My Dearest Chongs


If you have known me in the last 7 years of life, you have known my dearest Chongs very well. Seven years ago I got these beauties out of my cousins closet and we did a shoe trade. I traded him a pair of thrift store tennis shoes for my dear Chongs. He had worn said Chongs for two years already so they were nice and broke in. Perfect for me. I had a pair of Chacos already but the wonder of getting a chaco and a flip flop in one....nothing could compare. Seven long years I wore and loved my Chongs and when I say wore I mean WORE. I literally wore them with everything. EVERYTHING. Dresses, shorts, pants, t-shirts and dress shirts. I broke all the rules of fashion and did not care a lic. They even made it through both pregnancies and multiple trips to Africa. And besides a running shoes and some mandatory heels for a wedding or two I haven't even bought any other shoes. Some say this is not very feminine of me but I just need to say that if I had it my way I would be barefoot. I just cant fathom paying money for that many pairs of shoes...when one pair is just fine. (although I have contemplated many pairs along the way and the only ones that have ALMOST won are Toms and that is because some child will also get shoes)...I know I think too much.
Anyway, let it be known after a life of 9 years on July 13, 2009 my Chongs broke. Deep down I knew the day would come but I have been in denial. Now the great thing about Chaco's is that they have a life time warranty. Sooo...I am sending them in. The only issue I have with this is... What if they send me the Zongs?
Zongs are the predecessor of The Chongs. Chongs are no longer made by Chaco they were retired 5 years ago and just last year they finally came out with its match...the Zong. And I will say in my opinion do not hold a candle to the Chong...just sayin. Now, all that said I will be grateful for the Zong if they send them my way but am hoping that they just strap my Chongs. I will keep you posted. In the mean time, you can find me barefoot!
(jk, Vernon bought me some great Keenes and Simples last year at the REI super clearane sale)

A Sneak Peek and a Short Explanation

Hey! The Crazies are about to end we are back in TX with only a few trips to go. This is my explanation for not blogging in forever. Then...TITUS STARTS KINDERGARTEN. so crazy. We are home this week so I asked Sarah Barnes to take Titus' 5 year old pics. She sent me a sneek peak last night....here are some....

Urgent Prayer PRAISE!!

Y'all....THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRAYING. We just got an email from Bishop saying that 8 have recovered! They will be monitored a bit but have stopped having "running stomach" as they say...they will be hydrating them and they will be back to there normal routine. The other 3 are still sick but they are hopeful that they will also recover.

AMEN... God did a mighty work at Lura!

Please continue to pray:

The 8 continue to hold down food and hydration.
The 3 stop having "running stomach" and begin holding down food and water.
Pray as they all morn the loss of one of their friends.
Pray for the mother of this sweet child as she morns the loss of her baby.

THANKS!

URGENT PRAYER

Today we received and email from Bishop Taban (the Sudanese pastor over all of the ministry we do in Sudan). Some of the children at the Lura orphanage are VERY sick. One child (although not an orphan but a child of one of the employed cooks) has died from the virus. Currently, 11 children are sick. They think they have the virus contained, but please pray.

Pray for our children as they are sick and needing to be brought back to health.
Pray for the nurses and health staff as they care for them.
Pray for the sweet mom who lost her child.
Pray for all the children and family as they morn the loss of this child.

Here is the email we received this morning, we will hopefully get more info asap,

Dear brethren;

The children at Lura Orphanage has been attacked by running stomach 11are on sick bed right now and one child dead today. We closed our Yei town clinic because all the staff are to attend to the situation in Lura. Though the child who dead is not an official registered child but the mother was employed two months back as a cook and she could not leave the child behind; one problem that mighty have caused the death is that the mother gave the child local medicine before reporting to the nurse. According to our health staff the situation has been brought under control.Thank you for your prayers.

Love.
Bishop Elias Taban

A Good Laugh

Tonight Vernon and I were talking about dancing and I was trying to explain to him the difference between square dancing and country dancing. Trying to get him to understand I said, "you know like CMT." This was followed by a blank stare from Vernon. I knew I need to clarify "country music television," I said. At this Vernon began to laugh and says, "I have never heard of that, so is that kinda like BET." This remark was followed by a blank stare from me, I had no idea what BET was. He laughed harder as he clarified, "black entertainment television."

