Hello friends and family!
This is Miriam writing – Yes, not Mom– just popping in with a quick Rue Crew Review while she is busy juggling…well… everything. I know you’re all used to hearing directly from her, so I apologize in advance for the downgrade in eloquence.
Have mercy… I am but a humble homeschooler.
Our last update was way back in 2021 –Where DID the time go!?– and so much has happened since then. So here I am with the highlights until the professional returns to the keyboard to catch you up herself!
Family updates!
Where to even begin? I suppose we can start from the eldest and go down the line up! There is so much catching up to do and as our family shrinks (kiddos moving out) it is simultaneously growing as we’ve had several lovely additions to the Rue Crew!
Joshua & Yasmeen
Josh is now married to the lovely Yasmeen and we have been thrilled to welcome her and her son AJ into our family! Yasmeen is what I would call a cullinary queen and easily fit right in with the Rue Crew! Mom and dad are enjoying the well deserved promotion to “Grandma and Grandpa” and I have attained the self proclaimed “Favorite aunt” status. Josh proudly proclaims his superiority at having won the “grandbaby race.”
They have recently been blessed with a little miracle and she is growing healthier by the day!!! Please continue praying for their health and safety as the baby grows!
Rue Family: +3
Miriam
May I start this off with saying, in moms last blog post when she said we were taking applications for suitors…SHE WAS JOKING…PLEASE STOP.
Miriam continues to be the most beautiful, talented, intelligent, and beloved sibling in the group. Everything she touches turns to gold and magical choruses fill the air as she passes.
All joking aside, I am continuously amazed at the grace with which the Lord continues to guide me step by step over the last few years. When we first got to the states this past furlough I knew I would be faced with a very difficult choice on wether to return to Ukraine with my parents or stay in the States when the time came. I knew it would all come down to the Lords guidance because I cannot be fulfilled without his presence and hand on my life, so I prayed, waited, and did what I knew to do to prepare for either scenario. Through it all He has helped me heal and grow in ways I could never have predicted, giving me handfuls of purpose and opening his will for me with every step I take. That being said, and this is all by Gods grace, the Lord has paid off my student loans, I have confirmation of His will and hand in my life, and I now have the means by which I may return to Ukraine and continue helping in the ministry with my family. HE IS ABLE!
Ben and Faith
In the last Rue Crew Review (Back in 2021) Ben and Faiths engagement was announced. Well, I am happy to say they both went through with it and we have yet another Rue in our family! Ben and Faith were married back in 2022 and have settled up in Dayton where they are actively serving the Lord in their church! Faith is a sweet and well loved addition to our growing family! The Lord has blessed them both with stable work and we have much enjoyed them living only an hour away during this time back in the States, we will miss having them around. Please continue to pray for the Lords blessing in their lives as they grow in Him together!
Rue Family: +1
Sam and Susanna
Since 2021 Sam also found a bride! Who knew, another Rue!!
Susanna is also a welcome and wonderful addition to our crew, they married in 2023 and are a perfect match for each other! Since then Sam enrolled in Treasure Valley Bible Institute in Idaho and just recently graduated. They are now seeking the Lords will as they pray about going into the ministry. Please pray for them that the Lord will guide them to where he would have them be!
Rue Family: +1
Christopher Jr.
Christopher turned 18 this year and also will be going back with us! It is difficult at his age, wanting to start a life but having the obstacle of not being allowed to work or start building a resume. He struggles quite a bit with worries about falling behind the pace set in the U.S for young adults and about the future and what direction he will take. This is one of the unspoken hardships of missions and the underlying effect this type of life can have on missionary kids, I remember it well.
Please pray that during this time in Ukraine Christopher will be able to solidify his walk with the Lord so that he may be sensitive to the direction and guidance that will ultimately make a difference in his life, whether that be in the ministry or not.
Michael
Michael is now a 6’4, 17 year old gentle giant. His typical day consists of eating, sleeping, and following me around for random hugs…I don’t think he is aware of how unnerving it is to constantly have a megaladon looming over you at any hour of the day.
I live in fear.
Please pray.
Joseph
Mother and Father have determined that Joseph will be their retirement. He is ALWAYS coming up with ways to buy, create, and sell things for money or to make friends. Its rather terrifying to watch the machinations of his evil genius brain, but honestly I expect nothing less from a youngest sibling of 7 named JOSEPH of all things. I am in the market for a good water well we may cast him into should the need arise.
He is 12 now and taller than me, something which he loves to bring up at any given opportunity. He is incredibly social and has the power to befriend(abduct) anything living within a 5 mile radius. Please pray for him as we go back, that the Lord will send him a friend to make the transition easier.