The New Year
In the last month or so, we have been thinking back to this time last year. It's so very hard to believe that it's been a year since the craziness in our lives really began.
It was December 21 last year that Kylie, Emily and I made the trek to Tsiko over what we thought was just a "strangely sore foot." We had no idea how that trip would change everything.
It was December 29 when Nate and the boys arrived in Tsiko and Jack had his ceiling-fan scalping.
It will be one year ago this Thursday (January 16) that Ethan and Nate will have had their motorcycle accident.
So weird. It's unbelievable, really, what has happened in the last 365 days. But here we are, a year later.
It's taken me a long time to sit down and blog again because I truly have had so little to say. I know for a fact that you are not interested in hearing about my measly home-schooling efforts, my endless loads of laundry, and our uninteresting work-a-day life here at home. There are days I'm barely interested in it!
But this blog post is not all gloom and looking back. I'm here to tell you that God is faithful and that in His grace, He moves us along the path of His choosing.
Last Friday I had lunch with my dear friend, Heather. In her sweetness and craziness she basically told me to get off my bum and start again. I told her I didn't really like this limbo-waiting period of our lives - the back and forth swaying of our hearts that has us pining away for Mango, yet here we are in Canada/we want to live in Mango/but we want to live in Canada. And do you know what my friend told me? She told me that no matter where I was in the waiting, I needed to be serving. Serving my Faithful Father.
That struck me and wiggled it's way into my heart and mind until I was really praying about it. And wouldn't you know that Sunday morning after church, another friend, Karen, came up to me (I think with a bit of fear and trepidation) to ask if I felt I was ready to serve again by helping out in the children's program at church. I laughed, told her this story and agreed it was, indeed, time to get back in the game.
And it was God's timing that worked it all out. His kindness and mercy that allowed Heather to say that to me. His perfect timing of all the details of our lives continues to astound me. Really, how slow am I? Did I not learn this THIS TIME LAST YEAR? Have I forgotten all the things His hands provided? I smack my own self in the head when I remember the anesthetist who extended his stay but didn't know why until Kylie's arrival at the hospital, and the short term doctor who just happened to specialize in septic joints in children? Oh and remember that there was a doctor from Lome who just happened to be driving down the mountain in a truck when Ethan broke his leg and needed a ride down?
And the list goes on.
I'm beginning to grasp how very slow I am at learning things. Important things. Things I should not be forgetting quite so quickly.
And now here we are. January 13, 2014. And behold, I do also have news for you in the medical drama-like lives of our children.
And this time, it's not Kylie.
Ethan had been dealing with some pain in his knee last fall that landed us in Emerg a couple of times. They did an x-ray and thought they saw something in there, so they booked an MRI, which didn't really work due to the rod in his leg and so they booked a CT scan. Last Thursday we got the results of that scan and it turns out he has a 3 cm piece of bone hanging around in his knee joint. And it needs to come out. Our surgeon thinks it can be done with a scope and day surgery, as long as things don't get complicated once she gets in there. I'm praying things are simple, simple, simple when she looks down that fancy little scope.
The kicker of this surgery is it's timing. It's March 28. That's also the day that Nate flies out for a return trip to Mango again. It should be a fun day. But reall, I'm not even slightly worried about it. We have so many excellent friends and family who'll help out where needed.
But that's the news. The other kind-of cool thing about it is that by the time we get to March 28 for Eth's surgery, Kylie should have NO PICC LINE!! Can I get an amen???
And so we begin 2014 with what I hope is the tail-end of the medically complicated chapter of our lives. Though we can't return to Mango for some months still, we are so incredibly grateful that we are at home, in our Canadian medical system for all these tests, surgeries, procedures and medications. I love, love, love OHIP.
As I look back over the last year, my heart is so full of gratitude for so many things -- too many to list for you to read. But so so many, nonetheless. And as I reread the posts and look through our pictures I find myself saying something I never EVER thought I'd say:
Please God, Africa.
It was December 21 last year that Kylie, Emily and I made the trek to Tsiko over what we thought was just a "strangely sore foot." We had no idea how that trip would change everything.
