like, REALLY early on.
but we haven't had to REALLY think through the logistics of that until now.
and, wow.
it's gonna be CRAZY-TOWN!!!
NONE of our kids have flown.
we don't even own suitcases that work.
and we are going to pick up 2 boys in africa that don't know us and don't speak our language.
yes.
pat and i are pretty confident, strong people. but...
i think we need some help.
we've mentioned it to my sister a couple times during this process.
kind of just, "if we decide we need to bring someone, we'd love it to be you. but, we'll see when the time comes."
she's just the PERFECT person for it. i love being with her. pat loves being with her. my kids love being with her. she's super laid-back (we have lots of similarities...but this is where we differ...and where i wish i was more like her!) she's been to africa and loves it. she's a nurse (!) she LOVES to travel. i KNOW. amazing, right??
well, the time has come.
decisions need to be made.
shots need to be gotten.
so, i told her over the phone, that we would love her to be there.
BUT, there is a REALLY big piece of the puzzle...she leaves on june 28 for south america for 4-6 months.
right.
we have NO idea when we're going to get our referral or travel.
we just asked her to let us know what her thoughts were...what the circumstances would need to be for her TO come with us...and then we could start figuring out the other plans we would need to have. all the "plan a", "plan b", "plan c"...was keeping me up at night. a LOT. i almost had a panic attack while i was swimming laps one day. i wouldn't recommend it. it's hard enough to breathe when you're panicking...but when you're swimming? it's even harder! you might choke :-)
well...yesterday i was sitting on the beach and my cell phone rang. we are at the beach with the fogarty's and there was lots of craziness going on around me...so, when i saw it was hannah on the phone, i walked a little ways away and answered it.
i sat down on the sand, facing the raging ocean that rolled onto the sand and soothed my soul with the reminder of His power all week and talked to her.
and listened to her.
she basically said, "i've thought about it and talked to those i needed to talk it through with and i am coming with you to africa no matter when you go. no matter what the circumstances are. there is no place i'd rather be."
i burst into tears.
i blubbered through thanking her over and over and over.
the peace she has granted me has already been such a gift.
i can sleep!
i'm not sure i've ever felt so indebted to someone.
and unworthy of their love and sacrifice.
{besides Christ, of course!}
hannah is coming to africa with us.
to help us as we give our older 3 children an experience they will never forget.
and to help us bring our sons home.
this story just gets deeper for me all the time...i'm not sure how much deeper i can go without breaking in half.
13 comments:
Awesome! It's amazing how everyting works out in the end :) So happy for you!
Wow, I started crying too! Awesome.
I haven't posted on all of this - I couldn't be more excited for you guys and how God is working everything out to bring your boys home! So excited your sister will come with you and I know how much of a help she will be with you - how amazing having her as such a great friend, a wonderful aunt, a nurse and an extra set of hands!!!
oh dear heavens, I am so relieved!! I was so nervous for you. THat is going to be perfect! It will be so much more doable and you won't have to bring EVERYONE with you for every apointment etc... yeah Courtney!!
Can't wait to follow you!!
ohhhh I have SO many things to say----
but for now----WOW, amazing :)
just amazing
LOVE YOU
this made me cry!!! i am so excited for all of you for so many different reasons! i am SUPER excited for your kiddos. i am so excited that your sister will get to experience this with you guys and that she is so willing to give of herself. i am so excited for you and pat and that you guys will have some help. lots of prayers for all of you and now i am praying specifically for health and safety for ALL of you when you travel.
Hooray! I know God has you in His hands for this trip, but can I just tell you how much better I feel that Hannah is going too?? For you two to have some extra hands to watch the others once you get your boys? I wasn't worried about your kids being there, but I was worried about you and how hard it might be when you were meeting the demands of the boys and the kids while you do all the visa stuff and everything. I am SO GLAD that you have extra hands...and a built in photographer! LOL!
