A Typical Sunday???

Well, for us a typical Sunday involves church, dinner together and some family time.  Today was no different in that sense.  However, there were some unique aspects....

going to church

On a few occasions I've had the chance to worship with men, women, and children who speak a language other than my own.  It is always an awe-filled experience for me.  To find that God's Spirit connects us when we've never met, don't understand one another, have cultural differences, and so on - well, that just further convinces me that life is so much bigger than I understand.  I sang tunes that I recognized, but the words were awkwardly formed.  I heard a message that was translated by a very sweet and enthusiastic woman just behind me.  My new son attended the first youth gathering of his life - and it was in his own language; then chose a book ( a book!) in Latvian with Bible stories told through cartooning.  Perfect for him!  

I wasn't at our "home" gathering, but I was still home.  I wasn't with my whole family, but some - and  all I was with were extended family.  The words were not as easily understood, but that just made them more intently listened to and valuable.  

Typical?  Yes and no.

dinner together

So, Vitaly wanted to eat at McDonalds for dinner.  Why not?  It isn't much different, but what we heard about the ketchup?  True!  You pay for each packet - about 60 cents for one (about double normal size for American one).  Huh.  Well, the fries aren't the same without the ketchup.  I will say that we were much less wasteful with it!  More of the same, but with some twists.

Seeing that it was seriously cold and windy today, we were looking for indoor options for family time.  Vitaly had the idea of hitting Rigas Cirks. We found out that there was a performance in 30 minutes, so out into the cold again, onto the bus again, we arrived just in time.  Acrobats and clowns filled a small building in the city.  What fun to watch his face light up and laugh at things we have done with the other boys at different points.  So very glad to have this chance to build some memories and bind ourselves together with them.  Similar but not repetitive at all.

Probably the only typical Sunday activity missing was my nap :(  Oh well, maybe I'll get one in tomorrow.

Some of you may be thinking that this all sounds pretty vacation-y.  Well, in some ways, I guess it does have elements of that.  The difference is that Latvia's required "bonding period" is actually a gift to kids and families because it give us the opportunity to spend undivided time together in order to work out some of the differences in how we've lived separately before trying to dive in full time to creating a "new normal" every day routine.  And it is work.  You don't easily mesh together lives that have been spent apart on different continents and with different expectations for decades of time without a lot of effort from all involved.  

So, this Sunday has been full, just like all of the rest.  Full of people, places, hope, joy, love, challenges, questions, laughter, hugs, and so much more.  May you be blessed with the same.

Love from Latvia,

Sue (for Bryan and Vitaly too)