Caution: May Contain Nuts

Well, we have now been living in our new home in Kabwe for about a month.   It has been interesting and rewarding to adjust to a settled life in Africa (in the past we moved around every week or so, spending time in various villages and townships).  We have also experienced a variety of challenges and difficulties, demonstrating to us that we are probably right where we’re supposed to be!

It is SO good to see Monica eating and playing again!

Monica is doing much, MUCH better.  Thank you so much to everyone for your continued prayers.  The doctor here in Kabwe was never able to diagnose the cause of her fainting/seizing.  However, with the administration of the broad spectrum antibiotic, her episodes went away, her appetite returned (in full force), and she became the little trouble maker that a toddler is supposed to be.  We praise God for His mercy, as we were not sure what to do next if the medication didn’t work.  We will be returning to South Africa for the birth of Baby 2, at which point we will take Monica to a hospital for testing and scans.  We just want to make sure that the seizing was not caused by something that may resurface or that may have been related to some kind of parasite, still lurking within.  Until then, we are keeping a vigilant watch over her.  Our greatest concern with the attacks, and the primary reason we still watch over her so closely, was that she stopped breathing and was unable to revive herself.  Please continue to pray that the Lord has indeed healed her completely.

The next best thing to "bug-g"? Reptiles! Here Monica checks out a chameleon we picked up by the road.

The rains have finally come to Kabwe, cooling the oppressive afternoon heat to a much more bearable temperature.  However, with the arrival of the rains come…. the bugs.  I don’t do bugs; end of story.  However, I have discovered, much to my own dismay, that Monica is very much into bugs.  There is nothing that grabs her attention like a fat, African ant scuttling across the porch (and the African ants are HUGE, I mean like US grasshopper sized).  Just the other day she came up to me and said, “Mommy!  See?  Fyyy!”  Cringing, I reached out my hand and thought, “Oh, gross.  She’s picked up a dead fly and now I have to take it and act happy.   Bleh!!!!!”  As her little hand turned over into mine, instead of seeing a dried up, old fly, a live, l-i-v-e spider crawled across my palm and up my arm.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!  I think I scrubbed my skin off before I got that creepy feeling off of my arm.  Monica wasn’t impressed that I squished her fine new friend either.  A few days later Monica came to me again, “Mommy, Mommy!  See?  See?  Bug-g.  Bug-g!!!”  Not to be fooled twice, I said, “Oh, good for you!!  Put it on the ground so Mommy can see it!”  This time she placed a medium sized (1.5” +-) Red Roman spider-ant on the ground- also alive!!!  Now, these guys pinch HARD.  They leave nasty bites that easily fester and become infected.  Let’s just say I’m beginning to fear that my child has an affinity for, dare I say it?, BUGS.  And we have brought her to the land of Insecta Gigantica.  AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! 

The Red Roman or "Camel" spider. It gives a nasty bite. I think it looks AWFUL.

Timothy has been busy preparing everything for the Container’s arrival.  Because we are expecting so many books and materials, he has designed, cut, built, and painted quite a few book cases and storage shelves for these priceless treasures.  It is such a pleasure to see him at work in what has truly become his country (although that would apply more to the continent than Zambia specifically).  He at last has a place to call home in the land that he loves so deeply.  It is amazing  and wonderful to see him happily at work for the Lord here in Africa.

See? I'm HELPING. Right, Dad?

It looks like the Container can be opened!  In fact, Timothy has gone to Lusaka for a few days, intending to do just that.  We are keeping our fingers crossed as we wait to hear if it really is ready.  In Africa, you don’t just wait to count your chickens until they hatch.  You usually wait until they’ve grown up, laid a few eggs of their own, and survived the summer… then you count them.  So… pray with me that he’ll find the paperwork in order and the Container cleared for opening.  Once he can start sorting through the boxes we will be able to ascertain the condition everything has arrived in and decide how to put the materials to good use.

Please also keep me in your prayers as I have been experiencing a great deal of extreme lower back and leg pain due to a pinched nerve.  I hear this will go away as soon as the baby is born… 6 more weeks to go!

WE HAVE A VEHICLE!! 

