WE'RE HERE!!!

Hello everyone!  After a long but uneventful string of flights, we finally arrived in Ukraine, June 5th at 2:00pm (their time).  Our flights were great although we didn't sleep much and only 3 of our 4 pieces of luggage landed with us (of course the missing one was mine but I'm just getting more practice with learning to embrace "Plan B"--right Shelley F.?)

So, once we got here, "Uncle Niko" picked us up in his cool car and drove us to our apartment.  Luckily my bag didn't make it because I'm not sure where it would have fit in this car!

Here is our home away from home for the next few days in Kiev.  We're about a 20min. walk from downtown where the markets, money exchange centers, and more importantly TGIF is located! (Which is actually where I'm blogging right now since our modem isn't working in our apartment--can I just tell you all that I don't do well with being completely cut off from communication with my "peeps"!  I wasn't sure you all knew that about me or not-ha ha ha!!!)

Jim getting directions from Uncle Niko on how to use our Ukranian cell phone. 

What would we have done without our new "Uncle" helping us get set up and ready to function in this beautiful country!

Then it was time for Jim and Niko to go get some supplies for the night and the next morning. They exchanged money, got a phone card, the modem (that doesn't work--did I mention that trauma???) and...

...our groceries.  The pizza got a thumbs up from me and Michael--not so much for Allen who ended up eating a protein bar for dinner.  Jim had a PB&J sandwich. 

All of this for just 120 Grivna which is about $15.00!

We then fell into our beds around 7:30pm and slept until 10:30am. (Well sort of...the boys slept through the night--I was awake on and off throughout the night but we're all feeling pretty good today!)  I'm thinking of asking the nice people here at TGIFriday's if I can bring my pillow here so I don't have to be away from my computer!!!  I almost don't want to end this blog entry because it means I won't be connected for awhile unless we can get a resolution to our modem issue.

Tomorrow we have our SDA appointment at 11am and then we're going to have Niko's daughter take us on a sightseeing trip (thanks Lisa P. for that suggestion) throughout Kiev!

Hope to be back online soon!  Keep the prayers coming--we're definitely enjoying ourselves and loving the mission God has us on here!