Well...the news is out...Andy and I are expecting our FOURTH child. I am 11 weeks and due at the end of February. If you are doing the math, we will in fact have 4 children under 32 months (Your prayer are welcomed!). This unexpected surprise has taken and will continue to take a lot of processing. Here are some lessons that I've learned so far...
-Birth Control is only 99.9% effective. We tried to have "control" over the birth of our children, and God has ordained otherwise. May this also be a lesson to all you ladies out there...99.9% ain't 100% ha
-The thought of life is overwhelming to me, BUT the reality is probably easier. We have help and Silas and Mercy are at a good life stage. The are content to sit and play with toys; however, tides are soon changing as they start cruising and crawling around the house. But God graciously has postponed lots of movement until the end of this trimester.
-Sunday I felt convicted about the fact that the child that is growing in my belly is the Lord's and not mine. Of course I will Lord willing birth this baby, Andy and I will name him or her and raise the child just as we are our other three; however, he or she, like our other 3, is God's. I may not have planned this, but God did. I may not be super excited about feeling tired, overwhelmed and scared, but God had fashioned a little person for His glory.
-My new life verse is Isaiah 46:4 "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." May He do so...
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
We are HOME!!!!
Sunday night at 5:20pm we made it to the Bloomington-Normal airport after 40 hours of travel! It was amazing to have family and friends meet us there, and will be a great memory to share with the kids. Thank you so much for those of you who came. After weeks of frustrations and waiting, we felt so loved and blessed...and THANKFUL to be HOME!!
To see some pictures of the evening, see: susanchambersdesigns.blogspot.com or https://picasaweb.google.com/115608502401191262645/HuetteFamilyArrival?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOWjrOm2lbeyRw&feat=directlink
The kids are doing well so far and are adjusting to a new life in the States.
More to follow.
To see some pictures of the evening, see: susanchambersdesigns.blogspot.com or https://picasaweb.google.com/115608502401191262645/HuetteFamilyArrival?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOWjrOm2lbeyRw&feat=directlink
The kids are doing well so far and are adjusting to a new life in the States.
More to follow.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Barnabas Showed Up
It's been a few days since we've had internet, so we haven't posted anything, but the internet is up and running again and we're still alive and still here in Congo.
The woman we arrived here with, Cristy Ford, just got the excellent news that her exit letter is issued and that she will get to leave either tomorrow or Friday. We are super happy for her, as she has been over here flying solo with a 6 month old and a 4 year old. This also means that our exit letter should not be far behind--possibly even tomorrow.
On Monday a dad named Nic Heywood came over here to pick up his little guy and I've learned a lesson in encouragement from Nic. Nic's presence has been like Red Bull for my soul. I was dragging, easily angered (if not outwardly, certainly inwardly), and becoming increasingly cynical. Nic showed up Monday morning at breakfast and was joyful and uplifting. I told Abby the other night, "I want to be like Nic." I want to have encouraged people and spoken timely words of truth. I want to view my words as tools that God can use to truly bless people. The Scripture speaks much about how to use our words, and I have witnessed in Nic, one who redeems conversations in order to build up others. As a kid, I remember that my Sunday School teacher made us memorize Eph. 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only that which is helpful for building others up according to their needs, so that it may benefit those who listen" (Our teacher allowed us to punch others in the arm who were speaking negatively if we had the verse memorized!) Anyhow, Nic has modeled for me what it is to "build others up according to their needs" and to "benefit those who listen." I thank God for him. Waiting here has not been easy, but he has been a grace into my life.
Abby and I have prayed repeatedly for the Lord to let us go home. Not only so, but many of our friends and family have prayed the same. So, we've been wondering, "Lord, are you listening? Why are we still here?" He can easily put a stamp on an exit letter, so why hasn't He?
I'm not sure, exactly, why we're still here, but it has occurred to me in recent days that God's highest priority isn't to make me comfortable. In fact, I'm finally (after two weeks) seeing what is clear in Scripture in many places. Spiritual growth happens in trial. God forms our souls on the anvil of trial. He throws people out in the desert and works them over. I feel dumb even calling this a trial--there are many in the church family at home who are in much more severe trial than me right now and certainly, many in the town where I sit who daily endure trials more severe than I will ever know. Yet, for me and Abby, it has been trying. And God's o.k. with that. He's more than o.k with that, because it's precisely in the waiting and the testing that he beats the selfishness, impatience, and a million other dirty things out of us.
So, please pray that we come home soon, but don't only pray that. Pray that Abby and I will not miss the lessons that God has ordained for us to learn in this time of waiting.
Andy
" . . . We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been give to us." Romans 5
The woman we arrived here with, Cristy Ford, just got the excellent news that her exit letter is issued and that she will get to leave either tomorrow or Friday. We are super happy for her, as she has been over here flying solo with a 6 month old and a 4 year old. This also means that our exit letter should not be far behind--possibly even tomorrow.
