TWO WORLDS, ONE FAMILY
We made it! Almost twenty-four hours from start to finish (I should have taken a picture of Lena braiding Maya's hair at 3:10 in the morning!) we made it to Canada. Praise the Lord and thank you all for praying for the journey!!!
So far the adjustment has gone well, with Maya quickly adapting to life on the other side of the planet. Jet lag has been a bit of an issue for us both tho, with a few mornings starting just after 4! Health-wise we're doing fairly well, but I'm still not over my cold (or whatever) and Maya hit a bit of a low on Sunday with a bout of the 24-hour flu. Thankfully she's better now, especially since neither us Canadian citizens can get any free health care from the system!!!
There has been a lot of other adjustments for me, however. It's been two and a half years since I last set foot on Canadian soil, and seven years since I've been here for Christmas! Renewing my driver's license was a cinch, but getting used to sitting behind the wheel took a bit of getting used to. It's been a treat to be able to stand in line without being pushed or jostled and be greeted with a smile when you reach the counter. Talk about culture shock! ;-)
Being together with family again has been so wonderful. Extended family has also been a true blessing. From the moment we arrived people have been so good to us! One couple even told us that they were foregoing giving each other Christmas presents so that they could help us financially during this time. God is so good!!!
Please feel free to contact us while we're in Manitoba; most times you should be able to reach us at my parents' home (204 857-3802). We'd love to hear from you!
Wishing you a blessed Christmas filled with Christ's peace & joy,
- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena
P.S. I will be sharing at the Community Fellowship Church in Newton this coming Sunday morning (December 24). We'd love to see you there!
COMING TO CANADA
Two of us may be here already, but it's just temporary. It looks like Lena was able to get the needed papers much earlier than we expected, so with the medical tests on their way to London for processing, we are hopeful that the Canadian Embassy in Moscow will have all the requested paperwork by early January. So when will we see to visas? Immigration Canada isn't giving us any hints, but we figure that since it took eight months of processing for them to ask for more paperwork, we should be near the end of the "ordeal". ;-) We think there's good hope that by February all should be done, meaning that by March or April we should be ready to make the move. Please keep praying!!!
BLESSINGS
Praise God for a safe and manageable journey! Maya travelled better than expected and we made our connections without too much difficulty.
Lena underwent minor surgery this past week and came home is good shape. We are very thankful that Nina was able to care for Deena during this time.
Thank God for the many gifts we have received since our arrival in Canada. We have a great many needs, and it is so encouraging to see God's people respond. One family is even sending money to help Lena make a special Christmas meal.
PETITIONS
Please pray for God's continued protection on Lena, Sonia, Deena & Nina in St. Petersburg. Pray also for their health, especially Deena's as she has been battling a cold for almost as long as me.
Maya & I will need your continued prayers as we experience new food and new situations. This truly is a different world for us! Pray also for our health and safety, especially since we cannot easily get assistance from local health institutions.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Kevin & Lena Hamm are missionaries with Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International, serving with Christian Camping International/Russia in St. Petersburg, Russia.
A printable version in Adobe Acrobat format is always available for download.
Visit www.krhamm.com/pray for links to print versions, archives and more.
For more on our ministry in Russia, please visit http://www.krhamm.com/.
You can help! Please visit www.krhamm.com/support
for ways you can help our family & ministry.
Hundreds of our recent photos can be viewed at Flickr.com.
(And now Sonia's pictures too!)
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