Thanks for your Prayers 1. Trip to Atlanta: Suzanne, Ben , and I made the trip to Atlanta and back within a week’s time. It was a long drive there and back but the company and a few good books ,plus 70+ Speed Limits most of the drive, made the time pass quickly. I was able to be with my parents to see the work of the visiting nurse, their case manager, the physical therapist, the occupational therapist, plus the home health aide. Having this many people coming in and out had become a little overwhelming to them both BUT the help they are gaining is very important. My sister and brother are working with me to keep this continuing even when the time that the insurance has allotted runs out. So that was another task of phoning a home health agency. My parents appreciate the love and concern they hear from many people. So do we. My Dad’s dementia and Parkinson’s can leave him with good days and bad days as many of you might know. 2. Ashley is in Namibia but really struggling with the cultural differences and isolation that teaching way out in the Bush have brought her. The fact that her Learners started the year with no pencils, paper, or pens was a hardship. They now have weeks where the school has no food so they then have no school. Sometimes the kids have still made the 10-12 mile hike to the school only to hang around the school but go hungry. We are hoping that her Supervisor and the Ministry of Education will see the great need there is out there BUT unfortunately since the school is officially classified as a “Bush School”, expectation and efforts for the school are less than for the rural or city schools—out of sight really is out of mind. She has booked her Return trip for December since they have to do this months in advance. We use phone cards to call her landline during the week and Skype or text when she makes it into civilization. During the week she has no internet, e-mail, or Skype access. Both she and we are reading a book called One Thousand Gifts : “A dare to live fully right where you are”- where God has you; by Ann Voskamp. It has helped us all to seek thankful hearts and focus in the midst of it all. Thank you for your prayers and concerns on her behalf. We pray that she can stay strong and that her supervisor will realize that the isolation and dire straits for food for the Learners have caused her not to be able to do what she was really sent there to do : Teach.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 13:00:42 +0000