Becoming acquainted...first impressions

Wow, it's already been a week since we boarded a plane in Omaha, NE and began our trek over-seas. It's been a good week though full of lots of changes and introductions... So, here are some of the highlights...
*We were blessed by a great trip schedule... OMA-ATL-MOW...about 13 hours of flight with only a two hour lay-over!! We had very little traffic to our friend's place and were greated warmly by them. We freshened up and headed out immediately to have a "shashlik" picnic at the park. This was a great time to see some of their work and the fresh air helped us and the boys stay awake!! We managed to make it to bedtime before crashing. We had a blissful Sunday with our friends and then headed back to the airport on Monday for a smooth flight southward... We were a little worried about our extra baggage but it all worked out! Praise Him!
* We've arrived! We were greeted with open arms full graciousness! We were met at the airport by a couple we had never met, to take us to the apt of a family who we've never met who is out of country where we will stay till we find our own apt. The fridge had been stocked by our friends here and Andy headed out to take care of our registration with the aide of another couple that lives here!!
* The generosity, graciousness, hospitality, camaraderie and community of the expats here has just blown us away this week. We have been blessed as we make this transition. I've also made some "fun" discoveries---discoveries that ease this "city-girl's" mind! :-) There is a mall that has just opened!!! :-) While still over half-empty, there will be a movie theater to go along with the arcade, mini-market, bowling alley and a fast-food chicken place!! :-) I know that it's silly, but I'm so excited to find a bit of "city" in this place!! :-)
*We've also discovered that it really does rain about half of the time here so we already went and got MJ & NL little boy umbrellas!! :-)
*Another discovery which makes us all that more thankful for our temp residence is that finding an apt is a slow going process! We just keep praying for clear guidance on our future home...
*It's also been nice to find more smiles here...the Russian culture has always been such a stark contrast from the Latin one I was raised in so it's been so refreshing to find that life here is a little more laid back with a few more smiles!
*We've got so much to do in the next few months that at times it can be so overwhelming, but what has made an even bigger impression is already seeing His love among His workers just completely knocking over political and denominational boundaries with a passion to see Him glorified!

So, that's a bit of what's been going through my mind the last few days and my first impressions...