Mushrooms

Greetings Friends and Family,
We've been keeping pretty busy since I last posted.  We had a wonderful day on Saturday with a drive out into the country with our landlord Ugis.  He's a native Latvian, and a father of five, so was very good with Vita and put her at ease.  We had a great time exploring two castles that date back to the 1200's, getting amazing photo opps, and buying a few souvenirs along the way.  We had a very yummy lunch in a great restaurant, and then a hike in a mature pine forest park trail, complete with bears, foxes, owls, and lynx all contained in natural surroundings-type enclosures along the way.  So, you know who enjoyed that as much as anyone!
On the way out of town, we were at a gas station (very Sheetz-like) getting coffee, and two American young women heard us talking so asked us where we're from.  They are missionaries here, and one of them KNEW Vita!!  She had gone to their Christian summer camp!  So once again, God brought them across our path at just the right time, and we were so encouraged by that.  They hugged Vita and  high-fived with her that we were adopting her!
On Sunday we were able to attend a church in Riga, where the gospel was clearly preached, in a strong message by a young man who was actually filling the pulpit for the regular pastor, about false prophets, and the lies we can be trapped by to keep us from the narrow way.  The young woman who sat behind us translating for us was so sweet, and even helped us get to the right tram stop for where we wanted to go after church.  She had spent a great deal of time in Texas, and was completely proficient in English.  We loved feeling so welcome there and knowing this was a fellowship of other followers of Christ.  I especially enjoyed their musicians, two cellists, an acoustic guitar, and two vocalists harmonizing beautifully!  The songs were familiar, but of course in Latvian, so I could at least hum along.  We hope to go there again next Sunday.
We're really enjoying getting to know Vita more, and teaching her about Christian living along the way.  She seems to absorb everything like a sponge.  She loves Dutch Blitz, Phase 10, and Rummikub.  We've enjoyed the movies Akeelah and the Bee, as well as Hidalgo.  Vita tore right through reading Peter Pan, and has started on Charlotte's Web.  This focused time together is so fruitful.  We're planning to see Edvards and Helena perhaps this Saturday, so very glad about that.  We've been keeping in touch with them through gmail.
I keep asking Mike what are we doing that makes us stick out so and get so many stares everywhere we go.  Even without hearing us speaking people find us so odd somehow, still trying to figure that one out.  But I'm really glad there have been English speaking people most places, and many menus have English on them.  (But you cannot trust that ordering a pepperoni pizza will mean only pepperoni - watch out for mushrooms, they're everywhere!)
That's all for now - we miss you all, and really appreciate all of your prayers and messages!