It's Christmas!

We have made, destroyed and eaten our Annual Gingerbread House...already! Since we planned to spend our Christmas in Georgia, we decided to go ahead and eat our Gingerbread House before it got stale!!


As you can see from this photo, the kids are still pretty smitten with baby sister! I'm not sure how she feels about it, but she often let's them know when she has had enough "loving!" She will soon be 11 months old, but it seems like she arrived just yesterday!




In Ukraine, they celebrate "Mi-ko-ly-ia" Day on the 19th. Santa comes here early and puts presents under their pillows or beds. My kids did not miss their visit from our "Ukrainian" Santa and we are very thankful to have Aunt Jesse here celebrating the holidays with us!!! My kids love her...she reads to them, plays with them and helps them put their new Lego Star Wars together!

Thanksgiving Blessings!

We finally got a chance to carve a pumpkin, thanks to our friend Evan. They all took part and we ate roasted pumpkin seeds for dessert!
The holidays are upon us and we are planning trips and having meals with many of our American friends living here in Ukraine. Traditional turkey, pumpkin pie and dressing is certainly on the menu for us and we may even find a football game to watch (it might be an old one, but football nonetheless!).
We are very, VERY excited about our trip to Georgia (the country) as a family for Christmas! We plan to spend some time there with some friends and enjoy seeing where Kyle worked disaster relief a few months ago.
Many blessings and happy eating!

Conduct yourselves with wisdom...

"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." Col 4:5-6 (NASB) was my prayer as I am working through Colossians in my quiet time...

So often here in Ukraine, people ask me about my children. They are truly a ministry and allow me opportunties to share Christ with people. Many times though, I do not always know how to answer them when they say, "How do you manage with 5 children, it must be difficult, yes? You are so young to have so many children (my age is cleverly disguised behind a ball cap!), are they all yours?"

I might respond with "yes, they are all mine and sometimes it is difficult but God helps me" or "I have a friend that helps me through the week" or "yes, God has blessed me" or "thank you!" Recently, I came across the verses in Psalm 103 "Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle." I can answer with these words, for God does satisfy my life with many good things (like my family) and many days I feel Him renewing me in strength. What better way to respond to these questions than from God's Word!"

Family Update

Well, Kyle is back home after being in Georgia (the country!) for 4 weeks. If you want to see pictures of what he has been doing over there, just click on http://westukraine.blogspot.com/ to get an update. It was a very rewarding time for him to be able to help many refugees in that part of the world. He is now beginning to look at a new phase of ministry here in Lviv, as well as, in areas right outside of Lviv. He will be traveling to Horodok on Saturdays, to teach an English class there. Please pray for new ways to minister, for direction and wisdom in future endeavors. Show us how we can take part in what God is doing and show us where it is that He wants us to be.
Maya is busy being the "School Nazi" but enjoying it (wait, that sounds crazy, but those that know me well are probably laughing!). She did have the chance to teach an ESL class this past week and really enjoyed being with the group of young people. As she is able, she will be helping with that each week. Please pray that these students will continue to participate in the Bible discussion after the ESL class and that God would open their hearts to His Word. Pray Colossians 4:2-6 for the leaders of the Bible discussion groups.
Canon is on his second week of Aukido. He was nervous the first day of class, but by the time it was done, he was ready to go again. He is enjoying this sport and sometimes finds the techniques useful for protecting himself when taking on his younger brother (Isaac, who is just plain strong!). His school continues to go well, as he thrives on learning. In the 5 minute breaks, between his classes, he picks up a book and reads!
Isaac has started art classes and is really excited about it! He loves to paint, draw, build, etc. and does really well with it. The class is about a 10-15 minute walk and we are trying to figure out how to get a stroller around a huge construction site (you would just have to see it!) that is between home and the class. We drove the last time and the traffic was incredible for such a short distance.
Scotland has recovered from being hit in the nose by a swing and is "full-speed ahead" once again! He and Isaac both have memorized John 3:14-19 and Psalm 34:8-13 (with very little help!) in their Bible class. Scotland is enjoying his "school time" on the computer and doing his "papers."
Eli still thinks he is the baby of the family at times, but other times he thinks he is as big as the older ones! He got his first "real" haircut by Marta in the salon and he sat so well! He still hasn't completely gotten out of diapers and mom is tired of buying them!
Anna Katharine is starting the "falling" phase of her life. She is pulling up all over the place which (I was just interrupted with a tumble!) causes alot of little tumbles. She is a sweet little thing and the boys still dote over her. She still hasn't cut her first tooth yet, but we anticipate one soon!
We are excited as we plan a family trip to Georgia for Christmas with some friends there. The holidays are coming and even though we will miss being with our family and friends in the States we are hoping for a joyous holiday season here as we continue in in the plans God has for us.

