MckMama’s and Her Charming Kids…

picture of Stellan, by MckMama at My Charming Kids

I love blogging, reading blogs, discovering new blogs and making new blog friends. MckMama is a wonderful writer, fabulous photographer and an amazing mom. Her darling son, Stellan, is very sick. Please take a moment to get to know MckMama and pray for her and her family.

Stop Praying!!!

Please STOP praying that God would make it evident whether or not I need to go to the doctor...I now know with out a doubt that I need to go and will rejoice at spending the money, because I am sooo miserable!!! Yesterday was the worst day!!! I still feel fine...until I start coughing and literally think I am going to die!!! I am coughing so hard, my head feels like it will explode!!! Please DO continue to pray that I would feel better and the kids would not get sick...they both were coughing a little last night!

We love and appreciate you!!!

Prayer Request...There Are Many!!!

Yesterday, Keith and I spoke at VBC on behalf of the IMB and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We have known for months and I have been stressed about it ever since Keith informed me that I must share my testimony. I love the Lord and love sharing, but not infront of an entire congregation!!!

Keith did an excellent job. I know I am a bit bias, but Keith is such a great speaker. I laughed, cried and was totally inspired!!! I, however, spent my entire 8 minutes weeping...OK, flat out bawling!!! This was the first time we officially spoke as former Missionaries to Russia and it was heart breaking. Please pray for us as we continue to seek the Lord's will regarding our future. Pray that we would have patience as we wait on Him. Keith has several good job possibilities...so pray that the application process would go quickly and we would be able to discern where the Lord is leading us.

Please also pray for our dear friends, former team mates, colleagues and family, the Ws. Today, C was given 3 days to leave Russia and will be unable to return for atleast the next 5 years. He will be leaving Russia alone on his Birthday and the rest of the family will flow shortly. A few weeks ago, they were recently denied the right to adopt darling twins that they have been getting to know over the past year and now their time in Russia has come to an end. Pray the Lord would make His will clear to them, heal their hurts and poor out his love, grace, mercy peace and an abundance of joy upon them.

Pray, as well, for Gideon's teacher, Miss Cook. Her dog died on Friday and she is really stuggling with this huge loss. Pray that she would be able to return to class (there is a substitute teacher today) and finish the last week and half of school strong.

OK...thank you for perservering with me and continuing to read about my many burdens!!! My final request is...I have been coughing for 3 weeks...OK, honestly almost 4!!! I feel fine, am able to continue with my daily routine...with added naps :-) but I am struggling with the decision of knowing if a doctor's visit is truly needed or would be a waste of our dwendling cash. I do not want to pay to go to the doctor to be told that I have a cough!!! Please pray that the Lord would heal me or make it evident that I really do need to go to the doctor...or the hospital, which would actually be cheaper...at least until Janurary when our insurance ends!!!

Today, Keith and I even went to Boot Camp...I laughed sooo hard as I watched Keith mone and suffer through one of the hardest Boot Camps yet!!! OK, I could laugh instead of cry since I was sitting on the sidelines coughing!!! After class, he said he was too tired to even get out of the car!!!

Thanks for your prayers!!! We love and appreciate you!!!

Funky!

I think weekly I experience a funk! I have had a much better day than usual at work, but came home in such a funk! God has been so faithful to provide for us, care for us, love us and speak to us through His Word...so why I am I feeling so funky?

This summer, shortly after we discovered that our return to Russia would be delayed, I read Genesis 4:12, “From now on you will be a homeless fugitive on the earth, constantly wandering from place to place.” Even though we never became fugitives…at least not yet…we did do a lot of wandering and were without a home for 4 ½ months!!!

Today, I thought the Lord would gives us further clarification into His plans for our lives, but I was wrong. Even though Keith had a great meeting (it was not an interview…I wanted it to be, but it wasn’t), we are still waiting and feel no closer to discovering God’s plan.