We both laughed hard...we grew up in different worlds! haha!

Alive.

I am still alive. I promise.

Titus' Birthday Party In Pictures
Titus and two of his best friends, Ben and Toby, all turn five around the same time so the families decided to come together and have one BIG party...and it was SOO fun! Each boy had there own table decor of choice (titus' was transformers of course!) We rented a blow up water slide and brought the rest of the water games from home. It was a great morning!

Titus and Toby with the Optimus Prime masks.

Ella, not to be left out, looked so cute in hers!

Justus slept in our friends van with the doors open almost the entire party!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW TITUS!

So Far So Good

Thanks to all who have been praying for Vernon. He made it safely to Sudan. He said that the pain was so controlled that he actually slept on the flight! That hasn't happened in a LONG time...years. He has only had one period of severe pain and that was when he didn't take one round of his medicine. So, even though we are unsure of the source of the pain still, at least he is functional! (and the fact that the meds are working is a good indicator that it is nervous system related) He went straight away to the orphanange and the children were VERY concerned for him. They had heard from The Village team that he was sick. They told him they were praying for God to heal him. Amen! Those children never cease to amaze us. Mark, Vernon and Bishop headed back to Uganda today to pic up Stan. Together they went to the retreat center where they will be having the meetings. On the way they got to go to Murchison Falls !! What a dream! About an hour ago, my cell phone rang and it said the call was from Vernon. Naturally I got really nervous because he NEVER calls me from his cell it is always from the computer or from a satellite phone...because it cost so much. I answered and I hear he say, "Can you hear this? Its just AMAZING. You have to hear this" he held the phone out so I could hear the roar of the water fall. WOW. That moment was worth the cost for sure. It was so loud and powerful sounding even through the cell phone from across the globe, I can not even imagine! They we so close so they hiked to the top! Sooo Awesome!

On a different note, camp was so GREAT! The students and the adults really connected and there was an abundance of honesty. Truth was spoken and lives were changed. I love seeing God move in the hearts of high school students! The youth pastors of this camp arranged for some adults and jr.high students to come and stay with all the leaders kids. They kept the kids all day, gave them naps, fed them, took them to the rec times, let them go swimming, and the parents/leaders were free to minister to the students and stop in anytime to see their kiddos. It was the BEST set up. So note to all Youth Pastor's- OFFER THIS. It added such a cool dynamic to the camp. The students loved the kiddos being there and the adults were freed up to be with the students. Titus had a blast!


Yesterday and Today

I got home late Thursday night, put the laundry in the wash, got the boys to bed, did a little work around the house and on the computer and went to bed. I got up Friday morning and took Titus to the doc. (he was acting strep throatish and his eye was pretty red and swollen). I just wanted to get him checked before we got on a plane and spread everything to all his cousins. No strep, but he got some medicine for his eye. We then headed to the at&t store...can i just say I despise cell phones. I was one of the last people to get one and have regretted it ever since. I always get the cheap one so I am forever in the store getting a new one because mine broke...annoying. Anyway, we spent a long time in there, they got to see a full on 4 year old meltdown, you know the ones you think are over after three...and we left empty handed because I WILL NOT spend that much money on something so small. Luckily, Allison and Justin had an extra phone I can barrow until I am eligible for an "upgrade." We met Allison at her house at 3:30 got the phone, switched out the sim card and headed to the airport. We got there and by the time we parked, checked in with both boys and got through the security with a stroller, laptop and two boys, it was time for our flights boarding to begin...so we RAN through the airport! Poor Titus, he was such a trooper. We get up to the gate in time for them to announce it was going to be delayed by an hour. Dang. So we go to find a seat, get out the DVD player and snacks...only to find...we forgot the DVD player in the car. Titus started to cry. NO plane and now NO movies! So I called Robin who just dropped us off, she turned around, re-parked and brought the DVD player to security, security ran it through and we were off again to the gate. We finally boarded and the boys were AWESOME on the flight. Justus slept and Titus watched some of cars and drew a card for my mom. We finally arrived in MO around 9 and got to my house in King City around 10:30 after stopping at walmart for milk for Justus.
Needless to say, we are glad to be here! We will being going to my grandmas house tomorrow for a big party...my grandma throws the BEST parties!