On Monday a dad named Nic Heywood came over here to pick up his little guy and I've learned a lesson in encouragement from Nic. Nic's presence has been like Red Bull for my soul. I was dragging, easily angered (if not outwardly, certainly inwardly), and becoming increasingly cynical. Nic showed up Monday morning at breakfast and was joyful and uplifting. I told Abby the other night, "I want to be like Nic." I want to have encouraged people and spoken timely words of truth. I want to view my words as tools that God can use to truly bless people. The Scripture speaks much about how to use our words, and I have witnessed in Nic, one who redeems conversations in order to build up others. As a kid, I remember that my Sunday School teacher made us memorize Eph. 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only that which is helpful for building others up according to their needs, so that it may benefit those who listen" (Our teacher allowed us to punch others in the arm who were speaking negatively if we had the verse memorized!) Anyhow, Nic has modeled for me what it is to "build others up according to their needs" and to "benefit those who listen." I thank God for him. Waiting here has not been easy, but he has been a grace into my life.
Abby and I have prayed repeatedly for the Lord to let us go home. Not only so, but many of our friends and family have prayed the same. So, we've been wondering, "Lord, are you listening? Why are we still here?" He can easily put a stamp on an exit letter, so why hasn't He?
I'm not sure, exactly, why we're still here, but it has occurred to me in recent days that God's highest priority isn't to make me comfortable. In fact, I'm finally (after two weeks) seeing what is clear in Scripture in many places. Spiritual growth happens in trial. God forms our souls on the anvil of trial. He throws people out in the desert and works them over. I feel dumb even calling this a trial--there are many in the church family at home who are in much more severe trial than me right now and certainly, many in the town where I sit who daily endure trials more severe than I will ever know. Yet, for me and Abby, it has been trying. And God's o.k. with that. He's more than o.k with that, because it's precisely in the waiting and the testing that he beats the selfishness, impatience, and a million other dirty things out of us.
So, please pray that we come home soon, but don't only pray that. Pray that Abby and I will not miss the lessons that God has ordained for us to learn in this time of waiting.
Andy
" . . . We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been give to us." Romans 5
Friday, July 1, 2011
Spoiled Americans at Heart
First, I must say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our precious daughter, Elly, who is 2 today. We are sad to miss her big day, but we are thankful that she's too young to even know what a birthday is :) We'll make up for it once we're home.
Now for the update:
Today was a break from the daily grind. We woke up to the power being turned off, which means no hot water, no electricity, and no internet. What's a girl to do?
Luckily, before I had time to get grouchy, our translator showed up, and we set out to run some errands. First we went by the airlines to adjust our tickets. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to make our Sunday return flight, so we have tentatively bumped them back to Friday the 8th, though we are hoping for sooner. Please pray that the DGM process is efficient and swift so that we can get home.
Following the airlines, we went to a grocery store near the Embassy. I broke out into a big smile upon first entrance...There were rows of food, and eveything from motorcycles to toys to diapers for purchase. Kinshasa's form of WalMart. We loaded up on water (which is $3 per large bottle at the hotel) and pop ($2 at MaCampagne) along with other goodies...some healthy and some not :)
To top off the morning, we went to N'Ice, a local ice cream shop. For those who don't know....I LOVE ice cream. It was awesome! Andy and I both got two scoops. I opted for mint chocolate chip and Obama cookie (which was double chocolate). Sidenote: They LOVE Obama here...people wear Obama t-shirts and can't fathom that an American wouldn't vote for him, which might appall my father-in-law.
Yesterday was rough around here because there was nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one was working on our papers because DGM was closed for Independence Day. But God's mercies are new every morning, and this morning was a treat.
Additional thoughts from Congo:
--We are RICH. I don't think of myself as rich. We will never make 6 figures...we drive Kias...and we shop at Meijer, but nevertheless, we are rich. The fact that we have white skin in Kinshasa makes us elite. To tell people that we are staying at MaCampagne is to say that we are rich. (It is nice here, but certainly not nearly as nice as most hotels in America) In comparison with most of the world, you and I are rich. And it is easy to forget that most live with infinitely less, especially when the US is our standard instead of the World. The question then becomes, what will we do with the vast wealth that we have been given?
