Each and Every Count!

I am writing this as the electricity and water is off today from 8-6.  I finally stopped guarding the kids from opening up the fridge so things did not spoil.  The kids were hot and resting under the shade.  And the computer was surprisingly charged so I thought this could be a good time to blog – if I remember to post this when the electricity does come on J 

              Even though we have had this month as a break from classes, the time has been used to redo all our inspections (fire, health), work on immigration for ourselves and students, insurance renewals, recruitment, and lots of meetings,  And meetings (meaning 1 at a time) here usually can last for a whole day, because the waiting takes a whole day until you get inJ  It never feels like you accomplish much, but we are learning if we can get one things done each day- it was a successful day on the business side of things!

              This weeks business things were…interesting.  One of the things was we had a meeting with the pediatric surgeon on the Island.  People often think health care will be so amazing here with so much tourism.  But we have heard several scary cases.  Our current student had a sister go in for routine surgery to remove a cyst this year and they operated on the wrong side – TWICE!  So, we have thanked God we have not had to go to the hospital. 

              That changed when Naiyah fell and broke her arm.  So, we prayed.  And since we don’t have official papers here nor insurance still because of that, medical care is through the roof.  So just the xrays, reset, iv, and doctors visit were over $2,500.  It would have been cheaper to hop on a plane to a doctor we know and love in the States.  But, we decided to firmly plant our feet and stay here and trust God and the doctor here. 

              After an hour wait for him to arrive, we realized all 5 patients in the waiting room were given the 9am time slot, so that meant more waiting. After we were finally called back, he immediately started telling us her break would likely need surgery, would require Naiyah being put to sleep, getting a shot, cutting- she was a mess and scared.  I guess we weren’t used to the directness with kids there.   Then, he sound out we homeschool and were missionaries and proceeded to interrogate the kids on what part of the restoration movement we were from  - to our 5 year old!  Pax, of course, had no clue so then he pointed out homeschool was not working for them.  Somehow we made it through the $175 appointment to be told to come back in a week after the swelling had gone down.

              Later in the week it was time to renew our driving licenses.  Yes, we waited until the day before they expired.  The main office was close, leaving open one office for the whole island.  We arrived, waited in line, only to find out a lady in front of us had already been waiting 3 hours!  We decided to come back the next day- the day we had to get it done!   And we would be genius and arrive 30 minutes before the office open to get there first.  By the time, we arrived the line went way into the road!  We are standing there with all 4 kids in the sun for a half hour, when a security officer comes out and says we can’t have the baby in the hot sun (yes, by 8am already hot here!).  So he takes us to the front of the line and has us go first.  And that is when the mob started.  So many shouting, “Unfair Americans.  Pay taxes and then you can go first.  Of course, the Americans are treated better.  We have been waiting for over 3 hours, etc.” 

              It was horrible.  We said we’ll just wait like all the others.  Because it was not fair.  And the officer said no, you have kids.  So we finished our business, tried to apologize to the line on the wait and kept our heads down because we got through in an hour.

              All this to say – this summer when back we heard so much on black lives matter, saw firsthand foster care kids uncared for, and so many other situations.   It made us think we all are in situations.  In our situations we can sometimes feel like a minority for homeschooling, for being American, for being a Christian, for having several kids.  All of us are in different situations and each and every life counts!  Our family goal we are striving for to learn and show is we don’t know everyone’s story but we know they are each significant and to help love them to see that – no matter our circumstance or story! 

Catching Up

    Several months to bring up to speed.  We had such a sweet time this summer becoming a family of 6, visiting churches, having a big road trip out to the convention in CA and a few churches out that way, getting great time with family, and then finally heading HOME to our own place!  We surely do cherish having dresser drawers to unpack in!
   We did go through a discouraging time. (Don't we all?)  We had many doubts if we were fit to do this job and the right people.   So many scary faith builders for us of waiting for the properties to sell, God bringing staff to WISE, the accreditation process taking more time here than we had thought, having to wait on students to come, and our work permits still not being done.  All this to say God has a plan and we are so excited as we watch Him unfold it!  We have always felt He was doing big things through WISE and the move here and each day we are seeing that come true.
    We were at our 1st church where we were crying and felt overwhelmed and said there is no way we can walk into this meeting and pretend things are great.  We have always felt so excited to share.  This time we said, let's just be honest.  It was one of the best nights of the church body surrounding us in prayer and encouraging us.  From there, we heard from another church that from a trip they had taken in March, they were so encouraged by WISE they were going to give more to missions and also  be more involved all over.  So even in the waiting for the Bible College to grow, God was still working through WISE.  Just not how we had envisioned.
      Brice and I had decided personally to have a day of fasting for the accreditation process to be completed.  We set the date, had to change it, and then decided to invite those on social media to join in.  We literally heard from thousands they had been fasting and praying.  That day we heard from the council and we could not have international students come!  It truly has been so humbling to see God working.

FAMILY TIDBITS

Naiyah has always been Kensington's biggest fan!  She loves changing and holding her.  This past week she fell and broker her arm and now she herself needs help changing.  We are praying that this Tuesday when the swelling goes down she will not need surgery and her cast can be put on.

Everyone says she is Paxson's twin :)  

Our cousin's came down and led workshops to the community and churches and we sure did love personal time with them!

One of our videos from the trip this summer :)

Reunited back home with dear friends here! 

Kensington Caroline is here!

