by Amy
My parents are coming today!! We are all so excited! They'll be here for almost a month! This Friday we'll be taking them to visit a big city north of here. This city has 2 of the 4 or 5 chiropractors in our entire country. So, when we go there, I usually try to see one. About a week ago, as I was calling to make my appt., Brad asked me to make one for him too. After his recent back issues, he thought this might be helpful. This morning as he left the house, he asked me to call and cancel his appt. For a couple of days now he has been completely pain free! His back, leg, head -- everything feels great! PTL!!!
** FYI - I'm chalkin' it up to the new crocs!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Culture Shock
by Amy
When preparing to move to a new country, there's always tons of discussion about culture shock. When you get to a new place, things are so different, that at first you think it fun and exciting, but after 2-3 months, the honeymoon's over and the reality/shock sets in. This place is weird. Why do they do it that way? America's system is way better/effective/safer, you name it.
I don't feel like we ever went through the whole culture shock thing after we moved here. Looking back, I attribute it to several things. First of all, I was in contact with a couple of Americans that live in our city. I was able to ask them tons of questions, thus able to have a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into. Secondly, I had pretty low expectations. Having been out of America twice before, once to Africa and once to war-torn eastern Europe, I expected trash to be ever where, for grocery stores to be non-existent, for my home to be pretty rugged, etc. When I got here, I was pleasantly surprised. Thirdly, I know America is not the best place on the earth. Lots of things are great there, but there are lots of problems too. I (try to) realize that my American way is not the only way, or even the best way to do things. Finally, I'm married to Brad. He he helps me laugh rather than get stressed.
While we were on vacation in SE Asia, I often found myself enjoying many aspects of being in a more developed (if that's the right word for it) country. For example, English is on most of the signs, the majority of the food products in the grocery store, and many store clerks are even able to speak English. The malls put the Galleria to shame. They are huge and have any and everything you can think of. The hospitals/Dr.'s offices we visited were clean --even sterile, high-tech, wonderful, and stocked with reliable meds (And REALLY cheap -- Brad's visit to the ER in the middle of the night, including meds cost $25.) Not to mention the western foods and restaurants available -- incredible. It was also nice to be just another foreigner, not that American family with 3 kids that everyone recognizes, and wants to touch. But, even as I took this in, I never once found myself wishing I lived there instead of here. I thought back on my home - I love our apartment. I like that our taxis use meters, instead of often having to bargain upfront for your ride. Women in my city dress more modestly than women there. Brad and I often found ourselves saying, "This is great, but we are glad we live where we do."
Then, I came home. The cloudless sky was dull and almost gray from all the pollution, not a crisp blue as it had been over the beach. And, I had forgotten how dirty everything is here. Everything is covered with a not-too-fine layer of dirt (cars, trees, sidewalks, roads, hand rails, windows -- everything!) The roads are pretty bumpy and have a few more pot-holes than I remembered. Most of the buildings look run-down because they are so dirty, have paint peeling, or rust stains and often broken windows. The contrast was shocking. When I first came here, everything was so new and exciting. Rather than noticing the peeling paint, I was surprised there wasn't a hole in the side of the building from a grenade. Rather than noticing the dirt, I was thrilled trash wasn't all over the streets.
Last week I was in culture shock. I didn't want to leave the comforts of my apartment. I was irritated at the 100s of shortcomings I saw in this culture, and I wasn't even motivated to contact my local friends. I'm not sure I'm totally out of it now, but the Lord used two things last week to renew my love for this country. First of all, while Savannah was at school, I took the boys to our "pretty park" down the street. Walking through the gate was like walking into a new world. It was dramatically cleaner in the park than anywhere else outside. The birds were chirping; it was fairly warm, for February that is. Lots of people were working in the grass raking, so the park seemed tidy. It was not crowded since it was the middle of the morning. And the people that were there cheerfully talked to me about my boys instead of touching/pulling on them. (They were running too fast to be caught!) As usual, my trip to the park, helped renew my love for this place and these people. Secondly, we went to a lantern festival on our street. I'll post pics later, but basically, it was a fun, energizing, ride-less carnival. People were cheerful and smiling. They were speaking a language that was comforting and familiar, even though I didn't understand everything I heard. I loved being there. And, as I looked around me at the masses, I remembered that I didn't move here for the comfortable, convenient lifestyle this country has to offer. I know why I'm here and again, I can say, I'm glad to be here.