And We're Off

Vernon's Test came back clear...all of them. No signs of anything life-threatening. Amen! But still do not know what exactly is setting of the neuropathy pain. So Vernon boarded the plane this morning for his 21st trip. Thanks for the prayers. Please, if you will continue to pray for him.

As for me and the boys, we are at camp! I love camp! Stonegate Fellowship (our church in Midland) asked me to come and speak to the students each morning for the morning sessions. It has been SOOO fun. I have about 50 9th graders every morning and I am loving it! We are studying God's Word together and having a lot of fun! I just LOVE teaching the Word and as a mother of two small children, I don't get the opportunity very often, so you can imagine my enthusiasm.

I got to bring the boys with me. (its just outside of Austin) They are having the time of their lives! Some of the other leaders and the worship band brought their kiddos so there are lots of friends to play with. They are just exhausted by the end of the day. I can come and go as I need to, so if I want to go to rec with the students I can and if I want to go rock Justus or swim with Titus I can...its amazing! I was way nervous about it but the two ladies and four eighth grade girls who are watching them are awesome!

Anyway, if you think of us, my sessions are each morning at 10:30am. Pray the Word would take deep root in these students!!

Click here to follow us at camp we have one of the best Video guys out there!
THANKS!

A Little Update

Vernon is doing well. He is still have a great deal of pain. He has undergone a series of test and has been medically cleared to fly. He just will have a good deal of pain if he chooses to do so. He had a CT Scan today. We will get the results on Monday and if he is clear of anything major he will fly out with two other His Voice for Sudan board members Tuesday. He has been placed (temporarily) on some pain meds that allow him to function normally. The doctor said it seems to be non-life threatening and a waiting game as we send blood test off. With this he cleared Vernon (in as much as doctors are able) to go if he felt his pain was tolerable. So we are still evaluating this.

The team has made it in country and are doing great! They will be spending time at the orphanages the next couple days. The team will actually be leaving the day Vernon arrives, if he decides to go. His Voice for Sudan and EPC will be having a series of crucial meetings discussing the vision for the next few years...soo great!...this is why Vernon would like to be there if possible.

Thanks so much for praying!

Why 21 was so different.

Tuesday morning I dropped Vernon off at the airport for his 21st trip to Sudan. As many of you know a couple months back we found out that Vernon has Factor V Leiden Mutation which is a big term that means he is genetically predisposed to blood clotting. This is not a new thing, it is something you are born with, what is new about it is that we have the knowledge now that he has it. So ALL 20 other trips to Sudan he had the Factor V but ignorance is bliss I suppose. Long air plane rides are one of the major cause of blood clotting so add the two together and it is miraculous that he has yet to have any issues. I was afraid that at times this would have my heart wavering, so I called on a sweet group of friends to pray and help me take my thoughts captive and trust God. Turns out God had a different plan for this 21st trip....

About 5 years ago, Vernon picked up some unknown parasite that has essentially wrecked his immune system. Over time his immune system has focused on this unknown illness and his nervous system has taken over and worked its self to death. This has caused him GREAT pain over the years because his nerves are deteriorating from the ends of his feet up his legs. It is a syndrome called Sensory Neuropathy (SN). 5 years ago when this all began we went through about a years worth of tests sending his blood to Mayo, MDA and many other sources to rule out cancer or rare diseases because SN is a secondary issue, one cause only by an internal or external trauma of some sort. All the blood work came back clear and saying Vernon was healthy in everyway. The Foreign Disease MD said that he was clear of all major parasites etc. but he pain never stopped. Infact over the years it has gotten increasingly worse with each trip to Sudan.

A month ago we went to an acupuncture doctor who figured out the parasite Vernon was carrying. He did some treatments and is now testing negative for the parasite...Praise the Lord. But the damage it has done is so bad that his pain still continues.

