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Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Adjusting to America
I am having somewhat of a hard time adjusting to being back in Philly...back in America. I have been back for about 3 weeks now, and I still haven't fully adjusted. Why is it so hard for me to adjust? Well, in Africa for 3 weeks straight I wasn't busy. I had plenty of full days, and several of them wore me out. But, I was never busy. I never had to be anywhere at any time. I went places because I felt like I should go and did what I felt like God wanted me to do. I didn't do anything simply because I had to. Then, after a few full days in a row, I got a day of rest. My life in America is not like that.
Since coming back I have tried to stop being so busy. I have really been seeking to fill my days with only the things that God wants me to. I don't mind have a lot to do, but I don't want to be busy. The problem is, everyone around me is busy. I don't know a single person who isn't busy all the time. I have been back for 3 weeks and have hung out with friends 3 times. I have tried to find time with them many more times than that, but everyone is so busy.
Unfortunately, I'm busy too, and that's part of the problem. In Africa there was no coordinating of schedules, here that's all I do. I'm not trying to make a statement about which is better. I absolutely see the benefits of the way things work here...and I don't think that the lifestyle in Africa would work at all in America. I enjoy everything that I do and I don't want to cut any of it out.
I don't really think one way is better than the other, they are just different. When I worked for AIM we had a saying that we used to tell groups going into cross cultural situations. We used to tell them to look at the things that other cultures do differently from us and say, "Its not bad, just different". I really believe that is true. Of course neither is perfect, but one isn't more right than the other either. They are just different, but I am having a hard time adjusting to the differences.
I was only in Africa for 3 weeks and I am struggling to adjust to life
in the US...and I was born and raised here! I can't imagine how difficult the adjustment must be for people moving here. When we were in Sudan we met several refugees who had left Sudan and moved to America. One of them was David, whom we actually spent a lot of time with. He told us that the hardest adjustment for him was the busyness of everyone around him. He was not used to people being too busy for friends, something that happens a lot in America, but very rarely in Africa. He said he struggled a lot with loneliness at first, getting used to being alone a lot and having to work to find time to be with friends. Now I understand (on a much smaller scale) how he felt.
But, David has adjusted, and so will I. :) On another, completely unrelated note, Linda is doing extremely well in her music class! They moved her up to the next level in both her voice and her trumpet class (she is with kids that have been taking lessons for years!) and even invited her to a summer music camp this summer! She is so excited, and I am so proud of her!!! Usually her mom doesn't allow her to go away unless I'm with her, but I'm hoping we can convince her to let Linda go to this camp. The instructor said that I would be allowed to come and visit her, so hopefully that will make her mom feel better. This is such an incredible opportunity for Linda!
Bonita is doing well in her music classes as well, but she isn't as into it as Linda. I think it's okay because Bonita did much better than Linda at ice skating. So, Linda has music and Bonita has skating. They are both doing well in ballet (which makes sense for both of them, seeing Linda's musical skills and Bonita's athletic skills) and are pretty equal in basketball too. So far they are doing really well encouraging one another, even when the other is doing better. I hope that continues!
I didn't do so well going to bed early last night, and I woke up feeling sick again this morning, so I'm still not on the track I want to be on. I have staff prayer tomorrow morning, so that will at least get me up early. Plus, I just remembered that I am supposed to speak to Linda's class on Thursday morning about Africa and malaria, so that will force me to get up and moving then as well. Hopefully that will start a trend for me. It seems like its taking me a while to make the changes that I need to make, so I am praying for the commitment and perseverance I need to get through this. I know He will provide!
Since coming back I have tried to stop being so busy. I have really been seeking to fill my days with only the things that God wants me to. I don't mind have a lot to do, but I don't want to be busy. The problem is, everyone around me is busy. I don't know a single person who isn't busy all the time. I have been back for 3 weeks and have hung out with friends 3 times. I have tried to find time with them many more times than that, but everyone is so busy.
