Summer Sanderford Secret

We hope you are doing well and we want to apologize again for not mailing sooner. We have been on a secret mission to a far away country!!! Our parents could not bare to NOT see us this summer so they help flit the bill and got us home for 6 weeks to spend time with them!!!! We spent the whole time with our 8 wonderful parents. included are some picks of that time. We rested and are ready for a new semester here in Kyiv. Within 48 hours of being back in Kyiv, almost everyone we know here called us and wanted to get together. Kelly and Hannah even went to a wedding the day we got back to Kyiv. We would love to have seen all of you. Our time with our parents is very precious and we were so thankful to have it. We will be back next summer and will look forward to seeing and reconnecting with you. Please don't hesitate to give us a call. Please continue to pray for us as we started today the planning process for the semester and how we will meet with each one of these students and former students throughout the year!!! Thank you for your support!!

Trip to Russia?

We just took a two day trip to Kaliningrad, Russia to meet with our friends and fellow Navigators, Dima and Masha. Masha is pregnant and doing well. Dima and Masha both work for KDAvia airlines. They both came up through the Navigator programs in Kyiv(Dima) and St.Pete(Masha) They are living in Kaliningrad and being "Insiders" in their work and recreation. We had a great time with them seeing the city and just sitting at home, playing "Phase 10" and eating pizza. We were so thankful to see them and catch up on how they are doing. They don't know many people there and have left the comfort zone of friends and familiarity of home. When you pray for Dima and Masha, ask the Lord to continue to give them faith. Dima was trying to get his drivers permit and was told that he would have to pay "money" to get it. In other words a bribe to the teacher. He was committed to NOT doing that and in the end he passed everything and was given his permit w/o paying anything. Praise the Lord and great job Dima for doing the right thing even against cultural habbits.

p.s. Check out what Joshua and Hannah did while we were gone to Russia with Caleb. http://karensprings.blogspot.com/
Thanks again Karen for watching them. They had a great time.

Girls Weekend 07' Memories

This weekend 6 of my girlfriends from my years at John Brown University are getting together. We started a tradition of reconnecting every summer for one weekend. No kids or husbands....just girls and lots of talking! I have always enjoyed hearing how God has worked in each of our lives...I put these pictures up as I remember being with them last year! I love and miss each one of you dearly! I'm so blessed to have a great group of friends praying for me and including me even when I am not with them physically!

Girls Weekend 07' Memories

Mid April

Hey you guys,

Just wanted to catch you guys up what’s going on here. I (tyler) went to Dushanbe, Tajikistan for a conference with other people doing what we do in other countries in Central Asia. It was a very fruitful time. We each presented a “state of the ministry” report for our respective countries. We then prayed for one another. We did this for about four days. It was amazing to see how God is working around the world. We may live here but sometimes we get caught up in what is going on here and forget about the other places that God is working around the world.
I would like to take Kelly with me next time since the wives were there as well.

Hannah seems to be doing well in School (home school and Ukrainian School) She does not cry very much these days when she goes and is doing so well that we might begin to put her in more often during the week. Praise God!!! Thank you for your prayers for her and her courage and patience. She still does not speak much but does understand A LOT.

Last Friday, Kelly went to the International School with Dave and they got to share the gospel with three girls who have been coming to the Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships talk. Who knows what fruit will come but we were so thankful and the girls seemed to listen.

The word Spring is a wonderful word. It means more to me than it used to. Right now the trees are blooming, the grass is very green and Kyiv is turning back into the beautiful green city that it was last year. We can go out without our boots on and I have not worn a hat in a few weeks. It livens us up and makes us feel happy. The idea of doing things “outside” is beginning to come to mind more often!!!

I want to just say thank you again to each of you who support us financially. Your gifts are above and beyond what we could imagine and your thoughts and prayers are much needed. We could not be here without YOU. If we could we would fly each of you here to see this place and the people that we work with and live life with. Your sacrifice financially is making eternal steps in the lives of Lily, Zhenya, Anya, Anne, Dima, Dima, Masha, Anya, Tanya, Dima, Olya, Oksana, Igor, Edward, Natasha, Vika and many more. God is turning your willingness to give into something that you will one day see the fruit of. Thank you.