Breakthrough!

I wish I knew what happened, what changed, but I’m so happy it did.  Yesterday was the first morning Roman actually slept in, we had to wake him up to get ready for church.  I was a little skittish about how he would react to church, but really excited about introducing him to our church family.  He did really well, was very quiet and a little bored, but he was respectful and that is all I can ask.  When we got home some new friends met us at the house to bring us a Russian/English parallel Bible.  They were such a blessing!!  Tanya and her husband both speak Russian, so it was nice to be able to ask Roman a few things directly and get a reliable translation.  We came inside, ate lunch, and put the kids down for naps.  That’s when it happened, he went and picked up his English cards and brought them to me.  We practiced English/Russian for over an hour.  He laughed at my Russian, a LOT!  He laughed, y’all, I mean really full belly laughed.  I was so scared to get off the couch, to do anything else, that it might scare him back into his shell.  But once the kids were up, there was no choice.  Amazingly, he didn’t.  He continued to effervesce!  It was truly wonderful.  Of course, one of the first English things he said that we could understand was “oh, sh*t”.  John and I stopped and did a double take and then he said it again (playing Mario Kart), so we had to explain to him that is not appropriate.  We had to try really hard not to laugh because it’s just so funny with his accent.  He continued to play and talk and joke.  I wish I could explain just how tickled we are with this little breakthrough.  Now I know there will still be issues that come up, but for now I will rejoice in this victory and I hope that you will celebrate with us!  

Prayer requests:

• We really want to take him to the beach while he’s here.  Please pray for the Lord’s provision, because I’m pretty sure my food budget is going to double while he’s here.  We still have a huge need for clothes, as well.
• Pray for the kids, especially L.J.  He is used to being the oldest and therefore having privileges the others do not.  Now the shoe is on the other foot and he’s feeling a little lost.  John and I are both talking with him a lot and assuring him that he will always be our first born and that our love for him never changes.
• Pray that John and I remember to devote ourselves first to God, then to one another, and then to our kids – this is harder than it sounds.
• Pray that Gabe would sleep again!  I know this sounds silly, but sleep deprivation takes its toll on a Momma.
• Pray for our language skills, my Russian and his English.
• Pray for wisdom and discernment.