When preparing to move to a new country, there's always tons of discussion about culture shock. When you get to a new place, things are so different, that at first you think it fun and exciting, but after 2-3 months, the honeymoon's over and the reality/shock sets in. This place is weird. Why do they do it that way? America's system is way better/effective/safer, you name it.
I don't feel like we ever went through the whole culture shock thing after we moved here. Looking back, I attribute it to several things. First of all, I was in contact with a couple of Americans that live in our city. I was able to ask them tons of questions, thus able to have a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into. Secondly, I had pretty low expectations. Having been out of America twice before, once to Africa and once to war-torn eastern Europe, I expected trash to be ever where, for grocery stores to be non-existent, for my home to be pretty rugged, etc. When I got here, I was pleasantly surprised. Thirdly, I know America is not the best place on the earth. Lots of things are great there, but there are lots of problems too. I (try to) realize that my American way is not the only way, or even the best way to do things. Finally, I'm married to Brad. He he helps me laugh rather than get stressed.
While we were on vacation in SE Asia, I often found myself enjoying many aspects of being in a more developed (if that's the right word for it) country. For example, English is on most of the signs, the majority of the food products in the grocery store, and many store clerks are even able to speak English. The malls put the Galleria to shame. They are huge and have any and everything you can think of. The hospitals/Dr.'s offices we visited were clean --even sterile, high-tech, wonderful, and stocked with reliable meds (And REALLY cheap -- Brad's visit to the ER in the middle of the night, including meds cost $25.) Not to mention the western foods and restaurants available -- incredible. It was also nice to be just another foreigner, not that American family with 3 kids that everyone recognizes, and wants to touch. But, even as I took this in, I never once found myself wishing I lived there instead of here. I thought back on my home - I love our apartment. I like that our taxis use meters, instead of often having to bargain upfront for your ride. Women in my city dress more modestly than women there. Brad and I often found ourselves saying, "This is great, but we are glad we live where we do."
Then, I came home. The cloudless sky was dull and almost gray from all the pollution, not a crisp blue as it had been over the beach. And, I had forgotten how dirty everything is here. Everything is covered with a not-too-fine layer of dirt (cars, trees, sidewalks, roads, hand rails, windows -- everything!) The roads are pretty bumpy and have a few more pot-holes than I remembered. Most of the buildings look run-down because they are so dirty, have paint peeling, or rust stains and often broken windows. The contrast was shocking. When I first came here, everything was so new and exciting. Rather than noticing the peeling paint, I was surprised there wasn't a hole in the side of the building from a grenade. Rather than noticing the dirt, I was thrilled trash wasn't all over the streets.
Last week I was in culture shock. I didn't want to leave the comforts of my apartment. I was irritated at the 100s of shortcomings I saw in this culture, and I wasn't even motivated to contact my local friends. I'm not sure I'm totally out of it now, but the Lord used two things last week to renew my love for this country. First of all, while Savannah was at school, I took the boys to our "pretty park" down the street. Walking through the gate was like walking into a new world. It was dramatically cleaner in the park than anywhere else outside. The birds were chirping; it was fairly warm, for February that is. Lots of people were working in the grass raking, so the park seemed tidy. It was not crowded since it was the middle of the morning. And the people that were there cheerfully talked to me about my boys instead of touching/pulling on them. (They were running too fast to be caught!) As usual, my trip to the park, helped renew my love for this place and these people. Secondly, we went to a lantern festival on our street. I'll post pics later, but basically, it was a fun, energizing, ride-less carnival. People were cheerful and smiling. They were speaking a language that was comforting and familiar, even though I didn't understand everything I heard. I loved being there. And, as I looked around me at the masses, I remembered that I didn't move here for the comfortable, convenient lifestyle this country has to offer. I know why I'm here and again, I can say, I'm glad to be here.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Say It Ain't So....