Four days before Vernon was scheduled to leave this time, the pain in his legs got so intense he informed the team he was leading that he would have to be cleared by his doc before going. He went in and was checked and cleared to go...no signs of blood clots. (he can fly with the SN it just hurts, it is not life threatening, just extremely painful) He gave him some pain killers for the SN and sent him off to Sudan. The day before the trip the pain meds were still not working well. We decided to go to the Chiropractor to see if getting his lower back worked on would help...and this was the answer we were looking for! He worked on his lower back and the pain got so much less. So we packed him up and went to bed. Vernon woke in the night with severe leg pain again. He took more meds and decided to go on the trip. Feeling good about the blood clot issue not really playing in to the leg pain we thought he could get the pain under control with meds. He met the team and they were on there way.
In the air to Detroit (which is a stop he doesn't generally make he usually flys direct from Dallas to Amsterdam) the pain got so severe that even with the max dose of pain killers he was having sweating and seeing stars from the pain. His arms stared to numb and turn blue as well. He got of the plane in Detroit and called his doc. The doc said "PLEASE do not continue, get checked at the airport and get back to Ft. Worth ASAP." There was only one problem with this; the team he was leading was full of folks who have never been to Africa, let alone Sudan. Only one member had ever been to Africa and that was 13 years ago. So we had to figure out some logistics of getting them around in Uganda without Vernon and getting them into Sudan without Vernon. Vernon said the team rose up to the occasion. They showed great maturity and courage in Christ. They leaned immediately on God to protect them guide them and heal Vernon. They were amazing. Props to The Village Church for training and sending people who are rooted deep in Christ!
Vernon was cleared to get back on a plane to Dallas and arrived home around 10 that night....in extreme pain. He made it through the night with some pain meds and got to the doc in the am. He spent the day there getting ultrasounds taken to rule out blood clotting. No blood clots...which we were pretty sure that was the case, but with Factor V you have to rule it out. Now he is on some better meds and is waiting for CT Scan tomorrow. But ultimately he needs to get into a Neurologist and they are all booked until July. His new meds are the kind that build on themselves so the longer he takes them the better he will feel. If the CT Scan is clear and the meds really pic up he will probably return to Sudan in the next week or two...because again the SN is not life threatening, just painful and he cant be seen by a neurologist until July.

So would yall please join us in prayer for wisdom. Wisdom about traveling. Wisdom for the doctors. Wisdom for the team that is in Sudan without Vernon.

If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, with no doubting...
James 1:5-6a

Thanks and Amen!

Justus' Birthday Party in Pictures



Pictures courtesy of Allison and Janelle. They both took pics and sent them to me and I edited them up...Thanks girls!!! I will hopefully have more up on My Shutterfly Page in the next day or two.

Our Brave Little Man

Titus' eye surgery went great today. We arrived at 6 am went straight to registration and then to Radiology. We filled out paperwork, met the nurses and anesthesiologist, and talked through what all would take place. Here Titus is in the Radiology Waiting area. Titus was sooo good the entire time. He sat patiently on Vernon's lap as they checked his vitals and got to know him a bit. Normally if Titus is nervous he talks your ear off. He chatters about everything trying to derail you from what is actually suppose to be taking place. But he was calm and collected. He sometimes wouldn't speak when they asked questions but mostly he did great. Once Dr. Packwood came in Titus smiled and began to be way more at ease...finally a face he recognized. Vernon decided (to my amazement) that he wanted to be the one who stayed with Titus while they gave him the sleeping gas. So I kissed Titus and left and went to the waiting area where my sweet friends Janelle and Melissa waited. They were so sweet to come! It really helped me that they were there. The time passed so much faster.
Once Titus was asleep, they made Vernon leave and they took Titus for his MRI. Once the MRI was done they moved him up to Surgery. We decided to get Starbucks and go wait in the Surgery waiting room because they would come talk to us there right after they work on him. Janelle, Melissa, Vernon and I got our coffee and headed up to the waiting room. While we were there Allison came to stay with us and our pastor, John, came too. This was such a blessing.
After about 2 hours of waiting Dr. Packwood came out and told us Titus did great and everything was going well. Then about 20 mins later they called us back to see him. This is what he looked like...