Is your light switch turned on???

"Is your light switch turned on?" has been our latest catch phrase. During our morning devotional we were discussing how Jesus becomes our Savior when we ask Him into our heart, but He must also be the Master of our life each day.

I compared it to a house. Our body is like a house. The structure is there, but it is dark. The electricity has not been wired yet. When we ask Jesus into our "house" He wires every part. Although every part is wired, we still must choose to turn on the lights in each room...in each area of our lives. If we don't, we are still in the dark, allowing Satan to have power over us in those areas. We have the capability to see, but we must choose to turn on the switch!

Well, school has started here in Ukraine. September 1st is the official first day of school. School in the McLane home is now in it's 3rd week. Things are going pretty smooth (thanks to Alla being with us...she keeps up with the little ones and teaches Ukrainian with the older 3) with homeschooling. Although, if you homeschool, you know the challanges it can bring! Canon is happy with BJU and Isaac is not so happy with his schedule, but we are working on it. Scotland thinks school is "cool" since his big brothers do school work. We are still hoping to get them more involved in some sports and such, but right now they are staying quite busy!

Kyle is on his second trip to Georgia. He will be there for 2 weeks and may continue to return to Georgia regularly working with disaster relief. You can go to http://reliefgeorgia.blogspot.com/ for more information on what they are doing. Two other missionaries from Lviv recently went over to help and they are all fine. Please continue to be in prayer for the people of Georgia who are trying to survive in the midst of conflict between governments.

photos were taken at our "Ukrainian beach" where we spent the day right before Kyle left to go to Georgia. Anna Katharine and I (Maya) were there, but we did NOT get into the cold water!!! It was a hot day, but it has never been hot enough to get into that cold water!...

From the mouth of babes...

During a recent quiet time, Canon and Isaac were also doing their "Survival Kit". This is a course designed for new Christians. I (maya) overheard Canon reading the last question: What does Satan encourage you to do? (It was talking about temptations in life and such...) Isaac answered, "He makes me forget about what is important in my life."

Wow! I am still thinking about that answer...

Pictures, pictures!!!

Here are just some recent pictures that I hope many of you will enjoy seeing...1. Scotland, Anna Katharine, and Eli playing in the bed. 2. Isaac loving his baby sister. 3. Kyle with a team in the Carpathians. 4. Eli and his friend Josiah at a July 4th party. 5. Sparklers for the 4th! 6. Anna Katharine with her first bite of cereal. 7. Anna Katharine's transportation. 8. Canon at a baseball game.

Family Stuff

Thank you for your comments to our blog site. Each note and email is a great encouragement to us. Even our kids have been getting emails from friends! We also have a Vonage phone line now that allows us to have a local Valdosta, Georgia number...in UKRAINE! Amazing, the technology. If you are interested in giving us a ring (just remember we are 7 hours ahead!), just email us for the phone number...I didn't want to post it on the blog. We want to stay in touch!! Proverbs 17:17 ..."A friend loves at all times."

