Renee's missionary friend Esther sent us a magazine from her college.  There was an article in it about Esther's work as a missionary in Ukraine and there was a picture of Esther with Olia and several of the kids from her orphanage!  Olia was really excited to get the magazine and letter from esther.  Olia LOVES to receive mail, she just is not good about writing to anyone. It was so nice to hear from Esther.  She is going to Ukraine with a group of students for a few weeks.

   Olia has now succumbed to peer pressure.  When Olia was first in America, she would take all healthy things in her lunchbox for her lunch.  She loved taking sliced tomatoes and cucumbers or turkey kielbasa slices and cheese sticks.  Now she will only take peanut butter and jelly and cookies or crackers.  She says the kids tease kids who bring healthy things for lunch.  The principal will only allow the kids to have fruit or crackers or vegetables for their morning snack.  Olia now refuses to take fruit because she has been teased; she will only take crackers for snack time.  I just don't know why kids would have to tease about those type of things.  But Olia does not want to be teased so she has succumbed to the kids' acceptable food for snack and lunch.  I have tried to tell her that she should think for herself and eat what she likes, but she says she only wants to eat what she really likes at home.