Fourth Quarter Peace

I played football in high school for a rather serious program, or at least based on the number of guys that went on to play in college and professional levels, I guess you could say that it was serious. Anyway-we never(I never remember it) held up the four fingers when it got to the last quarter of the game. I mean, the fans are smart people, and they can see the 4 dots that light up the bottom of the board when it gets to be that time. But arriving back in Kiev this evening gave me some inclination, if my Ukrainian taxi driver would have understood it, to hoist 4 fingers high in the Kiev sky and say prayerfully-"Heavenly Father, if it seems good to You, please let this be the 4th quarter of this adoption journey." Instead, I prayed silently and tried to pronounce "engliski" words for him when he pointed and and gave me Russian words for all kinds of common noun landmarks along our 40 minute drive into crowded Kiev. The four finger deal will have to wait for later...

My departure Monday afternoon was a rocky start-finding that my flight to Atlanta was running behind before I got to the gate. Prayers on the runway were answered when our takeoff time was moved sooner by 20 minutes than the pilot's first estimate. Okay- I wasn't completely running through Hartsfield-Jackson, but I did blow by more than a couple of guys on the escalator and in the concourse on my way to being able to hold the honor as the last guy on the flight to Paris because my boarding pass wouldn't scan, then making it across the Atlantic easily to go storming breathlessly through the confusing minefield known as Roissy-Charles DeGaulle-Paris airport. Yep-managed to go through security 2 times there based on brilliantly clear French signage in the place. No rest for the weary, I was rejected yet again for a few moments at the gate before boarding the Kiev flight as well; same deal with faulty bar codes maybe?

One thing to note, when you get to be the last guy standing at the small luggage belt in Boryspil Airport in Kiev, it is a clear sign that your bag didn't make it. I guess the barcode for it was faulty as well. So after negotiating through a line, and meeting with the very kind lady in lost bag land, and signing over my life on some customs documents along with (Ka-chunk) some stamps by the customs officer, I hope to see some clothes my size showing up tomorrow. No worries, honestly- Our God is a true stream of unchanging fourth quarter peace.

I am thankful to be in Kiev, praying for paperwork progress tomorrow morning, and praying for 3 new children to be home with me soon. Just so you know, Kayla (13) has been calling our facilitator multiple times today..."when Dad gets to Kiev can he come out here?" That's my girl... fits right in with my others! Looking forward to days ahead.
Chris

"But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever."
Psalm 52:8