It was December 29 when Nate and the boys arrived in Tsiko and Jack had his ceiling-fan scalping.
It will be one year ago this Thursday (January 16) that Ethan and Nate will have had their motorcycle accident.
So weird. It's unbelievable, really, what has happened in the last 365 days. But here we are, a year later.
It's taken me a long time to sit down and blog again because I truly have had so little to say. I know for a fact that you are not interested in hearing about my measly home-schooling efforts, my endless loads of laundry, and our uninteresting work-a-day life here at home. There are days I'm barely interested in it!
But this blog post is not all gloom and looking back. I'm here to tell you that God is faithful and that in His grace, He moves us along the path of His choosing.
Last Friday I had lunch with my dear friend, Heather. In her sweetness and craziness she basically told me to get off my bum and start again. I told her I didn't really like this limbo-waiting period of our lives - the back and forth swaying of our hearts that has us pining away for Mango, yet here we are in Canada/we want to live in Mango/but we want to live in Canada. And do you know what my friend told me? She told me that no matter where I was in the waiting, I needed to be serving. Serving my Faithful Father.
That struck me and wiggled it's way into my heart and mind until I was really praying about it. And wouldn't you know that Sunday morning after church, another friend, Karen, came up to me (I think with a bit of fear and trepidation) to ask if I felt I was ready to serve again by helping out in the children's program at church. I laughed, told her this story and agreed it was, indeed, time to get back in the game.
And it was God's timing that worked it all out. His kindness and mercy that allowed Heather to say that to me. His perfect timing of all the details of our lives continues to astound me. Really, how slow am I? Did I not learn this THIS TIME LAST YEAR? Have I forgotten all the things His hands provided? I smack my own self in the head when I remember the anesthetist who extended his stay but didn't know why until Kylie's arrival at the hospital, and the short term doctor who just happened to specialize in septic joints in children? Oh and remember that there was a doctor from Lome who just happened to be driving down the mountain in a truck when Ethan broke his leg and needed a ride down?
And the list goes on.
I'm beginning to grasp how very slow I am at learning things. Important things. Things I should not be forgetting quite so quickly.
And now here we are. January 13, 2014. And behold, I do also have news for you in the medical drama-like lives of our children.
And this time, it's not Kylie.
Ethan had been dealing with some pain in his knee last fall that landed us in Emerg a couple of times. They did an x-ray and thought they saw something in there, so they booked an MRI, which didn't really work due to the rod in his leg and so they booked a CT scan. Last Thursday we got the results of that scan and it turns out he has a 3 cm piece of bone hanging around in his knee joint. And it needs to come out. Our surgeon thinks it can be done with a scope and day surgery, as long as things don't get complicated once she gets in there. I'm praying things are simple, simple, simple when she looks down that fancy little scope.
The kicker of this surgery is it's timing. It's March 28. That's also the day that Nate flies out for a return trip to Mango again. It should be a fun day. But reall, I'm not even slightly worried about it. We have so many excellent friends and family who'll help out where needed.
But that's the news. The other kind-of cool thing about it is that by the time we get to March 28 for Eth's surgery, Kylie should have NO PICC LINE!! Can I get an amen???
And so we begin 2014 with what I hope is the tail-end of the medically complicated chapter of our lives. Though we can't return to Mango for some months still, we are so incredibly grateful that we are at home, in our Canadian medical system for all these tests, surgeries, procedures and medications. I love, love, love OHIP.
As I look back over the last year, my heart is so full of gratitude for so many things -- too many to list for you to read. But so so many, nonetheless. And as I reread the posts and look through our pictures I find myself saying something I never EVER thought I'd say:
Please God, Africa.
I love the final sentence! :) It's cool to see how God works in our hearts.
ReplyDeleteso thankful for this update! God was just reminding me this morning that i need to start praying for you guys again... He's got ALLLLLLLLL the details choreographed!
ReplyDeleteMakes me cry - and remember to serve right where I am. I love your updates
ReplyDelete