What a brave little guy! They had splints on his arms so he wouldn't rub his eyes and as soon as they brought him to consciousness he asked when he could take them off. So they took that opportunity to tell him how important it was to NOT TOUCH his eye...no matter what. Whatever they told him has worked because he keeps reminding me that he is not allowed to touch his eyes. They gave him a Popsicle and he didn't really want it. Titus LOVES Popsicles so I knew he was feeling bad at this point. He kept telling us his eye hurt and burned. He said that it was blurry and that there were two of everything. So we asked the nurse if that was normal and she assured us that he was doing great. She did, however, give him more pain medicine and that seemed to really help him. He then took a big glass of Gatorade and was ready to go home. They took his IV out and told us all the thing we would need to do at home and set up our follow up appointment. Then the brought in the wagon that all the kids get to ride in as they are discharged. It was so fun for Titus! He couldn't really express it so the pictures don't do justice to his delight but he was so glad to be going home and to be pulled in the wagon.
As we waited at the door for Vernon to get the car, the clowns came and made Titus laugh. They gave him a stuffed animal and a hot wheels car...he was more than thrilled! He was so tired but mustered up the strength to tell Vernon about the clowns during our drive home. Here is a picture of us getting him in the car. He was so out of it.

Once we arrived home we took him upstairs where my mom had set up the bean bag and the little TV/DVD player. It was his own little space. Mom got him "The Tale of Despereau" DVD and some activity/sticker books. She had them waiting for him to open on the bean bag. We kept it dark up there because he kept saying everything was too bright. Robin brought Titus a huge Optimus Prime balloon and he had it right next to him all afternoon.
The nurses warned us when we left that as all the meds wore off he would probably be cranky and moody. Boy was that true. I have to rub medicine on his eyelid four times a day and the two times I did it this evening he had a full on meltdown. It was just awful. He is so scared of the medicine, it burns and it blurs his vision for a bit. I have had to fully restrain him to apply it both times. If you are one who is praying for us, please add this to your prayer list...that he would allow me to apply the medicine and not have to be restrained. It is so sad. He is just so scared. We have had a lot of talks about how some times obedience hurts but in the end its the best thing for you. So hopefully obedience in being still for the medicine application will come sooner than later!
Tonight I laid in bed with him and we talked for a while. He told me what he was scared of and why he doesn't like the medicine and how he thought today was cool because his eye would work better. It was a sweet end to a long day.

We also got the call that his MRI was normal! AMEN! Thanks to all who have come on this journey with us. He has about 10 more days of recovery but the hard part is behind us. It will be a good 3 weeks before they will be able to tell if the eyelid lift worked or not...but most likely it did.

Thanks again. To God be the Glory for He has done great things for us and we are filled with Joy!

Titus' Eye Surgery

Tomorrow morning at 6am we will arrive at Cooks Children's Hospital in Fort Worth for Titus to have an MRI and Surgery on his Left eye. Since birth Titus' left eye lid has been significantly lower than his right. When he was born he couldn't even open it. They told us it was because of the way he laid in my womb and that he may or may not grow out of it. Last year we decided to take him to the opthamologist because my pediatrician expressed concern about his vision being effected. We put it off at first because he was showing no signs of choosing one eye over the other. As he got older I began to notice that people would mention it in front of him, other children would ask him what was wrong with his eye etc. He had NO clue it was any different than anyone else. One of Vernon's Step-Mom's friend had a son who had a brain tumor that started with a droopy eye and headaches and quickly progressed to full cancer and then ended in death. He was the same age as Titus. When this came about, I made the appointment. He has had NO signs of headaches, so I've had no concern that this is the case for Titus, but people bringing it up to him combined with the knowledge that a drooping eyelid is a sign of brain tumors in children prompted me to finally make the call. We went to the doctor, he examined Titus and found NO suspicion of anything beyond what they originally told me. When he was in my womb his eyelid was closed longer than the other resulting in a elongated muscle. He DOES NOT have a lazy eye or any tracking issues. Also he told us that he has great vision and no signs of choosing his right over his left.
With all this info we were left to make a decision. The Doc said that over time it will only get worse because of gravity. He also told us that it could begin to affect him a lot more when he starts reading. Dr. Packwood also told us that after the age of 7 this particular type of surgery becomes much more intricate and would be an overnighter in the hospital. With all this info we decided to go ahead and get it done now so that no eye muscles are damaged or get into any habits that we would then have to do therapy to break.

We had it scheduled for the end of last year, but could not afford it. Through Christmas we received some money from some sweet friends and family members that put us on the path of being able to aford it. We then made a new appointment, got better insurance and are set for Tuesday May 26th...tomorrow.

