My absence from the blog doesn't mean I am losing interest; I just have little or nothing to say that might be of interest. Ukrainian politics has become incredibly boring. Today, though, the president vetoed the budget--the first time a Ukrainian president has vetoed a budget. It takes 300 votes to overturn it and the anti-presidential forces certainly don't have that. Things might just get interested. In Kyiv city news, the mayor decided to raise utility prices by only about 330%, 10% less than he wanted. It's still more than what some pensioners make in a month. Hopefully, some kind of provision will be made at least for the retired people and invalids.

In other news, we have had some sadness in our church community. Igor Boradanyets's grandfather died today. And last weekend, the mother of Tanya Zhyvov died. We visited them last Sunday with several other people from church. They had to take the body to another city for the burial. But Misha preached this last Sunday and Dima led the communion. It's quite sad, no matter what, but it's good to see that it doesn't seem to have hurt their faith. Rather, faith has become a place of strength and hope.

Christmas and New Year plans are being made. Some church members are going to the US to visit friends or friends they have just recently made. Others are heading home. Two are going to Lithuania. One to France. A few will actually stay in Kyiv. We've become quite a travelling church.

Today in the English class we were reading the story of Jesus's baptism. Olya asked quite simply, "So, I thought Jesus was God. But here it says he is Jesus and God is something else." Up to this point, she hadn't had much to say about our readings from the Bible. Maybe something is going on inside.