Bear turns 4!

Our little Jer-Bear turned four today. We just had a low-key party at home and cupcakes at church. We are so proud of our Jeremy. He is such a funny kid. Great sense of humor and feisty. His lovable nature attracts everyone around him. We look forward to seeing what great things God has in store for him in the future! Happy birthday, son!

A late knock on the door...

Last night as I was laying in bed I heard a crash of my neighbors fence. Its 12:30am so I awoke and looked out the window. I saw nothing. Partly because all street lights are shut off after midnight anyway. I did hear the yelling of a few voices, but saw nothing. A few moments later I heard our doorbell ring. I jumped out of bed trying to put my pants on and hurry to answer the door. Emily our dog was barking as well. She sleeps inside by the door and I could tell she was curious to see who was outside. I turned on the porch light and looked out the peep hole. There was a man standing there with his face covered in blood. I quickly opened the door, and he began to rattle off in Ukrainian. I caught a few of his words, but was more interested in getting him a wet towel for his face. I gave him the towel grabbed a flashlight and headed out the door. In the street I was met by 3 others. One was a babushka who came up to me and gave me a hug. The other was a dedushka who shook my hand and said thank you. The 3rd person was a lady who looked like she was his wife or girlfriend. They began to rattle off about what happened...but I really understood nothing. We parted ways, I said goodnight and went back to bed. Who were these people? Would I ever see them again? What happened?

The next morning I awoke and shared this story with some friends who were staying with us. I had no idea what happened but wish I had a translator with me at that moment. I also noticed our one of our cats was missing. I searched for her all day...but she was no where to be found. I thought maybe the situation last night had something to do with our cat but was not sure. On the way to youth group that night I saw our cat dead in our neighbor's yard. It was near the road and had probably been struck by a vehicle that night. I still wondered if the events were related but figured I would never know. Driving home from youth group I thought about all that happened, boggled but curious. As I drove down my street I just so happened to come across those same people I dealt with at night. They were walking somewhere but I had to stop and ask them. I quickly telephoned my friend and had her translate to me what happened. She said this guy got jumped by some guys last night and jumped our fence to get away. He came to my door seeking help but not wanting the police to be involved. Looking back, I was thankful that the Lord allowed me to know what happened. I am at rest now. Well,so is my cat...I just buried her. Such is life in Ukraine.