Wanted to send some pictures of our little "pretty". Anna Katharine is now 5 months old! She is beginning to eat some cereal, sucking on her toe and rolling all over the place! Eli (now 2 years) just adores her and has taken his place as "big brother". He thinks he is as big as the rest of them...putting his shoes on himself, going to the potty and sword fighting! Scotland (will be 4 in Aug.) is still our sunshine...he just lights up the room when he enters...easy going and tough as nails. Just last night he woke up in pain with a very high fever, but it takes a lot for him to finally complain. Isaac (6 yrs.) is finding favor with the girls...yeasterday at the park he was running around chasing some girls and they would just scream!!? He has a personality that draws people to him. Still fun-loving and strong-willed! Canon (will be 10 in Aug.) is getting more and more into his DS game, chess and Legos. He has an extermely creative mind. He has been blessed by God with some really good friends here. He almost gets as many phone calls as I do! Kyle has had a busy few weeks working with short-term team members from America. It has been his priviledge to be a part of the camps and ministries throughout our area working with our Ukrainian partners. Be sure to check out Kyle's blog spot - http://westukraine.blogspot.com/ for more information about how you can pray for the people of Ukraine, ministries and God's work here in Ukraine.

How can you pray for our family, personally ???

Kyle: That he will continue to be the Godly influence for our boys and the man that God wants him to be. Help him to communicate and work well with the Ukrainian partners. Titus 2:2 "...temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance."

Maya: That she will be able to manage her family, ministry and role as a wife in a way that would glorify God. Proverbs 31:25,26 "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom...she watches over the affairs of her household."
Canon: That through God's power, he would be able to bring his thoughts under control and pay-attention. Philippians 4:8 "...whatever is noble..., right..., pure..., lovely..., admirable-think about such things."

Isaac: That he would be able to control his anger. Galatians 5:23 "But the fruit of the spirit is...gentleness and self-control."

Scotland: That he would be healthy. Psalm 41:2 "The Lord will protect him...sustain him...and restore him from his bed of illness."

Eli: That he would grow in favor and in wisdom. 1 Samuel 2:26 "...continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men."

Anna Katharine: That she would be healthy and beautiful within. Matthew 26:10 "...this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me (Jesus)."

In the quiet of the morning...

With 5 kids in the house, my only moments of quiet come in the morning...before they all wake up?!

Recently, during that time, I wrote in my journal...

"It is amazing the battle we are in--one that is unseen by the physical realm, yet very real by the spiritual. I am not up against the troubles of life, but I am up against the powers of darkness. The evil one wants to destroy me. He wants to pick me apart, make me unusable, worthless for God. If he can deceive me, I am not going to be the woman God wants me to be. He is out to destroy my family. He would love to see my children deny the One and Only.

NO! I stand before my children, my family and I claim the blood of Jesus, who by His blood we are redeemed. He died for us, so that we may live. No, Satan cannot have my family!!! As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord..."

Do we really look at life this way...in a way that makes us see the battle? Especially in the small things...the day in, day out things. The little things that we just give in to, the big things that take us by surprise. The next time you are faced with a decision...think of the battle...AND WIN!

You can probably tell by what I wrote that I am in a study on Spiritual Warfare (Kay Arthur : Lord, Is it Warfare? Teach Me to Stand). My prayer is that we WILL stand, be found faithful and glorify our Lord God who is the Almighty.

Back in Ukraine

Well, our family has been in Ukraine for a few weeks now and we are adjusting to being home (picture taken during Eli's 2 year birthday party, a sleep-over, and at the stadium playground). Granted, it took some time to get used to a new area of the city, new transportation and a new apartment, but we have made it home again and it is a blessing. Already, I have met some neighbors and they have children too. I have had the opportunity to share why I don't drink alcohol with a local store lady and I am planning to share with her some verses in Ukrainian that I looked up. I also talked to a Ukrainian man who has worked in Chicago and shared a tract with him during one of our playground trips. God has just allowed me opportunites in so many different ways to share with different people here and I am looking forward to more ways He can use our family in our new neighborhood. Kyle is getting prepared for a busy month in June. We have a number of teams coming to do various ministries in the area. Pray for Kyle as he makes plans and coordinates the various teams coming. Pray for us as we open up our home to those around us...being more hospitable and available. Pray that God would use the upcoming teams and church evangelical events throughout the area of Western Ukraine to proclaim the name of our Lord and Savior.

Lessons Learned...

Jerry Bridges quotes the verse Hebrew 12:14 in his book Pursuit of Holiness..."Without holiness no one will see the Lord." You know, we pray that people will see Jesus in us, we pray that we will glorify the Lord in all that we do, but what enables that to happen? "WITHOUT holiness... NO ONE...will see the Lord." YIKES!??! You mean, if I am not holy people will not see Christ through and in me??! And what does it mean to be holy? Paul says in Colossians, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature"...meaning, DESTROY the strength and vitality of sin as it tries to reign in our bodies, done by the strength and under the direction of the Holy Spirit. I ask myself, am I walking IN holiness daily? Am I putting to death the smallest, hint of immorality, the teeney bit of impulsive behavior, any part of lacking in self-control, etc. that needs to be put to death? The action to take is to PUT to DEATH the misdeeds of the body (Romans 8:13) or no one will see the Lord in me.
"Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed." (Romans 12:2 PH, Read it in the NIV too!)

Finally...a vacation!

Our time in the states has been full of events, yet we have not had the opportunity to spend any length of time as a family, together, on vacation...until God fit it in our schedule! Just as we were gearing up to fly out, our departure date was delayed. There we were packed and ready. The kids had already said their goodbyes at school, we had mailed some things, finalized some things and ...to our disappointment we needed to wait another two weeks! Well, it was for our benefit. We packed our "other" bags and headed up to a family lake house for a week. We boated together (even Anna Katharine!), took walks together, played games together (even Monopoly!), hunted for gems together...it was a refreshing time re-grouping as a family. We also had the chance to visit with some very special people at a church in Wrens, Georgia. We praise God for this time to remember and look forward to seeing how He can use us for His glory in the days ahead.

Heading back...to Ukraine

Well, here we go again. Across the ocean to our home in Ukraine. We are all eager to get settled in our home there. The kids are anxiously awaiting the plane trip, yet with each new adventure we leave behind friends, family and things that we treasure. How has it been here in the US? It has been a blessing and a very special time for us. Recently though, it has been a spiritual challange for me. Why? Well, I can't quite tell you why. It just seems that the world has tried to creep in and suck out the importance of spiritual things and replace them with the things of this world. I told Kyle, " It just seems so much harder to worship, adore and experience God here" (than the past 3+years we have had in Ukraine).

I was also a bit stunned when a missionary's wife recently died of cancer. When we first heard of the illness I began praying for her husband and two children. I prayed that they would have strength and be comforted. Honestly, I did not see that she would live because the cancer had already taken much of her body. But, then I sensed God telling me to pray for her healing. So, I prayed. I prayed for her healing. I believed that the Almighty God can heal any ailment. I knew that He could. I prayed as if He had already healed her. Then... she died.

Everytime I asked, "Why God, why did you want me to pray for her healing??" I got the answer, "She is healed." Of coarse, that is not the way I anticipated it. God knew what I meant when I prayed for her healing. It didn't happen like I thought. Did I misunderstand what He wanted me to pray for? Did I lack in my faith when I prayed?
John 9:1 says, "And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind? " Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him." " I pray that the works of the Lord might be displayed in the death of this woman and that the works of God might be displayed in me. We are here to be a vessel, carrying the cross to whatever place God leads us. It is for His divine purpose and not always our understanding.

ANNA KATHARINE IS HERE!

We are rejoicing as we look upon little Anna Katharine...God has richly blessed us with a beautiful baby girl. She weighed 7 pounds and 13 ounces. She was born on February 1st, 2008.

Everything went rather smoothly. I (Maya) was scheduled for induction and she was born after 5 hours of labor. I was up and running just a few days later! God is so merciful...He knows I needed to be able to look after the rest of my family. Of coarse, Kyle has been a wonderful, tremendous help...he has been so good to look after his wife! Having Grandparents here and friends to graciously fix meals has been a tremendous blessing too. We are just so thankful!!!

We had a hard time deciding on a name, but Anna Katharine has been the girl name we have liked since our oldest son was born. We love that it means gracious/favor and purity. We pray that she will be full of grace, have a pure heart and find favor with God.

The boys are tickled with their baby sister. She has received cards, drawings, flowers and various gifts from her brothers.