by Amy
About three or four years ago, my dear friend from Colorado, Krista, bought a lime green pair of crocs. I was living in Louisville at the time, but she sent me a picture of her feet. I didn't hesitate one bit to tell her that they were the ugliest pair of shoes I had ever seen. (Her husband gave me a hearty "AMEN!") Krista just laughed and assured me they were extremely comfortable. Well, about a year later, one of my other friends from Colorado, Anne Marie, was having issues with her feet. Her Dr. told her to buy some crocs. She too began to rave about these ugly shoes. To quote her directly, she told me and her daughter-in-law that, "You haven't lived if you haven't worn crocs!" That's a pretty strong endorsement. Becky and I decided we were happy walking around dead.
About a year ago, as I was preparing to move to Asia, I began to take inventory of my shoes, knowing that I was moving to a place where I'd be doing a lot of walking. And, I finally admitted that even though I had a lot of cute shoes, I only had one pair that I considered really comfortable: my tennis shoes. So, when went shopping, I started looking at crocs. My husband was shocked and continued to comment on how ugly they are. A month later, after shopping, buying and returning black shoes, I bit the bullet and bought a pair of black mary-jane crocs. I decided the mary-janes were a little cuter since they were smaller than the normal croc. Brad said that I could keep them if I really wanted to. "I guess they're not as ugly as the other ones." After a week in those shoes, I was hooked! I got to Asia, where you don't wear outdoor shoes inside, and quickly realized that walking on hardwood floors barefoot everyday was killing my back. So, my dear friend Krista came through again! She sent me my second pair of crocs for indoors. I love them so much that all our American friends living in our city have since bought them -- even the men! They are all hooked -- all except my husband that is....
Well, about 4 months ago, Brad's back began to hurt a bit. Immediately, I suggested he buy crocs to wear inside. He claimed he could take a pair of tennis shoes, cut the back out, wash them, and they'd be just like crocs. So, this is what he did (see a previous post). But, after all the issues he had while we were on vacation, he decided $30 was a small investment if there was a chance it could help him. So, I'm happy to report my husband is now a proud owner of a real pair of crocs! And, after wearing them for a couple of hours, he said, "You know, these are better than those tennis shoes I cut up." It took all I had to not retort with an, "I told you so!" I'm sure the smile I gave him sent the same message, though. :)
And, since Savannah, Mommy and Daddy all have crocs, Pedo and Alex couldn't be left out. (The kids have the $3-market variety!)
About three or four years ago, my dear friend from Colorado, Krista, bought a lime green pair of crocs. I was living in Louisville at the time, but she sent me a picture of her feet. I didn't hesitate one bit to tell her that they were the ugliest pair of shoes I had ever seen. (Her husband gave me a hearty "AMEN!") Krista just laughed and assured me they were extremely comfortable. Well, about a year later, one of my other friends from Colorado, Anne Marie, was having issues with her feet. Her Dr. told her to buy some crocs. She too began to rave about these ugly shoes. To quote her directly, she told me and her daughter-in-law that, "You haven't lived if you haven't worn crocs!" That's a pretty strong endorsement. Becky and I decided we were happy walking around dead.
About a year ago, as I was preparing to move to Asia, I began to take inventory of my shoes, knowing that I was moving to a place where I'd be doing a lot of walking. And, I finally admitted that even though I had a lot of cute shoes, I only had one pair that I considered really comfortable: my tennis shoes. So, when went shopping, I started looking at crocs. My husband was shocked and continued to comment on how ugly they are. A month later, after shopping, buying and returning black shoes, I bit the bullet and bought a pair of black mary-jane crocs. I decided the mary-janes were a little cuter since they were smaller than the normal croc. Brad said that I could keep them if I really wanted to. "I guess they're not as ugly as the other ones." After a week in those shoes, I was hooked! I got to Asia, where you don't wear outdoor shoes inside, and quickly realized that walking on hardwood floors barefoot everyday was killing my back. So, my dear friend Krista came through again! She sent me my second pair of crocs for indoors. I love them so much that all our American friends living in our city have since bought them -- even the men! They are all hooked -- all except my husband that is....