Unfortunately, I'm busy too, and that's part of the problem. In Africa there was no coordinating of schedules, here that's all I do. I'm not trying to make a statement about which is better. I absolutely see the benefits of the way things work here...and I don't think that the lifestyle in Africa would work at all in America. I enjoy everything that I do and I don't want to cut any of it out.
I don't really think one way is better than the other, they are just different. When I worked for AIM we had a saying that we used to tell groups going into cross cultural situations. We used to tell them to look at the things that other cultures do differently from us and say, "Its not bad, just different". I really believe that is true. Of course neither is perfect, but one isn't more right than the other either. They are just different, but I am having a hard time adjusting to the differences.
I was only in Africa for 3 weeks and I am struggling to adjust to life
in the US...and I was born and raised here! I can't imagine how difficult the adjustment must be for people moving here. When we were in Sudan we met several refugees who had left Sudan and moved to America. One of them was David, whom we actually spent a lot of time with. He told us that the hardest adjustment for him was the busyness of everyone around him. He was not used to people being too busy for friends, something that happens a lot in America, but very rarely in Africa. He said he struggled a lot with loneliness at first, getting used to being alone a lot and having to work to find time to be with friends. Now I understand (on a much smaller scale) how he felt.But, David has adjusted, and so will I. :) On another, completely unrelated note, Linda is doing extremely well in her music class! They moved her up to the next level in both her voice and her trumpet class (she is with kids that have been taking lessons for years!) and even invited her to a summer music camp this summer! She is so excited, and I am so proud of her!!! Usually her mom doesn't allow her to go away unless I'm with her, but I'm hoping we can convince her to let Linda go to this camp. The instructor said that I would be allowed to come and visit her, so hopefully that will make her mom feel better. This is such an incredible opportunity for Linda!
Bonita is doing well in her music classes as well, but she isn't as into it as Linda. I think it's okay because Bonita did much better than Linda at ice skating. So, Linda has music and Bonita has skating. They are both doing well in ballet (which makes sense for both of them, seeing Linda's musical skills and Bonita's athletic skills) and are pretty equal in basketball too. So far they are doing really well encouraging one another, even when the other is doing better. I hope that continues!
I didn't do so well going to bed early last night, and I woke up feeling sick again this morning, so I'm still not on the track I want to be on. I have staff prayer tomorrow morning, so that will at least get me up early. Plus, I just remembered that I am supposed to speak to Linda's class on Thursday morning about Africa and malaria, so that will force me to get up and moving then as well. Hopefully that will start a trend for me. It seems like its taking me a while to make the changes that I need to make, so I am praying for the commitment and perseverance I need to get through this. I know He will provide!
She Came!!
A 15 year old girl that I have been praying would come to God Squad finally came tonight! I was so excited to see her! She has a lot going on in her life and is definitely testing the waters with Christianity, and I am praying SO hard for her. I will call her Carly; PLEASE PRAY FOR HER! I don't even know all that is going on in her life, but she is searching and I know that God is pursuing her hardcore! She seemed to have fun, although it was really hard to tell what she thought of the lesson and small group time. I really pray that she felt welcomed and loved...and that she would come back next week!
The last few days have been just as busy as the ones before it, but they have been really good. I did get plenty of time to relax on Saturday, which was so nice...and needed. Sunday turned out to be a much more full day than I thought it would be. Pedro and Miguel came to church on Sunday for the first time in a long time. Miguel actually called me at 7:30 in the morning to remind me to pick him up! (Sunday School doesn't start until 9:45). Sunday School went really well, and church was good too. After church I ended up taking 6 kids out to lunch, and had them with me until basketball started at 3. Basketball went until 5, and then I finally took all the kids home. I was pretty exhausted at that point, but only had a few minutes to grab something to eat before heading back to church for membership class. I wasn't too happy about having to go to the class during the Superbowl (did I mention that I really love football?!?), but the class was actually pretty fun. I got home at halftime and enjoyed watching the rest of the game. I also started my newsletter, finally, and I'm already almost finished!
Once I start something, I'm not very good at leaving it unfinished, so I ended up staying up pretty late last night working on my newsletter. I finally went to bed around 1:30 when I was at a good stopping point. Unfortunately, I woke up this morning with a pretty bad cold and it took me a while to get up and moving. My whole "go to bed early and get up early" thing isn't going too well, but I'm still working on it. I just have to learn to not start working on things when I get home late at night, because that keeps me up later and messes me up for the next day. I'll get it eventually. :)
I finally got going around 10 this morning and got a lot of work done. I left at 3 to pick the kids up and it was another great day at after-school!! I got to spend some good one on one time with several of the kids and again didn't have any major disciplinary problems to deal with. I'm still not making any decisions about next year (I will do that this summer when I'm not in the middle of everything), but I know its going to be a hard program for me to let go...and it doesn't help that its going so well right now. I know that God will show me His plan, though, and I will follow it no matter how difficult it may be.
My night ended at God Squad, which also went really well. I really love the teens and I enjoy being there. The small group times are always a challenge for me, mostly because I don't feel comfortable teaching. I can never tell what the girls are thinking and I always feel like I am not making any sense. My goal, however, is to always walk out of those times feeling like I spoke the truth and shared the love of Christ in my words and actions. I felt that way tonight when I left, so overall I think it went well.
Obviously, I am up late again, but I am about to go to bed. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow and we have Family Night tomorrow night. I really need God to teach me to make my schedule based on Him, and not myself or even what others expect. I have this mindset that if its daytime and I am up, I should be working. The problem with that is that I have a ministry every night of the week. So, if I work from the time I get up until I come home at night, I'm easily working 14 hours a day, 4 days a week. That's not good! I need to be okay with being up at 9 on a Thursday morning and taking that time to be with the Lord or go to the gym or something, knowing that After-school and Teen Club are coming...which accounts for 6 hours alone! I can start working at 2 p.m. on Thursday and still work for 8 hours. Since I now have a ministry every night, I need to learn to start my "work day" later, or take breaks in the middle of the day rather than feeling the pressure to be working all the time. Its going to take some time to change my mindset, but I know I need to. I don't want to burn out!
The last few days have been just as busy as the ones before it, but they have been really good. I did get plenty of time to relax on Saturday, which was so nice...and needed. Sunday turned out to be a much more full day than I thought it would be. Pedro and Miguel came to church on Sunday for the first time in a long time. Miguel actually called me at 7:30 in the morning to remind me to pick him up! (Sunday School doesn't start until 9:45). Sunday School went really well, and church was good too. After church I ended up taking 6 kids out to lunch, and had them with me until basketball started at 3. Basketball went until 5, and then I finally took all the kids home. I was pretty exhausted at that point, but only had a few minutes to grab something to eat before heading back to church for membership class. I wasn't too happy about having to go to the class during the Superbowl (did I mention that I really love football?!?), but the class was actually pretty fun. I got home at halftime and enjoyed watching the rest of the game. I also started my newsletter, finally, and I'm already almost finished!
Once I start something, I'm not very good at leaving it unfinished, so I ended up staying up pretty late last night working on my newsletter. I finally went to bed around 1:30 when I was at a good stopping point. Unfortunately, I woke up this morning with a pretty bad cold and it took me a while to get up and moving. My whole "go to bed early and get up early" thing isn't going too well, but I'm still working on it. I just have to learn to not start working on things when I get home late at night, because that keeps me up later and messes me up for the next day. I'll get it eventually. :)
I finally got going around 10 this morning and got a lot of work done. I left at 3 to pick the kids up and it was another great day at after-school!! I got to spend some good one on one time with several of the kids and again didn't have any major disciplinary problems to deal with. I'm still not making any decisions about next year (I will do that this summer when I'm not in the middle of everything), but I know its going to be a hard program for me to let go...and it doesn't help that its going so well right now. I know that God will show me His plan, though, and I will follow it no matter how difficult it may be.
My night ended at God Squad, which also went really well. I really love the teens and I enjoy being there. The small group times are always a challenge for me, mostly because I don't feel comfortable teaching. I can never tell what the girls are thinking and I always feel like I am not making any sense. My goal, however, is to always walk out of those times feeling like I spoke the truth and shared the love of Christ in my words and actions. I felt that way tonight when I left, so overall I think it went well.
Obviously, I am up late again, but I am about to go to bed. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow and we have Family Night tomorrow night. I really need God to teach me to make my schedule based on Him, and not myself or even what others expect. I have this mindset that if its daytime and I am up, I should be working. The problem with that is that I have a ministry every night of the week. So, if I work from the time I get up until I come home at night, I'm easily working 14 hours a day, 4 days a week. That's not good! I need to be okay with being up at 9 on a Thursday morning and taking that time to be with the Lord or go to the gym or something, knowing that After-school and Teen Club are coming...which accounts for 6 hours alone! I can start working at 2 p.m. on Thursday and still work for 8 hours. Since I now have a ministry every night, I need to learn to start my "work day" later, or take breaks in the middle of the day rather than feeling the pressure to be working all the time. Its going to take some time to change my mindset, but I know I need to. I don't want to burn out!
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Busy Week
This week has been a blur of activity! I still haven't had much time to sit and process my trip to Africa, so I apologize to anyone who has been waiting for me to write more about that. Its coming, I promise!
Wednesday was a really rough day for me spiritually. It was pretty normal in terms of my schedule, but there was a lot going on around me that was challenging. I went to pick Pedro and Miguel up for after-school and found their street blocked off by the police. Apparently, just before Miguel came home from school there was a shooting right in front of their house. A man was shot 4 times and the blood was still on the sidewalk. My heart sank as I thought about what could have happened had Miguel been walking home from school when the shooting started. It sank even more when I realized that this event was not shocking to Pedro or Miguel, they were used to it. They have seen several shootings in their lives, and they are still so young.
Thursday ended up being the best day we have ever had at after-school! Philadelphia schools were closed on Friday, so none of the kids had homework on Thursday. Instead of trying to make them read or something, I decided to play games. Everyone started playing different games, but eventually all of us came together (one at a time, haha) and played pictionary for an hour and a half! Literally everyone, kids and leaders, played and we had so much fun! There weren't any fights or arguments, even when 2 of the kids were caught cheating. I was so proud of how they all behaved and handled the competition, and I can't remember the last time we all laughed like that (few of us could be considered artists...you should have seen some of the things we tried to draw!). I added 2 new girls to after-school, and Thursday was their first day. They were very quiet and shy at first, but once we all started to play they got into the game. It was a great way to make them part of the family!
I have started going to Teen Club on Thursday nights, and for the most part I am enjoying it. I have to confess that I miss my night off, but I know that God has called me to be a part of this. I really love the teens, but I'm also pretty shy. God Squad is much easier for me because there are fewer teens there and I already know most of them. Teen Club is proving to be more of a challenge for me, but I'm getting there.
Friday was supposed to be my day off, but they have a special on Fridays where you can ice skate for only $5. The girls have been begging me for months to take them ice skating, so I finally gave in yesterday. Zuly (their older sister) and little Kearstin came with us, and we met up with some of the teens from church. We had a blast! It was the first time any of those girls had been ice skating, but you wouldn't know it from the way Bonita was flying across the ice. It was amazing! Linda took a little longer to get comfortable, but by the end she was doing pretty well too. Zuly and I weren't so great at it, but we had fun trying. I was so impressed with how well Bonita and Linda were doing, I think I'm going to sign them up for lessons. They're going to pay half and I will pay half. I'm really excited to see how they do, they are definitely naturals at it. Now I have them in music classes, ballet lessons, basketball practice and ice skating lessons. These girls are going to be well rounded!
Last night was great too as I got to hang out with Joy for the first time in forever! We have been trying to for weeks, and finally found the time. We rented a chick flick, ordered pizza and just hung out. It was so nice and so much fun! And just FYI, we rented "The Lake House" and LOVED it! We had both heard it wasn't a good movie, but we thought it was great! (In case anyone was thinking about renting it...)
