LEAVING RUSSIAN SOIL TODAY

I TOOK YURA TO THE AIRPORT LAST NIGHT AND STAYED IN A CHURCH APARTMENT THAT DEMA'S GROUP HAS HERE IN MOSCOW. WOKE UP TO HOT AGAIN. IT IS AS HOT AS I EVER REMEMBER IT HERE IN RUSSIA. I WILL MEET WITH THE LANDLORD OF OUR SMOLENSK APARTMENT (WHICH WE JUST MOVED OUT OF) THIS MORNING (BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN MOSCOW)AND THEN I AM HEADED FOR ESTONIA. I JUST GOT A NOTE FROM ANATOLY IN ESTONIA TELLING ME THAT I GOT A NOTICE THAT I HAVE TO UNREGISTER MY OLD CHRYSLER THERE BEFORE I LEAVE. IT SEEMS THAT WHEN A VEHICLE IS GOING TO NO LONGER BE IN EXISTENCE AS THAT ONE WILL NOT BE SOON(THINK BACK TO EARLY PICTURES OF TRESS AND STRATUSES)(IS THAT HOW SPELL THAT?AND CAN I USE DOUBLE PARAGRAPHS?)(SPELLING/GRAMMAR POLICE HERE)...IT HAS TO BE UNREGISTERED. KINDA' LIKE A DEATH CERTIFICATE HAS TO BE FILED. PROBLEM IS, NOTHING IS OPENED TOMORROW

OR SUNDAY, SO I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY TO DO IT. IT MEANS I AM PLANNING TO FLY OUT ON TUESDAY MORNING FROM PARIS. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF SEATS, SO IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL, I'LL BE IN GAINESVILLE TUESDAY EVENING. I AM WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY READY TO BE HOME.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACHOTHER.

HEADED OUT

I AM LEAVING HERE THIS MORNING. GOING THROUGH MOSCOW TO TAKE YURA TO THE AIRPORT AND TO MEET OUR LANDLORD FROM SMOLENSK. I WILL THEN HEAD TO ESTONIA TO LEAVE THE CAR AND THEN TO HOME!!!! LOOKING FOR SEATS. COPENHAGEN IS FULL. LOOKING AT PARIS. I THINK TJ WAS IN PARIS ONCE.

FEELING BETTER TODAY. FINALLY. THE FLU LEFT MY HEAD AND TRAVELED TO MY CHEST. IT IS WAY HOT HERE AGAIN TODAY. WISH IT WAS COOL HERE LIKE IT IS THERE.

CAN I GET EXCITED ABOUT THE BRAVES YET? SOMEONE LET ME KNOW.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

NO NEW NEWS

I HAD ENVISIONED WRITING TO YOU TODAY AND TELLING YOU THAT I WAS FEELING BETTER AND I AM ON MY WAY. BUT, MY VISION HAS BEEN DESTROYED. I AM WORSER THIS MORNING. I HAD THEM BUY ME 2 FANS YESTERDAY, IT IS SO HOT. THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND IT. IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET IT DONE. BUT I PERSERVERED IN MY DRUG INDUCED HAZE. TODAY MY VISION IS RENEWED. I WILL BEAT THIS FLU. I WILL BE BETTER TODAY. I WILL LEAVE TOMORROW(SICK OR NOT). I AM A ZOMBIE RIGHT NOW. I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'M WRITING, BUT I THINK THAT IT IS OK. I WILL PROBABLY GET SPEELLING/GRAMMEER POLICE COMMENTS AFTER THIS BLOG. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HELPED ME THROUGH THE NIGHT WAS TJ'S COMMENT FROM YESTERDAY. WHATTA GUY. (IF YA'LL AREN'T READING HIS BLOG, YOU NEED TO BEGIN. IT IS REALLY GOOD.) THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS. I'M TRYING TO GET HOME.

LOVE YALL.' YALL LOVE EACH OTHER.'

ON THE WAY BACK HOME

MY GOAL WAS TO LEAVE OUT OF HERE TODAY AND BEGIN MAKING MY TRECK BACK HOME...BUT I FEEL YUCK TODAY. I'VE PICKED UP SOME KIND OF FLU. SORE THROAT, BODY ACHE, I THINK I'VE GOT A FEVER. YUCK. HAVE I BRIGHTENED YOUR DAY? ANYWAY, I DON'T EVEN FEEL LIKE MOVING. I FEEL LIKE LAYING IN BED AND READING UNTIL I FEEL BETTER. THAT WOULD BE FINE IF IT WASN'T SO HOT...AND THERE IS NO AIR HERE. ARE YOU FEELING BETTER YET.? I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT ALL SUMMER WITHOUT GETTING SICK. WRONG. I'M REALLY SORRY. JUST NEEDED TO LET SOMEBODY KNOW WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH. SEND ME SOME COMFORT. I'LL TRY TO DO BETTER TOMORROW.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

NEWS TODAY

GOT JUST AMINUTE THIS MORNING. HEADED BACK TO IVANOVA TODAY. WILL BE THERE FOR CHURCH SUNDAY THEN HEAD BACK FOR MOSCOW, THEN ESTONIA, THEN HOME.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

NORTH RUSSIA

THERE MUST BE SOMETHING ABOUT THE NORTH...EVERYWHERE. I AM IN THE NORTH PART OF RUSSIA THIS MORNING AND IT'S OVERCAST AND UGLY. I FEEL BAD TODAY. I COULD BLAME IT ON THE WEATHER OR AGE(JUST TURNED 51), BUT I THINK IT JUST HAPPENS WHEN I TRAVEL NORTH IN ANY COUNTRY OR REALM.

I AM TRAVELING UP NEAR THE MURMANSK AREA WITH A COUPLE OF GUYS(MISSIONARIES) FROM THE CHURCH AT IVANOVA. THEY WANT TO START A NEW WORK UP HERE AND I WANT TO SEE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PARTNERING WITH THEM AS WELL. I HAD NOT PLANNED THIS TRIP, RATHER I HAD PLANNED TO TRAVEL SOUTH TO VISIT WITH LEONID FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. HOWEVER, COLYA WILL BE TRAVELING THERE IN A FEW WEEKS, SO I DECIDED TO COME HERE. THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS.

TODAY IS OUR 33RD WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! WOW. THAT IS A LONG TIME TO BE MARRIED TO ME. SUSAN DESERVES MULTIPLE CROWNS JUST FOR THAT. SHE'S INCREDIBLE! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. I LOVE YOU.

DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME ON THE COMPUTER THIS MORNING. GOTTA RUN. THESE RUSSIAN LOVE TO HAVE MEETINGS.

LOV'E YALL. YALL LOV'E EACH OTHER.

BIRTHDAY BREAK

JUST CHATTED WITH TJ AND JEB A LITTLE AT YAHOO. HELPED THE HEART. MISSING EVERYBODY RIGHT NOW.

LEAVING TO GO UP NORTH A LITTLE WAYS TOWARD MURMANSK.

TAKING A LITTLE BLOG BREAK TODAY! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!! I CAN DO THAT!

LOVE YA'''''LL. YA'''''LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

SIBEREAN EXPEDITION 3

WHILE JEFF AND COLYA WERE IN SIBEREA THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE PEOPLE THERE ARE GOING TO BE BEGINNING AN OUTREACH NEXT YEAR THAT WILL TAKE THE ENTIRE YEAR. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THEY ARE ASKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WILL TAKE AN ENTIRE YEAR OUT OF THEIR LIVES TO SPEND ON EVANGELISM IN THE OBLAST THEIR AROUND EKATERINBURG/ASBEST. I LIKE IT! AND I THINK THAT WE MAY HAVE ARRIVED AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME TO BE OF HELP IN THE EFFORT. WHILE, I DON'T FEEL PROMPTED TO DO THE WHOLE YEAR THING....IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COULD HONE IN ON ONE PERSON IN ONE AREA THAT THESE GUYS FIND AND COME ALONG SIDE OF HIM TO HELP HIM REACH A PEOPLE GROUP THERE. IT IS A WORTHY PRAYER REQUEST, THAT GOD WOULD LEAD TO A LEONID TYPE PARTNER IN THAT AREA NOW. AS THESE GOOD PEOPLE BEGIN TO OPEN UP THIS AREA...WE ASK GOD TO LEAD US TO THAT MAN WHO NEEDS THE HELP THE MOST AND FIND WAYS TO PARTNER WITH HIM TO HELP REACH UNREACHED PEOPLE THERE. IT'S EXCITING TO ME THAT WE JUST HAPPENED TO ARRIVE AT THE SAME TIME THESE THINGS ARE TAKING PLACE THERE. IT WILL BE EXCITING TO SEE WHAT GOD WILL DO NOW. LET'S BE PRAYING.

