Appreciate prayer as we navigate through our increasingly limited options for legally residing in Ukraine.  As many of you know, I have applied for Permanent Residence which will ultimately make living and exiting/entering the country much easier.  Until then however, we are caught in ‘no man’s land’ it seems, unable to get the kind of visas we need to stay more than 90 days.

To make things more interesting, we are also told we can’t stay in the country for more than 180 days in a calendar year unregistered, which is the status of those staying in Ukraine without a visa.  So essentially, unless my Permanent Residence comes through in the next 3 months, our family may have to leave Ukraine until it does.  That would not be an easy task for a family of 9.

Abigail is a joy - She is now 6 weeks old

I spent an hour on the phone with the Ukrainian consulate in Toronto, where I knew they could speak English!  The poor fellow was as hopelessly confused as I was reviewing our situation and documents.  The local authorities here in Ukraine have their interpretation, border crossings have theirs, and then the consulates abroad add to the chaos.  Only layers of defunct bureaucracy like this could produce the mind bending situation we find ourselves in (I’m only giving you a taste of the complexity).

We leave for Poland on Tuesday for a border run.  We have to be out of country by the 21st.  Fortunately we just received Abigails passport so she can come too, or that would have been interesting.   We’ll be leaving the kids here in RZ.  Pray they let us back in without Visas, and that once in, the Lord would supernaturally guide us to the best options to stay.  Pray my Permanent Residence goes through within 90 days, everything really hinges on that document for us… until then we are in the Twilight Zone and time will be ticking.

Friendly neighborhood tractor - Now to get the boyz planting sweet corn!!

I’d rather be writing about the Cafe, and the tractor that surprised me this morning ready to plow my garden (sweet corn here we come!!).   This is however where most missionaries live, spinning their wheels among processes.  It’s humbling, discouraging, frustrating, tiring.   Hopefully God is also working some good things in our hearts as we surrender and trust more in Him.  It is not easy.

Bruce & Deb

Trampoline time again - Limit exception for photo only!

We’re just now entering our 5th year here in Ukraine.  Deb and I were looking at photos of the kids when we first moved over.  “How time flies” seems to hit home with more force when you realize how much your own kids have grown.  Little chubby faces have turned to teenagers, and the little toddlers can now carry conversations.  The only ones that haven’t changed are the parents, or so we think.

Doing life.  I think we need to be careful of vision and planning, at least on a personal level.  I’ve been laying down future hopes and dreams, even the ones that I think God might have given me.  If we’re not careful, we become focused on the future to the extent that we’re no longer living for God today.  Anyone can plan to give their time and love tomorrow.  It’s today that matters most to God.

Spring has arrived in full bloom - this is one of our apple trees

I appreciate that about the Ukrainian culture, they live for today, and perhaps it’s rubbed off on us.   I’m thankful it has.  I have new peace that whatever God does desire to do in the future, will find its fulfillment through more focus on today.

Deb sure loves this baby girl Abigail, who is now 6 weeks old.  Abbey has a special glimmer in her eyes for her mom.  There will be no lack of affection in Abbey’s life, she is routinely kissed by her brothers and generally adored throughout the day.  Something about knowing it’s your last, you want to enjoy the little things.

Abbey in her 2nd month already - Stop the train!

I plan to visit Texas this summer for work with Cypress and visit our church family at Crossroads.  We are at a stopping point on the Cafe, it’s looking great, and should be ready for the Fall if documents come through, and some remaining finances to finish.

Life is a series of events.  My deep thought for the month. We don’t always know what events will come, or even how we will react to them.

We can however enjoy the many blessings of knowing Jesus Christ daily, and surrender to His work in our life along the way.   I pray that you find rest in that too!

We’re praying as a church leadership about moving the Sunday gathering downtown for the fall.  Everyone seems excited for change, and ready for the many challenges this will present our small group.

The Bible study (Gospel of John) I’ve been leading in our home each Wednesday is about to finish.  It’s been personally challenging to weekly study/read, verse by verse is a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I think the next book will be a bit shorter, maybe Jude!  The more we learn the more we realize we have more to learn.  I’m amazed at the wisdom and charity of God in the person of Jesus Christ.  The closer you step towards the heart of the gospel, it seems to be more vast, and less specific.  Try as we might to make ultimate sense of it and we are left helpless to grasp why, and how our Creator would stoop and suffer for us undeserving.  We will never tire of this wonder, in this life or the next!  We are loved folks, with an everlasting love.

