Missionaries and suffering

I have been sick in some form or fashion for 10 months now.  

Me + pregnancy = almost death.  ;/   

And the 10 weeks since the emergency c-section has brought one trial after another in my body.

As I cried out to God asking "why" over the past few weeks - I have finally found some peace.  

We had missionaries come by and visit us all throughout the day one day last week....

....and I was astonished at the stories they told me of what they faced their first year on the field.  

One guy had to return to the states after only 3 weeks during their first term for an emergency surgery.  

Another had to go home to the states for an emergency back surgery and ended up being in bed for 7 months recovering in the states.  

One wife went to the field already being a native Spanish speaker and shut down because of the culture shock and hardly left their home the first year.

Tragic stories - but they brought me peace... knowing others have suffered in the midst of their obedience to missions.  

I am not alone in my experience.  

I am not the only one that has faced difficulties.  Suffering does not mean we have missed God or that we are failing God somehow.... these veteran missionaries assured me that many times our suffering is part of the journey.

I am seeing my doctor this week and will post an update soon.

Now I am endeavoring to just walk with God and hold his hand until we are through this.

Trusting Him.  I hope one day I will look back and understand all of this, but even if I don't - yet will I trust Him.

Europe is a dark spiritual climate.  They need an outpouring of God's spirit.  Our work will will not go forward without a fight.  But our God is stronger!

Still recovering

I feel a little stronger each day.... and then have a bad day thrown in here and there for good measure!  However, it has only been a little over 3 weeks since my c-section - but I am wanting to feel whole and healthy again NOW!  I am not very patient with it....   probably because I have 2 little girls that need their mommy to feel good again!

So PLEASE keep praying for us!  Don't stop now!

This entire experience has been a wild ride and quite the cross-cultural experience....
having an emergency c-section in another country when you don't speak the language...
having to talk with the nurses and doctors daily using what I call my "cave-man" spanish or pantomiming....
being totally unprepared for an unexpected crisis....
having 2 little girls to also take care of...


However, God is so faithful.  Our baby's life was spared because our doctor took measures to do fetal monitoring...and that is where he discovered Micah's fetal distress....

Brad's parents arrived just in time to work like dogs and help us through this!  They leave tomorrow - and all they have done since they have been here is work!  Cleaning, laundry, cooking, working on our house that we still have not completely unpacked since we moved in 2 months ago....

They need to go home from Spain and have a vacation!!!  :)

Bringing Micah home!

We were able to bring Micah home last night! We are so thankful to God for His work through this crisis!

Macy and Mia were super excited to meet their little brother for the first time!

We are thanking God that Brad's parents had planned to come "early"! They were able to entertain the girls with lots of fun and shower them with love while Brad and I spent every day at the hospital this week.

No tubes!

Micah officially has NO tubes or wires now! We were able to put clothes on him for the first time too! Dr says he MIGHT be able to come home tonight!!! ....but they are monitoring something with how his heartrate drops after he eats...
Thank you everyone for praying!
Please continue!
1. Please pray God will keep him safe, healthy, and happy when we bring him home. I don't want to live in fear about his breathing.
2. Please pray for me. I have experienced a lot of excruciating pain the last couple of days.

Love to everyone! And much gratitude for praying for us!

Holding time

I got to hold Micah for the first time yesterday.... I cried! Sweetness!
Brad got to hold him today!
He is making great progress! He is totally off of oxygen now!

It's Sunday - and our churches are PRAYING!

Wow at the HUGE progress Micah is making today!!!!!

Starting at 9 AM (Arkansas time) (4 PM Spain time) - Micah was able to go without his ventilator....
It's been off all day!  And wow at the progress!  We got to see his face for the first time without the tubes!

Just got this message: (from Jamie Stein)
Just wanted to let you know that Hyland Park prayed for you guys this morning! Pastor Brad asked Brandon and I to stand in for you guys (what an HONOR that was for us!) and everyone prayed around us for Micah and the rest of you! We hope he continues to get stronger and that you guys get to hold that sweet boy soon! My heart aches for you! Praying hard! We love you guys!


This message about sent me over the edge in tears!  We are so grateful for all the love and support from afar!


We can tell it is SUNDAY!  And our churches are getting the word out and people are PRAYING!!!!!!  Thank you sooooo much! Keep it up!  Please!  Pray for complete and total healing and that we can go HOME!!!!


Let us know if you and your church are praying too!!!  It's so encouraging!

We have seen his face!!!!!

Mask off for several hours tonight! And took some milk from a bottle! First time we have seen his face! So sweet! He doesnt look so chubby when his face isnt squeezed by all those tubes!!
Still cant hold him. 😒