This week has been packed with lots of fun things but we still have moments of feeling trapped in this apartment and being seriously bored...six of us going, what do you want to do, I don't know what do you want to do, I don't know what do you want to do...about an hour of that every afternoon...
some of my observations of Riga, Latvia...It is almost like Brooklyn, reminds me so much of Brooklyn, but with more historical buildings. but the buildings are full of graffiti are so much like Brooklyn. I feel safer walking down the streets here than I did in Brooklyn. People you pass even at night, just don't seem as though they would bother anyone. They are not friendly don't smile or wave or even make eye contact, but they don't bother each other. I have seen more than I did in Brooklyn. I have seen teens drinking, a man rolling his own smoke in the park in open day light, one night we saw a meth addict he didn't have a shirt on and was just freaking out, very skinny (that was very sad) we enjoy all of the musicians on the street we will stand and listen to them a lot and throw money in their case I actually wish we had that in America it is nice to walk around and hear music playing and all of them are very good. The people here are a lot skinner than in America I guess from all this walking all day and there isn't as much fast food, Only Mcdonalds. They are very beautiful I am in a world of beautiful blue eyes everywhere. The women are always dressed up, skirts and heels. There are those that Mallory and I have about arrested for Fashion NO NOs... We have pictures!! Mallory and I have had fun looking at the world of fashion wee woos. I'm talking plaid and plaid together...leopard print and flowers...She and I are dying over here. but for the most part everyone here is very helpful and very nice, and most of them try to help communicate in English with you. Gives me a whole new look at the Hispanic community in America and how we treat them.
Back to my Mitchell, We have been working on English just about every afternoon, he and I will sit down with a book we bought here that has English and Latvian. He is doing so well, but doesn't think he does. He has had a couple days of feeling down about learning English. I am sure to him it feels overwhelming. He wants to learn it now, and doesn't want to wait. He tells me everyday he wants to talk to me but can't. It breaks my heart. Please pray for him, that English will come very easy and fast for him.
One day I told him we wanted to go back to the Bookstore and get him some books in Latvian so he can have them to read when school starts back. and he told me no, he said he was American now, no more Latvian books. I told him he was an American that spoke Latvian and we needed some Latvian books to read for school. he just smiled. He is very ready to go home, he tells me that every day. He says "Go home to America". He is so ready to leave Latvia, said it is full of bad people.
We enjoyed the baltic Sea, that was a great day. It took us 20 minutes on the train to get there. The sand is so soft and beautiful, Mallory figured out why, she said the tide doesn't come in...I was like oh yeah, so the sand is just so beautiful. They had volleyball nets out, cabanas, snack bars, trampolines, playground. It is great when the tide don't come in. We took a huge paddle boat out in the water and that was a lot of fun. Mitchell jumps off the paddle boat and of course Morgan goes right behind him. The current pulls her out further from the boat and she can't swim hard enough to get back. Mitchell was amazing he swam to her and stayed with her as we paddled back over closer to her, I heard him telling her, "Morgan, don't stress, it is ok, don't stress" I love how he cares for the other three. many times he will ask them if they are ok. like after him and Matthew swam and then got back on the boat he went over to Matthew and said you ok? He is so very loving.
We have also been to see Superman, went shopping, went to a fun park at our favorite Latvian restaurant, Mitchell wanted all of us to ride the swings together, that was fun. And then on Saturday we were invited to go to a 4th of July Celebration at the US Embassy. It was so very cool to be at the embassy, we have never been to an American Embassy before, what an experience. We were very excited about that and even teared up when we got there and saw America flags and Patriotic music. It was beautiful and made us very home sick. They even had old America cars lined up. Mitchell says I like that one, I turned and looked and you wouldn't believe it but it was a 66 Mustang, how ironic. I said well we had one but we sold it. If I had to do it over again I wouldn't change a thing. It was well worth selling that car. It was funny though what they had there to represent America, as we walked around to all of the tents they had hotdogs, Mcdonalds, pizza, and I guess this was suppose to be a banana split but it was one scoop of Ice Cream and a banana laying beside it and a little chocolate syrup swirled on top. So, our 4th of July cookout was McDonalds...yuck, We are ready for a real 4th of July cookout, We miss America!
our week ended with our very first Sunday morning at church. It was just so unreal, I thought I feel like I was just at Freewater Church up in front of everyone talking about how we were getting close to going and getting our son, to now getting to go to church with our son. The picture above is our Sunday morning picture. We took the train about a 30 minute ride to church and then a short walk. It was a very big church. The people were very friendly and helped us get to the English section. They had earphones for English translation. Beautiful worship, and a wonderful message, several got saved. I really enjoyed being there, I love to worship in other countries and feel God's presence. We know he is every where but to feel it is an eye opening experience, I think so many people in America think that their church and their ministry is what it is all about, and it isn't God is so much bigger than just your world. It is a shocker to some but God's kingdom doesn't revolve around you...sorry had to throw that in. It is good to get out of the country and worship with other Christians around the world because they will put Americans to shame. Church was 2 and half hours and no one was in a hurry to leave. It was just beautiful.
Mitchell had asked me for a Bible some time back and I couldn't find one, so I told him when we were in Latvia we would find him one. As we were leaving the service I asked an usher where I could get a latvian Bible, and he said they had a bookstore. So we bought Mitchell his first Bible and he was so very happy. I think that was the best Bible Tony and I have ever given away. How we take for granted to have a Bible of our very own.
I guess I have to say my favorite moment of the week was when Mitchell took our picture with my phone and posted it on my facebook page and said with it I love my mom.
We still have 2 more weeks...another Social worker visit, one more court time and a couple visa appointments. Looking forward to completing this a coming home.
Please continue to pray for our family. Love you all!
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