Catching Bronwyn doing some school at the kitchen table. It's hard to believe she's still only 13!

The kids are progressing in their schooling, albeit slowly.  Broderic and Brownyn are starting to realize that time is also moving in their lives, and in only a few short years they will be making life choices.  We’re proud of their character and kindness.

Super-Mom playing puzzle games with the two monkeys.

Since Abigail was born we’ve had a few visitors, my parents, then Deb’s mom for 3 weeks helping.  We’ve had some unbelievable meals prepared as well from our friends here.  We are not a small group to feed either, so we are extremely grateful for that.

Heading out to Poland next week to get new Visas.  Taking Broderic with me.

Thanks for checking in –

Bruce & Deb

Noah creates his own tripod and camera setup

It’s been a while since I’ve had consecutive “Kiev Trip Days” and guess what, they wear you out!

We took baby Abbey into the US Embassy to complete the “Report of Birth Abroad” application, as well as apply for her US Passport which should be here next week.

Then this morning at 6:30am we were off to Kiev again to sign several documents and register before our 90 days are up.  Some of the documents I had to sign included:

– I agree that I own my house.

– I agree that I want to live in my house.

– I agree that I want my wife to live in my house.

We got there 1 full hr before it opened, and were #2 in line.  One of the cool things in Ukraine is the ability to hold your place in line.  You simply tell the person in front of you, “I am after you” and everything is cool.  You can leave, go home, take a nap, come back and if the person ahead of you is still waiting, you can resume your spot.  We had to go to the bank and spend an hour paying for a 17hrv fee as part of the registration process ($2.20), and upon returning there were 25 people standing around waiting for the doors to open.  Thankfully, we were still #2:)

Baby Abbey Gets a Bath!

People can spend an entire day at OVIR, foreigners, Ukrainians, it’s an experience everyone will face eventually if you live in the former Soviet Union.  It’s the most bizarre experience.  Everyone is reduced to a number, treated as incompetent for not knowing a zillion laws (some of which they make up on the spot I’m convinced), and many sent home with a laundry list of documents and stamps to attain.  No matter how prepared you think you are, the complete randomness of process, subjectivity of both the law and mood of the person wielding power is a thing to behold.

I’ve come to grips with these visits I think, I set extremely low expectations.  I tell myself, “Today, my goal is to smile when they tell me I’m missing something and have to come back again tomorrow.”  However, today, it was a miracle day, we even had additional passport photos by chance in my back-pack when they unsuspectingly asked for 3 extra.. I smiled and pulled out a huge stack of them, ‘How many extra do you want, you want one for your desk?” I whispered under my breath.   Today we won, we penetrated and defeated the bureaucracy… or did we.. they still have my passports.

We now have until May 21 to exit Ukraine, get new Visas in our Passports, and return to Re-Register (same process above, more photos, same documents, same fees, same expectations!).

Today I found out we could be waiting until August for the property documents required to operate the Cafe.  This is a bummer, but in all reality we still have much to do, and are currently of funds to finish buying tables/chairs and kitchen dishes/utensils etc..  I’m thinking we will use this summer to get everything ready, and host some events (not charge anyone) which will allow us to test things out, and prepare for fall opening when students come back.  That’s the hope anyway.  I’d also like to organize a July/Aug group of construction guys who are good with wood/landscaping.. we’d love to beautify the property and build a deck out front.

Enough for now- thanks for checking in –

Bruce & Deb

We finally finished submitting (for the 5th time) my Residence application for Ukraine.  However, we now have to leave the country by the 21st of May and get new Visas again.  The closest and most familiar spot for us is Krakow, Poland.  It has a KFC, so we don’t mind going.

Before we can go to Poland however we have this little thing called a newborn baby that can’t leave Ukraine yet!  So, Natasha is running around helping us get the necessary invitations and paperwork ready for our departure in a few weeks, and we need you to pray with us that Abbey’s passport is completed by then.. we’ll be in a bit of a pickle if it’s not.

We have so many documents and submissions going on right now between the Cafe business and our own personal, it sometimes feels like a full time occupation.  Money for this, chocolates for that person, welcome to Ukraine.

A friend of mine posted this cute little video on Ukraine last week, I’ve posted it before, but if you haven’t watched it, do, it’s a very accurate, lighthearted and creative depiction of life in the former Soviet Union.  For me, it’s therapeutic.