This was my “Word from the Lord” today…This is what the Lord says: “Babylon will be powerful for seventy years. After that time I will come to you, and I will keep my promise to bring you back to Jerusalem. I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me! I will let you find me,” says the Lord. “And I will bring you back from your captivity. I forced you to leave this place, but I will gather you from all the nations, from the places I have sent you as captives,” says the Lord. “And I will bring you back to this place.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

We are calling on the Lord, we are praying, we are searching for Him with all of our heart…when will he let us find Him? When will He reveal His good plans? When and where will our wandering end? Pray for us as we seek the Lord’s direction!

Please Pray For D, Gid and Keith

Gid not only got his clippy moved for not being able to follow directions this morning, but got into a fight with this little boy, D, this afternoon. He got a busted lip and sent to the Office!!! I was already at the School to discuss Gid's progress, behavior and language difficulties, in my first ever IEP...and was shocked to find Gideon crying in the hallway, with a bag of ice pressed to his mouth!!! Exactly what happened still remains a mystery, but I think D was "encouraging" Gid to get off the monkey bars and got kicked in the face...of course, accidentally by sweet, innocent Gid :-). D retaliated with a kick to Gid's face!!! Please pray for Gid and D. Pray that they both would learn to control their actions, learn to be nice to each other, listen to the teacher and be safe!!!

On the way home, Gid said, "I twisted D's arm like daddy taught me!" I guess daddy and Gid have been having private self-defense classes!!! I was so tired when we got home, I slept for an hour!!!

Please also pray for Keith tomorrow as he goes to discuss job possibilities with the Director of Mission for Oklahoma City. Pray that the meeting would go well, the Lord would give Keith clarity into His will and that Keith would leave encouraged...no matter what the outcome would be.

In A Funk...

I have been in a funk this past week! When we got the news that we would not be returning to Russia...at least not any time soon...and the reality set in that we would soon be without a job...or money, security, focus, goals and identity that all go with employment...I began planning. That is what I do...I plan. Even when I know I need to pray...I am still making plans to present to the Lord, giving him options, choices, suggestions!!!

This week several of my plans were rejected by the Lord and I felt my list of possibilities growing smaller. I know I said that I would do ANYTHING, but honestly, that was a lie. I can do anything...or at least a lot of things, but I don't really want to!

When you are unemployed, especially in today's economy, you get a job...you don't WAIT! At least that is what the World would tell you, your friends and family would tell you, I WOULD TELL YOU TO GET A JOB!!! No one would tell you to WAIT! However, I feel like the Lord is telling us to wait...does he not know that we have been waiting?!?

Today, I reached my pinnacle of frustration...mainly with myself. After scrolling the numerous job possibilities and getting more and more discouraged, I finally picked up my Bible to be told..."Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength!" I am waiting...and trying to find joy in it!!!

We have SOOO many things to be thankful for...a great home to borrow, a reliable car to borrow...which both mean minimal financial needs...which is a huge blessing, Gideon is making lots of progress, we are all healthy, happy and usually having a blast!!! Pray that I would find contentment, joy and security in the Lord...not in the World, things or a job!!!

"Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:27-31

Please Pray For Gid...

On the way out to the Scott's, Gideon said that a boy in his school (but not in his class) took a match and burnt Gid's arm. Keith and I were both shocked and began asking questions, which lead to Gideon recanting this story and saying that he could not remember how he got the mark on his arm. After numerous attempts, pleas and bribes, Gid just says he does not remember what happened. I do not want to over react and Gid has been known for his colorful stories and creative imagination, but the thought of my little boy being tortured on the play ground is terrifing! He has complained about the same boy pushing him and being mean to him, but playing with matches that end up burning my son!!! Please pray that God would protect Gideon physically and emotionally!!! Please pray that Gideon would find godly friends to play with and would learn self-defense!!!

It Is Official...

We greatly appreciate all of you who have been praying for us, since we have been in the States, dealing with the discovery of Gideon’s developmental delays. Today, we received the final reports on the Gideon’s evaluations and the IMB has recommended that we take a leave of absence, in order to best deal with Gideon’s delays. From the perspective of living in the United States, his delays do not seem to be a serious issue at all, but in a foreign country, the resources and opportunities are limited. The length of our leave of absence will depend on how Gideon develops, which we cannot predict. We will remain in the states through the end of this school year and reevaluate Gideon’s progress at that time. We have enrolled Gideon in Kindergarten in the Oklahoma City Public School, where we are currently living. He seems to be adjusting well and his teacher, Miss Cook, has already seen a great deal of progress.

