Jason and Carolina Kochsiek

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Prayer Letter/Ministry Update

Keeping Up With The Kochsieks
November 2009
Serving with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Ukraine

Dear praying friends,

WOW! What a ride these last few weeks have been! A month ago we were beginning the packing process in Long Beach, California and getting ready to move. Since then we have arrived in Kiev, endured jetlag, gotten most of our apartment unpacked, and are now at our field retreat in Anapa, Russia. We don�t sit still for long, do we?

UNBELIEVABLY SMOOTH
We departed on October 13th from Los Angeles, and it happened to rain that day (not a common occurrence in southern California). However, instead of making things more difficult, it seemed to pave the way for a smooth departure. There was no line checking in, the attendant did not make an issue that a couple of our suitcases were slightly overweight, and even though we had 11 suitcases, he did not charge us any extra baggage fees! Both kids slept some, and were in good moods on the long flight to Munich, Germany and were happy to run around a little before boarding another plane to Kiev, Ukraine. All things considering, it couldn�t have gone much smoother. THANKS so much for praying as we traveled!

�NO WANNA GO TO SLEEP�
We arrived at our apartment around midnight on October 14th. However, in our minds in was 2:00pm CA time. As adults, we were so tired we did not care, we were going to sleep! But getting a toddler to sleep, after sitting on a plane all day was not an easy task. For about a week, Cami would consistently wake up around 3:00am, and if we tried to help her go back to sleep, she would scream, �No wanna sleep!� So since Josh was also awake, we would stay awake together, and wait until she crashed to go back to sleep. Those were some brutal days!! But thankfully, all are sleeping through the night and everyone�s mood is much brighter because of it! (See the jetlag photos below)

GETTING USED TO WAITING
Part of returning to the field is readjusting to the parts of the culture that we had forgotten. One of those is the amount of time spent waiting! Not much happens fast here, that is just a reality. We found that out as we waited for our items that were in storage in Ekaterinburg to be delivered to our apartment in Kiev. What was supposed to happen before we arrived, actually was realized ten days after our arrival. Finally, it did arrive and it was great to see that all our stuff had survived, and it was like Christmas as we opened all the boxes. After several days of being surrounded by boxes, we have unpacked the bulk of it, and feel quite settled. Amazing how much we have been able to do in such a short time!

CAN I HELP YOU?
One day Jason was walking with Cami to the electronic store to buy a microwave. On the way home, he was carrying the microwave in one hand, and since Cami decided she did not want to walk anymore, he was carrying her in the other arm. Someone came along and asked, �Can I help you?� First thought was that he wants to hold onto the microwave, and then run off with it. But sure enough, he just wanted to help! Encounters like these, and the friendly ladies at the post office, have already shown us some differences in the Ukrainian culture compared to the Russian culture. We are enjoying the little we have seen in the city so far, and Cami REALLY enjoys the metro (or train as she calls it). We�ll be doing more exploring in the weeks ahead, and we�ll share with you what we discover.

So many times this past month, we have been conscious of the fact that people have been praying for us! We could feel it as we departed and said our good-byes. We sensed it in the moods of the children as they handled all the travel. We knew that the patience we had with each other and the kids during those jetlag days was only possible through prayer. The speed of which our apartment became livable and the kids felt settled was also a result of prayer. Thanks so much for praying for these very tangible details for our family. We consider ourselves blessed to have a team of supporters like you!

Love
Jason, Carolina, Camilla and Joshua Kochsiek

Prayer Requests/Answers to Prayer

PRAISE / PRAYER REQUESTS
� Praise: For the amazing send off that we received from Long Beach Alliance! We couldn�t have finished the packing without your help!! Thanks to all who were willing to send boxes, most have arrived and the rest should be here soon.
� Praise: For the smooth trip from Los Angeles to Kiev, and the patience to endure jetlag!
� Praise: For the fact that the truck finally arrived from Russia with our stuff and for the ability to feel like our apartment feels like a home.
� Pray for our week at field retreat, that we would enjoy reconnecting with our colleagues, that Cami and Josh would enjoy being with other kids, and that God would refresh us through times of worship.
� Pray for us as we begin to shop for a vehicle upon our return from field retreat. This is often a very time-consuming task, and can be risky as well. We are very close to the amount needed, and are trusting God for the remaining amount.
� Pray that as we are now somewhat settled into the apartment that the process of meeting people would begin, and that God would give us the creativity and proper strategies necessary. Much prayer will be needed in this area!

Russia

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