The heat...my God, the heat!

And they say it will get worse! Yes, Lisie, this is the weather for you. Actually, it's hot, but not boiling. It's in the high 80s - low 90s and very sunny, with relatively low humidity, much like Denver. However, despite the fact that most buildings have A/C units, or at least nice big windows, they simply do not use them at all. In the car, we pile in, and the front windows are open, but they don't use the A/C, or even the fan for that matter. So, while we soft Americans are accustomed to some heat, we are also simply used to air conditioning or at least a nice breeze through an open window. Each session with the kids ends with our clothes soaked in sweat, so we're on double laundry duty.

We're still trying to get our arms around the travel time frame. We *can* leave Taraz for Almaty on June 16, the day after our 15 day waiting period ends. However, the papers for registration, passports, exit visas, etc., won't be processed until the following Monday, so we have a 4 day window to leave Taraz. We'll make sure we can take the "Spanish Train" rather than the Siberian Express. We still have not confirmed whether we have to spend 1 or 2 weeks in Almaty. Vera says it's definitely 2 weeks, which means we may just stick with our current airline tickets to leave on July 5th. We SOOOO want to be home by July 4th.

Great fun day with the kids, though Lena continues her very emotional ways, pouting at the slightest denial of anything, mostly when she demands to be picked up and carried around Umit. It's just too hot to carry a sweaty little girl around on your hip when she is perfectly capable of walking. We have to balance that with the fact that these wonderful kids that God has blessed us with have never had one-on-one attention, and we only get them 3 1/2 hours a day. Should be very interesting when we bring them back to the hotel, then the train, then the apartment, then the planes, then home. Being with us 24/7 will be a whole new world for them, not to mention us.

So today, Day 1 of 15 days in the waiting period, is in the books. 14 to go.

Please pray that our travel plans will be made clear, and that God will take care of all the details. Also, please pray that God will give us patience, endurance, and somehow enable us to beat this heat. He has provided a wonderful hotel with cold A/C, so that is our respite for now.

Blessings,
Kevin & Angel



Here's our emotional pouty Lena.


Did we mention that she's a little emotional?


But she sure looks cute in her USA clothes!


We found some sticks in one of the huts. They learned quickly!


Lena's a fancy girl!




Dub, please don't get used to being behind bars!


Now how could you resist that face?


These are all the very cute kids from Lena's play group. They always stop and yell "HELLO!!!!" at Lena and Dub. Today they showed us their treats - a cookie and a piece of candy. I said "WOW!" and every one of them started yelling "WOW! WOW! WOW!"