With this difficult decision comes sooo many questions that have yet to be answered...where will we live, what will we do and what about all of our stuff stranded in Russia...not to mention our sweet, little guy and how to best meet his needs...are just the tip of the iceberg!

This is difficult news, but we trust God is in control of it all. We know from an eternal perspective, this is really just a minor, temporary adjustment in our lives. We are honestly in shock that what has been our dream, our life and our hearts desire, since we have been “The 2 Sullivans” has indefinitely, but hopefully only temporarily, been postponed.

I know that throughout our journey as The 4 Sullivans, and especially in the past few months, we have brought you many prayer requests. Once again, we have a burden so heavy and needs so great, we cannot carry alone. Please pray for our family, our future and our son. Pray that the decisions and details will be clear and that we will rely on God’s grace to meet all of our needs. Please continue to pray as we seek what the Lord has for our next steps. Pray we will know where to live. We are so grateful that Village Baptist Church in Oklahoma City has provided us a place to stay in one of their mission homes, however, this is not a permanent situation. Pray we would have wisdom and direction on what kind of employment to pursue here in the States. Pray for Gideon, that he would grow and develop according the full potential God has given him.

Please Pray...

Please pray for Miss Cook, Gideon's teacher. She has been absent since Friday. Pray that she would be able to return to class tomorrow full of energy, patients and joy! Please also pray for the Substitute Teacher, Gideon and his classmates today.

Please Continue To Pray...

Thank you for praying for Gideon! His test scores were very encouraging and much better than the initial evaluation. The most significant result was that Gideon has a clear delay in his language development. Even though the doctor discussed the testing and results for almost 2 hours, all this information just left us confused with lots to process! We must wait for the official written report to be sent to the medical department and educational consultants at the IMB...about 2 weeks and then we’ll be making a decision on how to further proceed.

Please pray that God would give clear direction to us and those involved in the decision making process.

We love you and are extremely grateful for your prayers!!!
Blessings,
Keith & Kristie

Don’t copy the behaviors and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Romans 12:2

Just A Reminder....

Tomorrow at 2:30, Keith and I meet with Gideon's doctor to hear the results of the evaluation. We have been waiting for this day. Please pray!!! Please pray that the results would give a clear picture of Gideon, how he processes information and how we should pursue his education. Pray that this information would give us direction in God's will for our return to Russia. Pray also for sweet Kenda who will spend the afternoon with the kiddos!!!

Keep on praying. No matter what happens always be thankful...
I Thessalonians 5:17-18

Picture...one of my favorites from this summer.

Gideon s Better!!!

Gideon got off the couch this afternoon and said, "I think that I can eat now!" And he ate, and ate, and ate!!! Thank you for praying for Gideon!!!

Gideon's Sick

Please pray for Gideon! He woke-up really sick and has been vomiting all morning. Keith and ME went to Church, Gid is resting on the couch and Dr. Mom is at his every beckon call and trying to catch-up on laundry!!! Please pray that he would get better quick!!!

The Big Day...

Today was a huge success! Gideon had a wonderful attitude, was full of joy, very cooperative and endured almost 6 hours of testing!!! Dr. Culbertson was very pleased with Gideon's performance and the amount of information she was able to gather. Even though we will not know the results until September 8th, she said that she was able to see a clear picture of Gideon's abilities. I was sooo tired...you would have thought I had spent the entire undergoing tests!!! When we returned home, I ate like I had not eaten all day, then took a 2 1/2 hour nap at 5:30...while Gideon, still full of energy, played with Granny and ME!!!

The mention of a Star Wars surprise might have encouraged Gideon's enthusiasm for the tasks today and was the first thing he mention at the end of the day!!!

We now have an official Storm Trooper in the house!!!

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement!!! They truly made a difference today!!!

Please Pray For Gideon

Tomorrow is the "Big Day"...Gideon's appointment at the Child Study Center.

We have been waiting for this day for three months and I must confess I am nervous. So much hinges on this appointment!!! What ifs keep running through my mind, even though at the same time I am fully trusting God! But, I do wonder what the outcome will be...what is wrong with Gideon...will we be able to return to Russia...what is God's plan in all of this?

Even though I am nervous about the details of the day and the results, I have such peace. I am so thankful that God is in control and I am not! I am thankful that God created Gideon and makes no mistakes! I am thankful that God loves Gideon even more than I do! I am thankful that He has a perfect plan for Gideon and for our family and I do not need to try and figure it out, plan it, organize it or try and manipulate it...I can just rest and wait for the Lord to reveal it!

Please join me in praying for Gideon and the doctors tomorrow.
Pray that Gideon would be filled with peace, confidence and a good attitude. Pray that he would have the stamina to endure an entire day of questions, tests, doctors and the unknown. And please pray that the doctors would have clarity in what is going on with Gideon and how we can best meet his needs so that he can become the young man God has created him to be.

Thank you for praying for us, encouraging us and walking along side of us!!!

Prayer Request...

This summer has been challenging, but at the same time refreshing and rewarding. We have learned once again that our plans are not always the same as the Lord’s. We are still in the states!!! We were originally scheduled to return to Russia the end of July, but our now on medical leave.

Our concerns regarding Gideon’s development were affirmed in June; Gideon has a learning disability. Gideon completed a battery of tests that showed he is functioning below age level, but was inconclusive in that it was unable to identify the cause. Therefore, a more thorough evaluation was recommended. We have scheduled an appointment at the Child Study Center in Oklahoma City on August 28th. Gideon’s evaluation is scheduled for the entire day and even though we will not get the written results until approximately a month later, we have a follow-up appointment on September 8th.

This appointment is very important. We want to be able to best educate and equip Gideon for the future God has planned for him and pray that we will be given clearer insight into how to do this. In addition, this appointment will also determine whether or not we will be able to return to Russia. We are praying that the diagnoses will be clear and will show us how we could best meet Gideon’s educational needs in Russia. If there is something more serious or it proves beyond our means to educate Gideon, we will not be able to return to Russia.

This has been a summer of trial and learning, and God has proven faithful! We have grown in our walk with the Lord, felt his hand guiding us step by step and have been blessed by family, friends and answered prayers! We have been able to place Gideon and our future at His feet and trust he will lead us according to his perfect plan.

So, right now we are enjoying the gift of extra time with our friends and family. We are currently in New Mexico at the Baptist Children’s Home in Portales, spending all our extra time with Granny and Grampy. Next week some time, we will move to Oklahoma City, to a home provided by Village Baptist Church, to prepare for Gideon’s evaluation.

Please pray for us during this time of waiting and uncertainty.
*Please pray the evaluations on the 28th will clearly show what is going on with Gideon. Pray he is healthy and has the confidence and endurance to complete the necessary tests. Pray we will have wisdom to know the next steps to take.
*Pray we take full advantage of the extra time we have in the States. Pray we have special times with the Lord and with friends and family.
*Before we left Russia we began the process of applying for Russian work permits. Pray the Lord guides our paperwork through the channels of Russian red tape in His will.

Teri

Blogging has become a form of therapy to me. It helps me to process what is going on around me, document it, organize it, remember it and share it. This is something I must share, because I have tried to process it, understand it...but I can not. All morning, I have been walking around in a daze, mumbling, "How awful! How could this be?"

Life is so amazing, every minute is precious and every breath is gift, often taken forgranted. Today a dear friend and colleague went to be with the Lord. Teri was a wonderful friend, full of wisdom, always smiling and most of all love the Lord and her darling family! I wish I could tell Teri how much she means to me, how encouraging, thoughtful and wise she is, how loved and respected she is by all that know her...how much I already miss her!!! I called Teri on Friday to asked her a quick question...it was too quick and too all-about-me. I should have taken the time to tell her how much I loved her. Please pray for this sweet family and all of those who are grieving the loss of Teri.

