And so the looked-forward-to ten days is history—but oh! such good memories. Surprises are abounding this birthday (do you think it has anything to do with turning 40?) I was so looking forward to my sister Esther’s visit, combination birthday gift for me and extensive dental work to make her trip pay for itself.

 The morning she was to arrive, I offhandedly mentioned, “Wouldn't it be funny if another one of my sisters came with Esther to surprise me?” But I knew that wasn’t so since I saw her itinerary and there was only one ticketed passenger. So I thought! As I craned my neck to watch Esther come out the double doors, I didn’t notice another head hiding behind her back. Gina!!! What are you doing here? I was so surprised. We went to McDonald’s for lunch and lingered, quite unusual for my Smucker husband. Finally, I mentioned that we should get these tired travelers home. John said, “Well, there is actually another flight we are meeting, but it is delayed for 3 hours.” What in the world? So we trundled back to the airport and sat and talked and slept and drank coffee and talked some more. Finally, another sister, Joleen appeared. Three of my five sisters came to celebrate my 40^th. I found out that actually mom and all my sisters had been invited to come with Esther, but one by one, they backed out.

 We had such a great week—grocery shopping, buying tights and outerwear, and eating kebabs, a cold day in Warsaw when they all bought their Polish hats to keep their ears warm, market day in Minsk buying sweaters and eating zapiekanki, lunch with Irena our old neighbor in which she served us sour rye soup and we sang Christmas carols—very entertaining indeed, sewing for Alli, cooking and washing dishes, good conversations, lots of laughs and giggles, lots of sister time, and  trips to the dentist. (Btw, if any one needs good dental work done for cheap, here’s the place. I think Esther figured she saved herself at least $2000 and that was including the price of her ticket.)

 My comment—it was all I ever dreamed of and more. To top it all off, the day we ladies were in Warsaw drinking E. Wedel hot chocolate and touring Old Town’s Christmas bazaar, my dear husband with help from the team, whipped up a smashing party for me inviting all my Polish friends. It was terribly sweet. Lolita made a favorite of mine-Bavarian Torte and they all celebrated me really good. I was so shocked since it wasn’t close to my birthday yet. They all gave me money towards a sewing machine for myself. I’m excited about having my own machine after 9 years of sharing with the rest of the women here. I was quite speechless to be such a center of attention, but I felt very loved.

 Gina and Joleen had to leave a few days earlier than Esther, since Esther had to make sure she allowed enough time to get her two crowns and bridge done.  It was sad to see them go. I know the rest of you sisters are sad you didn’t come, but we sure lived it up and had a great time. Sorry you had to miss out. It was so fun to show Esther my last 9 years of my life. She now has a better picture of how we live and who we are involved with. So glad this trip happened.

 Last night, John informed me that the surprises haven’t stopped yet. He is taking me next weekend (the weekend of my birthday)for a little getaway in our favorite town, Kazimierz Dolny, and has rented a cute little room at a Bed and Breakfast, named “Room in the Garden.” Does that sound romantic or what? I’m so excited about that. Can’t wait to just have some time away. Even Jesus needed time apart, and I’m indeed feeling the need of some alone time that, of course, I don’t mind sharing with my dear husband. John has gone way out of his comfort zone to make this birthday so special in ways that I love to be loved and he has done a fabulous job. Thanks, Hon!

How can you comfort a nation that is grieving the loss of a large number of their leaders? We are still in shock with the tragedy that happened in neighboring Russia. Around 90 Polish people in government were killed in a plane that crashed while trying to land in dense fog. Included in that number were the Polish president, Kaczynski and his wife. People around us are somber. One man told us that the whole army of Poland is without leaders because all of them were killed. Another friend of ours works for the army, so she knows seven of the generals that died. For her the shock is real. This isn't about politics or terrorist acts, this is about people who have lost their lives--the 911 of Poland. How would you feel if you heard Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and many other high up officials were all killed in one plane crash? The president’s body arrived back in Poland today, that is Sunday.