Well, about 4 months ago, Brad's back began to hurt a bit. Immediately, I suggested he buy crocs to wear inside. He claimed he could take a pair of tennis shoes, cut the back out, wash them, and they'd be just like crocs. So, this is what he did (see a previous post). But, after all the issues he had while we were on vacation, he decided $30 was a small investment if there was a chance it could help him. So, I'm happy to report my husband is now a proud owner of a real pair of crocs! And, after wearing them for a couple of hours, he said, "You know, these are better than those tennis shoes I cut up." It took all I had to not retort with an, "I told you so!" I'm sure the smile I gave him sent the same message, though. :)
And, since Savannah, Mommy and Daddy all have crocs, Pedo and Alex couldn't be left out. (The kids have the $3-market variety!)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Pedo's Greatest Hits
Technology is wonderful. You can capture your kids favorites songs, just perfectly off tune, for the whole world to hear. Its about 4 minutes long...have fun.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Nutty Mishaps
by Amy
As I shared before, our time at this conference has been really great. But, we have had a few mishaps as well. When your kids have nut allergies, it’s always a risky thing to leave them with someone else while they eat. This is why we take Savannah to her kindergarten after breakfast and pick her up before lunch. It’s not worth the risk…. But, I didn’t have that option here. My kids were fed lunch and two snacks (morning and afternoon) while they were at childcare, aka VBS. I explained to the workers in both classes our kids were in that they were allergic to all kinds of nuts. I packed snacks in their bags, as a back-up in case a nutty snack was provided. And, I also left the epi-pin. Each day, as I dropped off the kids, I reminded their teachers of the allergy. (I had also filled out paperwork three months ago, so they could expect and plan for my kids’ allergies as they cared for them for eleven days.)
Well, on Tuesday, I got paged. So, I hurried to the nursery to find that Alex’s teachers had accidentally given him a muffin with peanuts (or some kind of nut) and he ate half of it before they remembered his allergy. After picking up Alex, I checked on Savannah. Thankfully, she looked carefully at the muffin given to her and noticed the nuts, so she ate the fruit snack in her backpack instead. In the past, when Alex or Savannah had exposure to nuts, they would vomit about 2-3 hours later. We expected the same this time. But, within half an hour, Alex began to complain of his tummy hurting, and became really lethargic. He vomited twice and still seemed really weak. So, I took him to the clinic. (We have a make-shift clinic and pharmacy in our hotel staffed with volunteer US doctors and nurses 24/7 while we are here! What a huge blessing!) After giving him Benadryl and watching him for about 20 minutes as he slept in my arms, they sent me home to put him down. But, after about 10 minutes, he started coughing, threw up again, and began wheezing. His breathing became rapid, so we went back to the clinic. There he was given a steroid and albuterol breathing treatment. The exposure to nuts had basically caused an asthma attack, as well as a rash on his back and stomach and an immediate flaring of his eczema. This was by far his worst reaction ever! He’s still on daily medication as a result of it. His VBS teachers felt horrible. I am thankful that they called me right away, and that he could get good medical attention here in our hotel. And, most importantly I praise the Lord for guarding his little life.
Later in the week, Savannah ate two bites of a cookie that caused her to vomit. We assume it either had nuts in it or was contaminated by nuts. Her teacher tried it first and said it should be fine for her to eat….
We have been in contact with the guy in charge of this conference are trying to get a nut-free “VBS” next year. We’ll see….
As I shared before, our time at this conference has been really great. But, we have had a few mishaps as well. When your kids have nut allergies, it’s always a risky thing to leave them with someone else while they eat. This is why we take Savannah to her kindergarten after breakfast and pick her up before lunch. It’s not worth the risk…. But, I didn’t have that option here. My kids were fed lunch and two snacks (morning and afternoon) while they were at childcare, aka VBS. I explained to the workers in both classes our kids were in that they were allergic to all kinds of nuts. I packed snacks in their bags, as a back-up in case a nutty snack was provided. And, I also left the epi-pin. Each day, as I dropped off the kids, I reminded their teachers of the allergy. (I had also filled out paperwork three months ago, so they could expect and plan for my kids’ allergies as they cared for them for eleven days.)
