Sharing Our Joy

In light of some of my recent self pitying posts, I've suddenly noticed how much joy we are surrounded by with our children. We are having a spectacularly beautiful Spring in Virginia, and our kids can't wait to go outside every day and play.

Christian has been reluctant to swing, but in the same week that he started riding his bike, he's conquered his fear of the swing! It's amazing to witness how much joy a child can have by simply swinging, and how much joy a parent gets by watching their children make progress.

Galyna is delighted now that watermelon season is here! This girl could easily consume a watermelon a day. We call them "galla-melons" around the house.

My older daughter has proven to be an excellent student, especially when it comes to studying the Bible. She reads and studies daily in her NIV and her Russian Bible, and has scored 100 on all her recent quizzes in Bible class. She actually scored 105 for acing the 91st Psalm - early!

Our daughters are one-quarter Jewish, so I like to imagine that Nastia seems to have an almost instinctive grasp of the Psalms. I think she is also beginning to "get" the gospel, and will soon meet with our Youth Pastor in preparation to become a communicant member of the church.

Witnessing this has provided her parents with a good lesson. We haven't pushed it on her, except to insist that she attends Sunday School, Worship, and Youth Group regularly. She was very unenthusiastic at first, but obviously God had different plans for her!

She has been surrounded by wonderful teachers, mentors, and so many people praying for her.

To God be the glory.

RAT PATROL!

Recently we had a pet swap as Galyna traded her rats to Christian for his fish.

The rats are entirely happy about this as now they get to ride on Christian's fire truck!

Christian has a blast watching the rats race through the kitchen. So far the only injury we've had is when Gabriella sustained a tail ding after crashing into the pantry.

She's expected to make a full recovery and is already back in action!

Breakthrough!

This is one of the happiest boys in America!

It has been such a joy to watch Christian conquer his fears of riding his bike. He's still on training wheels, but up until last week, he would not even sit on the seat. This is one of those truly unforgettable, sweet moments as a parent. I think Dana and I are just as thrilled as he is!

The "Problem" of Shyness

Is there something wrong with being shy? The Publishers Weekly review of Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness, sums up the theme of this controversial book:

"Before you sell a drug, you have to sell the disease. And never was this truer than for social anxiety disorder," concludes English professor and Guggenheim fellow Christopher Lane in this scathing indictment of the American Psychiatric Association and the psychopharmacological industry. "

I probably won't read this book, but I heard a fascinating interview with the author on the excellent Mars Hill Audio Journal. The topic is of great interest to Dana and me as one of our daughters is extremely shy, well beyond the usual sullenness demonstrated by many adopted older children early on.

But Lane says "Wait a second!!!" Shyness used to be a virtue, especially for young ladies! They called it modesty, and your modest children do not need to be medicated! He points out that the bias against shyness is particularly problematic in America, where we put a premium on gregariousness.

When I heard him say that, I immediately thought of being in Moscow five years ago when we adopted Christian. Every morning we gathered in a huge dining hall for breakfast, and marveled as we observed how easy it was to spot an American (or Canadian) from a mile away! The Yanks and Canucks were always smily and chatty, while the Russians were typically dour, unexpressive and just plain unfriendly, at least at first glance (this is especially troubling for a Texan!). I was secretely thinking, "What's wrong with these people?"

Of course those who grew up in the Soviet Union had to be very careful about being open to strangers, but the fact is most people in the world just aren't nearly as extroverted as Americans, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them.

That is something I've had to learn when it comes to my shy daughter. She doesn't immediately seek to ingratiate herself to everyone she meets (like me) and I frequently find myself getting frustrated at her seeming lack of social graces.

Maybe I could learn something from her?

The Persecuted Church

Just about everyone's heard of the genocide in Darfur being carried out by the Islamic Arab regime in Sudan. Less well known is a similar campaign of terror and mass murder that targeted Sudan's Christians in the South (the Darfur victims are black Muslims).

God Grew Tired Of Us is the shocking, yet ultimately uplifting story of a group of young men known as the Lost Boys. Thousands of them became refugees in the late 1980's with absolutely no one in the world to turn to. They walked literally thousands of miles to refugee camps, first in Ethiopia, then Kenya.

This fine documentary follows a group that gets to come to America. They had never used electricity their entire lives! This is a great movie for internationally adopted teenage children. Our daughters watched with fascination as the young Africans saw a refrigerator and a toaster for the first time. I don't think they ever realized that some people in the world actually have it alot worse than they did in Ukraine.

Most compelling to me was to see America through the eyes of strong Christian believers, who are shocked to see the way we live. At one point one of them says, "Who is this Santa Claus? .... Is he in the Bible?"

Moments like that are seen throughout and indeed many scenes are hilarious. But the most important thing about this film is that it reminds me that our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world are suffering terribly.

Christians are the most persecuted people-group on the planet today. The mainstream media overlooks this fact daily, but if you live in many parts of Africa, South Asia or the Middle East, being a Christian is dangerous and deadly business. Unknown Christians are martyred daily throughout the world.

We need to speak out about this and pray for the more than 200-million Christians who are undergoing active persecution.

Our "ANNIE"

I recently learned that our older daughter, whom I've always known as Anastasia, has changed her name. I'd like to introduce you to.......Annie! A boy at school called her Annie one day in class, and apparently it stuck.

Our "Annie" is natural artist. She has an eye for all things beautiful, as you can see by her latest posting, demonstrating her photography skills.

Great Reads!

Ever since we adopted Christian from Moscow more than five years ago, I've been captivated by Russia and its sturdy people. I marvel at how they've maintained such dignity through centuries of oppression, even through the darkest days of communism, which targeted artists with particular vengeance.

One of the most impressive things is how average Russians and Ukrainians have been able to keep their artistic heritage alive. I see that right before my eyes, as our daughters are both known at school as being some of the best artists in their class.

I have a much greater appreciation for this part of my family's heritage (sounds strange to say that!) after reading the exhilirating Natasha's Dance, A Cultural History of Russia, by British scholar Orlando Figes. This is a big book, but don't be put off by that. It's highly readable with lots of chapter breaks and the pace is brisk. A warning though: reading this book is likely to transform you into a Russophile if you weren't already!

While you're at Amazon, go ahead and order this inspirational little book. My Beloved Russia is the testimony of a young man growing up as a promising scientist and a pawn in the Soviet system. After becoming a Christian, Dimitry Mustafin becomes an underground evangelist at great risk to himself and his family.

It's a fast read, and the translation is on a middle school reading level, so it is perfect for our adopted teenagers. It would be a great read-aloud book for the whole family. And if your faith needs it, it is sure to give you a kick in the pants!