Our Funny Kids

Evangel's really growing up! She turned 15 this month, and has started babysitting. She made me laugh the first time she babysat at night. She called home and said, "Mom I'm so creeped out." The father of the baby showed her around. He showed her where the panic button was, to call a Security Company, and then took her to the silverware drawer, and showed her the steak knives. He told her those were to use if the security company didn't get there in time.

Yep, she was freaked out. The baby was already asleep, so the house was very quiet. She kept checking to make sure the baby was breathing, and she checked out which knife was the sharpest. When she got home around 9:30, she burst in the door looking radient, "I survived!" she let us know immediately.

I'm pleased with her. In spite of how scary it is, she's thrilled with the job. The 2nd time she borrowed Danielito's monitor, and put it right by the baby's nose so she'd know if the baby stopped breathing.

On Thursdays, she has a craft class with the daughters of the ladies who come to our Ladies Bible study. Last Thursday, for various reasons, she had no little girls the right age, so she ended up with these 3 clowns Josh, Tim's special buddy Oliver, and Timothy.


She let them make chocolate cakes in the microwave. There was a lot of teasing going on, but I think all four of them enjoyed themselves.

Timothy is almost 13, so he and Paul joined 2 other father/son teams for a special weekend in the wild. I stayed home and painted our bedroom, and wondered how our guys were doing. No need to worry, they had a wonderful time.

Joshua (9) and Danielito (2) are buddies. They had a jubilant reunion at the airport when we got back in September. Daniel calls Josh, "Daddy." Daniel hasn't quite got all the languages he hears sorted out, but we think this little mistake is so cute.

We found out yesterday that Daniel's expected sibling looks to be a girl! I think he's going to be a protective big brother.

Meditations`@ 4 AM

4 AM WIDE awake and such creative thoughts coursing through my brain--or maybe it's the codeine in my pain killer

Maybe in the light of day, I'll have nothing for our blog, but I was lying in bed, twitching, turning, aching a bit, and decided it would be better for Paul's sake to hobble out to the living room for some devotions. I got a bonus! The laptop was left on the couch, so here I am.

The Lord has ordained that my 2 weeks in bed not be too boring. The last 3 days have had such surprises, surprises of the heart wrenching nature, that I certainly cannot say I'm bored. So I'm lying on the living room floor, with my foot propped on the purple exercise ball that has become a favorite piece of furniture around here, and will give you a glimpse into some of the things that take my mind from my troubles.

Three days ago in the evening, a runaway called to find out if she could stay with us. We have known her for almost 9 years and, yes, we wanted her to come! But were also concerned about the legalities. So Paul and Gloria went to fetch her (nice SA way to say it). We had her for the next 24 hours, until the police and her foster parents came to fetch her (That fetching wasn't nice --- many tears shed that night.)

Yesterday I chased her social worker around on the phone, and was so pleased when I caught her. She was so nice! She says she is interested in setting up visiting rights for us, so that we can have her on weekends, and that gives hope she will not run away again so we're trying for that.

Obviously, this whole thing gave me a lot to think/pray about, but there's so much more. There's the usual stuff going on, Paul and his sister Grace having several meetings, our 3 kids having homeschool, plus at the moment they're grasping at all the outside classes they can squeeze in, and all the visiting they can manage. The cars needed servicing, the bills need to be paid, book & DVD orders need to be filled, new DVD's are being made all the time, along with eating, sleeping and exercising that have to be squeezed in. And then there is the unusual.

I called a missionary friend, also homeschoolers, with a homeschool question, to find she has cancer, and has had since June! How did we get so out of touch?!?! I felt like a crumb.

Later, I called another missionary friend to see if they were back from the States, and she had had a malignant growth too, and had the same operation!

Just as I got off the phone with her, a friend from our Ladies' Bible study came to visit (her little girls are fascinated with my mega-foot) and she told us that another Bible study friend had had a miscarriage. Ouch! I know how much she wanted this baby, and I'm grieving for her.

Our string of bad news got a little break here when Gloria came in with the news she is having a baby GIRL!!! Yippee! Gloria was leaning towards wanting a boy so Danielito could have a brother, but I'm thrilled with a little pink person to dress. And I know Gloria will love this little person anyway.

Then I got an email that my Peruvian missionary friend Nancy's Mom has had a mini stroke. I found out in the morning that my Dad has to have a Defibrillator put in, so I know how Nancy feels to have this stuff happen when you're far away. The difference is that I'm confident that my Dad is saved.

O, Lord, here's my list of hurting friends. I'd like them all healed or put into wonderful homes or saved immediately as I'm told at least one of them is not saved. I know You not only want their best, You know what is best so I ask that Your will be done in each situation. Please show me my part. I want to take action! Send a meal! Adopt! Introduce the 2 hurting missionary wives! Send a book to the miscarriage Mom. But everything I do involves someone else doing the leg work right now, since my foot is in the air.

I'll end by singing one of my most sung prayers, "Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah"...

The Offending Foot

Here's the guy that's giving me so much trouble. We left my head discreetly out of the picture as it probably wasn't quite up to perfection. Timmy's mug is cuter.

And the x-ray showing the screws is right there to horrify. A picture's worth a thousand words.

