Blessings in Disguise

Yesterday we took Rachel to her last (hopefully) doctor's appointment.  A doctor-friend from church got us in to see a cardiologist-friend of his after-hours at a state clinic.  Rachel was a little nervous for this appointment because we didn't bring a translator, and she is not yet comfortable speaking only in Russian.  God was gracious, though as always, and the appointment came and went with little confusion and positive results.  The reason for this appointment was that after Rachel's bout with meningitis our neurologist friend in the states suggested that we have Rachel's heart checked out.  It turns out that she has a mitral valve prolapse (a condition in which one of the valves in your heart does not close properly).  The symptoms for this condition are chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, etc.  But the cardiologist assured us that it shouldn't be a problem.  Praise the Lord.

On our way to the clinic, we were stopped by a lady who was very concerned that our children's clothes did not look warm enough.  After a short conversation, she gave us her phone number telling us that she wanted to give us some excellent clothes for our kids because she had a three year old of her own.  As she helped us onto the marshrutka she said that it would be best if we called her that same day.  So when we returned from Rachel's doctor appointment, Jason called the lady and told her that he was ready to come and pick up the clothes.  He walked to the set of buildings that she had pointed out to us, but was unsure of exactly which building was hers.  So he stood next to a good landmark and called her again.  After getting no answer, he wandered a minute and returned to find the woman searching for him near the landmark with four large bags of children's clothing.  When we dug into the bags later that night we discovered pairs of shoes, snow-suits, hats and gloves, as well as pants and tops (all of which were in very good condition).  We are very blessed by the Lord's provision for us, even when it comes from very unexpected sources.  Please pray that if the Lord wants to further our relationship with this lady, He will make our path straight.

We have also been blessed this month by receiving many care-packages from our friends and family in the States.  It is so encouraging to know that we are loved and not forgotten.  Thanks so much to all of you who have supported us, whether it be through prayers or packages.