Trip Draws Nearer

We'll it's almost countdown time for our Russian trip. Just three more days before we fly the friendly skies. We just returned from a short jaunt to WoodRiver, IL where my son works. It just so happens that it was our most beautiful granddaughter, Willow's, third birthday. This means it was absolutely necessary that we go and play the doting grandparents and reap the smiles, hugs, kisses, and laughter that only a three year old girl on her birthday can be so full to overflowing with.

 She was soo appreciative of the decorations that her mother put up and so excited for the other kids to see her DORA THE EXPLORER table cloth and birthay banner. She was also so polite as I heard her telling people "oh thank you" (without any parental prompting no less). Maybe her grandma Lorna IS right. Maybe she IS a genius! lol What a pleasant three day visit before we left the country,  with Forrest, Terri, and Willow.

But, that brings me back to the real point of this blog. The time for this trip draws near.
 Requested items to be delivered in Moscow have been gathered. Funding is still trickling in, but if you're reading this and thinking about sending some money, please know that you have our thanks, but funds are sufficient. We have enough and extra to share with our brethren. We're in the process of figuring out how to get it all in carry-on baggage so no bags will have to be checked. Ha, I'll let you know how that turn out!

The shot above will be my final addition to this post. It is the estate home of the famous Leo Tolstoy, author of  WAR AND PEACE, ANNA KARENNIA, and approximately 5,000 other works. He was/is the most famous and prolific of Russian authors and pioneered educational methods that are still used in many Russian school systems. Two things that many do not know might be 1) his estate is located just outside Tula, where we're going to be trying to meet and work with Christians that have been having a difficult go of things, and 2) he was a pen pal of Alexander Campbell, of interest to those who follow restoration history in churches of Christ. It should come as no surprise to find out that after being pen pals with the famous ex-Presbyterian biblical restorer of New Testament Christianity, Tolstoy was excommunicated from the Russian Orthodox Church for his radical ideas that one did not need a clergy system or the trappings of human religion to please God, but simply to follow the New Testament scriptures given by the apostles and prophets of Jesus Christ. My what power can be found by uniting an open heart with the truth.

With that we will leave you. Come back to follow our journey to Moscow and Tula, August 10-28 and feel free to leave a comment.