Bonding - Day 10

Good news for all you red coat fans out there!! Its been a balmy minus 10 for the last few days here in Ust but the temperature is forecast to plummet over the next few days, possibly as chilly as minus 40!! Not only will I be wearing my awesome red coat again, I will probably have the entire contents of my wardrobe underneath as well!
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We had a bit of a scare with 'missing' documents last night, we suddenly got the news that documents we will need over the next few weeks were somehow gone! We got in touch with home right away and were on the phone up until 1.30am our time trying to arrange for new copies be made, making arrangements for these to be notarised and legalised, and DHL'd over to Ust, etc. We were also praying that God would provide an answer. After a few hours of sleep and picking over breakfast at the hotel we got the wonderful news that just as mysteriously as they had vanished the documents had re-appeared! A great relief and a speedy answer to prayer! It served as a good reminder to us who is really in control of the whole situation!

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Leah was her usual wonderful, happy, nosey, smiley self again today, we can't wait to get her back home to Ballywalter.

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It also appears Leah is going to be a 'girly' girl, there is a big doll in traditional Kazak dress in the bonding room, each time Leah's eye catches it her head snaps round for a closer look and a big smile appears on her face. When we lift her up close to the doll she gently reaches out her hands and strokes the dolls face very carefully with her fingers and then pulls a strand or two of her hair with her finger and thumb, all very slowly with a real look of wonder on her face... its very cute!

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I've also added a few pics from the window of the mini-bus on our way to the orphanage, we are so wrapped up in what we are here to do its easy to forget what a beautiful country this is.

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Philip, Amanda & Leah

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