Update on Labstone, Life with daddy gone & Craft Relief:)

Whew…it’s been a CRAZY day–but oh my soul…I rejoice over the One who is over ALL things. ONE day–when all is quiet in my home…many years from now…this mom is going to write a book full of His miracles–cause I know as believers at our house–we see them EVERY day. Today was no exception.

Where do I start??? Let me start with an update on Labstone…

If you are friends with me on Facebook–then you watched the status updates unfold and progressing prayer requests scroll down through out the day. WOW–the power of prayer NEVER ceases to amaze me. THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!!!

At the beginning of today–Labstone was in private room. Things looked very grim. He was NOT well…at all. We had received confirmation that his brain was swelling from the CT scan earlier in the morning–but by the afternoon he was still in bad shape…and a doctor STILL had not been in to see him or offer in help.

I picked the babies up from preschool, took the older kids to my friend Laura McBrayers and came home to put the babies down for nap time. I talked to Rich and by this time it was around 9pm in Lusaka–and still no doctor had been in to see him…ALL. DAY. LONG. My heart HURT knowing if he were here he would be life-flighted to the biggest and the best…and still-uncertainties if he would be okay. BUT…in Africa? Gosh, how in the WORLD??? Richard told me we needed a doctor–and at this point it looked like it might be up to us to find one. Oh my. I started contacting friends that I knew had friends in Zambia–and one in particular that God has used in crazy ways in our lives with Africa miracles emailed back with a pastor’s contact number. With babies upstairs napping–momma started dialing numbers in Zambia–and a pastor on the other side of the world answered his phone…probably just before going to bed. SO thankful he answered. And so thankful HE answered our prayers.

I begged this man to help us. He asked me the name of the hospital. And his response??? “I just happen to have three church members who work at that very hospital. Call me back in 30 minutes. I will have someone there to help him. Call me back for a report.”

If I had any gymnastics ability I would have done a back flip in my living room. BUT since I don’t–I called my husband instead:).

I let him know this pastor might be calling him with a report as I had given him Rich’s contact info. I didn’t want him to be caught off guard. Just in case he didn’t though, I needed Rich to call him for a report in 30 minutes–they needed to connect anyway. I facebooked the friend who gave me this contact to tell him thank you (talk about using modern media for ministry!) and sure enough–in 30 minutes a doctor was in the room…Labstone was moved to ICU for immediate care and he is now on a ventilator. The Lord is able–He can make a way when there seems to be no way.

We, once again, ask you to join us in prayer!!!

Please pray for another miracle. Pray that Labstone’s brain swelling will go down on it’s own. Pray if surgery is needed–that a skillful, qualified doctor will be present. Pray that the doctor who he has an appointment with at 7am Zambia time (1am our local time EST)–and that the doctor will actually come on time (Africa is different when it comes to time…a 7am appointment could really be a 10am appointment). Pray for Labstone’s healing–that he will recover–that there will not be brain damage and that the Lord will receive the glory! Pray that we will all trust Him in whatever happens–and that ultimately the Lord will be glorified!!!

I will be updating Labstone’s status on Facebook as soon as I know anything. You can also “like” the Wiphan page on Facebook and we’ll be updating there as well. PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE!!! He is able!!!

I picked up the kids from their playmate, took the kids to gymnastics…we came rolling in on 2 wheels–as we were running late from Mission Impossible–and as I ran the kids across the parking lot…one of my kids tripped and a lady gave me an ugly look and shook her head in disapproving of my craziness. I smiled and wanted to say, “Lady, you have NO idea.” BUT I opted to give her a thumbs up and smile instead:). I only throw that in there to remind myself to always be kind when someone sits too long at a red light, looks like they don’t have it together or I don’t agree with how someone is doing something. You just NEVER know what is going on in their lives and we need to encourage and help one another in all things:) So–thumbs up and a smile to the lady with a cockapoo on a leash. It was a crazy day…but God was ALL over it:)

We got home much too late–Thursday nights Rico Suave usually comes home and cooks while I do the gymnastics thing…and I should have run them all in, fed them and put them to bed–BUT instead…mommy needed to unwind…so I let them play with a big box in the backyard instead…

If you look closely you can see my little peek-a-boo baby…

Peek-a-boo–I love you baby…

They played…and I turned on the sprinkler in the garden. (No we don’t have a fancy sprinkler in the garden! I literally put a sprinkler in there tonight and watered the veggies–and got sprinkled myself. Momma needed to cool down a bit, and it made the kids laugh to watch momma get sprinkled. I’ll do anything for a good laugh over here:) Picking the veggies is Rich’s thing. I picked them one by one singing, “The Joy of the Lord is my strength…” while I picked. It made me miss daddy so much. He would have been proud of today’s harvest…

I sat down on one of the lawn chairs to enjoy the children playing and capture a few pictures of the boys falling out of the box:). I started praying for Labstone. Wondering what will happen. Wanting a miracle. SO BADLY. Then I looked beside me. And I was reminded of HIS faithfulness…

If you are a good friend or long-time blog reader–then you KNOW what those two images side by side mean. The flowers in my garden were planted when Richard was in Africa in March of 2010. You can read about it here. (Most of you also know that I do crazy things every time Richard is gone to Africa–it’s just how I manage solo:) SO…in March 2010 we were LONGING for our son in Ethiopia. We had YET to see his picture–YET to receive his referral but I knew in my heart he was born and needed us. I just knew. I felt the need to plant a flower garden–and I wanted to pray that by the first blooms the news of our son would be known to us. I know that sounds crazy–but I just needed something to help me with the painful waiting. AND it was a labor of love for my husband:). I would wake up some mornings and RUN down stairs to see if a bloom was budding. And I’d be so sad when it wasn’t. BUT–the amazing thing IS–we serve a God who does MORE than we ask some times!!! We received our referral BEFORE the first bud…and for the first flower–we were actually going to court to officially become his parents!!! When these flowers bloom…or when I see ANY flower now-a-days…it reminds me of his faithfulness!!!!

And the mason jar and candle??? When we started our journey of adoption–my dear friend Addie continuously gave us candles to burn. Her family and our family would burn the candle daily as a reminder to pray for our child. When we had Isaac’s big 1 year home celebration in June–I put candles in mason jars ALL over our lawn! A beautiful reminder of God’s hand all over our journey, of His faithfulness and of His miraculous hand!!! (If you don’t know our story…our sweet boy is a miracle!!!)

I looked over at the flower TOUCHING the mason jar–a flower from a bud I planted when longing to see my son…TOUCHING the mason jar candle that was used to celebrate his 1 year home party. GOD’S FAITHFULNESS.

When things are uncertain…when face with unknowns…WE MUST REMEMBER HIS FAITHFULNESS IN OUR PAST!!!

When we focus on His proven faithfulness in our lives, we are free to hand over the burdens in our lives and trust Him completely with current circumstances.

Over and over and over again–He is faithful.

My heart rested. I called the children in. And because they, too, have the “i miss daddy blues”…mommy went into role-play mode and they were welcomed into a fancy restaurant. I took their orders (granted–they didn’t have too many choices tonight…chicken fangers;), apples, pears, grapes and/or cheese sticks)…and they dined and thought the ambiance was amazing. (Thankful for battery operated flameless candles:)

It’s definitely been a long week…because the patrons made way too many requests…and they didn’t leave a tip either.

THEN–mommy sat down to take part in a little craft relief. I pinned a really cute white pumpkin that I saw here, and AFTER the fact–I realized she just painted a white pumpkin. Momma is without sleep–so moron me bought an ORANGE pumpkin and painted it white. THEN after I painted it white I thought, “I BET she just painted a white pumpkin.” NICE. Anyway–here is my attempt to not pin ANYTHING else on my pinterest until I’ve made at least 5 things I’ve pinned. No need to waste internet time if I’m not going to actually make things! SO…here is my first Fall craft…of course created when daddy is in Africa because that’s how I cope with crazy:)

More crafts to come this weekend…because daddy said over the phone today that he might not be coming home with the others…and momma has to have some crafts to help me cope;). Y’all keep praying for Labstone! Pray for miracles…and praise God for providing a doctor today!!! He is working…and He just loves us SO much He allows us to be a part of it!!!

Your sister in Christ,

Andrea