We feel so incredibly thankful to God for our little blessing!  We are enjoying baby time!  Kensington  (from our favorite place Brice and I visited) Caroline (named from my great-grandmother) is such a sweet baby.  She has already traveled over 3,000 miles in her first 3 weeks of life and never once complains or fusses.  She is for sure our little missions traveler!  

She was 3 weeks early and had a few things the doctors were concerned about, but keeps progressing and getting better.  We received her social security card and birth certificate, so now just waiting for her passport to be able to travel back to Barbados.

For our family we always somehow have to keep things hopping.  Brice tore his knee in a basketball game with 20year olds (I did warn him we aren't that young anymore before), so we have had his appointments.  Then, Kensington had an extra hospital stay and some ongoing tests with her hip and heart the doctor is keeping an eye on that usually clears up in a few months.  

We visited a few churches, camps, and mission teams in the area.  Now we head to the NACC and then to several churches on the West Coast.  Brice vetoed my camping in tents to California with a newborn, but we'll make it there!  And then we head back on the plane home.

We still covet your prayers for future staff, the accreditation process, and students applying to come.  

And we are so very thankful for the couples that taught at WISE this summer and watched over the campus!

Health Update

     We got all the tests and results back and so very thankful for the clear reports.  Baby girl is still staying inside, which is good as still a bit early.  The problems were minor infections cleared up and some fluid on the kidneys related to pregnancy.  We feel so grateful to the good report as so many have to go through so much.  We are especially mindful of this as we pray for so many hurting and suffering.

A Change of Plans

     I had been having lots of pet-term labor signs, so we made the decision for the kids and I to come back early.  Brice will still be another month in Barbados teaching.  The good news is baby girl is doing so well and while still looks like will come early, she is doing so well now.
     Some different news was my enlarged spleen.  Early tests showed that an infection had not been cleared up.  So, this coming week I will have further tests at the hospital to see and if the ultrasound shows still enlarged, the doctor is referring me to an oncologist.  While it could be something serious like leukemia or a blood cancer, it could also be malaria or something similar as we have been in places with it!

1 - We would ask your prayers for baby girl to wait a bit longer at least until Daddy is back!
2 - For us without Daddy as will be a long month!
3 - Praise for teachers this summer and students as they continue to study and the help in covering while we are gone.
4 - Praise for the new staff joining us!
5 - Praise I have a great doctor and searching for answers and diagnosed this early to get treatment.

Love to all!

Staff Family Prayers

     Things are going so well with WISE.  We just recently got word from the accreditation that we can now bring in students!  We have been interviewing several staff members to have a full team for the fall!  And there are so many great families we have had interested to join!

     Our family from the get-go has prayed for a family with kids to serve with- so our kids have other kids to play and grow and serve with here.  When we first joined with WISE, that was the plan and our dear friends were set to come with us to serve and we would teach together and raise our kids together on the mission field.  Tragically around that time, they lost their precious son and were not able to join us.

     So we have kept praying for that family to join us.  We recently interviewed and were eager to welcome a family, who had 7 children near our kids ages.  They were so sweet and could tell would be a great addition to the team here.  They had sold their house recently and all seemed great after the visit here, until we just received news the father found he has kidney failure and they will not be able to leave the States now.

     We are sad for the WISE family to not have them and selfishly for our family to have them.  But, we are also praying for their family as they go through this.  We'd love for your prayers for the father's health and for staff here.

Joyful in hope!

      Grandma just passed away.  One of the harder things on the field is dealing with sickness and not having family support, missing out on saying good-bye to loved ones and grieving with family when death occurs, missing best friends weddings, and the list goes on- but those are the big ones.  How we longed to have spoken to grandma in person one last time and to be with family at the funeral!

      There's a hill (about 40 feet) that dips into a valley on the way to my grandparents house.  Oh man, did we get so excited driving up to her house.  As we turned down her road....us kids would all shout and beg, "Go Fast, Daddy!"  Drive so fast!"  And our stomachs would drop out as we plunged down the hill and we squealed with delight.  Many times we would get to do it more than once a visit.  

     This week has been our hardest physical week we have experienced in 9 years.  Our family came down with some sort of flu that involved fevers of over 103, bronchitis, ear infection, vomiting, etc.  It started with one and would attack another the next day until it passed through all.  On top of it, our cook was sick and we were filling in.  And on top of that we have groups this week and a family interviewing to join the staff.  We are go getters and so to have to say we have to rest, was impossible to do.  

     While we kept wishing and praying it would get better and go away, God was giving us such hope.  Hope in knowing we will see grandma again in a better body.  Hope in the team we have here helping us out and persevering on their own, hope in God giving us strength each day even if was just to hold the kids and get meals out for all.  Hope in meeting a family doctor (we did not yet know one) and he is only 30 min away, as opposed to an hour which most are here since we are in the country.  And even with vomit all over he was so nice and kind- not even holding his nose :)   Hope that premature labor was stopped after we got the right medication.  And hope in God continually hearing prayers!

     While feeling sick and down we wanted to have that feeling of excitement as we dealt with things- that we were joyful for the next things....the exhilaration on the ride God has us on.  But on the road we are on today we are ready to turn around the corner or to quit climbing the hill to get there....but God is giving us strength each day.  

     We are so thankful for your prayers and love to our family.  We are praying in all you have joy and hope as well!

               "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

                                   Romans 12:12