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Monday the doctor is not doing any checks because it is the long-weekend, but contractions get worse through the day. Monday night, Ang is unsure if we should go in or just leave it till morning. Well we both lie down at night and within two minutes we are both very sure that we need to go tonight. At least it will take the fear of home birth away.
So as I leave to get the babysitter, Ang calls and tells me that I should hurry… So i speed like a maniac. In 45 minutes we are in the hospital and another hour later Angela is holding a little blue ball of Kai!
And they all lived happily ever after!
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We love this little man. So cute, playful, happy, tagging along with his big sister, sharing, running, watching Daddy, he’s amazing! He’s also mischevious.
Well, maybe too curious is a better way to describe him. He loves playing with water. In the bath, he drives his cars through it, then fills the cups and then dumps the cups outside the bath. Outside, he finds the pails with water and splashes with them. He helps Daddy wash the car.
But the one thing he just can’t get over is his drinking cup or water bottle. No matter how many times we’ve told him, smacked his hand, taken away his cup, he still does it. Does what? Intentionally pours out his water. Onto his lap, his sister, his plate, the floor, you name it! Ahhh! But after all is said and done, what’s a little spilled
milkwater? -
Just thought we’d put up a little pic of Ang on the brink of busting! Plus its a pretty cute shot.
Thursday afternoon Bingo’s heartrate was low (90 bpm) after 4 checks with Ludmila (our doctor – picture your 60 year old Ukrainian grandmother with a health license). So after making all the preparations to have the baby, we head to the hospital. After a new checkup there, we’re told the baby is fine, but you will have to come in again every day at lunchtime to make sure.
Friday’s appointment goes well, Saturday’s is good but there are some contractions and dialating has begun. Sunday Angela is dialated to 6 but no contractions. Natalia, the delivery doctor at the hospital says Ang should stay the night. After all, once things get going the baby will be out in just a couple pushes. Yowsers! What’s going to happen? Stay tuned.
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Well, we’ve had a locked-out experience with Cassie before, when she dropped the keys down the elevator shaft. But we had a locked-in situation this week. It always happens so innocently though. She just wanted to change clothes without having anyone watch her, of course its ok for her to go in the bathroom. I really didn’t know that she knew how to close the little latch. (You know the ones, they are always on bathroom stalls in public washrooms, just a little metal stick that you push into the doorframe.)
So when she tried to open the door and it didn’t budge, I had no idea how it got locked. It didn’t take long for the fear to rise up within her… So after a few failed attempts we told her it would be ok. Of course, we were hoping “ok” didn’t mean breaking down the door. Our little bathroom has no windows, just brick walls, we can’t screw or detach the hinges in any way. So if she can’t open the lock, the door is coming down!
It’s one of those times as a parent, I just don’t know what to do. I know she can unlock it, after all, she did lock it herself. But she is in too much of a mess at the moment. Better yet, I realize there has got to be a learning opportunity for us here, turns out, it was a really good reminder me. After a few minutes, I said, “Cassie, we should pray.” So we prayed to Jesus, asking him for wisdom, strength and confidence and reminding both him and us that we trust him. A moment later, Ang suggests getting the stool by the tub, which gives Cassie the height and leverage needed to open the lock. And you know what, this time we remembered to immediately thank Jesus for answering our prayer.
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Today is easter, if you celebrate easter with the Orthodox church. It was a week ago if you celebrate it in the west. It’s not that Ukraine is a week behind in timezones in case you weren’t sure.
Why celebrate? Because, as followers of Jesus, if he didn’t rise from the dead, then we of all people are most to be pitied! Is that a shocking statement? Most of the time we (unconsciously) compare our lives to the neighbour beside us who has something we don’t. Growing up I begged my parents for a nintendo and since I never got one, I’d often go to my friends house to play instead. But every once in a while we compare our own lives to someone less fortunate. Those are the few occasions when we realize how good we’ve got it.
How do I know he is alive? Partly because the Bible says it. Partly because the evidence for Jesus and the change he made in the lives of so many other people Since I’ve laid my sins on Jesus and he’s replaced them with freedom from guilt and the pressure to be perfect
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One of our teams headed to central Europe, to Hungary for the first month and then on to Latvia. They had some really cool opportunities, from teaching Revelation to entering a post-soviet prison teaching inmates how to read and study their Bible. Listen to Silvi share about some of her experience:
When I looked at their sincere eyes, smiles, and eagerness to participate I forgot that we were in a high security prison, sitting among murderers, rapists and thieves. We had been checked with a metal detector, our bags had been searched, the soda we brought smelled for alcohol, and our Bible’s leafed through for money. Even though the heavy doors were closed with a startling clang and if I ever wanted to go to the washroom I need to be escorted there by a guard – yet as we began to teach it was as if the window no longer had bars. The door was no longer locked. We were one family captured in the world of ‘Bible Overview’ or the story of Jonah.
When you ask people in your home groups to read the book of Acts maybe one or two will last it out past chapter five. We asked these guys to read the book of Acts in two days time and it was done and they had their list of questions for us! These young men of whom most had flunked out of their high school, and some of them very poor readers, were our most attentive audience!
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I read the list from Forbes and noticed that there were a lot of Russian’s on it. So I copied the list into excel and found that most (36) of the top 100 billionaires came from the United States (not surprising) but that 12 of 100 (2nd most) came from Russia.Russia is not a poor country. Russia is incredibly wealthy in terms of natural resources, similar to Canada. But there is one glaring difference. In Canada, wealth is spread throughout the country (only 1 Canadian is in the richest 100). In Russia there are 12. Even taking into account population figures, 34 million in Canada to 140 million in Russia, about 4 Russians for 1 Canadian – the figure is startling. It is not a “fair” ballgame for Russians. Where did those Russian’s make their money – always in natural resources, either metals or fossil fuels.
What does it matter? What can I do? Pray. Pray that wealthy, important figures would meet Jesus. It has happened before that when unsavoury greedy people meet Jesus it transforms how they live and give (insert your favourite followers of Jesus, like Matthew the evangelist or Zacchaeus the wee little man). Pray that Russia would understand the gospel, brand new life without earning, without penance. Pray that peoples basic needs would be met, simple but adequate housing and warmth, hygiene (you take for granted your toilet, I know it because I do too), opportunities for work and pleasure. Not only lifestyle needs but inner needs too, mutually loving and beneficial relationships and joy-filled homes of peace. And if you’re like me, pray now because you’ll forget to later.
*One more side note, Ukraine also has 1 of the top 100 wealthiest men. The list below by country.
36 United States
12 Russia
7 Germany
4 Brazil
4 France
4 Hong Kong
4 India
4 Mexico
3 Chile
3 Sweden
2 Colombia
2 Italy
2 Malaysia
2 Saudi Arabia
1 Australia
1 Canada
1 China
1 Cyprus
1 Ireland
1 Japan
1 Nigeria
1 Spain
1 Switzerland
1 Ukraine
1 United Kingdom