This morning, Monday, July 28th, Teri went home to Heaven to meet and worship her Father face to face. As Teri and all of Heaven rejoices, we who remain behind try to understand and grieve the loss of our precious friend. We will try to continue living as Teri would ask us to do. Please join me in remembering the Tarleton Family as they walk through this difficult time. Let us celebrate the life of Teri who touched so many of ours as she lived, loved and taught many of us about life! We will miss her but will NEVER forget her as her legacy continues through Ed, her children and future generations to come! We love you Teri!
~written by JH in Russia

An Appointment!!!

This morning, the Child Study Center called to schedule Gideon's appointment...August 28th!!! We are rejoicing that this is much sooner than we had anticipated. Please join us in praying that the details, evaluation and results would be clear and reflect Gideon's true abilities. Pray that his educational needs would be able to be met in Yaroslavl and that we would have wisdom to know when to return.

Our computer finally crashed, so we are joining the computerless population at the library, which is actually sort of fun. We will continue to post updates regarding our where-abouts, adventures and any other information that might be interesting to those of you that are extremely bored! We will be in Enid, Oklahoma until August 1st. We appreciate your prayers and encouragement!!!

Our Prayer Letter...

Greetings!!! We wanted to take a minute to reflect on what has happened over the past few months and share with you ways that you can be praying for us.

For those of you who do not already know, we found out that Gideon has some kind of learning disability. It is unclear at this time what kind exactly or how serious it is. We are waiting to have him diagnosed at the Child Study Center in Oklahoma City. The wait for appointments there is very long, but we should know by the end of this month when he can be evaluated. We were planning on leaving back to Russia the end of July, but this will delay our departure a couple of months. We need to figure out what is going on with Gideon and how to best educate him before we can return to Russia. Pray that we get an appointment soon. Pray the Lord helps Gideon to develop according to His will. Pray we have wisdom through this process and make wise decisions regarding logistics.

We are so thankful that we have 2 houses to live in while we wait…one in Portales, New Mexico, a few minutes from Keith’s parents and the other one has been provided by Village Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. This is a huge answer to prayer and we are so grateful and excited!!! Our tentative plan is to spend August in Portales and September and October in Oklahoma City. Please continue to pray for us during this time of waiting and transitions. Pray the kids would adjust quickly and we would spend our time wisely. Pray that we would have wisdom in educating Gideon during this time.
After we get things situated with Gideon, we will begin the process to get new visas. This is always a stressful and uncertain process. Pray we would be granted permission by the Russian government to be able to serve where and as He sees fit. Please also pray that we would know what date to rebook our return tickets to Russia...they must be reissued by July 28th and we have no clue how long things may take.

We have just returned from the Missionary Learning Center in Virginia, where we had a great time fellowshipping with other missionaries from all over the world. The Lord continues to renew our heart for the Russian people and hope we can get back with them soon. As we wait, we have learned many things from God about what it means to trust him as the One who knows all things and is in control of all things.

We are getting ready to leave New Mexico for Floydada, TX where we will help with a children’s camp and then to Oklahoma to spend some time with family and friends. Pray for safe travels and rich opportunities to serve others.

We love and appreciate you!!!
The 4 Sullivans

Gideon

Another lost tooth

Gideon is growing so quickly! As we were walking into Wal-Mart to purchase a Kung Fu Panda backpack, the long awaited reward for going to school all week at camp with a good attitude, Gideon checked his appearance and looked to me for approval. He was wearing a Batman pajama t-shirt, khaki high waters, argyle sock, a belt and his black dress shoes! I hugged him, smiled and affirmed that he looked fabulous. He is such a sweet, thoughtful boy, who is so much fun to be with...most of the time. The simplest things are so exciting and fun to him and every day is such an adventure. I wonder who he will become, what group he will become apart of in school, what career will he pursue, what does God have planned for Gideon?

Please pray for Gideon as he grows and develops. We are still waiting for our appointment to be scheduled at the Child Study Center in Oklahoma City. Pray that this appointment would reveal any developmental problems Gideon may have and that we would know how to best meet Gideon's needs.