Since I didn't get a full day off yesterday, I'm taking the rest of today for me. I had worship practice this morning, and then I took the girls to ballet. I will pick them up soon and then come home to read and relax. My house is clean, my car is clean, and my bills are paid. So, unless something major arises, I plan on hanging out with Jesus and a book for the rest of the day. Maybe I'll even get some sleep tonight!
Wednesday was a really rough day for me spiritually. It was pretty normal in terms of my schedule, but there was a lot going on around me that was challenging. I went to pick Pedro and Miguel up for after-school and found their street blocked off by the police. Apparently, just before Miguel came home from school there was a shooting right in front of their house. A man was shot 4 times and the blood was still on the sidewalk. My heart sank as I thought about what could have happened had Miguel been walking home from school when the shooting started. It sank even more when I realized that this event was not shocking to Pedro or Miguel, they were used to it. They have seen several shootings in their lives, and they are still so young.
Thursday ended up being the best day we have ever had at after-school! Philadelphia schools were closed on Friday, so none of the kids had homework on Thursday. Instead of trying to make them read or something, I decided to play games. Everyone started playing different games, but eventually all of us came together (one at a time, haha) and played pictionary for an hour and a half! Literally everyone, kids and leaders, played and we had so much fun! There weren't any fights or arguments, even when 2 of the kids were caught cheating. I was so proud of how they all behaved and handled the competition, and I can't remember the last time we all laughed like that (few of us could be considered artists...you should have seen some of the things we tried to draw!). I added 2 new girls to after-school, and Thursday was their first day. They were very quiet and shy at first, but once we all started to play they got into the game. It was a great way to make them part of the family!
I have started going to Teen Club on Thursday nights, and for the most part I am enjoying it. I have to confess that I miss my night off, but I know that God has called me to be a part of this. I really love the teens, but I'm also pretty shy. God Squad is much easier for me because there are fewer teens there and I already know most of them. Teen Club is proving to be more of a challenge for me, but I'm getting there.
Friday was supposed to be my day off, but they have a special on Fridays where you can ice skate for only $5. The girls have been begging me for months to take them ice skating, so I finally gave in yesterday. Zuly (their older sister) and little Kearstin came with us, and we met up with some of the teens from church. We had a blast! It was the first time any of those girls had been ice skating, but you wouldn't know it from the way Bonita was flying across the ice. It was amazing! Linda took a little longer to get comfortable, but by the end she was doing pretty well too. Zuly and I weren't so great at it, but we had fun trying. I was so impressed with how well Bonita and Linda were doing, I think I'm going to sign them up for lessons. They're going to pay half and I will pay half. I'm really excited to see how they do, they are definitely naturals at it. Now I have them in music classes, ballet lessons, basketball practice and ice skating lessons. These girls are going to be well rounded!
Last night was great too as I got to hang out with Joy for the first time in forever! We have been trying to for weeks, and finally found the time. We rented a chick flick, ordered pizza and just hung out. It was so nice and so much fun! And just FYI, we rented "The Lake House" and LOVED it! We had both heard it wasn't a good movie, but we thought it was great! (In case anyone was thinking about renting it...)
Since I didn't get a full day off yesterday, I'm taking the rest of today for me. I had worship practice this morning, and then I took the girls to ballet. I will pick them up soon and then come home to read and relax. My house is clean, my car is clean, and my bills are paid. So, unless something major arises, I plan on hanging out with Jesus and a book for the rest of the day. Maybe I'll even get some sleep tonight!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Tolerance in Love
"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" ~Ephesians 4:1-2
Showing tolerance for one another...in love...I'm not very good at that. Not only am I not very good at that, I sometimes make it hard for other people to do that. I am probably not the only person that feels this way, but I require a lot of patience and tolerance. If you are going to be my friend, you have to have patience. I would love to be the kind of person that you love to have around, but sometimes its hard enough to just tolerate me.
I am not saying this to be down on myself, although it sure sounds that way. I read this verse this morning, and it hit me hard. I want to be that person. I want to walk every step of my life in a manner worthy of the calling that I have. I want to be a woman of humility and gentleness, patience and tolerance...a woman of love. Anything less than that is not what I have been called to.