10 more days til I can be sitting up! It is really starting to get to me, but I'm thankful for my helpful family and friends who visit and do nice things. Erika, the lady in the bed next to me at the hospital, was going to be alone, and I've wondered how she's managing.

Reforms

My two nights in the hospital this week have left me completely qualified to write a paper on Hospital Reform. There is only one basic reform I would like to institute in these institutes. The theme is Respect Sleep.



In the story of Lazarus, in John 11:11 Jesus told His followers, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go to awaken him out of sleep."

And the followers answered, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will do well."



"If he sleep, he will do well." That phrase is dancing around in my mind after a largely sleepless night. I think it's true, sleep is healing. Yet where would I expect to spend one of the least restful nights of my life: in the hospital, the place I go to in hopes of healing! It's ironic.



I wonder if hospitals need to put a much higher priority on sleep. To me, the wide awake observer, most of the reforms to accomplish this are pretty common sense, but I'll list a few.



--it's not necessary for nurses to wear stilettos. Quiet, rubbery shoes should be used instead.

--keep rustley plastic clothing to a minimum. (I guess you can tell from that one, I'm a pretty light sleeper, even when I'm drugged!)

--use softer lighting. My room had fluorescent lighting for more then 19 hours a day! It must be important in surgery, but at 5 AM, I just can't think why fluorescent is necessary.

Let the patients sleep! Their blood pressure will wait, their pills won't spoil, and their bedpan will be rousing them soon enough because of the IV drip keeping things humming.

My next reforms I dreamed up were homeschooling reforms. Not one of my precious 3 chidren came to visit me during my 3 days in the hospital! I was astounded. True, I am the one who arranged for them to have extra classes on the only complete day I was in there, and true, their dad had an especially busy week, doing his own thing and mine as well, but still! Their one and only mother went under the knife!

So on morning number 2, I was busy jotting down ideas for how my children can realize how other people need them, when they need them! Not just at scheduled intervals.

Then a thought struck me: what if they didn't visit me because I'm me?!? These 3 have seen me be grumpy once or twice in their lives. They've seen snappy, nasty, weepy, whiney--the works! What if they didn't actually want to come visit me?

Now things were getting serious. I started in on the weepy, whiney, wimpy right there in the hospital as my imaginaton went into overdrive and I saw myself as an ancient widow in a dark room, with no visitors. There was anger and self pity in there--- it must have been the drugs, right? No way I could have given in to the Enemy like this! But I did.

Finally, I turned to God. I read 1 Peter 1:2, where Peter prays for the readers of his letter, "Grace unto you, and peace be mulitiplied." That's me! I'm a reader of his letter, and I needed both grace and peace. I couldn't muster any feelings of forgiveness, grace, or peace--it was all agitation, annoyance, anger. I prayed for grace and peace, and the Lord gave it to me. I'm so thankful!

The Lord gave me sleep, which is always a help to my mood, and I awoke with peace and grace. It was unnatural! I felt full of love for everything and everybody, and I acted right!

What a difference. Instead of coming home wailing, "You neglected me!" I came home with new resolves to be interested in them. Results: the entire family has been in the King sized bed with me! It's been cozy. They told me about their first writing class, and their plans for next week. Evangel had her first babysitting job, and that was a major event! Timothy's mind keep revolving around his birthday party which isn't til December, but he's making plans. Josh wanted me to read him a book, which I did, and that inspired a trip with the cousins to the fish store and now our fish tank is full again after a year or so of rest.

I've got nice kids! Thank you, Lord, for reminding me, for giving me grace and peace toward them. And please help them to visit me when I'm old. :-)

3 Reforms 1)Hospitals 2)Homeschooling priorities 3) ME!

In Memory of Carol Lewis

Our friend Carol Lewis went to Heaven on Saturday morning, October 9, 2010, exactly 15 years after she helped us welcome our firstborn into the world. We're not sad for Carol. She was a dear friend,a vibrant Christian, and there is no doubt in anyone's mind that she is in Heaven, having a wonderful time.

We have wonderful memories of her. Several people will remember her Mexican/Guatemalan slide show. We laughed til we ached as, for one picture after another, she'd say, "Well, you can't see it, but this is a __________." She had a camera that didn't want to focus, but each photo had memories for her, and we enjoyed her sharing them with us.

I remember when I first met her. She took me under her wing and gave me lots of advice on how to be a good wife to Brother Paul. She should know! Paul's address was with the Lewis Family for several years. They set up a prophet's chamber in their basement, complete with a king sized bed, for Paul to land in between preaching appointments. Not only that, but she was the one who helped Paul schedule his preaching appointments!

I remember when she was "the chip lady" in Westville, collecting and distributing chips to everyone she knew. She set me a great example of hospitality, opening her home to many, many people. I think the most I ever heard of her having was the entire Pacific Garden Missions Choir, but that was just for a meal. Another time she had 15 people sleeping under her roof, eating 3 meals a day with them.

I remember her thriftiness, and money making ideas, like the time we went blueberrying. I loved that one.

Now we think of her in Heaven, just having a blast seeing her little Kurtis who died before he was born, and our little Cherish!

She had a dream before she knew about the cancer. I'm so glad for her. I know that dream was a comfort to her because she told me about it twice. She dreamed she was in Heaven, and a man was there walking his dog. He said to her, "It's nice here; you'll like it."