Well, on Tuesday, I got paged. So, I hurried to the nursery to find that Alex’s teachers had accidentally given him a muffin with peanuts (or some kind of nut) and he ate half of it before they remembered his allergy. After picking up Alex, I checked on Savannah. Thankfully, she looked carefully at the muffin given to her and noticed the nuts, so she ate the fruit snack in her backpack instead. In the past, when Alex or Savannah had exposure to nuts, they would vomit about 2-3 hours later. We expected the same this time. But, within half an hour, Alex began to complain of his tummy hurting, and became really lethargic. He vomited twice and still seemed really weak. So, I took him to the clinic. (We have a make-shift clinic and pharmacy in our hotel staffed with volunteer US doctors and nurses 24/7 while we are here! What a huge blessing!) After giving him Benadryl and watching him for about 20 minutes as he slept in my arms, they sent me home to put him down. But, after about 10 minutes, he started coughing, threw up again, and began wheezing. His breathing became rapid, so we went back to the clinic. There he was given a steroid and albuterol breathing treatment. The exposure to nuts had basically caused an asthma attack, as well as a rash on his back and stomach and an immediate flaring of his eczema. This was by far his worst reaction ever! He’s still on daily medication as a result of it. His VBS teachers felt horrible. I am thankful that they called me right away, and that he could get good medical attention here in our hotel. And, most importantly I praise the Lord for guarding his little life.
Later in the week, Savannah ate two bites of a cookie that caused her to vomit. We assume it either had nuts in it or was contaminated by nuts. Her teacher tried it first and said it should be fine for her to eat….
We have been in contact with the guy in charge of this conference are trying to get a nut-free “VBS” next year. We’ll see….
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Vacation Fun
By Amy
Well, we’re still here in SE Asia. We’ll head home on Friday. Our time out of country has been really refreshing for me – especially this last week in the beach town. Brad and I have had a chance to attend some meetings while our kids were in “VBS.” Once again, our kids are thriving in the kids’ program. Savannah is especially loving it! She’s made several sweet friends that it will be fun to see on an annual basis. All three kids have loved getting to go swimming almost every day. And, their swimming skills have grown incredibly! Savannah is part fish (I guess you could call her a mermaid!) She is doing great swimming on her own! And, Alex has grown as well. We have little arm floaties for the boys. In the past Alex has tolerated our trips to the pool as long as he had a ring around his chest. But, the minute I pull him out of the ring, with only floaties on, he flips out! He literally screams hysterically. This just happened 10 days ago when I took the kids swimming in the capital city while Brad was in serious pain. So, on Friday night, we eat a fast dinner so we can take the kids to the pool. In the large kiddie pool (just under 3 ft deep) where both boys can stand up, I saw Alex using the floaties and kicking his feet out behind him. Brad and I both were quite impressed and cheered him on. But, I about flipped when Alex cheerfully slid into the 12ft deep end (where I was) with only little floaties on his arms. He kicked his way right over to me with a huge smile on his face! I was so proud! Pedo has always been pretty comfortable in the water and still seems to be loving it.
Having happy kids that ask every night if they’ll, “get to” go back to VBS the next day has made leaving them every day for the last 8 days, not as challenging as I expected. While our kids were playing, swimming, doing crafts and singing songs, Brad and I have been enjoying times of cooperate w-rship, pr-ching, testimonies, and seminars. (We got to choose 6 from about 60 options.) And, I am thankful to report that the Father has been so faithful to refresh and encourage me spiritually during these times. I have really felt near to Him as the old message of forgiveness and freedom has seemed so new and fresh to me. We sang so many songs about the cross and my heart was pierced anew as I reflected on what my Savior accomplished for me there. As I pondered that again, I am filled with a new resolve and power to live the life we are all called to live! PTL!