And I have a feeling that while you are so thankful for her sacrifice, she is thinking how thankful and honored she feels to be asked to go with you. Isn't that what is so great about God's love in us? That it never feels like a sacrifice when we give it to others, but instead it feels like a gift for our own self? Hannah, you rock! I'm excited for you on this adventure too!
as someone who did this trip sans kids, it was one of the hardest things i've ever done. the flight back was a nightmare. night.mare. we only had one baby. i cannot imagine doing it with all the little kids. keeping them safe from contaminated water while in country. dealing with them being sick if you guys get a parasite or sick. the long long long flights and barfing kids on flights. not to mention the new kiddos AND Sawyer being a baby too....
is it possible to tell you you might be making one of the hardest worst choices and also simultaneously support you and tell you good luck and i am praying for you?
if there is a combination of that sentiment i am giving that to you in bunches. support and love and horror. that is what i have for you.
because it's gonna suck suck suck suck suck. not while there. that might be awesome. truly wonderful. hopefully. but the ride home....that will be a test of survival.
So wonderful your sister is coming with you! It will be such a great help.
Oh what an adventure...we expect lots of pictures and details!
And you expect lots of prayers for your growing family.
i am feeling bad about my discouraging comment. I don't want to be debbie downer. i am glad you are going to have a helper.
but i feel compelled to be honest, i had no idea how sick i'd get in country. 50% of the parents i know who go to Uganda or ET to bring kids home get really really sick. And the other spouse is kinda on their own. I had to be pushed in a wheel chair through airports on the way home. I was useless. So sick they almost wouldn't let me on a place to come back to the US. We thought we were gonna be stuck for a few days in Dubai. Which also didn't have clean running water.
Andrew had to carry the baby and all our stuff which was TONS. The airports were HUGE. Like gates were 25 minutes away walking.
Trying to move that many people, that much stuff and keep everyone healthy, safe, entertained, fed on 20+ flights, with the possibility of at least one adult being useless....Just thinking about all of this is making me nauseated.
Really. Praying for you. We are highly spiritual people, love God, pray often, bible reading folk. And on that flight home at least once of us said "i wish i were dead. this is never going to end."
Look, this might be good: I've scared you so badly you will do it all with the kids and think "That Scooping It up Chick is a wimp, it wasn't nearly as bad as she said!"
I am feeling better already. I've psyched you out and now it will be wonderful by comparison.
Final thought, we told ourselves next time any kid over the age of 8 who can read by themselves and haul their own bags and won't accidentally drink water in the shower that could make them ill can come. We want them to. I am kinda jealous you're going for it.
what an amazing sister relationship the two of you have. i LOVE it. and love hannah too :)
I think it's a great idea to bring your sister. I really wanted to bring someone to help us. And I have to say, in some ways, I regret brining the boys with us to Korea. Or at least, bring the boys without brining help. It was exhausting. Even once we got there we were on the go 24/7. We were all jet lagged and spent a ton of time just getting places. It was tough. Yours are older (mine were 3 & 4) which will hopefully be easier. I do think it would have been much better with help. I second "scooping it up's" sentiments. I was SOOOO excited to go. And anyone who sort of gave a negative opinion of what we were doing was sort of a downer. But I wish I would have been a little more prepared for how difficult the time in country and trip back would have been. I definitely had a couple of those "I'd be sort of relieved if this plane crashed" moments. It was miserable. Our oldest son was sick most of the trip which didn't help.
Because of our Korea trip, was was so scared of our trip to move to Thailand. Terrified! It was only 7 months after coming back But because I was prepared and assuming it would be hard it went so much easier than I expected. Hopefully if you're prepared for a rough trip it will be easier.
All of this to say, I'm soooo glad you'll have your sister there to help and I think it's wise for you to bring her! And every time I think if you guys I pray specifically for your trip!
I'm crying after reading your post. (But now scowling a bit at some of the comments.) Granted... I have no idea what it will be like... but good or bad, I can't wait to hear about this trip! So glad Hannah will be there to experience this all with you! (and to take pictures!) :) Love you, friend!
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