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IMG_1290Finally we scored with the snow today!  It snowed all day, but snowed heavily all afternoon.  I’m going to need to get a couple of new tires for the van tomorrow in Kiev because the ones we have on now, even though they still have tread on them, could not get me up our hill this morning!  I think I must have made the attempt 20 times and on the 20th, got there!  I think of the purchase as an investment in insurance.  I reckon year-old tires in a Ukrainian winter raise your chances of having an accident at least 50%. 

We were again at the worksite today… snow notwithstanding.  It surprised me to realize that the snow actually gave us MORE traction as we walked around on the beams.  I tried a few different pairs of gloves and eventually gave up on warm fingers.  They are fat and red now.

Pris went to Kiev to be with her Mom again as Diane went to the doctor’s.  Seems like things are going well there.

The kids did school-work by themselves and Jesse cooked a good stew which was waiting for us all when we arrived home at about 6:00.

Appeal

Ultimately, the result for Vlad was that the judge upheld the original verdict.

As it happens, this appeal wasn’t as important as we at first thought.  Vlad’s accusers have already appealed to the Supreme Court, so even if he’d won this appeal, he would still need to appear there in two to three months.

Only family was allowed to be present at the hearing.  Vika, his wife, said that he was pretty discouraged about the result.  He’ll be in jail at least another two months.

The lawyer talked a good talk regarding the supreme court.  But I feel like they were just words to bolster morale and trust in him and not necessarily the truth.  Guess we’ll see.

VLAD pray for

Vlad’s appeal date is tomorrow.

Recap:

He was a driver involved in an accident several years ago.

He was unjustly accused and unjustly sentenced to six years in jail and $100,000 fine to be paid to the family of the lady who died. 

They bribed the judge to find him guilty, ALL evidence to the contrary.

He has spent over 2 months in jail already.

Tomorrow is his appeal date.

We’ll go in, but probably won’t be let into the court room.  There is a chance they’ll let us in, so we’ll take our passports.

Please pray for the whole situation.  I think it will start at 8:30 in the morning. 

December has come and gone

This is the letter we sent out earlier this month.  Since doing so, things have continued to go well without any major hiccups.  A Christmas tree brightly decorates the corner of our lounge room.  The kids have bought presents for a surprising number of people and are excited for Christmas to come round on the 7th of January.  I’m looking forward to next week when I’ll take a break from the cold mornings on the building site.  (They are killers!)

Priscilla’s parents are coming here in a few days to spend Christmas with us and we’re looking forward to that time.

May God bless you and keep you during 2012!

Greetings from a warm room in a small village overlooking a wide river in a troubled country.