Friday 8:20 p.m.
WOW. We crashed, after they brought our bedding around! The mattresses are about 3 inches thick, usually like the old feather mattresses you remember from childhood. The pillows are big and soft and also feather. When you first get on the train, the mattresses (all rolled up with the pillow inside) are on each of the beds (hard beds, the bottom two have storage underneath for luggage) We had to wait till the attendants came around with our sheets (two flat sheets) and a pillowcase and hand towel. There are also 4 wool blankets in each kupet (though as many times as I’ve travelled the train, I have never needed that. I could not wait to get my bed made and go to sleep. I realized something,that is why I love the train so much. I get to sleep all I want and the train just rocks and rocks. LOVE IT.
Finally, we made our beds. They finally got far enough out of town to open the bathroom. Every thing in the bathroom is metal and small. Thank goodness there is a handle, as it gets a little bumpy haha. After 6 months away, the toilet paper is just as I remember…SAND PAPER…Sweet Frances sent us a softer roll with us, another “new” luxury in Russia, it has little puppies printed on it. IT AINT CHARMIN, but it’s better than the brown sandpaper that’s for sure. I will definitely be digging that cute roll out SOON.
We laid down to sleep at about 3 pm. We weren’t hungry because Frances was kind enough to stop on the way to the train station at McDonalds. McD’s is better in Russia. We got Big Macs and McChicken yum yum. We slept like babies…about 4 hrs the first time, and were awakened by our 2nd passenger, looking for bed 15, I vaguely heard the attendant directing him to bed 25 and he was fine with that. I Praise the Lord. I cannot even express how grateful I am that we have our own Cabin.
Caleb is still sleeping. Michael and I had our first supper. Bologna and cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise. The mayonnaise is better in Russia. Oh and I bought each of us a small can of Pringles. Cheese and sour cream and paprika. I love the grapefruit flavored water here too. The Kit kats were placed near the heater, so sadly they were melted. We moved them to the little fold out table that comes out from the window and folds down, in front of the window, it wont take long for them to freeze here. SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP, I love to sleep. I feel sorry for people who have trouble sleeping. I never have and I am grateful. Especially on the train, my goodness, the heat and the continuous rocking and bumping just lulls me to sleep. I think the train will be majic for jetlag. After waking tue, wed, and thurs at 3 am every day in Moscow. Going back to sleep now.
Thoughts go to my children now. Reagan had a week of early classes. So glad it is Friday for him and near the end of his college career. He has worked so hard this last trimester trying to get through and finish. Seems like yesterday we brought him back for college, but it’s been over 5 years. Crazy. My heart is blessed that no matter what, he loves Jesus and seeks to cling to Him and obey Him. Lord, please work out Your perfect will in his and Robin’s marriage, a beautiful covenant a picture of Your salvation, redemption, reconcilliation...A picture of love, forgiveness and keeping commitments.
I hope they all know how much we love them, think of them and pray for them.
Lord, give them a good weekend. I think Reagan and Bryan were going to play some disc golf. It was so special for Bryan to get them all involved in something together while we were there. Michael and Caleb continued to improve. Reagan caught on really quick as he always does, he wasn’t sure he would like it at first, but learned to enjoy it. Bryan was already really good and doing really well in tournaments. The weather in MS was perfect and very warm, even up until the day we left (80 F)
Both Reagan and Bryan were very intentional about spending time with each of us, but especially with Caleb over the past 6 months, what a blessing and example his big brothers are. Lord, help Caleb to adjust to leaving them again and now Grace and returning to Russia. Thank you for giving him a love for Russia, so that the transition is not so hard for him. It is such a miracle how you have given each of our children peace about living overseas through the years. I am so grateful for that. I can’t imagine how much harder it would be if they were fighting against your will. Give Caleb courage and boldness, and continue to grow him up into the man You desire, to have a desire to love You above all else and serve You his whole life.
I wonder how sweet Hannah and little Eli are doing. I hope he is doing good and I have been praying for him to start sleeping all night for his mommy. She is such an amazing mommy. Bryan is such a good little daddy. What a blessing to know your grandchild will be raised in a Godly home, so very thankful. Lord, keep their marriage strong and help them to always love and serve You. Help them to always honor you in their marriage and family.
I wonder how Grace’s clinic visit in Africa went today and her TLW sessions in schools this week. She absolutely loves it! I absolutely love that she loves it. What joy to see your kids enjoy helping others, telling others and just serving their lives out for Him. She told us this week that after much much prayer she is 99.9 percent sure that she wants to go to Carey and major in nursing. She has applied at both Liberty and Carey. Honestly her daddy and I were both surprised. We really thought she would choose Liberty, but she is convinced that God wants her at Carey for some reason. She is so sweet, she wrote each of notes and gave them to us at the airport, then sent another one before we left MS…she made me promise not to go into her empty room alone without daddy. I still think I might want to move to another apartment. We will pray and see what the Lord says. I am praying for His peace. I know, that I know, that He will give it. Lord, keep Grace obedient and following hard after you, pursuing You, knowing you and making You known.
I am going to pray myself to sleep now.
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