We just told Titus last night. He took the news pretty well. He was mostly worried about getting any shots. He quickly told me that as long as he didn't have to get any "vaccines" than he was okay. I told him about the IV and he said that would be better than shots...we will let him think that for now;)

We will arrive tomorrow at 6am he will have an MRI to insure nothing is causing the eye to droop than he will have the surgery at 8am. It is a 1-2hour surgery with a 3-4hr recovery. Then we will get to take him home for the rest of his recovery. They said it will be pretty painless once he is sent home. He will only be on Tylenol.

We greatly appreciate your prayers tomorrow as he is going into surgery! Thank you in advance! We will keep our FB statuses updated and our twitter...if we can and if you are interested.

JUSTUS IS ONE!

It's official, our little man is one year old. I took him to the doc today for his one year well check. He is 24 lbs. 9 oz. and 32 inch long. He is a tall little man; smiley as always. He didn't gain much weight over the last two months but he sure grew in height. He is walking 5 steps but still would rather crawl because he is much faster that way. We had a great day with him today and PARTY tomorrow! For now here are some pics:

I am the Second Man Now

I am sitting here listening to my beloved Switchfoot playlist. Its full of my fav Switchfoot songs...its amazing. Totally my love language. I am excited about its growth come fall with their new album. But all that is beside the point. Except that the song that is playing now is 24. The lyrics took me back to this last weekend and all the Lord did in my heart.

"I am not who I thought I was 24 hours ago...You are raising the dead in me, I am the second man now."

I went to Houston this past weekend to lead worship for an event for single women. It was so precious and dear to my heart because I spent so much time as a single women in that very church and in particular the very room we used was the room in which I spent many a day hearing the Word of God taught. I can't imagine my life now if it wasn't for those days, for those times of nearness with the Lord. Feeling very nostalgic as I always do when I go to Houston, I woke up early Saturday morning and took a drive. I went to Uptown Park Starbucks where I use to work and was a 'getaway' place for me. The Lord did so much in my heart there. Just pulling up I was moved by His nearness to me. Then I drove down Silber and pulled into the Mission parking lot. Did a u-turn and headed to HFBC where I sat in the parking lot and bawled like a baby. During the drive I turned on KSBJ (God Listens :)). The songs that came on were as if God planned the playlist for me. I was moved by His faithfulness. His faithfulness to change me. I kept noticing along the drive how many things had change. In my heart I knew that was a word for me. I began to think back at who I was then and by the grace of God, I hardly know that person. He has refined me, changed me, moved me and humbled me over and over. He has so faithfully taught me time and time again. I love that the Lord changes us. Yes and Amen.

The majoirty of my time in H-town was spent with two of my all time BFF's Amy and Allison. I can not tell you how much this was water to my weary soul. Just sitting with them encourages me. They have seen me change from that young single girl to this old mother of two and have loved me at every stage. Friends like these are priceless. I don't tell you two enough how thankful I am for you. I love you both dearly.

Leading up to the weekend I prayed that this person:

would come out. I really didn't know if that was possible. It's been years since I had the chance to lead in this capacity. I was thankful that the Lord does not need talent or precision to be worshiped and praised. He is so Faithful. Amen.

One of my favorite parts of life right now is watching my sweet friends become moms. I am not sure why, but it brings me overwhelming JOY to watch as the Lord blesses them and teaches them how to mother their sweet children. With this said a blessing that I received while in Houston was seeing Becky and Laurel. I love that little Laurel. She is so precious...seriously love her! And seeing Becky is always a joy. Then I got the privilege of going to the parent commitment (baby dedication) of little Judah Altic, Annabeth Jones and The Smith Kids. I was nearly crying the majority of the ceremony. I kept remembering back to 2000 and random memories of SBU. It was surreal really. I was taken by the graciousness of our God to be so giving to my sweet friends. They have wonderful marriages, ministries and families. Kay, Amanda and Star, you guys are amazing mommies. Your children are blessed to have you as their mother. Thank you Lord for your kindness to my sweet friends.

Last but not least, I LOVED spending time with Janelle on the ride down and back. Janelle, your friendship is so dear to me. Thanks for pulling us in and making us feel a part of things here. Thanks for always being honest, sharing your heart and always being up for fun! You are a blessing to me.

Change. Old being made new. Faithfulness. Thankfulness. Beautiful.

This is the song I've been singing Him since my return: