Do Problems Come in Threes
Apparently, scientists have found the reason why problems "come in threes"! They don’t. Finding patterns in life makes us feel more secure though. So we see often see things where we want to see them.
Sometimes “bad things” come in twos, sometimes in ones. Today though for us, it was FIVE in a row, one after another.
At 9:00, Shane and Jemi let me know that they had just discovered that their temporary residency permits were due to run out and they didn’t have enough time to renew them… a money and time consuming process requiring a trip to Poland!
At 9:07, Shane said that they had had bad news about the building of the youth centre and discovered that they “basically can’t do anything much”, (legally/morally), in order to solve the problem and he doesn’t see their way forward on
At 9:12, we heard that mum broke her shoulder while gardening and was in the hospital.
At 9:20, I got a call from Olya saying that the electricity company was there at the ladies rehab centre and that the electricity workers said that they were going to cut the power off because we had illegally connected the wires after they had disconnected them. No truth in that… but there was nothing we could do about it on a Saturday. Their documents show that they disconnected it earlier this year. Shrug. That never happened. And we have paid the bills. Come Monday, we will see more clearly where this is heading, but first indications are that we will either have to pay a fine for something we didn’t do in order to get it reconnected or go to court over it.
At 9:39, I got a call from someone who had just offended someone else and who didn’t see any wrong in it… something I knew would be the cause of fuss, anger and long conversations. Ugh. I wish I never had to deal with things like this – these sort of things far too often don’t end up with hugs and kisses all round.
Pavel, (in the picture above), was one of our early rehab guys and has finally gone home this last week. He started doing hard drugs before he was a teen and ended up spending nearly 20 years in jail over his life. He has two boys who are living with their mother in a city about 8 hours away by car. During this last year, he has been back there a few times to visit them and each time came back disturbed. His boys were growing up without God! A few weeks ago, we encouraged him to move back into his old city and be a father to these two needy boys. We will miss him and his deep love for God.
The photo of Genna behind the truck which he filled up with leaves is also an encouraging one. Genna was in jail a couple of years ago. He was quite happily doing a stint for stealing… still doing drugs in jail and enjoying the power that comes with a bit of bravado and connections. Then God blessed him with a stroke. His right side is decently paralyzed and he speaks with a bit of a slur. He’s been doing real well and slaved away all Thursday, (with one working arm), to get those leaves raked and in the truck. He has criminal tats on his torso which he is quite embarrassed about and will put a shirt on if ladies are about. (It’s a nice reaction.) He recently had a big test of his character in which he was called to submit to the decision of those “over him in the Lord”, and he passed with flying colors. God is praised.
Nika and Pris in the kitchen will be my final photo today. Nika is living with us for now. Funnily enough, she made her first meal ever not long ago and was delighted it was edible! Her mother began having some “serious issues” a few months ago and Nika ultimately decided to move out. She’s a peaceful addition to our home and we’ve been blessed to have her. Her mother is coming to church on Sundays now, but it would be wonderful if you would pray for “Alyona”. She knows much about God, but desperately needs to acknowledge His authority over her life.
The church building got it’s floor evened-out this week and more of the fence fixed and painted. I keep on thinking that I’ll have to take a photo of a Sunday morning gathering to post here and keep on forgetting to do so. Next time…?
May God bless you with less problems than we have… or more. Either way, if you are walking in the light, He will be glorified, eh? And that is something His children passionately desire.