![\"Our](\"http:\/\/69.89.31.195\/~sukofami\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/885430_4714812670078_1186124932_o.jpg\")
Our kids with their Ukrainian grandparents<\/p><\/div>\n
The day started as any day, Caleb woke me up with a kiss and a cup of coffee, the children had their schoolwork to do, we shipped our youngest off to grandma’s for the day. For lunch Caleb decided to take me for a long brisk walk. I was encouraged by this a lot more than by the idea of a lunch in an overcrowded restaurant as everybody was celebrating the holiday.<\/p>\n
Before we left for our walk we gave the children strict instructions to finish their schoolwork, not to bug each other and, if anything happened, Naomi had to call us right away.<\/p>\n
We had walked for about 1,5 hours when my phone rang. It was our eldest, Naomi. I nervously picked up the phone and to my horror I heard screaming and squealing in the background. My first thought was that the apartment was on fire.<\/p>\n
On the other end of the line Naomi, on the verge of tears, told me that the kids had gone crazy, are fighting each other and nobody is doing their schoolwork… In a quiet but stern voice I asked to speak to Mishael (10 years old). I scolded him and told him that he was grounded from computer games until the end of the weekend. He was to sit on his bed and wait for our return home. Same fate awaited the two little girls (8 and 6 years old).<\/p>\n
As we walked home I told Caleb that I mistakenly thought that the kids were mature enough to be\u00a0left at home with Naomi. With a heavy heart we climbed the stairs to our apartment and tried to unlock the door, but it was not locked….<\/p>\n
With trembling hands I opened the door. The apartment was quiet. At first I noticed that the kitchen was sparkling clean, the mountain of clean laundry in the living room was gone and there was a candle lit on the side table.<\/p>\n
As I walked down the hall I noticed more candles and an orchid on the table. Every room has been perfectly cleaned but the children were nowhere to be found! That’s when I realized that Caleb and the kids tricked me!<\/p>\n
We eventually found all four kids sitting crammed in a dark pantry. I opened the door and they all gave me a hug and a smile. Not only did they finish their schoolwork faster than usual, they also cleaned the entire apartment from top to bottom. I couldn’t have wished for a better gift for March 8th, than a bunch of happy and kind children.<\/p>\n
Psalm 127:3-5<\/strong> Today, March 8th, is International Women’s Day celebrated widely in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The streets are full of flower sellers and every woman has a bouquet in her hands on this day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[36,101],"tags":[68,278,279,114],"class_list":["post-2377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-kids-corner-family","tag-children","tag-march-8th","tag-motherhood","tag-parenting"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/885430_4714812670078_1186124932_o.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s3izZc-2377","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":221,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/2nd-womens-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":2377,"position":0},"title":"2nd Women’s Day!","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"March 20, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Our church here in Odessa, \"Hope for People\" also asked Christina to speak to the women on March 8th. Since we were in Kharkiv on March 8th, they moved their March 8th celebration to March 16th. Therefore Christina had a chance to share with them her testimony and encouragement from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Updates"","block_context":{"text":"General Updates","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":553,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/2011-in-2min-11sec\/","url_meta":{"origin":2377,"position":1},"title":"2011 in 2min 11sec","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"December 29, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Thank you for all your love and support in 2011!January\u00a0-Kids camp-Good Soil in Kremunchug\u00a0February\u00a0-Missions course at CMI\u00a0March\u00a0-Women's conference\u00a0-Preachers training\u00a0-Good Soil in Odessa\u00a0April\u00a0-Ressurection Sunday\u00a0 Pictures\u00a0Video\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0May\u00a0-Village OutreachesMakarovo\u00a0Sahanskoe\u00a0Lemani\u00a0June\u00a0-Men's and Women's Fellowship\u00a0-International Children's Day\u00a0July-Student Mission trip to Moldova\u00a0Pictures\u00a0Video\u00a0August-Church camp\u00a0-Village outreach in Shamanovka and Nova KubankaSeptember-Baptism in Sahanskoe\u00a0-\"Why we are here\"\u00a0October-Training the Trainers\u00a0-Harvest Celebration\u00a0November-Missions Roundtable\u00a0-Peter's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Video Updates"","block_context":{"text":"Video Updates","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/video-updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7567,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/17-confessions-of-a-good-husband\/","url_meta":{"origin":2377,"position":2},"title":"17 Confessions of a Good Husband","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"March 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In honor of March 8th, which is International Women's Day, I wanted to share with you 17 ways I'm trying to honor the main woman in my life, Christina! If you want to know a bit more about Christina check out these posts. Note: The following confessions are something I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSC04351.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSC04351.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSC04351.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSC04351.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/DSC04351.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/snow-in-march\/","url_meta":{"origin":2377,"position":3},"title":"Snow in March!","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"March 11, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"We came home from wet and rainy Boise to a little snow here in Western WA!We are spending this weekend in Maple Valley for the Taylor Creek Church Missions' Conference. Last night we had dinner with the leaders of the church. This morning I went the the men's breakfast and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Updates"","block_context":{"text":"General Updates","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/updates\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":261,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/new-opportunities\/","url_meta":{"origin":2377,"position":4},"title":"New Opportunities","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"January 29, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday Christina shared here testimony with a group of pastor\u2019s wives and leaders in womens' ministry. They have asked her to speak at their regional women\u2019s conference which will take place at the end of March. 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\nNew International Version (NIV)<\/em>
\n 3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
\noffspring a reward from him.
\n4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
\nare children born in one\u2019s youth.
\n5 Blessed is the man
\nwhose quiver is full of them.
\nThey will not be put to shame
\nwhen they contend with their opponents in court.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em> Question: Could you share an occasion when your children became a blessing to you?<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"