Update on Alex!

Wow, I have been remiss in keeping you up to date on the family happenings!  But seeing as I have some big news to share I need to remedy that!

Alex and my youngest sister both recently asked to be baptized!  Sorry I don't have any pictures, but I am so excited to share the news!  Apparently Alex had been asking a lot of questions and the topic has come up more as his English has continued to improve.  A couple months ago he asked why he was a Christian in Ukraine, but wasn't one in our church.  So Mom and Dad explained about some of the differences between infant baptism and adult baptism, and that the church we were going to preferred adult baptism.  Since then lots of other questions and opportunities for discussion have come up.  

A few weeks ago my youngest sister asked Mom and Dad to go forward with her so that she could be baptized, we were so thrilled!  I love my family dearly and it brings such joy to my heart when any one of them joins our eternal family too!  My parents feel the same way, so this was cause for celebration!  Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and family friends were all invited to celebrate.  Alex was excited for her but also watching closely.

A couple days later he asked if he could go forward the next week.  Dad talked with him to make sure he understood, as best as he can, what that means and why he wanted to go forward. Once satisfied, he agreed to go forward with him, and we had another reason to party!


Mom is pretty sure that he had been wanting to do this for a while, but wasn't sure what all was involved.  After seeing his brave sister go forward he was ready to do it as well.  There is always some concern about motive and level of understanding (really no matter the age of the person in question), but Mom and Dad felt it would do more harm than good to hold him back for those concerns when he showed as much understanding as any of us kids at that age, and trusted that the Lord could see his heart where they could not see.  I remember questioning whether I should be re-baptized as I grew in the Lord and came to realize just how limited my understanding was when I was baptized.  Yet I trust that the work of Christ was complete even in that limited state of knowledge, just as it is complete in this new limited state of knowledge!


In other updates, Alex's English has continued to improve and he has now become the new talker of the kids.  He is learning in all areas by leaps and bounds, and his cooperation with the others has greatly improved.  Although there are still some challenges, as there always will be, he is almost a different boy from the one who came home almost a year ago.  He volunteers information and wants to be part of conversation, he freely accepts and even sometimes offers hugs, he is more willing to accept instruction and help from those around him, and he generally seems more comfortable in his skin.


It has been such a blessing to see my parents work with him over the last year, patiently and consistently redirecting, explaining, correcting, encouraging, loving, mediating and praying for our new brother.  They will both quickly tell you that his improvement and progress is from the Lord, not merely through their efforts.  I must say I am so excited for my parents.  Since I was small I can remember my Mom saying, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the Truth (3 john 1:4).  While we cannot see the future or challenges and twists it might hold, they now have gotten to see all their children baptized, and from what we can see, they are walking in the Truth.