Zachary's space

In some ways it seems like yesterday that we moved to Pennsylvania, but then is was nice and sunny and now it is good and cold. So it is that we have been here more than half a year and I have made it through the first semester! Life here has been good. The studies have gone well. There have been many events over the past few months... our new Metropolitan came for a visit and gave us a very good talk... God put it on someones (a fellow named Robert) heart to pay for all my studies here... I shoveled snow off a roof for the first time in my life... The kids and I built our first gingerbread house spec home, it went pretty well till the roof fell off. just a slight engineering problem...Natasha and I went out on a date, the first time in months, thanks to the generosity of Churches out here... We drove to New Jersey to pick up Natasha's Mother. She happened to leave a bag in the customs area thinking she could get it again. So we spent about an hour trying to get it, because once a person leaves the customs area there is no reentry. Most of that time was spent listening to a very talkative guard... it is amazing what you can learn in an hour! Thank goodness a customs agent finally brought the bag out to us and we were able to be on our way. Not much to see in Jersey at 1am.

Our Christmas was very nice. The kids made out like bandits due to the generosity of Churches people and various groups out here which buy gifts for seminarian children. As you can tell in one of the pictures Isaiah had another football Christmas. There were also a few Christmas/St. Nicholas plays. Aidan was St. Nicholas, thus the white hat. Trinity was an angel and Arseny was a shepherd... he enjoyed talking to the animals... funny enough one was a monkey, I figured that was from some

apocryphal account of the shepherds...

I am looking forward to starting the second semester. The break has been nice but I feel a little restless too. Thank you to everyone who sent use support and gifts it was and is a wonderful blessing! Please continue to pray for us. Although it is truly a blessing to be here it also entails much struggle! God's grace and provision has been overwhelming! We love and miss you all our friends and family-

We can't believe it is November. It is almost 6 months that we are here at St. Tikhon's. In many ways it feels like yesterday that we packed up and came out here, how time flies.

A typical day for me starts about 5:45am. About 6:20am I am waking Natasha, Isaiah and Trinity up. We ship Isaiah and Trinity off to school just after 7am. We then have about 40mins before the next wave of kids start to wake up. Then depending on the day I am off to school at either 8am or 9am. Most days I get home around 4pm. There is always lots to do at home, and I do not get to really study till a bit later in the evening. Natasha and I average going to bed around 11:30-12pm. So needless to say the days seem to go by pretty fast. We had our first bout of getting sick, but we fared pretty good. All right now are healthy, praise God.

The academic load is substantial but not overwhelming. I think what intensifies it is the addition of services, which is great. To be in a atmosphere where constant prayer is going on is great. Being a married student one is not as flexible to partake of all the services. So, grace is given and we do what we can. In between all this I try and fit a little work in...which sometimes is a challenge. Please remember us in your prayers.

We are very happy to be here, an are prayerfully pursuing what ever God may have for us. For now we are trying to learn whatever we can. Hope that everyone enjoys the new photos, we miss all our friends and family...our love to all in Christ- Lynch Clan