Chairos and Chronos

Mark recently led a lesson on Chairos and Chronos and when he explained it to me, I thought, how perfect for what we're going through right now. He's such a smart little cookie! This is a portion of his newsletter article from this week.

"...at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.' Romans 5:6 'Now, Paul, the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun.' Acts 13:11 'Therefore, the right time has not yet come for me; for you any time is right.' Luke 7:6,8"

"Chairos time is time understood loosely. It is the kind of time that challenges us, that forces us to wait and trust, to walk in faith. It is the kind of time only God can tell, as opposed to the chronos time, as used in Matthew 2:7 and Mark 9:21, we live by on our wrist watches and wall calendars."

"Most of the Christian life, it seems, is lived at the intersection of chronos and chairos--as we wait for that thing, a job, a test result, a relationship, we've been praying for and our clocks are continually reset to God's timing."

"It is frustrating and painful at times as we wait; humorous at others. But at the right time, when it is time!--God will bring about his purposes for your life and mine."

Our entire family struggles right now to understand the delays in Allan's arrival. Had he come on our time, he would have been here a month ago, but God's timing is different. Allan was scheduled to leave Entebbe this past Friday and even though he had signed consent from the doctor, KLM thought he did not appear to be well enough to fly. His stomach is still not totally back to normal and they did not want to be responsible for a child that could get sick during a long flight. It's not that I don't understand that, but we are now forced to reschedule again. They said he could fly on Wednesday, so we'll go at it again.

Please pray for Allan, this morning we received a phone call from Jamil at 2 a.m. our time and he said that Allan was feeling better, because of some medicine the doctor gave him, but that he was so upset he wanted to be in a room alone and didn't want to talk to anybody. I can only imagine, that as disappointed as we have been that he is even more disappointed. We just long for him to be with us again. We're trusting that in "God's perfect timing" this will be possible. We're not totally sure when that will be, but you can rest assure we're praying that it's this Thursday, after Allan is scheduled to leave on Wednesday!

Positive News

I awoke this morning at 5:00 a.m. to call Jamil. He let us know that he had received the signed papers from the doctor releasing Allan to fly. Those papers however do not allow Allan to leave Uganda until Friday evening. I had not scheduled his flight yet, we're finally learning to wait so that we don't continue to pay rescheduling fees, so it was positive news. We had prayed that the doctor would allow him to leave tonight but we'll settle for Friday. All the paperwork is in hand, Allan is healthy and Jamil knows it's very important that he get on that plane this Friday. Uganda is 9 hours ahead of us, so this Friday at Noon, they should be at the airport and at 1:55 p.m. our time, he should be leaving Uganda to head to Amsterdam.

When I spoke to Jamil yesterday he said that Allan was out playing soccer with his friends. I told him that I'd prefer he rest, kind of joking but at the same time not. Well, this morning, I reminded him again to tell Allan to rest for his big trip and he said, "Auntie, when I told Allan yesterday that his Aunt Kim wanted him to stop playing soccer and rest, he walked right off the grass and went into his room and laid down." Finally, maybe someone will listen to me.

The boy's bedroom and bathroom is coming along. It's completely sheetrocked now and they're almost done floating it. We've had a lot of rain the past two days so the mud is not drying as fast as we'd like. They're installing the crown moulding as I type and the ceiling is completely textured. It looks simply awesome! Max and I have done a little more shopping for it and I asked him the other day, if he wanted to help me put it all together, or if he wanted to go away for a couple of hours and come back to a surprise completion and he got so excited and said, "Yes, I want to go away for a little bit and come back and have it done." We'll be sure to take photos of that! Wait until you see this new teenage space!

Joey and Mark our fabulous contractors. Give us a call.

We'd give them great references!

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!

Susan's Dead

Well, we've experienced our first animal death and I have to say Ella took it very well. She's had Susan, a black molly, which she had to have once I told her in the pet store that was it's name, because of her cousin Molly, however she chose to name it Susan, after our youth pastor's high school aged daughter. I went to feed her this morning and immediately noticed she was obviously no longer with us. I didn't tell Ella and if you ask the boys neither did they. MT said he told Meagan, our delightful neighbor and she told Ella. Well, Ella didn't seem to mind and enjoyed planning Susan's funeral service with Max's assistance. She was laid to rest in a SpongeBob band aid box and Shiloh officiated as a witness. Mark's service is posted below. An extra perk to having a father that's an ordained minister. It's dark outside, but the sound is good! We'll be off to Petco tomorrow to quickly find a replacement for Susan and this time Ella says she's going to name her, "Rosalina, if it's a girl."