So, how can I grow in humility, gentleness, patience and tolerance? The answer to that question hit me like a ton of bricks, and actually made me laugh out loud...the after-school program!!! The after-school program was once my passion and the one thing I looked forward to more than anything else. However, because of a bunch of different things, the after-school program has become the most challenging thing that I do. And I have to do it every day. Alone. There are many days that I want to quit, and many more days that I dread 3:00.
The truth is, though, the fact that its hard doesn't make it bad. I have been throwing around the idea of not having after-school again next year, and I am still very seriously considering it. However, those thoughts were making it even harder to get through each day now. I started to get excited about where God might take me next year, and completely lost sight of where He has me now. Regardless of what He has for me and after-school in the future, I know I'm all in for now. I wish I could say that I am 100% excited about the rest of this year, but I'm honestly not. In order for me to grow in humility, gentleness, patience and tolerance, I have to be challenged in those areas. Believe me, I am challenged in each of those areas every day at after-school...and I have a long way to go.
Today was actually the first "normal" day that I have had in a while. I didn't have any trips to the hospital to make (I forgot to mention that Travis was released from the hospital yesterday and is doing well! Keep praying, though, he is still pretty weak, though the malaria is gone for good!), I wasn't in Africa, and all my regular stuff is back in full swing. My house is clean, I'm caught up on my work, after-school and Kids Club went well and overall things seem pretty good. I have also been able to spend some good time with Bonita and Linda, and I just love those girls! I do still need to clean my car, which I will hopefully have time for tomorrow.
I have consistently heard the word "persevere" in my quiet times over the last few months, and I know that's what I need to do. It was very easy to do that today, we only had 5 kids at after-school. They all did their homework quickly and played together well the rest of the time. It was a great day! We'll see what tomorrow holds...
Showing tolerance for one another...in love...I'm not very good at that. Not only am I not very good at that, I sometimes make it hard for other people to do that. I am probably not the only person that feels this way, but I require a lot of patience and tolerance. If you are going to be my friend, you have to have patience. I would love to be the kind of person that you love to have around, but sometimes its hard enough to just tolerate me.
I am not saying this to be down on myself, although it sure sounds that way. I read this verse this morning, and it hit me hard. I want to be that person. I want to walk every step of my life in a manner worthy of the calling that I have. I want to be a woman of humility and gentleness, patience and tolerance...a woman of love. Anything less than that is not what I have been called to.
So, how can I grow in humility, gentleness, patience and tolerance? The answer to that question hit me like a ton of bricks, and actually made me laugh out loud...the after-school program!!! The after-school program was once my passion and the one thing I looked forward to more than anything else. However, because of a bunch of different things, the after-school program has become the most challenging thing that I do. And I have to do it every day. Alone. There are many days that I want to quit, and many more days that I dread 3:00.
The truth is, though, the fact that its hard doesn't make it bad. I have been throwing around the idea of not having after-school again next year, and I am still very seriously considering it. However, those thoughts were making it even harder to get through each day now. I started to get excited about where God might take me next year, and completely lost sight of where He has me now. Regardless of what He has for me and after-school in the future, I know I'm all in for now. I wish I could say that I am 100% excited about the rest of this year, but I'm honestly not. In order for me to grow in humility, gentleness, patience and tolerance, I have to be challenged in those areas. Believe me, I am challenged in each of those areas every day at after-school...and I have a long way to go.
Today was actually the first "normal" day that I have had in a while. I didn't have any trips to the hospital to make (I forgot to mention that Travis was released from the hospital yesterday and is doing well! Keep praying, though, he is still pretty weak, though the malaria is gone for good!), I wasn't in Africa, and all my regular stuff is back in full swing. My house is clean, I'm caught up on my work, after-school and Kids Club went well and overall things seem pretty good. I have also been able to spend some good time with Bonita and Linda, and I just love those girls! I do still need to clean my car, which I will hopefully have time for tomorrow.