On a different note, I am also pleased to report that Brad is feeling so much better! After having a slipped disk causing back pain then intense leg pain, he is walking and moving almost normally again. The Dr. seems to think the swelling has gone down and the disk is back in place, no longer pinching nerves. What a blessing!!
Well, we’re still here in SE Asia. We’ll head home on Friday. Our time out of country has been really refreshing for me – especially this last week in the beach town. Brad and I have had a chance to attend some meetings while our kids were in “VBS.” Once again, our kids are thriving in the kids’ program. Savannah is especially loving it! She’s made several sweet friends that it will be fun to see on an annual basis. All three kids have loved getting to go swimming almost every day. And, their swimming skills have grown incredibly! Savannah is part fish (I guess you could call her a mermaid!) She is doing great swimming on her own! And, Alex has grown as well. We have little arm floaties for the boys. In the past Alex has tolerated our trips to the pool as long as he had a ring around his chest. But, the minute I pull him out of the ring, with only floaties on, he flips out! He literally screams hysterically. This just happened 10 days ago when I took the kids swimming in the capital city while Brad was in serious pain. So, on Friday night, we eat a fast dinner so we can take the kids to the pool. In the large kiddie pool (just under 3 ft deep) where both boys can stand up, I saw Alex using the floaties and kicking his feet out behind him. Brad and I both were quite impressed and cheered him on. But, I about flipped when Alex cheerfully slid into the 12ft deep end (where I was) with only little floaties on his arms. He kicked his way right over to me with a huge smile on his face! I was so proud! Pedo has always been pretty comfortable in the water and still seems to be loving it.
Having happy kids that ask every night if they’ll, “get to” go back to VBS the next day has made leaving them every day for the last 8 days, not as challenging as I expected. While our kids were playing, swimming, doing crafts and singing songs, Brad and I have been enjoying times of cooperate w-rship, pr-ching, testimonies, and seminars. (We got to choose 6 from about 60 options.) And, I am thankful to report that the Father has been so faithful to refresh and encourage me spiritually during these times. I have really felt near to Him as the old message of forgiveness and freedom has seemed so new and fresh to me. We sang so many songs about the cross and my heart was pierced anew as I reflected on what my Savior accomplished for me there. As I pondered that again, I am filled with a new resolve and power to live the life we are all called to live! PTL!
On a different note, I am also pleased to report that Brad is feeling so much better! After having a slipped disk causing back pain then intense leg pain, he is walking and moving almost normally again. The Dr. seems to think the swelling has gone down and the disk is back in place, no longer pinching nerves. What a blessing!!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Back Update and More
From Brad.Well, problem found. After lengthy examinations and consultations with highly trained medical professionals, we discovered why I have back problems. Of all people, the answer came from an airline ticketing agent (See the picture to the right).
Yep, lifting Peter is obviously what did me in. Just kidding, as many of you know, I have some sort of problem with a disc in my lower back (compression failure, slippage, etc.). This has rendered me ineffective in doing just about anything (except for asking my wife for things :). Besides being a single parent of three small kids, she’s got nothing better to do than to serve my every whim…which usually consist of can you get me my phone, remote control, more coffee, more cream for my coffee, another pillow, PILLS!. Honestly, I cannot imagine being married to a more selfless and loving woman. She’s been at the end of her rope all week, and has juggled so many things so well…she very impressive with how much she loves her husband and children.
But now we are at our large conference where there is VBS for the kids all week long while the adults have their conference. A welcome relief for her, no doubt. Today while I was catching up on the latest woes for the unfortunate Chinese travelers on CNN (pls pr for them), she was having fun with our kids at the beach. Here are a few picts to capture the scene.
To conclude, I will share this has been my best (back) day in a while…Praise to Him! I was off my Tylenol w/ Codeine all day and was able to get out of my wheelchair and walk while pushing it. Hopefully I’ve turned a corner and the disk is sliding back into place b/c of the rest and anti-inflammation medicine. If this is so (and a Dr here will help me determine that soon), then with some physical therapy and stretching, I should be ready to return home on schedule (in 2 weeks). Moreover, I will hopefully get to enjoy some of this conference instead of being laid up in bed all week. Thank you all so much for your prayers.
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