Experiencing Odessa

What a fun day!  We spent the day at the local market, the Privoz, - you name it, we saw it!  We went to the fish market, meat market, cheese and milk market, vegetable and fruit market, and then of course the everything-else-market!  This large-scale farmer's market is open 7 days a week from early in the morning until late at night.

I had the opportunity to purchase a dress, watch, skirt and 2 shirts at the market.  Most of the time Vladimir was with me, helping with numbers and negotiating.  Buying the dress was quite the experience - there were all these little stalls, each manned by a different person.  When you find something you are interested in, you simply go to the back of the stall, they hang or hold a piece of clothing over the front of the stall, and you try on clothes.  They then hold the mirror for you to see yourself!  It was so much fun to see the spirit and "real life" of Odessa. 

Our friends had "warned" us about the market experience, saying it was loud, busy and just not a great place - John and I smiled throughout the whole experience, and couldn't get enough (except maybe seeing them skin a cow head on the table at the meat market!).

In just a few minutes we are off to the train station to board our overnight train to Kiev.  This will be our first time since landing in Kiev that we will be on our own in Ukraine.  Of course, it will only be for a short time, as our translator/facilitator Kostya will meet us at 8:30 AM when we arrive in Kiev.  Tomorrow morning after we arrive, we head to our appointment at the NAC.  Please pray that we will be shown our children that God has chosen for our family.  Pray also that we will clearly know which children He intends for us.  I am not sure when again we will be able to access the internet, but will as soon as possible!

Talk to you soon,  and perhaps, we will have news about our new, larger family!