2 of 3 will be home for Christmas

Barry and I are sitting in the airport in Moscow waiting to check in. We are very early.

We will be home by about 9 pm after celebrating 4 hours of Christmas day sleeping and about 26 traveling. In total Christmas will last 33 hours for us. Strange.

We did all of our Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve... Which s just another day in Russia. Their big holiday is the New Year and the Christmas is the 7th. Christmas isn't a big deal here for most. Santa is replaced by Father Frost and apparently kids go to neighboring homes to ask for candy.

We both have mixed emotions about leaving but really feel like our decision was best. I will be traveling back to Russia on Jan. 9th to file for Sveta's passport and Barry will meet me 10 days later. The change of plans came because of the holiday in Russia. Our 10 business day wait turned into more like 20 because of all the time off at the New Year. We also re-evaluated our plan because we couldn't get definite answers so we had to make a decision on what we knew as fact...not what we hoped. It took me time to come around...but I feel confident now.

It will be nice to be home:to see friends, sleep on our bed, and celebrate Christmas with family...only a little late. But, we can't help feel strange about leaving our daughter so far away. We have joy knowing that our tickets are already purchased for the next round. Please pray we can get a new visa for me quickly so we don't have to change my flight.

We will post pics of our trip and update more when we can type on an actual computer. I am using my iPod. Too little.

One last extremely important thing: thank you for yor prayers for court. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. Thank you for praying before you went to bed. Thank you for praying at home during court. Thank you for opening the church to have people come pray and for going to pray. Thank you for loving us and loving Sveta. This journey is not over...and even when Sveta gets home it isn't. We will continue to need your prayers. Thank you...and Merry Christmas!