Healing Hand

We were awaiting word anxiously yesterday to hear that Allan had boarded the plane and would be on his way to us here in Texas. An hour before his plane was to depart we spoke to Jamil who said, "Aunt, can I talk to you?" and I knew at that point what he would say would not be what I wanted to hear. Allan is still sick from the malaria and Jamil said that he was not telling him about it because he was afraid he would not be allowed to fly. He was right. So after speaking with the doctor who assured me he needed another dose of medication and would then be alright to fly later in the week, we got off the phone exhausted. But not before I had an opportunity to speak with Allan. Just hearing his voice was enough to keep me going. He said he wanted to be with me and that he wanted to "see Uncle and the boys so much". He was of course crying which brought me to tears. As a mother, I just want him to be here where we can take care of him.

The money we've sent so far for his care is quickly adding up. Some of it has been graciously donated by a church member but the rest has not and we're trusting that God will simply provide. The exchange rate is astronomical and the things needed for his care I know would not be as much over here; so we simply want him to be well enough to fly, come to be with us and then have our doctor provide additional care.

Will you please join with us in prayer that our almighty Father, who we know is in complete control, would grant health to Allan and allow him to fly to be with us this Friday so that we can pick him up on Saturday. He told Jamil that he was feeling better today and wanted "hamburgers". I asked if they had hamburgers over there and he said, "no auntie, he misses them from when he was in America." You can be sure that we'll have a huge plate of hamburgers waiting for him once he gets to Texas!

Huge Disappointment

All week long we have prayed that absolutely no obstacle would prevent Allan from getting on that plane today. We thought we were in the clear, until 2:30 a.m. when my cell phone, which has been perched on my night stand every night this week, rang and awoke both Mark and me. It was Jamil saying that the local chairman, who had already requested money earlier in the week, we were not expecting to have to send, wanted more money before he would allow Allan to leave today. I went at 7 this morning to wire that money to Jamil. By the time Jamil got to the Western Union to get the money the chairman told him he had to bring it to his home....45 miles away! So Jamil took a cab there and called me on the way to the airport telling me he was stuck in traffic. He had Allan's passport and although Allan was at the airport with both his uncle and Richard from the Embassy, he could not leave without it. Jamil did not make it in time and Allan missed his flight.

Jamil called me crying saying, "Auntie, I am so sorry. You trusted me, and I ran as fast as I could. I just did not get here soon enough." My heart broke for him and Allan. They were all crying. I assured Jamil that absolutely none of this was his fault and that everything would be alright. I immediately called the airlines and rescheduled Allan's flight for Sunday, same flight pattern, and he'll arrive in Houston on Monday at 1:35 p.m. I cautioned Jamil to take Allan back to his Uncle's home and not allow anyone to see him. The corruption that seems to be evident over there is just heartbreaking when I think of how upset Allan was when he saw the plane pull out of the terminal.

God is in complete control and though we cannot always see why things happen, they do happen for a reason. All week long our family has been battling a stomach bug. Mark Thomas came down with it Tuesday, Ella Wednesday and Mark last night. MT seemed to bounce back quickly, and Ella is just now today seeming more like herself. Mark is preaching this Sunday and so that I would not miss any work this week, because I need the hours badly, he stayed home Wednesday through today with the kids. Needless to say it's been a long week around here, and the laundry has been insane. We're praying that these three extra days will allow us to get rid of this bug and that everyone will be feeling back to normal so that we can all enjoy Allan's arrival on Monday!

Please continue to keep Allan in your prayers as he waits during this extra time. I'm so sure of our decision to bring him into our family and I want desperately to see and hold him again. We all do. I was reading a friend's blog a few minutes ago and read a posting by one of her friends and it just spoke to me, and the place at which we find ourselves today.

2 Chronicles 20:17 "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you. "

How assuring those words are right now. Each of us face battles every day, but the comfort we have as believers is comfort beyond all other comfort. Being able to take our struggles to the Lord, knowing that he knows our every need, even before we do, is and should be enough to quiet our souls.

