Odessa Odyssey

4th Annual Easter Egg Hunt

We were blessed this year with 102 children and two babies at our Easter Egg Hunt. I'm so thankful for my friends, Marv and Dawn Snedeker, who came to visit and helped us fill 1,265 eggs for our hunt. One of my missionary friends made over 100 cupcakes for refreshments. We shared the Resurrection eggs with our children and the story of Peter denying Christ three times after He was arrested. The children had a great time and went home with candy and a magazine about Easter and a coloring book with the story of Jesus death and resurrection.

Marv and Dawn with me filling easter eggs

Our small children ready for the hunt

The Hunt is ON!!!

Our older children waiting for the hunt

Two of my young moms helping prepare refreshments

Lera and Olga with their sons

In March My Sweet Mother Went to be with Jesus

On March 16 I got a phone call from my sister letting me know that my mother was in the hospital and in critical condition. She told me that if I didn't get there soon I may not see my mother alive. I reserved a ticket at 11:30 pm and left the following morning. I arrived in Atlanta on March 17 and went directly to the hospital. My mother was resting and I went back the following day and she was doing better. The nurses said she had definitely improved. I was able to talk to her and was so thankful for the time I had with her. On Friday she took a turn for the worse and went into a coma and passed away on March 22 at 5:30 am. I stayed with my mother the whole night and one of my best friends stayed along with me. I spent time with my daddy after the funeral helping him to take care of financial and business things. Please pray for my daddy as he has expressed that he is very lonely. My sister would like him to move closer to her family in Florida. Pray for God to continue to bring comfort and peace to my dad. He and my mom were married for 65 years. I'm so thankful to God for giving me godly and loving parents who raised me to love Jesus. I know my mother is with the Lord today which gives me great peace. Thank you to all who prayed and sent me encouraging words.

Our Family

New Babies - Sarah and Vova

On January 21, Alona had a baby girl and named her Sarah. We are so thankful for this new baby girl! On March 23, Tanya had a baby boy and named him Vladimir and they call him Vova. Alona and Tanya attend the young mom's group and now we have lots of babies coming to our group. Pray that God will provide a babysitter for us so the moms can have some quality time in the Bible study.

Sweet Sarah

Precious Vova

Baby and Children Dedications

Our church has been blessed with parents wanting to have their children blessed in the church. In the Russian Orthodox Church they baptize the children and a lot of my young moms were asking questions about what is the right thing to do. I explained that we bless children like Jesus blessed the little children in Scripture. One mom had told me that she was having her children baptized in the Orthodox Church and at the last minute she changed her mind and came to church and asked our pastor to bless her children. Two of the moms pictured, Irene and Alexander, are both planning to be baptized this summer. They also wanted to have their children be blessed. Our precious children!!! Pray for them to grow up to love Jesus!!!

Oleg & Alona with their new baby Sarah and other children Nastia, Sasha, Ella, Kuril & Daniel

Valik and Tanya with their son, Vova

Nadia with Victoria and Sasha

Irene with Nicolai

Alexander with Miron

Winter Camp - January 2, 2016

This is our third year having a winter camp for our children. We share the Christmas story and have a time for crafts, games and baking cookies. It was lots of fun and our children got to take cookies home to their families. Pray that the seeds being planted will bear fruit in the coming years in the lives of our children in Petrovka.

Ukrainian Christmas 2016

Most Ukrainians don't celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Their traditions are to visit their godparents and take gifts and share food together. Our church celebrated Christmas this year and our children were "Stars". They sang songs about the Bethlehem star and the fact that Jesus was born in a stable and that the star shone brightly over the place where He lay. We shared the real meaning of Christmas through preaching of the Word and singing carols.

Shining Stars

Our Astrologer, Oleg, with some of our Stars

My "Stars"

Happy New Year 2016!!!

Our church celebrated the New Year 2016 and invited young families to come and share the evening with us. What a blessing to have three of the husbands of the young mom's who attend our Bible study on Wednesdays. We shared the true meaning of Christmas and had a great time fellowshipping together. Pray for Sergei, Vova and Dima to be open to the Gospel.