--The Kids:
Mercy has received medicine for various types of intestinal worms and parasites and is on the mend. She no longer blows out of 2+ outfits per day! She is the easiest baby and rarely makes a peep, though she's starting to exert herself a bit more in recent days. She's sweet but fiesty and very mobile. She will push up on all fours, like a pushup position and then drop down on her belly and do the Superwoman move. She is really really close to crawling, which worries me because she's so quiet. I'll have to have an eagle eye on her or else she'll be into all kinds of stuff without my knowing :)
We have been trying to come up with a good nickname for Silas. Among the options are: Bubba, Tubby, Buster, Big Boy, Chunky, and our personal favorite Jumbotron. Needless to say...he's huge! He was held a lot I believe, so he requires more than sweet little Mercy, who is half his size. My arms are tired!! The good news is that he's getting a bit better at putting himself to sleep instead of needing to be rocked and he is usually really smiley. I think that once he can stand up to cruise around and is able to stop compulsively itching all the time, he is going to be in heaven! (We have applied cream for scabies but the crazy itching continues. His diaper rash is also better, but will quickly bleed if we let him try to scratch...so sad) We have been working on clapping and he has the Miss America wave down :)
Neither kid has eaten many solids. We have been trying to introduce them each day as a I brought rice cereal, squash and sweet potatoes, but what they really need are puffs and other goodies to munch on throughout the day. As it stands, Silas is consuming MASSIVE quantities of formula...we are bumping down to 6oz bottles instead of 8 b/c he was drinking 56oz of formula per day, which is enough for 2 babies! He hasn't seemed to mind.
We will keep you posted on our paperwork. Pray that we can come home sooner than expected. We are more than ready!
Now for the update:
Today was a break from the daily grind. We woke up to the power being turned off, which means no hot water, no electricity, and no internet. What's a girl to do?
Luckily, before I had time to get grouchy, our translator showed up, and we set out to run some errands. First we went by the airlines to adjust our tickets. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to make our Sunday return flight, so we have tentatively bumped them back to Friday the 8th, though we are hoping for sooner. Please pray that the DGM process is efficient and swift so that we can get home.
Following the airlines, we went to a grocery store near the Embassy. I broke out into a big smile upon first entrance...There were rows of food, and eveything from motorcycles to toys to diapers for purchase. Kinshasa's form of WalMart. We loaded up on water (which is $3 per large bottle at the hotel) and pop ($2 at MaCampagne) along with other goodies...some healthy and some not :)
To top off the morning, we went to N'Ice, a local ice cream shop. For those who don't know....I LOVE ice cream. It was awesome! Andy and I both got two scoops. I opted for mint chocolate chip and Obama cookie (which was double chocolate). Sidenote: They LOVE Obama here...people wear Obama t-shirts and can't fathom that an American wouldn't vote for him, which might appall my father-in-law.
Yesterday was rough around here because there was nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one was working on our papers because DGM was closed for Independence Day. But God's mercies are new every morning, and this morning was a treat.
Additional thoughts from Congo:
--We are RICH. I don't think of myself as rich. We will never make 6 figures...we drive Kias...and we shop at Meijer, but nevertheless, we are rich. The fact that we have white skin in Kinshasa makes us elite. To tell people that we are staying at MaCampagne is to say that we are rich. (It is nice here, but certainly not nearly as nice as most hotels in America) In comparison with most of the world, you and I are rich. And it is easy to forget that most live with infinitely less, especially when the US is our standard instead of the World. The question then becomes, what will we do with the vast wealth that we have been given?
--The Kids:
Mercy has received medicine for various types of intestinal worms and parasites and is on the mend. She no longer blows out of 2+ outfits per day! She is the easiest baby and rarely makes a peep, though she's starting to exert herself a bit more in recent days. She's sweet but fiesty and very mobile. She will push up on all fours, like a pushup position and then drop down on her belly and do the Superwoman move. She is really really close to crawling, which worries me because she's so quiet. I'll have to have an eagle eye on her or else she'll be into all kinds of stuff without my knowing :)
We have been trying to come up with a good nickname for Silas. Among the options are: Bubba, Tubby, Buster, Big Boy, Chunky, and our personal favorite Jumbotron. Needless to say...he's huge! He was held a lot I believe, so he requires more than sweet little Mercy, who is half his size. My arms are tired!! The good news is that he's getting a bit better at putting himself to sleep instead of needing to be rocked and he is usually really smiley. I think that once he can stand up to cruise around and is able to stop compulsively itching all the time, he is going to be in heaven! (We have applied cream for scabies but the crazy itching continues. His diaper rash is also better, but will quickly bleed if we let him try to scratch...so sad) We have been working on clapping and he has the Miss America wave down :)
Neither kid has eaten many solids. We have been trying to introduce them each day as a I brought rice cereal, squash and sweet potatoes, but what they really need are puffs and other goodies to munch on throughout the day. As it stands, Silas is consuming MASSIVE quantities of formula...we are bumping down to 6oz bottles instead of 8 b/c he was drinking 56oz of formula per day, which is enough for 2 babies! He hasn't seemed to mind.
We will keep you posted on our paperwork. Pray that we can come home sooner than expected. We are more than ready!
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