People are thronging to the president's palace in Warsaw to lay flowers, light candles, and pray. The sad part is that God is so far away in so many of these people's lives. Their religion is their comfort. How can we minister during a tragedy such as this? Hasn't Poland suffered enough in its history? And the president and all his cabinet were traveling to commemorate the massacre of a huge number of Polish officers 70 years ago. A good deed. In a time like this, the enormity can overwhelm us. Is God really in control here? Can we really trust that God knows what He's doing? Our friends are grieving. How can we help them?

We enjoyed an outdoor Easter service on our patio last Sunday. It was a truly special time of commemorating the resurrection of our Lord. We spent a lot of time singing, hearing testimonies from our Polish friends, and after dismissal, the children put on a short finger-puppet presentation about the women going to the tomb. We all enjoyed lunch together and the day was so beautiful that we were able to eat outside. I think everyone enjoyed strolling through the trees and the children had rides on the boat in the scummy pond. Thank you, Lord, for other Christians with whom we can share together on such special occasions.

Lavern's family left on furlough on Tuesday, and we are beginning to feel the busyness of trying to keep all the loose ends together. Pray that everything will go smoothly. We ladies were talking this week and have come to the conclusion that there is never a good time to go on a ten-week furlough. In the wintertime, someone has to keep your furnace going and your pipes thawed. In spring, someone has to mow lawn and keep up with the outside work. In summer, someone has to do your garden work--weeding, harvesting, etc. None of us have tried an autumn furlough, but probably there would be leaves to rake, etc. And of course, there are always legal things to deal with, mail to sort, bills to pay, and spreading out the mission work of the missing team members. It isn't always easy, but we're glad for all the willing hands that we have here to help out.

God has been really opening doors for us in the recent past. Halina, a long-ago friend of mine, has recently wanted more contact again. She is really confused about where God is in her life. Pray that she would search for truth. Another former student and her husband are recently interested in studying the Bible with someone. We're hoping to organize a regular time to do that with them. Another friend of the team has recently wanted more English. I have begun meeting with her every Thursday morning, trading English for Polish. I'm not sure where that will go, but I'm praying God will be glorified somehow.

Conrad had opportunity to meet with Michal, a neighbor boy from where we used to live. They got together for Coke and chatted for an hour or so. I'm glad to see Conrad making this effort. They used to spend time together when they were younger and hadn't seen each other for quite some time.

And, of course, from time to time, we have the chance to help out our former neighbors. The other day I went and hung curtains for her. They are always so glad to see us and we're happy to keep up the friendship. She treasures the book of pictures I gave her before we moved and I'm glad I took the time to do that for them. That will be a great keepsake for them to remember us by. Just Saturday, we were invited to tea with our new neighbors here in Marianka. They have been friendly, but not easy to get next to. They seem to want a relationship with us, so we are hoping for more opportunities for that.

Spring has finally arrived in Poland and with that comes work on the outside of our property. John had been working faithfully on my kitchen cabinets, but with the weather turning nicer, that project has gotten put on the back burner. We were able to get our first little flowerbed done outside, much to my delight. We bought some heather plants at a local nursery and then covered the bed with small, white decorative stones. It turned out very nice.

The boys are excited to see a real basketball hoop being installed on the pad outside the garage. For the last year, they have been using a hoop that was nailed to tree near the pad. It provides an opportunity to shoot hoops, but with the uneven ground, dribbling and actually playing real basketball can be rather difficult. This past Saturday, John and the boys put the first metal pipe in the ground and poured a 6-8 inch pad of concrete around it. The boys can’t wait to get finished. They hope to have it usable by next weekend.

John just started tutoring another English student. He’s probably about his age and speaks English quite well. It’s not that John needs more to do, but it is enjoyable to have a student to just be able to sit down and chat with.