I WAS REALLY OVERCOME WITH SOME MOMENTS OF LONLINESS LAST NIGHT AS I TRIED TO SLEEP. EVER GET THOSE? IT WAS HARD TO GO TO SLEEP. FEELINING A LITTLE TIRES THIS MORNING. GOD IS GOOD AND I FOUND THESE ENCOURAGING VERSES TODAY.

Romans 8:38-39

³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

IT IS GOOD THAT EVEN WHEN WE ARE FAR AWAY FROM THE ONES WE LOVE THE MOST, HE IS ALWAYS NEAR, ALWAYS WITH US, ALWAYS LIKING US, ALWAYS FOR US, ALWAYS ROOTING FOR US. IT'S GOOD TO BE HIS.

LOVE YAL'L. 'YALL LOVE EACH OTHER.(WHO KNEW AN APOSTROPHE WOULD BECOME AN ITEM?)

IVANOVA

I AM IN IVANOVA TODAY AND WILL BE FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK. THERE WILL BE RUSSIAN MISSIONARIES HERE THAT I WILL WANT TO MEET WITH AND DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITES OF PARTNERING WITH THEM TO GO TO UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS. WE ARE PLANNING TO TAKE A TRIP TO THE NORTH, MAYBE TO THE MURMANSK AREA FOR A DAY OR TWO ON A SURVEY TRIP LIKE JEFF AND COLYA WENT ON TO SIBEREA. (I WILL FINISH THAT EXPEDITION STORY THIS WEEK).

WHAT I AM FINDING IS THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE SAME THINGS WE ARE, i.e. unreached people groups, AND THEY TOO ARE IN THE RESEARCH STAGE. IT IS INTERESTING TO LISTEN TO RUSSIANS TALK ABOUT REACHING THEIR OWN PEOPLE AS WELL.

MY GOAL IS TO FINISH UP HERE AS SOON AS I CAN AND TRY TO BE HOME BY AUGUST 1ST. COLYA MAY VISIT LEONID FOR US IN THE FALL. IF HE CAN, I CAN GET HOME SOONER. I STILL MUST GO BACK THROUGH ESTONIA AND LEAVE THE CAR.

HOW IS EVERYONE THERE? YA'LL PRAYING FOR EACH OTHER? LOVING EACH OTHER? ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER? NOTHING MORE NEEDED THAN THESE THINGS. I'M MISSING YA'LL.

IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THE SPELLING/GRAMMAR POLICE BACK.

LOVE YA'LL. YALL LOVE EACH OTHER.

SIBEREAN EXPEDITION INTERLUDE

WE HAVE SPENT THE LAST FEW DAYS CLEARING OUT THE APARTMENT THAT WE HAVE LIVED IN FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS. WE JUST ABOUT HAVE THAT COMPLETE AND TODAY I WILL CLOSE THE DOOR ON THAT APARTMENT AND LEAVE. KINDA NOSTALGIC ABOUT IT.

I WILL BE LEAVING THIS AFTERNOON TO GO TO MOSCOW TO MEET WITH DEMA (WE MET LEONID THROUGH HIM). MY GOAL WILL BE TO DISCUSS WITH HIM OUR PLANS IN FINDING OTHER UNREACHED PEOPLE GORUPS AND POSSIBLY GOING WITH HIM OR SOMEONE ELSE TO ONE OF THOSE AREAS. I WILL GO WITH HIM TO IVANOVA TONIGHT AND THEN SEE WHERE WE GO FROM THERE.

I WILL CONTINUE THE SIBEREAN STORY TOMORROW.