Praise God for His provision!

We decided to purchase the Toyota Surf that we have been driving (the one with the brand new engine, turbo, and diesel pump) from Hannes & Christel.  The Lord’s hand has been clear and gracious indeed throughout the process of repairing and acquiring this truck.  It is exactly what we need both for family transport and ministry work.  It runs really well and is African road-worthy (as we’ve now experienced, driving it up from Cape Town).  Selling the Toyota has also enabled Hannes & Christel to purchase a much needed larger vehicle for their family and ministry.  We are simply in awe as we consider God’s handiwork in this process.  From the donation of the Toyota FJ and its sale in America to the provision of this vehicle (originally on loan for moving purposes), its repairs, and now its exceptional condition, His grace has been abundant.  Thank you to all who played a part of His work in helping us get this truck!!

Stats:

1996 Toyota Surf (hey, it has a new engine)

4WD

70,000 miles

Automatic

5 passenger

Roof rack, bull bar, tow package

Still needs:

long range tank

better roof rack (higher load weight)

winch

off road tires

snorkel

Look for our newsletter in a few weeks for more details and pictures!!

Thank you so much to everyone for your messages, prayers, and encouragement.  The last few days have been very stressful for us, as we’ve waited on the Lord for direction regarding Monica. 

After two days on broad spectrum antibiotics, Monica appears to be improving.  Her appetite has returned in full force, she’s back to her peppy self, and she’s much more talkative and interactive.  She hasn’t had another episode since Monday evening, but we’ve been extremely careful in keeping her excitement and exercise level to a minimum.  After the antibiotics have run their course, we will have to bite our lips and “release” her again.  We’ll watch her closely to see if small childhood boo boos (like head bumps) set off episodes again, or if the antibiotics cured whatever was affecting her.  If she does have another attack, we will need to take her to South Africa immediately for scans and blood work.  We are praying that she was experiencing some kind of bacterial or viral infection that has been effectively cut off with the antibiotics.  We are grateful for the Lord’s grace in restoring her health, and we are praying that He has also healed whatever was causing her seizures.

We are also praying that she has not been experiencing a tropical disease, most of which leave residual effects and complications.  We will likely have her tested and scanned when we go to South Africa for the delivery of Baby 2, just to ensure that Monica is completely healed.

We covet your continued prayers in this matter.  It has been very difficult to calmly think through these things, making wise decisions for the future.  We very much appreciate your support.

So precious, my baby.

Please be praying for Monica.  She has been experiencing strange, scary fainting/seizing episodes.  It started Saturday afternoon, and has occurred three more times since then.  We took her to the village doctor here after the second spell.  He did what tests he could (observational only) and sent us home to watch her.  We were hoping the problem was just due to teething and the heat.  She was fine all day Sunday, but today she had two more “fits”, as they have begun to be called.  We took her back to the doctor this afternoon, along with Dian who seems to have a throat infection (at first we thought they might have the same thing, but he clearly has an infection and Monica does not).  Dr Hassasing had Monica tested for malaria, and that came back negative.  He is pretty sure that it isn’t a tropical disease, as she seems completely fine between fits.  He is also pretty certain that it isn’t epilepsy or a neurological problem as she doesn’t exhibit any of the other symptoms of those disorders (the attacks aren’t actual, medical “seizures” just a strange kind of seizing apnia).  He prescribed a broad spectrum antibiotic just in case it’s bacterial.  Unfortunately, there is no blood lab or scanning center here in town.

Her most recent attack happened this evening, and we will be returning to the doctor tomorrow to determine if we should take her to Lusaka or even South Africa for proper, hospital testing.  At this point, I don’t think we have any other option; there isn’t anything else they can do for her here in Kabwe.

Please be praying for her.  I am very scared.  There is little that we can do other than watch her and keep her calm.  It seems that stress and pain set off the attacks (the one this evening happened after the dog knocked her over and she got a bump on her head.)  I have never felt so helpless.  I will never, ever be able to erase the image of my limp baby girl lying in my arms; I’ll never experience longer seconds than those in which I waited for her to breathe again.

Please, please pray for us.