Total Exhaustion

Friends, I implore you to pray with us tonight and tomorrow that Allan would get on the plane that will bring him to Houston tomorrow. I have not yet rescheduled it. I'm waiting to talk to Jamil later tonight, early Wednesday morning in Uganda, to make sure the doctor has signed the last document that will allow Allan to fly. The longer Allan remains in Uganda the more money we are being asked to send. I know for many people including us, this stirs within the mind a feeling of uneasiness, that perhaps maybe we're being taken advantage of and it's hard to justify every step in this process. Simply because it's a foreign country we're dealing with and the mentality is just vastly different. I have no doubt in my mind that at times governmental officials have asked for more than is necessary but disputing it is impossible. Allan has also gotten sick twice since we've attempted to have him fly here. The general daily conveniences we take so for granted here simply do not exist where Allan lives. Kampala is a large city but as is typical in Africa, the percentage of wealthy people is small and for the underprivledged, life is hard. They do not have access to fresh drinking water and things that promote health are incredibly expensive.

We were so fortunate to have a family agree to help initially in getting Allan here. That funding allowed us to get half way there. To be honest, we did not know what the eventual number would be and for a family of 6 on a pastor's salary it's been very hard on us. Mark and I are strongly committed to seeing this through and know without a shadow of a doubt that God desires for this to happen. But the additional money we have sent over the last three and half weeks has put a large strain on us. We are trusting that God will provide. We continue to be thankful for the things we so often take for granted, focusing on the many gifts God has already given to us.

I had to be very direct with Jamil today. I told him that we would not be sending any more money and that if Allan did not get on that plane tomorrow night, he would have to remain in Uganda temporarily. I wish that each of you could know Jamil the way we do. He has worked tirelessly to make this possible and I know that it's not been easy for him. Only two times has he asked for any money for himself and it's been nominal. I wanted to make sure he understood that I completely trusted him, that I valued his hard work and that we greatly appreciated him as a person. However, I also had to let him know the seriousness of our conversation. I am praying that my words were effective.

On a much lighter note...our Benjamin turned 9 today! Hard to believe but 9 years ago today, we were frightened about his arrival, a month early. I had pre-eclampsia and he was smaller than he should have been. We left Max in Hanover with Mark's parents, choosing to stay at the local hospital with our doctors, when they gave us the option of a larger hospital further away. Ben was born weighing just 4 pounds. I then developed HELLP syndrome and stayed in the hospital for several more days. I was in labor for just 1.5 hours! Since then Ben has been such a joy. He's an amazing little boy with such a kind heart. Two years ago he told me while driving down the road that "if I had $100, I would buy food and toys for people who didn't have any and with the left over money, I would buy plates and cups for them." He's always quick to notice someone who has less than him and frequently will put money he's given into the offering plate. Now don't get me wrong, he can be explosive too. He typically only does what he wants to do, forunately most of the time the things he wants to do are things we want him to do. He's so special to us! Happy Birthday Ben!