Well it's almost Christmas, but I bet everyone in America knows this right?  .  They celebrate it fully on the 7th of January, because according to the orthodox calendar that is when it is.We will be in Vienna with our youngest 2 to celebrate but I wanted to write my Christmas letter on the blog so it could have pictures with it.  Sorry Auntie it is more then 2 pages but most are pictures.   I feel this year God has been working on me to be grateful so I will write about what I am grateful for.
 I am grateful to speak a bit of the language and be able to buy food and get on a bus the right direction with the right money and know where to get off. sounds like that would be easy right? Well if you put 40 people on a 20 passenger van you can''t see much and sometimes don't know they have past your stop till 20 people have gotten out so you can see.
I am grateful for the health to walk the 30 minutes to and from school at 8 AM and again at 3 or 4.
(It's kinda dark at 4 so I try to get out by 3)

the 8am exercise ride

 I am grateful for my bike so I can ride when i know I will be late I am grateful for warm boots and a down coat because of the cold winter and the cold house.

I am grateful for 2pm when the family makes a fire in the soba ( ceramic brick chimney that heats up and radiates heat after the fire is out

the Soba where I keep the desk so I am warm to study

indoor bathroom with outdoor temperatures 

I am grateful for the 2 days a week we can turn on the hot water heater and heater in the bathroom for a hot shower a house in winter.




I am grateful that the we have running water in the bathroom so I don't need to fetch it every day at the fintina (well) lijke the majority of the people in town have to.

Our fantina we use it when the water does go out in the house.

I am grateful for the electric blanket that warms the sheets so I can get into a warm bed with a warm man to keep me warm when the fire has gone out. (Makes it hard to get up though)

I am grateful for a hot pot so I can have tea when I get back from school. ( I wish I had a kitchen but that is in the main house and the family cooks most of our evening meal. I make breakfast and lunch)

I am grateful for a family that talks to us, includes us in celebrations, gives us gifts of fruit and fresh bread, ( They commemorate dead relatives on the day of death by giving treats to children on the way to the cemetery and in the home they give a loaf of colac (circle shaped braid of bread) sweets a towel, a lit candle and cup with water in it. |Grandma\s husband died on the 8 of December so we both received this gift.

Masa (special meal) for Mariamnn'a birthday praty

I am grateful to live so close to the river so I can stroll it after school and watch the swans and ducks and see the day end.

That is the full moon coming up with the swans a swimming 

I am grateful for the friendships I have made here with other volunteers and the community I am living in.
I am grateful that Tom has been able to recover from his neck injury is back to talk English with
I am grateful for the iphone to use so I can call home
I am grateful for each of you who keep us in your prayers!
I am grateful for Jesus saying yes, to do something so hard, so that I could have faith and a better here after.
 My love from Moldova, Marc and Tom

Santa is not as thin as he was in Uganda.  Merry Christmas or Craciun Fericita!