Still Waiting

and trying to be patient about it. We know that Christmas isn't until January 7th since they're still on the "Old Calendar", unlike our church which observes all the feasts on the "New Calendar" with the exception of Easter/Pascha. IF they wait until after Feast of Theophany to get rolling over there, well, that's another twelve days after Nativity. So we're being patient. Last year this time we just learned we'd be traveling to China in less than two weeks. We had no bed, no gifts, no idea... Hopefully this time we won't be caught flat footed. I'm working on the Cyrillic again, and a few Kazakh phrases. Aqtobe is one of the regions that has full out adopted Kazakh over Russian, and they have a very strong Kazakh-Muslim voice there.

So we're waiting, but there's good adoption related news. Our good friend has returned home from China with her little girl after beginning her process two years ago. I'm glad we said all those extra prayers during and after Vespers on the eve of Saint Nicholas Day.

On another note, we just returned from my nephew's wedding in rural Alabama, and I have to say, it was a nice time. No matter what people we know say about the South (making it out like is hasn't changed in the last 100 years, and we'd be treated like interloping carpet baggers, not to mention the horror our mixed race family would cause) we were welcomed and Mad was a big hit, even though she fell halfway down the aisle and dropped all of her flower petals, then had to pick up every single one before she'd let me drag her the rest of the way down... My plan was to study Cyrillic letters and Kazakh phrases on the drive down, but all of the notes and cards stayed safely in my bag.

So like I said, we're waiting-- Of course when the LOI comes we'll be totally unprepared, and have to run around like chickens with our heads cut off. But I know I perform best under pressure.