HOW ARE YA'LL?

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACHOTHER.

SIBEREAN EXPEDITION 2

WE HAD MADE CONTACT EARLIER WITH SOME GUYS THROUGH COLYA. THEY AGREED TO MEET JEFF AND COLYA AND SHOW THEM AROUND THE AREA. THEY DID NOT STAY IN EKATERINBURG CITY, BUT RATHER TRAVELLED OUTSIDE THE CITY TO A PLACE CALLED ASBEST.(AS IN ASBESTOS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE 3RD LARGEST MINE IN THE WORLD THERE)(AND HENCE, JEFF COULD NOT GET THE SCOOP ON THE ROMANOVS, STACY).

OUR GOAL WAS TO MAKE CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE WHO WE CAN PARTNER WITH AND WHO MAY HAVE THE SAME HEART AS WE DO FOR THE UNREACHED. THERE SEEMS TO BE A WELL ESTABLISHED CHURCH WORK IN THE EKATERINBURG/ASBEST AREA AND IN DOES SEEM THAT THEY ALSO HAVE A HEART FOR THE FURTHER REACHES AS WELL.

JEFF AND COLYA WERE ABLE TO SEE THEIR WORK AND TALK WITH THEM IN LENGTH ABOUT OUR GOALS.
IT MAY BE THAT WE CAN FIND A PARTNERSHIP THERE. I WILL TELL YOU SOME ABOUT THAT TOMORROW.

PRAYER AND ENCOURAGEMENT! IT'S AN ALLTIME JOB. HOW YOU DOING WITH THAT? READ THIS TODAY AGAIN, HOPE IT WILL LIFT YOU SOME:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. Psalm 46:1-3,7

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

THE SIBEREA EXPEDITION 1

THERE ARE 162 TOTAL PEOPLE GROUPS IN RUSSIA. OF THOSE 162, SEVENTY SIX OF THEM ARE LABELED AS UNREACHED. UNREACHED MEANS THAT THERE 2% OR LESS Evangelical Christian and less than 5% Christian Adherents. IN RUSSIA MOST OF THOSE PEOPLES ARE IN SIBEREA, EAST OF THE URALS. ONE OF OUR GOALS IS TO LOCATE AND SEARCH FOR WAYS TO WORK TO EVANGELIZE THOSE GROUPS.

FOR THAT REASON, WE SENT JEFF AND COLYA ON THE SIBEREA EXPEDITION. OUR FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO GO ALL THE WAY OUT TO YAKUTIA IN THE MIDDLE OF SIBEREA. HOWEVER, AS WE THOUGHT AND MEDITATED ON IT, THE THOUGHT BEGAN TO DEVELOP THAT MAYBE THAT WAS A GIANT LEAP WHERE A TINY STEP WAS NEEDED. IT SEEMS LOGICAL TO GO IN THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR THAN TO BEGIN KITCHEN.

EKATERINBURG IS ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES YOU GO COME TO AS YOU ENTER SIBEREA.....THUS, THE FRONT DOOR. MUCH LIKE SMOLENSK, IT IS THE GATEWAY TO SIBEREA. IF WE WANT TO FIND UNREACHED GROUPS IN THE EAST, EKATERINBURG SEEMS TO BE A GOOD PLACE TO START.

JEFF AND COLYA LEFT LAST WEEK TO SPEND A COUPLE OF DAYS THERE. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, WE WANT TO SHARE WHAT THEY LEARNED AND WHAT WE SENSE IS OUR DIRECTION RIGHT NOW FOR THERE.

THE PHOTOS YOU WILL SEE OVER THE NEXT FEW BLOGS WILL BE FROM THAT TRIP.