Progress

Progress is being made on the game room. We're all excited to see it come together. The plumbing is almost complete and Joey and Mark are scheduled to work on the electric this week. Once that's done, and the central heat and air is installed they'll be able to sheet rock. Then comes the really fun part, putting all the fun stuff in the room. But until then things around the house are a little bit messy.

The new bathtub and shower. Can you see how far up the rain head is located? We are tired of showering in spaces for small people so now that we've started from scratch in a bathroom we're moving it way up! Preparing for those two tall boys to shower without getting a crook in their necks.

We relocated one of the windows, choosing to have it look out into the backyard. It'll allow plenty of light into the large room without people from the drive way being able to see into the boy's room.

Sheet rock sitting and ready once the electric work is done and central heat and air are installed. There will be a large walk in closet from the bathroom and then another utility closet next to that. It will house the full extra refrigerator and have additional shelving for storage. Mark Thomas was not too thrilled to find out that Max and Allan would have their own refrigerator in their room. Well, kind of!

A little humor during home work time! With the weather being so warm down here, it's hard to get the kids to come inside after school to even do their homework. I'm thankful for the warm weather but as the homework load increases, so does the struggle to do it.

Two sets of queen size mattresses temporarily located in the dining room.
Some of the new bedding and linens for the boy's new room located in one corner of the living room.

Ella and Ben having a great time with the new Wii they got for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa. It's been a lot of fun! It's been something the whole family has enjoyed.

Ella was Mary in her pre-school play this year!

What a pretty girl posing in front of the poinsettias!

This was the Christmas photo we sent out. I apologize if we missed some of you. Our list has gotten amazingly long so unfortunatly we've had to trim it down a little bit. Hope it's not too late to send out a Texas size greeting full of good wishes for the new year.

Progress is also in the making with Allan. He traveled to his home village yesterday to say goodbye. His health has improved and Jamil told me that Allan's uncle goes wherever he goes, telling people not to touch him, so that he won't get sick again. I can only imagine how that would look. They're so overjoyed that Allan has an opportunity to come to America that they want nothing to keep him from coming. We too are overjoyed that he'll soon be here. Please pray for his journey this Friday. He's scheduled to leave Entebbe at 10:55 at night so that he'll hopefully sleep most of the way to Amsterdam. He'll then connect to a flight that will bring him to Houston around 1:35 in the afternoon. All six of us will be waiting there to welcome him! I thought the feeling of preparing for a new child ended with my pregnancy with Ella but this feels so similar in many ways. We're thrilled to be welcoming someone else into the house and yet a little bit unsure as to what changes will occur. We're preparing a new room, full of new accessories and people are showering us with clothes and other things that will help Allan to adjust to being here. We've seen God provide in ways we never could have imagined. We are excited, but to see the church and other people in our community who know us be so excited too is just an amazing thing. Our God is so good!

Prayer Support

The ups and downs of this journey seem to continue and yet we know that God is in complete control. We need your prayer support right now more than ever. The doctor that has been seeing Allan in Uganda is working so hard to get Allan healthy enough to fly and to immunize him so that he's able to go to school here. It appears that because he's had little medical treatment over the years that this has been harder on his little body than we anticipated. It's hard for us to understand the issues at hand but the doctor assures us, he's in good health just struggling with all the medications. So his arrival has been postponed. I spoke to Jamil yesterday and he asked me to delay his flight 4 days. After praying about it we decided to prolong his arrival until the 12th of January hoping that the extra time would allow him to regain his strength. Jamil said that Allan cried and cried when he told him he would not be coming this week. As a mother, I want to be there to speak with the doctor, I want to ask so many questions, but the distance and language barriers make that impossible. So, we covet your prayers at this time. Asking that you join us in asking our Father, the might physician, to place his hands upon Allan and allow him to regain his strength and health so that he may travel to be with us.

We continue to be amazed at the generosity of people who want to help. God is so faithful to provide. The contractor says he'll be done in about 2 and a half weeks. We have bought new mattresses and all the bedding and linens the boys will need for their new room and bath. Saying thank you just doesn't seem like enough to convey how it has affected us emotionally. Friends, family, church members, each of you are a part of this amazing event and it simply could not be done without your prayers and support.