Salamatsys, ba!!

Here's our electrician. Check out his ladder!! Yep, the very same wire holds it all together:O) These guys are just insane! He used a pair of pliers and a screwdriver and that's it!! Can you see the little gray squares of duct tape holding the wire up on the molding? Here's our electricity, flowing freely through our apartment!

Hello!!
I figured it was about time for an update so here goes…

We have been doing A LOT of NOTHING!!!!!! Last week we mostly hung out in the apartment because the temperatures outside were insane!! Warren kind of had a tummy bug too, but I think it’s cause he brushes his teeth with their water instead of bottled water. Serves him right!! LOL!! He’s all better now though.

We’ve had lots of problems with our electricity since we got here. Our apartment was just remodeled and evidently they forgot to fix that, LOL!! The pictures above are just a little picture into the life of an electrician here. They are brave people, that’s all I can say. Derrick, Warren will have lots of stories to tell you about the electricity here!! We lots power in our kitchen and bathroom yesterday. When the electrician showed up, he decided he needed more wire and so he went out to the hallway in our apartment building and cut some off of the wall. I don’t guess anyone really needed it, or at least I hope not. If so, they are now without power and we’re GOOD!! If you look close in one of the pictures, you will see the duct tape that we brought holding the wire up on the ceiling, Hee Hee!!! I guess duct tape works for everything but foam wallpaper and foam trip. In the middle of the night we walked right into it hanging down in the middle of the hallway!!! At least we have power!!

We met with the director of our in-country staff last week and that was very interesting, to say the least! Anyway, we asked him for a reduction in our fees because of the increased length of stay that we have to have because of their mistake. We also asked if they would let us begin bonding with our daughter now instead of having to wait until the end of June. He informed us that “the country of Kazakhstan and their government do not make mistakes.” I guess that told us!! So, we have to wait…but they are going to reduce our fees as of the 26th of June, Praise God!!!!!

This past Sunday we met up with a group of Americans and Australians who live and work here to hang out and have lunch. It was such a wonderful time. We also were loaned a dvd player that another adoptive family left behind (Thank you Dickey Family!!) Now we don’t have to crowd around the laptop with our earphones in to hear a movie. LOL!! We are heading back over to Erin and Darrins tonight for dessert. Darrin invited Warren over this morning at 7am to watch the second NBA playoff game. Warren was so excited and was up by 6:30. Too bad I still needed to take a shower and get ready:O) We still made it by 7:30. This couple is our age and they have two kids also. They have lived here for 7 years and understand the language and culture. We can’t believe how very many things that we have in common with them. Darrin even plays volleyball like Warren!!!! It was great to see another tall bald guy around here:O) What a blessing they have already been to our family too!!! God is so good, and we are so thankful for His blessings and grace extended to us during this time.

We talk with my mom and the boys twice a day. At this point, the boys are tired of talking to us I think:O) They mostly just tell us hello and they love and miss us. Then they go back to whatever it is that they are playing. I’m so thankful that my mom was willing to sacrifice her time to take care of them!! Thank you Mom & Dad for sacrificing for us!!!! We love you!!!! I’m still really missing them and really wish I could hug and kiss on them, especially when I think about being here for another 2 months. It looks like I may even have to miss my sister-in-laws wedding and that really bothers me!! Please pray that we can get a quick court date and embassy date. If both of those come quickly, then I may have a chance of making it home a couple of days before her wedding on Aug 10th.

Well, that’s just about all that is going on here with us. Some friends of ours will be coming for their daughter in a few days and we can’t wait!!! Once they get settled and into a routine, we all plan on going to Turkistan. It is a Muslim mosque that people travel from all over to see. We’ve been told that we can’t miss it! Hopefully, we’ll get to go this coming weekend. We'll post pictures after we go.

We love and miss you all,
Warren and Jenn