Flights arranged

After about 6 straight hours today working with Delta and KLM airlines, and simultaneously searching on the internet, we all have a flight home on the same flight. Hoorah!!! On second thought, maybe I would like to have one ticket on a different flight (MY ticket). We were hoping to be able to leave on Sat, 10/31 to be home on 11/1, but within a few hours all seats were taken. One quote leaving on 10/31 and being home the same day was $6000.00. No, I am not kidding. I would like to know if this is for a berth? Maybe a nice king-size bed with turn-down service and a mint on the pillow comes with that price!! Or maybe this price is for an all expense paid, seven-day fun-filled vacation to see Mickey!! That would be great, it is my favorite place to go, and we would love to take the kids there soon. But no, this price would be for the same seat as everyone else in coach class (seat barely reclines and lucky to get a pack of peanuts). Does Delta know how much money that is for 6 tickets??? Bobby could have a nice, new truck or his family can get home. That is a hard choice. Anyway, we were able to find much more reasonable seats. Where is everyone trying to get to in the USA??? I can't believe that everyone is trying to get to the US to observe Halloween!!! The kids had hoped to be home by Halloween, but they are thankful that we have a firm date to come home. We will leave on 11/1, spend the night in Amsterdam, and arrive home on 11/2 pm. There are a couple of hotels in the Amsterdam airport, so Bobby is checking to see if we can get a room there for that night.

Katie, in particular, really misses home and her friends. My experience is that girls are so much more emotionally attached to "home", wherever that is. Even when we go on camping trips and are all together, she misses home.

Katie and Kevin, both, have been invaluable on this trip. It is so nice this time in Ukraine that I have someone that also speaks English. They have re-learned Ukrainian very quickly and are able to translate for me with the kids, when we go shopping, etc. They also are so good with the younger children. Kevin is the most patient and kind with all the children. Sometimes they see bad behaviors from the orphans and say, "I used to act like that." This has been the best experience for them in many ways.

Today's devotion was about the good samaritan and loving people that we don't know or that are unloveable. The kids see "unloveable", "mean", "angry" children every day at the orphanage. But, we can show them all the love that comes from God. How many of these children ever see that?? How many of them NEVER see that kind of love???

We know that you all pray for us daily and thank you for them as we continue to wait.

Blessings,

Kim