I have consistently heard the word "persevere" in my quiet times over the last few months, and I know that's what I need to do. It was very easy to do that today, we only had 5 kids at after-school. They all did their homework quickly and played together well the rest of the time. It was a great day! We'll see what tomorrow holds...
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Exhausted!
I can not believe how exhausted I am feeling. I am feeling physically exhausted, but I think that is caused by the spiritual and emotional exhaustion that I am feeling. I haven't been doing much physical activity, and I have actually been getting a good amount of sleep at night. My days are filled just with so much! Its not that I am worried about Travis at all. I know that the Lord is taking care of him. But, that doesn't make it any easier to watch him suffer. He has been so sick for the past 3 days, and all I can do it sit and watch and pray. I know in my head that praying is the best thing for him, but its just so hard to not be able to do anything. I just want him to get better!
Today he is feeling (and looking) much better. I haven't spent a lot of time at the hospital...I think after 3 full weeks in Africa with me, and 2 days stuck with me in the hospital he could use a break. We were hoping he would be able to go home tomorrow, but they are thinking Tuesday or Wednesday now. His red and white blood cell counts got pretty low. They are rising, but the doctors want to make sure they stay that way before releasing him. Plus, he is just now starting to barely eat, and they want him to be able to eat a good amount as well as stay hydrated before sending him home. I am really praying for Tuesday, I know he is ready to get out of the hospital!
On a different note, my house is clean! Well, not exactly clean, but it is cleaner and I can live with it being this way for a little while until I can find the time to really clean. I finally unpacked everything from my trip and washed and folded all my clothes. Everything isn't put away where it should be (my bedroom door will stay closed for a while, haha), but my house is at least presentable. My car on the other hand...hopefully I will have time for that tomorrow. Today was the first day in over a week that I have been home when I'm not working or sleeping. That could be why I am so tired as well, haha.
I actually just finished making dinner and I think Frankie is coming over with the girls so we can eat together. I am heading to church at 6:30 for membership classes. I'm going to head to the hospital one last time after that, just to make sure Travis has everything he needs (and some gifts and cards people have made for him) and then I will crash for the night. Tomorrow looks like a really full day with a lot of work, hospital visits, after-school and God Squad. Don't worry, though, as exhausted as I feel, I'm actually doing really well. I have spent the vast majority of the last 3 days in intense prayer, which means I have been at the feet of my Jesus, and that feels SO GOOD! So, don't worry about me, my man is taking care of me, hehe.
Today he is feeling (and looking) much better. I haven't spent a lot of time at the hospital...I think after 3 full weeks in Africa with me, and 2 days stuck with me in the hospital he could use a break. We were hoping he would be able to go home tomorrow, but they are thinking Tuesday or Wednesday now. His red and white blood cell counts got pretty low. They are rising, but the doctors want to make sure they stay that way before releasing him. Plus, he is just now starting to barely eat, and they want him to be able to eat a good amount as well as stay hydrated before sending him home. I am really praying for Tuesday, I know he is ready to get out of the hospital!
On a different note, my house is clean! Well, not exactly clean, but it is cleaner and I can live with it being this way for a little while until I can find the time to really clean. I finally unpacked everything from my trip and washed and folded all my clothes. Everything isn't put away where it should be (my bedroom door will stay closed for a while, haha), but my house is at least presentable. My car on the other hand...hopefully I will have time for that tomorrow. Today was the first day in over a week that I have been home when I'm not working or sleeping. That could be why I am so tired as well, haha.
I actually just finished making dinner and I think Frankie is coming over with the girls so we can eat together. I am heading to church at 6:30 for membership classes. I'm going to head to the hospital one last time after that, just to make sure Travis has everything he needs (and some gifts and cards people have made for him) and then I will crash for the night. Tomorrow looks like a really full day with a lot of work, hospital visits, after-school and God Squad. Don't worry, though, as exhausted as I feel, I'm actually doing really well. I have spent the vast majority of the last 3 days in intense prayer, which means I have been at the feet of my Jesus, and that feels SO GOOD! So, don't worry about me, my man is taking care of me, hehe.
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