Here we go!

Well, I guess there is nothing left to do but go! We are at our hotel in Minneapolis about to go to sleep to catch a few hours of sleep. Shuttle picks us up at 3:55am! Yikes. Then our adventure begins. We have talked about it so much over the past months, I can't believe the time has come. Kelsey is enjoying the trip so far. We checked into the Quality Inn and when Kelsey went into the room she said, "This is great! Our room has a tv and a lamp and everything!" Apparently she doesn't get out much.

So it's an early start tomorrow. We leave on the 30th and get there on August 1st...how depressing. As of now, it looks like they are going to put somebody at the Embassy for us. It's not a sure thing yet, but it looks good! Thanks for praying.

Pray for safe (and quick) travels tomorrow. Anxious to get there and see the boys again! Talk to you again from the other side of the world!

Nate

Ready or not, here we come (or go I guess). In three very quick days we will be leaving for Russia on our 2nd trip. It has been a slow 4 months waiting for our 2nd trip and it has also gone very quickly. For me (Nate) personally, it has been a series of mixed emotions. I am really, really excited to be going to get our two boys, but also quite heart broken that I will be missing the Mission Trip to Puerto Rico with my youth group students. We completely trust in God's plan, and apparently that plan to Puerto Rico just didn't have me in it. I am extremely pumped for the students and I know they will do an incredible job. I also have complete confidence in my awesome leaders, so really it's just my own disappointment of having to miss out on this incredible experience with them.

Focusing on the positive, and it is completely awesome, we are about to leave to get our two boys! Boy is life going to change (no pun intended - but I'll leave it)! Last trip we went through Moscow and it took 24 hours of flying time. This time we are flying through Korea so it cuts off a large chunk of time. We leave early Saturday morning. Kelsey (5) will be joining us on this trip as well as Julie's dad, Milo.

Immediate prayer requests are:

1) Pray for our court date on August 5th (late night on August 4th for you here in America). Pray that the 10 day waiting period will be waived and that we can have the boys with us at that time.

2) Pray that the US Embassy will provide a consulate in Vladivostok so Julie and I won't have to take the two boys to Moscow and back (10 hours each way). That would be very difficult on the boys, not to mention us. At this point we have to take them to Moscow, but once I unleash the prayer warriors, I strongly believe this will change. Pray for understanding and sympathy for those in the government arguing our case and for those who would make the decision to help us.

Thanks everybody!

Nate