FIVE are better than one!

MY SWEET, CUDDLY NATE

Ecclesiastes 4:9,11 "Two are better than one... if two lie together, then they have heat, but how can one be warm alone?"

We are all healthy again! Thanks to all who have been praying!

Many have been asking about our heat and wondering if we are staying warm our first winter out in the village. I hesitate to answer this question for fear of sounding negative or making you think I want sympathy! Truly, we are healthy and we have each other, so what more could we need?!

Since we returned from Germany, it has been cold here in Simferopol! (Though, my friends in Siberia would probably laugh at my definition of cold.) The snow that we received in early November quickly melted away and has only just recently returned, and this time, I am certain, for good. My poor David has been working for three solid months trying to get our house ready for these cooler days. In the last month or so, our heated floors have been working beautifully. However, the problem we have been facing recently has been the amount of electricity available to us out in our village. I did a quick online search to find out how much electricity it takes to run a normal-sized, average home. The results I came up with showed me that we are getting less than half of that.

Since we have no gas in our village, we have been trying to heat our home and go about our normal lives with electricity alone. (Most people here heat their homes with gas). The entire village has a shortage of electricity, and our mayor promises that a new transformer will be installed in a month to keep the entire village from our regular power outtages. Normally, we go just a few hours without electricity, but a few nights ago we spent the entire night with no power and freezing weather, so we all five snuggled in bed together, added extra blankets, backed a night stand up to the bed (so no one would fall off!) and had a good, warm night of rest.

Yesterday the boiler that heats our floors gave out on us. (Yes, the new boiler for those of you who have been following my updates for awhile now). So, now we are warming ourselves up with space heaters and living most of our days in just two rooms. So long as our electricity can keep up with the space heaters, we will manage just fine.

Please pray about our heating situation though. We are now considering buying a wood-burning stove in order to stay warm. We are eventually going to out-smart this undependable electrical system of ours. Until then, you can find me snuggling up closer to the ones I love best! (And maybe, this is just the right way to keep our family as close as we are!) I know one day I will look back with fond memories of all of the snuggle time I got with my little ones this winter!