School!

Today we started school at home! Please pray for that to continue to be as much of a joy as it has been for us already.

Also, on Wednesday we'll be going to the first day of music school, to enroll Jaan in piano and other music courses. Please pray that we'll be able to get good teachers and a good schedule for him. We already know that they would want him there 4 days a week, and that's a little too much for us. Pray that we'll be able to work out a compromise and that this whole adventure will be a great experience for Jaan.

Various updates

Camp went wonderfully. Thank you so much for praying! So far, I've posted a few photos and a little recap, if you're interested. Please also pray for our family (and everyone else) as we settle back into normal life; it's almost hard to believe how tired we are and how fussy our children can be.

Our computer is working more reliably the past few days, and I've also heard rumors that a new one is on its way to us. Thank you so much to anyone who has contributed to that! I really don't know how much longer this one would have kept limping along. (Please keep praying for it to last until its replacement comes.)

Will went to visit K. yesterday. He's doing okay, but please keep praying for him. He's had some problems lately.

And then the next big event: on Monday Will is leaving for a quick trip to Charlotte for his sister's wedding! Please pray for everything connected to that trip.


As always, thank you so much for supporting us in prayer! Please let us know how we can pray for you, too. Leave a comment here, or write to us at mayakovsky@willphyl.com.

Don't forget

...that camp starts tomorrow!

Little things

Please pray for the weather to cool off before camp, at least a little. It's been over 100 (F, of course!) a whole lot lately, and that's just miserable in a country that doesn't believe in air conditioning!

Oh, and this one isn't so little: please pray for our computer. More and more often it's not wanting to start up, and that's just scary. We rely on it for too much!

Thank you for praying.

2 things

Camp! A team is coming to help with a day camp here, August 9-13. Plans and preparations are already in full gear. Please pray for the planning process, for unity among the youth here and when we blend with the other team, and--of course!--for the children.

I completely skipped an update on K.. I should have told you that after his second court date, he ended up back in jail for two months. That has already past, and Will has gotten him settled back into the shelter. Please keep praying.

Updates

Please keep praying for all the requests I asked for K. before. His court date didn't go very well before. He tends to get confused, and that's what happened when he was in front of the judge. Now he has to go back again tomorrow.

We found a wonderful apartment! Our landlady and her son went back and forth, with her telling us that it wasn't urgent, and him pushing us to move. So, we're very happy to have found something! It's big and empty, which is exactly what I've always wanted. Please pray for us as we work on getting it into better condition and then move in. That should all be in the next week or two.

Also, this is something I hadn't mentioned before: the church here has had an ongoing discipline situation with a man and his wife, who are separated. The church leadership is asking everyone to fast and pray tomorrow for resolution of that. Please pray with us!

K.

A little over a month ago a very sick homeless man came to church, asking for help. Will got to help him and take care of him for a few days, before finding a shelter in Zaporozhya that would take him. That's been very good for him! An old friend of his is in charge there now, and they're happy to be back together.

Please pray:

• for Will and K. on April 14. It's complicated, but K. has to appear in court, and Will is going to help him.
• for K. to be able to get his documents. If he had papers, a government program could pay for him to live at this shelter. For now, we're paying.
• for K.'s salvation and physical health.

Hello again!

These are the prayer requests that I gave in our recent update:

1. For Will as he leads the church youth, and for everyone in that group. Pray that they would really show God’s love to each other and to new people.
2. For my (Phyllis’) new little Sunday school class.
3. For our trip to Poland to renew visas. We’re leaving March 22.
4. For us to find another apartment to rent. We have to be out of this one by May.
5. And praise God with us for His goodness in everything!

#3 is already answered. Praise God for a good trip!

#4 isn't quite so urgent; our landlady said to take our time, but we still need to find something. There's really not much available for rent, so please do pray!

After-holiday update

Once again, I'm sorry that I haven't updated! We recently finished the busiest holiday season we've ever had. Thank you to everyone who was praying for us, even while I was silent here.

Updates on older prayer requests:

• I had asked for prayer for electricity at church. They got it turned on! It was a huge project, but God gave strength and success.
• We had a wonderful Thanksgiving trip. Our children slept on the train!
  
• We haven't seen Anatolii.
• Lena's mother is doing somewhat better, but still needs prayer.
• Vova left the rehab center, but he hasn't come back here. (That's good.) He's in Kiev and seems to be doing well. He calls us often, and is very lonely, but he's working and says that he's not drinking. Keep praying for him!
  

And new requests:

• I am going to be teaching a preschool Sunday school class! I haven't agreed to do anything like this before, because Asya takes so much of my time and attention, and I'm still a little apprehensive about how I'll keep up with her and teach. We're going to give it a try, though. Please pray for me, for my wonderful helper Alina, and for the little ones.
• Health and rest: actually, we're doing pretty well in that area, but please do pray. We were absolutely exhausted after the holiday season. We've mostly been able to catch up on now. Will and I still have colds dragging on, so please pray that we'll be all the way healthy and rested soon.