YESTERDAY HERE IN SMOLENSK, JEB AND SERGEI AND I SPENT THE DAY GATHERING FURNITURE FOR THE CENTER AT KASPLI. (YESTERDAY, I SPELLED IT KAPLI AND NO ONE SAID ANYTHING. EITHER YOU DIDN'T READ IT OR YOU DEPEND ON JEFF TO BE OUR SPELLING/GRAMMAR POLICEMAN). WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT ALL DONE BY ABOUT 6 AND THEN WE HEADED BACK TO SMOLENSK. JEB AND I TOOK TIA (COLYA'S DAUGHTER) TO THE PARK AND SPENT A COUPLE OF HOURS WITH HER. OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS I HAD BEEN COLLECTING ALL MY RUSSIAN CHANGE(COINS). WHEN I COME HOME AT NIGHT, I JUST THROW THEM IN A BASKET. OVER TIME I HAD COLLECTED 15 KILOGRAMS OF COINS. LAST NIGHT I GAVE IT ALL TO TIA. SHE IS 5 YEARS OLD AND THE COINS WEIGHED MORE THAN HER! IT WAS NEAT TO WATCH HER TRY TO PICK IT UP! IT WAS FUN.

T'S IN TAIWAN!! NEAT BLOG. IT WILL BE FUN TO FOLLOW HIM OVER THE NEXT MONTHS OF ADVENTURE. http://thetpot.blogspot.com/

PRAYERS FOR ALL OF YOU!! HOW YOU DOING??

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

Kapli Today

HEADED TO KASPLI TODAY. GOTTA GET SOME FURNITURE FOR THE CENTER THERE. JEB AND SERGEI AND I WILL SPEND THE DAY GATHERING THAT STUFF AND THEN HEAD OUT THERE TO DELIVER IT.

YESTERDAY I WAS OUT IN SHYUMACHI AGAIN TO CHECK ON A BATHROOM PROJECT THAT YURA IS FINISHING OUT THERE FOR US. ALL IS GOING WELL.

YA'LL SHOULD HAVE EVERYBODY ON YA'LLS SIDE EXCEPT ME AND JEB AND LUDA. YES, WE HAVE A SMALLER TEAM, BUT WE ARE STRONG.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOM(JEFF AND I SANG TO HER SUNDAY) AND MARK!!!!

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

RED ROVER AGAIN

YOU JUST RECIEVED SUSAN AND THE LITTLE GUYS, NOW WE ARE SENDING JEFF AND COURTNEY BACK OVER. THOSE TWO LEFT HERE LAST NIGHT ON THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN. NOW THE SIDES ARE GETTING UNEVEN AGAIN. PLUS NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER FOREIGN COUNTRY ENTERING INTO THE GAME. WHO INVITED TAIWAN IN ANYWAY?

I WANT TO POST SOME ON JEFF'S TRIP TO SIBEREA THIS WEEK, BUT TODAY I WANT TO SAY GOODBYE TO TJ. IT WAS GOOD FOR T TO BE WITH US FOR A WHILE. IF HE WASN'T MY SON, I WOULD STILL LOVE TO BE AROUND HIM. GOD HAS GIFTED HIM AND HIS GIFT HAS BLESSED US. I'M GRATEFUL. THANKS T. HE'S HEADED FOR A TAIWAN ADVENTURE. PRAYER FOR HIM AND THESE NEXT MONTHS AND YEARS THERE ARE IN ORDER FOR US. LOVE YOU, T. PROUD OF YOU. GODSPEED, MY SON.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

MOM AND LITTLE GUYS COMING HOME

I AM AT THE AIRPORT IN MOSCOW. JUST PUT MOM AND THE LITTLE GUYS ON THE PLANE. RED ROVER, SENDING THEM OVER. YOU'RE GETTING A GOOD GROUP.

THEY'VE REALLY FIXED UP THIS AIRPORT. ALMOST NICE. BUT I ONLY GET 15 MINUTES ON THIS COMPUTER.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

THE SIBEREA EXPEDITION

TODAY BEGINS THE "2010 SIBEREA SURVEY EXPEDITION". JEFF AND COLYA TOOK OFF THIS MORNING, HEADED TO MOSCOW DOMODEDEVO AIRPORT. THEY WILL FLY TO THE CITY OF EKATERINBURG. EKATERINBURG IS FAMOUS AS THE CITY WHERE THE ROMANOVS (THE LAST CSAR) WERE MASSACRED AND AS THE HOME OF BORIS YELTSIN. OTHER THAN THAT, WHY EKATERINBURG?

