Back in America

My Host Family in Mogilev - Sergei and Anzhelika Atroshkin and Children



WOW! God is so good! We arrived back in Charlotte around 11:30 PM. It was so incredibly good to be back on the ground. (I still feel like I am flying)! I walked in my house and couldn't believe how clean, and how big my house seemed to me. We are so incredibly blessed here in America.

It was hard to be say Good Bye to Ihar. We had our time of tears and lots of hugs and kisses Thursday evening as I had to return him to the orphanage by 8:00 pm. On our walk to the orphanage he told me he "very...very...very....very...very...very...very...good night.....very...very...very...very...good morning......very....very....very....loves me! I also told him I very much loved him...but because he used more "verys" than I did, he loved me more!

God showered blessings upon me and allowed me to find favor with Ihar's orhanage director. Praise God! I gave him a gift of leather gloves and he gave me a newspaper of sorts about the orphanage. I was also able to purchase a gift for the school which will be used by all the boys in the orphanage. Tatiana helped me with the language barrier and the director asked for a TV and DVD player for the boys. So that is how I used my money. He thanked me several times over and invited me back anytime I come back to Belarus. He seemed very pleased I have fallen in love with their country and Mogilev.

Besides finding favor with Ihar's orphanage, God also blessed me with a Christian family in Mogilev. This family has now become sisters and brother in Christ with me. They told me "they could see Jesus Christ in my face". They and their children love me and were so sad to see me go. But they told me they could see that Ihar was a good boy with a good heart and they are going to pursue paperwork with Ihar's orphanage so they can try to get him on Saturdays/Sundays and take him to church! They will provide hugs, kisses and love to Ihar in my absense and for me not to worry about Ihar. How awesome is our God!!!!! He constantly reminded me that Ihar is not forgotten and knows his needs. I can not even begin to describe just how good God was to me and Ihar on this trip! I was showered with hugs, kisses, and opportunities to share my testimony. How cool is that? I will write more later...so check back on my blog. I will post my pictures (I took over 350 pictures) for you all to see later today.....thanks for your many many prayers. God heard and answered. Susan, thank you for praying at 7:30 every morning. It was that exact time that I met with Ihar's Director and while I was sitting there praying listening to Russian flying back and forth trying to work out details for me to get Ihar, I looked at my watch and realized you were praying at the exact time all that was going on! Thank you!