IT SEEMS THAT EKATERINBURG IS THE GATEWAY CITY TO SIBEREA. OUR GOAL WILL BE TO FIND UNREACHED/LEAST REACHED PEOPLE GROUPS IN EASTERN RUSSIA AND IT MAKES SENSE TO START BY GOING THROUGHT THE FRONT DOOR. THEY WILL BE MEETING WITH SOME CONTACTS THAT WE HAVE MADE THERE AND THEY WILL BASICALLY BE DOING FACT FINDING (i.e. THE ABRAHAM JOURNEY OF 2008.) THINGS WE WANT TO KNOW:

-WHERE UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS ARE IN SIBEREA

-ARE THERE PARTNERS THERE THAT WE CAN WORK WITH

-IS ANYONE ELSE REACHING OUTSIDE THE CITY TO THESE GROUPS

-ARE THERE OTHER FOREIGNERS WORKING THERE

-WHAT PRACTICAL THINGS CAN WE DO THERE TO OPEN DOORS

THESE AND WHTEVER ELSE THEY CAN FIND OUT WILL BE IMPORTANT.

THIS WILL BE A REALLY IMPORTANT TRIP. PLEASE BE PRAYING THAT GOD WILL GIVE THE SAFETY, WISDOM, ALERTNESS, DISCERNMENT, AND SUCCESS ON THEIR JOURNEY.

I WILL BE TAKING MOM AND THE LITTLE GUYS TO MOSCOW ON THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN TONIGHT. THEY WILL BE FLYING BACK TO YOU TOMORROW!!! THEY SHOULD BE BACK WITH YA'LL FOR THIS SUNDAY. YA'LL BE GOOD TO 'EM.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

TUESDAY

THOMAS SENT ME PICS OF YA'LL 4TH. LOOKS LIKE YA'LL HAD A GOOD DAY. YOU LOOK LAZY.

TODAY I HEAD BACK OUT TO SHUMYACHI TO CHECK ON A BATHROOM PROJECT THERE.

TOMORROW, JEFF AND COLYA ARE HEADING TO EKATERINBURG ON THE "2010 SIBEREA SURVEY EXPEDITION". I'LL BE WRITING MORE ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THEY LEAVE TOMORROW AND RETURN FRIDAY.

IN THE "RED ROVER" GAME (AS AYM PUTS IT), WE WILL BEGIN SENDING PEOPLE BACK OVER THIS WEEK. SUSAN AND THE LITTLE GUYS LEAVE THURSDAY AND GET IN TO ATLANTA AT ABOUT 4:35 IN THE AFTERNOON. THEN JEFF AND COURTNEY LEAVE ON NEXT MONDAY. MY RETURN WILL BE IN THE TWO WEEKS AFTER, ACCORDING TO HOW THE SIBEREA TRIP GOES.

YA'LL'S LAST WEEK WITH TJ. BE GOOD TO HIM. HE'S GREAT.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.

4TH OF JULY SCENES FROM SMOLENSK

AND THEN WE WATCHED "THE PATRIOT". IT'S A TRADITION. IT WAS A GREAT DAY.

WHAT'D YA'LL DO.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOE EACH OTHER.

FRIDAY

SPENT MOST OF THE DAY YESTERDAY AT CUSTOMS. FINALLY GOT HOME ABOUT 8:30. HAD TO REGISTER A THE CAR. WON'T HAVE TO DO THAT AGAIN.

TODAY, I THINK WE WILL FINALLY GET TO THE GARAGE. GOT A LOT OF STUFF TO GO THROUGH AND NEED TO TRY TO SELL SOME FURNITURE.

JEB HAS GONE TO MOSCOW TO PICK UP LUDA. HE TRAVELED WITH HER MOTHER AND SISTER. THEY WILL SPEND THE NIGHT AND HER GRANDMOTHERS NEAR MOSCOW. I THINK THEY PLAN TO ARRIVE HERE ON SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY.

WHAT ARE YA'LL DOING ON THE 4TH? WE ARE PLAYING ULTIMATE, WATCHING "THE PATRIOT", AND I WILL TRY TO FIND A WATERMELON.

ENCOURAGE SOMEONE TODAY!!!

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACHOTHER.