This verse was on a farewell card given to our family by the ladies who ran the local toddler playgroup in Stornoway, Lewis, when we said goodbye to them in Feb 2016 after spending four months there. It resonated with me so much as we were facing the scariest and biggest transition we had ever made. We would be led forth! We weren't venturing out into the unknown on our own, unprotected, vulnerable! It still resonates. We have indeed experienced the joy of the Lord and His peace in this huge transatlantic journey we've been on. How glad we are to be here secure in the knowledge that this is where He has led us. I thought I would write a little bit about the things that have brought me joy recently.
💕 I am loving... our new surroundings. Hobart is very scenic, nestled at the foot of Mt Wellington and beside the River Derwent. We are spoiled for choice if we want to go to the beach! There are so many little bays and beaches.
💕 I am loving... being able to get out and about with our 4 very energetic little ones and enjoy the great outdoors. Hobart has a marvelous selection of playgrounds and walking trails. The children and I have been exploring them one by one. Since we were without fixed abode for more than a full year, I completely fell out of my exercise routine and it has been so good to get back to walking regularly. My faithful and beloved double stroller in Zambia, which I bought secondhand just before Ketzia was born, was worn completely out and had to be replaced! Buying a replacement double stroller has been the BEST investment so that I don't have to walk at a 3-year-old's pace. Titus and Reyah ride happily together in it.
💕 I am loving... being able to drive!! I don't have enough experience driving a manual transmission so I am limited to an automatic. During our entire married life I have been very dependent upon David for transport everywhere (with only a very few brief exceptions). What a blessing it has been to have a vehicle here which I can drive. The sense of independence has been exhilarating! Aided by our GPS which was kindly loaned by a friend from church, I jumped in with both feet and decided to not leave one corner of Hobart unexplored. The first couple of months we were here, I learned my way around by going to garage sales each Saturday! :)
💕 I am loving... having access to a local library. The children and I go every week to spend an hour reading stories together.
💕 I am loving... Click & Collect at my local supermarket! You place your grocery order online and then drive to the supermarket to pick it up. My nearest supermarket is wonderful.... it has undercover parking and they bring your Click & Collect order to your vehicle for you! For a mom with 4 little children, it is a lifesaver! I don't have to get the kiddoes out of the car!
💕 I am loving... classical radio! Oh, how many years I have longed to be able to turn on the radio and have beautiful music wafting through my home as I cook and clean and teach.... Now those longings have become reality!
💕 I am loving... friends to play board games, watch movies, go for walks, laugh, barbecue, talk, pray. It is so special. The Lord is so good! This list of things may seem petty and insignificant but they are ways that our Heavenly Father has ministered to my heart and provided for our needs and even our desires - and I am thankful.
Friday, 27 January 2017
Wednesday, 18 January 2017
hello world!
hold onto me as we go
as we roll down this unfamiliar road
and though this wave
is stringing us along
just know you're not alone
'cause I'm gonna make this place your home
settle down
it'll all be clear
don't pay no mind to the demons
they fill you with fear
the trouble, it might drag you down
if you get lost, you can always be found
just know you're not alone
'cause I'm gonna make this place your home
~ 'Home' (Phillip Phillips)
I have felt like these lyrics are my theme song for the past year or two. I love this song! I'm sorry that I've nearly let this blog die. I'm updating it in the hopes that perhaps I can pick up again with occasional blogging, in case any of my friends out there will still actually read this, since we still live many thousands of miles away from friends and family.
Well, where do I start? I haven't blogged in more than 2 years, nearly three. The last entry was from shortly after our end-of-2013 itineration trip through the UK (when Titus our 3rd baby was only a few weeks old). Now we have 4 children - the Lord added to our number when our second daughter, Reyah Ruth, was born on 30 November 2015. As sad as it is, I doubt that I will ever be able to recollect enough to write an entire blog post about her birth (as I did with the previous 3 babies) so let me just summarize by saying: it was my fourth successful all-natural homebirth waterbirth delivery, she was also born in Scotland like 3 of my other babies, she was born on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides like Titus was, I had the most fabulous care from the midwives, I actually had a doula this time around (my dear friend Yolanta made it to the birth! yay!), it was such a blessing to be able to sojourn yet again in Scotland this time for 4 months, and I got to rest for an extra 3 weeks more than normal before we jetted off internationally with this newborn babe. We are always so thankful for the Lord's watchful care over us.
Now: more short summaries, to help with the catching up...
Where do we live now? We live in Australia!! 'Down under' 'down under' to be exact... in Sept 2016 we moved to Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania, the island state south of mainland Australia.
Why did we move here? In early 2015 we felt the Lord was showing us that our time serving at Covenant College Zambia Trust, in rural Eastern Province Zambia, was drawing to a close. We gave more than a year's notice to the Trustees and our Missions Board and focused on handover to the remaining staff at Covenant College. Meanwhile, during 2015 a congregation in Hobart, Tasmania whose pastor was retiring and moving back to Scotland, heard that we would be leaving the mission field and that David was open for another call. Long story short, they corresponded with us, we learned more about the situation here, David came out for a visit, they extended a unanimous call to him, and the rest is history! We left Zambia in May 2016 and spent May-August in the USA visiting our relatives while we waited for our employment visa application to be processed. We got the 'green light' in August and arrived in Hobart on the 16th of September. David was inducted to his new charge as the pastor of Southern Presbyterian Church, Hobart on the 8th of October. We are so blessed to be here!
How's the family? This has been such an exciting and overwhelming chapter in our lives! Moving a family of six from Zambia, transiting through Scotland and the USA and without fixed abode for months and then landing on completely foreign shores is not for the faint of heart. It was a much bigger task than when we originally moved from Scotland to Zambia in Feb 2011 with a 7-month-old baby and our total belongings in 15 boxes. Our heads are gradually stopping spinning! Having been here for four months now, we are feeling more and more settled by the day. Our first two months here we spent living in the church facility while we searched for a house to buy. Unfortunately the housing market here is very difficult and when we realized we weren't finding anything suitable, the decision was made to pursue rental accommodation. Now we live in a cute 3-bedroom house on the same street as the church! Moving in and getting everything in its place has been an exhausting job but we are finally winning the battle of organization. We've had lots of helping hands from church, too! David is settling into his new routine of preaching two services each Lord's Day and leading the weekly Bible study. it has been a huge change from his responsibilities in Zambia. He has had some visitation of sick church members recently. I love it here in Hobart and am finding my way around all over town learning where the best places are to shop. It is wonderful to be able to drive myself around freely again (I did not drive in Zambia or most of the time in Scotland, either). The children and I go to playgrounds and the library every week. It is sweet to make new friendships. Our new church family has a number of families with children. The fellowship is so dear to our hearts after years of isolation in Zambia. Elijah (now 6 years old) will be starting school next month, at the local Christian school (some of our church members are staff there). Ketzia (recently turned 5) will start kindergarten at home with me. Titus (3) is very busy and we're working on helping him to be busy in profitable ways instead of mischief. 😄 Reyah (1) is a proper toddler and I'm dreading the day when she can finally climb up on the sofas by herself!
What's different about Australia? People ask us this so often! I've had a number of people ask me, 'What have you found to be really different compared to what you are used to?' Well, so far, I can honestly answer that I have found only positive differences! It's wonderful to live in close proximity to modern conveniences! It's wonderful to be close to hospitals and good medical care! It's wonderful to have unlimited choice in food! It's wonderful to have friends and a local body of believers to associate with! It's wonderful to have schooling options and support!
But all that aside... there are some REAL differences! Haha. Like, um, it's summer here, folks! It's January and it's SUMMER! That takes some getting used to. People do give you weird looks when they hear your American accent. (I'm sorry, don't hold it against me. I'm not as American as I sound, I promise.) The sun is very hot. There is a ozone hole which means we get a lot of UV rays and Australia has a very very high rate of skin cancer. There's a whole set of new lingo to learn. Our children know three words for the paved area where people walk along the street: sidewalk (USA), pavement (British), and footpath (Aussie). It's all good!
Well, this is a start. Tomorrow we have a tenancy inspection so I'm finishing tidying things up. I will try to keep updating! So thankful that the Lord's mercies are new every morning. 💕
as we roll down this unfamiliar road
and though this wave
is stringing us along
just know you're not alone
'cause I'm gonna make this place your home
settle down
it'll all be clear
don't pay no mind to the demons
they fill you with fear
the trouble, it might drag you down
if you get lost, you can always be found
just know you're not alone
'cause I'm gonna make this place your home
~ 'Home' (Phillip Phillips)
I have felt like these lyrics are my theme song for the past year or two. I love this song! I'm sorry that I've nearly let this blog die. I'm updating it in the hopes that perhaps I can pick up again with occasional blogging, in case any of my friends out there will still actually read this, since we still live many thousands of miles away from friends and family.
Well, where do I start? I haven't blogged in more than 2 years, nearly three. The last entry was from shortly after our end-of-2013 itineration trip through the UK (when Titus our 3rd baby was only a few weeks old). Now we have 4 children - the Lord added to our number when our second daughter, Reyah Ruth, was born on 30 November 2015. As sad as it is, I doubt that I will ever be able to recollect enough to write an entire blog post about her birth (as I did with the previous 3 babies) so let me just summarize by saying: it was my fourth successful all-natural homebirth waterbirth delivery, she was also born in Scotland like 3 of my other babies, she was born on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides like Titus was, I had the most fabulous care from the midwives, I actually had a doula this time around (my dear friend Yolanta made it to the birth! yay!), it was such a blessing to be able to sojourn yet again in Scotland this time for 4 months, and I got to rest for an extra 3 weeks more than normal before we jetted off internationally with this newborn babe. We are always so thankful for the Lord's watchful care over us.
Now: more short summaries, to help with the catching up...
Where do we live now? We live in Australia!! 'Down under' 'down under' to be exact... in Sept 2016 we moved to Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania, the island state south of mainland Australia.
Why did we move here? In early 2015 we felt the Lord was showing us that our time serving at Covenant College Zambia Trust, in rural Eastern Province Zambia, was drawing to a close. We gave more than a year's notice to the Trustees and our Missions Board and focused on handover to the remaining staff at Covenant College. Meanwhile, during 2015 a congregation in Hobart, Tasmania whose pastor was retiring and moving back to Scotland, heard that we would be leaving the mission field and that David was open for another call. Long story short, they corresponded with us, we learned more about the situation here, David came out for a visit, they extended a unanimous call to him, and the rest is history! We left Zambia in May 2016 and spent May-August in the USA visiting our relatives while we waited for our employment visa application to be processed. We got the 'green light' in August and arrived in Hobart on the 16th of September. David was inducted to his new charge as the pastor of Southern Presbyterian Church, Hobart on the 8th of October. We are so blessed to be here!
How's the family? This has been such an exciting and overwhelming chapter in our lives! Moving a family of six from Zambia, transiting through Scotland and the USA and without fixed abode for months and then landing on completely foreign shores is not for the faint of heart. It was a much bigger task than when we originally moved from Scotland to Zambia in Feb 2011 with a 7-month-old baby and our total belongings in 15 boxes. Our heads are gradually stopping spinning! Having been here for four months now, we are feeling more and more settled by the day. Our first two months here we spent living in the church facility while we searched for a house to buy. Unfortunately the housing market here is very difficult and when we realized we weren't finding anything suitable, the decision was made to pursue rental accommodation. Now we live in a cute 3-bedroom house on the same street as the church! Moving in and getting everything in its place has been an exhausting job but we are finally winning the battle of organization. We've had lots of helping hands from church, too! David is settling into his new routine of preaching two services each Lord's Day and leading the weekly Bible study. it has been a huge change from his responsibilities in Zambia. He has had some visitation of sick church members recently. I love it here in Hobart and am finding my way around all over town learning where the best places are to shop. It is wonderful to be able to drive myself around freely again (I did not drive in Zambia or most of the time in Scotland, either). The children and I go to playgrounds and the library every week. It is sweet to make new friendships. Our new church family has a number of families with children. The fellowship is so dear to our hearts after years of isolation in Zambia. Elijah (now 6 years old) will be starting school next month, at the local Christian school (some of our church members are staff there). Ketzia (recently turned 5) will start kindergarten at home with me. Titus (3) is very busy and we're working on helping him to be busy in profitable ways instead of mischief. 😄 Reyah (1) is a proper toddler and I'm dreading the day when she can finally climb up on the sofas by herself!
What's different about Australia? People ask us this so often! I've had a number of people ask me, 'What have you found to be really different compared to what you are used to?' Well, so far, I can honestly answer that I have found only positive differences! It's wonderful to live in close proximity to modern conveniences! It's wonderful to be close to hospitals and good medical care! It's wonderful to have unlimited choice in food! It's wonderful to have friends and a local body of believers to associate with! It's wonderful to have schooling options and support!
But all that aside... there are some REAL differences! Haha. Like, um, it's summer here, folks! It's January and it's SUMMER! That takes some getting used to. People do give you weird looks when they hear your American accent. (I'm sorry, don't hold it against me. I'm not as American as I sound, I promise.) The sun is very hot. There is a ozone hole which means we get a lot of UV rays and Australia has a very very high rate of skin cancer. There's a whole set of new lingo to learn. Our children know three words for the paved area where people walk along the street: sidewalk (USA), pavement (British), and footpath (Aussie). It's all good!
Well, this is a start. Tomorrow we have a tenancy inspection so I'm finishing tidying things up. I will try to keep updating! So thankful that the Lord's mercies are new every morning. 💕
Saturday, 26 April 2014
where we've been.
Dear me. I am officially a loser as a blogger. Let's try to get back on this bandwagon, again.
It's been a grand total of 5 and a half months since the last time I posted. So let's do a quick round-up!
I wrote my last blog entry (the story of Titus' birth on 7 October) on 7 November.
On the 12th of November we left the Isle of Lewis (where Titus was born and where we spent 2 months) and started traveling... During the next 5 weeks, we essentially traveled almost the length and breadth of the UK! It's better to have you look at a map than to explain where we went! Here was Phase 1: http://goo.gl/aAAeNG
Once we got to Northern Ireland, we combined visiting churches with also having a week of family holiday and relaxation. Then - onwards! here was Phase 2: http://goo.gl/NzCI4s
We were visiting churches and individuals which had indicated an interest in hearing about the work of Covenant College Zambia Trust. Along the way, we were trying to connect/arrange our itinerary in coordination with personal friends/acquaintances of ours plus people who have or have had in the past a relationship with our church or our colleagues.
On the 24th of December, having gone full circle, we arrived back in the greater Glasgow/Edinburgh area where we house-sat for good friends of ours. For 6 nights we were sorting and packing and we flew out of Edinburgh airport early on Monday the 31st of December, to return to our home in Zambia....
Wondering how you take a road trip with three children ages 3 years and under, including a 5-week-old? Here's some FAQs :)
Why are you traveling as a family instead of having David do all the itineration alone while Katie stays back with the children?
For a number of reasons. :) We have found, from experience, that our family functions better this way. It is actually easier on the children if we stick together as an intact family unit, rather than splitting up and having one parent missing for a while. David and Katie prefer to function as a team rather than apart. A secondary reason is that Katie can't drive (in the UK/in a manual car) so being without David leaves her stranded, and any absence longer than a few days would be very difficult to cope with logistically.
Isn't traveling with 'littles' crazy/hard/tiring?
Yep. You have to be flexible, and most importantly, you have to know what your limits are... what your family's limits are, and break the journey up accordingly. But by no means is it impossible. :) Also, traveling with a 5-week-old is not always recommended. Obviously there are instances where health or strength does not permit. However, we were blessed with a smooth and rapid postpartum recovery and the Lord gave Katie strength. We were confident that this was the right decision for our family.
But you are traveling in the winter...
All our itinerary is bathed in prayer from start to finish. We recognize we could get stranded on the road somewhere, or not able to take a scheduled ferry trip. We nearly missed two ferry trips, but both times still managed to sail. We were on the road during some of the worst weather in all the repeated storm systems which hammered the UK, but the Lord prospered our way and kept us out of the heaviest foul weather. Also, we are quite sensible about the cold/flu bugs which tend to circulate at that time of year, and keep our immune systems well supported with vitamins and supplements as we travel. Again, the Lord was gracious and we did not suffer from any noteworthy illness.
How can you expect people to host a family of 5?
We don't. :) Honestly, we don't. We don't expect anything. We contact people to ask if they are interested in hearing about Covenant College. Where we stay in relation to our visit to churches/individuals is entirely dependent on each individual situation. During our road trip, sometimes we were staying with friends, sometimes we were staying in a holiday house, sometimes we were staying in a hotel, and sometimes we were hosted by people connected with the church we were visiting. You would be surprised how many people are eager and willing to host a missionary family.
WHY do you do this? Why is it expected of you?
Part of our responsibility in working for Covenant College is to raise up support for the College. We are blessed with a 3-month window of opportunity at the end of each year, when the College is closed for the rainy season and our students go home to plant their crops, and we have the opportunity to visit current supporting churches and reach out to make new contacts and spread the word of what we are doing training pastors in rural Zambia. Our itineration in one sense is purely voluntary. We chose to travel as a family, and connect with churches and supporters for 5 weeks, because we knew the College was financially struggling and that we needed to expand the support base. However we would be greatly blessed if we had other full-time workers alongside us who were able to share the burden of heavy itineration, networking, and fundraising!
The BIGGEST reason we choose to travel? We love it! Honestly, we all love traveling! It is a special opportunity to have global adventures as a family, and we treasure being able to experience and see things that some families never have the opportunity to do or see. The Lord is good, and this is a special time in our family's history. Seize the moment!
Do you have other questions about how we manage travel? Leave comments and I will be happy to answer them in future posts. :)
It's been a grand total of 5 and a half months since the last time I posted. So let's do a quick round-up!
I wrote my last blog entry (the story of Titus' birth on 7 October) on 7 November.
On the 12th of November we left the Isle of Lewis (where Titus was born and where we spent 2 months) and started traveling... During the next 5 weeks, we essentially traveled almost the length and breadth of the UK! It's better to have you look at a map than to explain where we went! Here was Phase 1: http://goo.gl/aAAeNG
Once we got to Northern Ireland, we combined visiting churches with also having a week of family holiday and relaxation. Then - onwards! here was Phase 2: http://goo.gl/NzCI4s
We were visiting churches and individuals which had indicated an interest in hearing about the work of Covenant College Zambia Trust. Along the way, we were trying to connect/arrange our itinerary in coordination with personal friends/acquaintances of ours plus people who have or have had in the past a relationship with our church or our colleagues.
On the 24th of December, having gone full circle, we arrived back in the greater Glasgow/Edinburgh area where we house-sat for good friends of ours. For 6 nights we were sorting and packing and we flew out of Edinburgh airport early on Monday the 31st of December, to return to our home in Zambia....
Wondering how you take a road trip with three children ages 3 years and under, including a 5-week-old? Here's some FAQs :)
Why are you traveling as a family instead of having David do all the itineration alone while Katie stays back with the children?
For a number of reasons. :) We have found, from experience, that our family functions better this way. It is actually easier on the children if we stick together as an intact family unit, rather than splitting up and having one parent missing for a while. David and Katie prefer to function as a team rather than apart. A secondary reason is that Katie can't drive (in the UK/in a manual car) so being without David leaves her stranded, and any absence longer than a few days would be very difficult to cope with logistically.
Isn't traveling with 'littles' crazy/hard/tiring?
Yep. You have to be flexible, and most importantly, you have to know what your limits are... what your family's limits are, and break the journey up accordingly. But by no means is it impossible. :) Also, traveling with a 5-week-old is not always recommended. Obviously there are instances where health or strength does not permit. However, we were blessed with a smooth and rapid postpartum recovery and the Lord gave Katie strength. We were confident that this was the right decision for our family.
But you are traveling in the winter...
All our itinerary is bathed in prayer from start to finish. We recognize we could get stranded on the road somewhere, or not able to take a scheduled ferry trip. We nearly missed two ferry trips, but both times still managed to sail. We were on the road during some of the worst weather in all the repeated storm systems which hammered the UK, but the Lord prospered our way and kept us out of the heaviest foul weather. Also, we are quite sensible about the cold/flu bugs which tend to circulate at that time of year, and keep our immune systems well supported with vitamins and supplements as we travel. Again, the Lord was gracious and we did not suffer from any noteworthy illness.
How can you expect people to host a family of 5?
We don't. :) Honestly, we don't. We don't expect anything. We contact people to ask if they are interested in hearing about Covenant College. Where we stay in relation to our visit to churches/individuals is entirely dependent on each individual situation. During our road trip, sometimes we were staying with friends, sometimes we were staying in a holiday house, sometimes we were staying in a hotel, and sometimes we were hosted by people connected with the church we were visiting. You would be surprised how many people are eager and willing to host a missionary family.
WHY do you do this? Why is it expected of you?
Part of our responsibility in working for Covenant College is to raise up support for the College. We are blessed with a 3-month window of opportunity at the end of each year, when the College is closed for the rainy season and our students go home to plant their crops, and we have the opportunity to visit current supporting churches and reach out to make new contacts and spread the word of what we are doing training pastors in rural Zambia. Our itineration in one sense is purely voluntary. We chose to travel as a family, and connect with churches and supporters for 5 weeks, because we knew the College was financially struggling and that we needed to expand the support base. However we would be greatly blessed if we had other full-time workers alongside us who were able to share the burden of heavy itineration, networking, and fundraising!
The BIGGEST reason we choose to travel? We love it! Honestly, we all love traveling! It is a special opportunity to have global adventures as a family, and we treasure being able to experience and see things that some families never have the opportunity to do or see. The Lord is good, and this is a special time in our family's history. Seize the moment!
Do you have other questions about how we manage travel? Leave comments and I will be happy to answer them in future posts. :)
Thursday, 7 November 2013
Titus' birthday: another birth story! (with photos)
Here is the story of our new wee man.
Like his sister, his is an international tale. :-) Let's begin at the beginning. (This will make for a L-O-N-G post, because as you know birth stories are not just about the birth, they are about the journey... and this babe had QUITE a journey!) We found out we were pregnant on the 31st of January... so this birth has been the whole year so far in the making. We had just returned to Zambia on the 17th of January after a few months of home assignment in Scotland. After finding out that our 3rd child was due on the 5th of October, we had to start making plans right away for where this baby would be born. The 5th of October was a bit of an awkward date, to be honest... the College's academic year would close on the 4th of October with the Graduation ceremony, and either way, whether we stayed in Zambia for the baby's birth or not, it wasn't likely that we would be able to attend Graduation. We knew that this would be a severe disappointment to our graduates. But we also knew we had to figure out what the best place was for baby's arrival.
We already had tickets booked to depart Zambia on the 22nd of October for a few months of home assignment again in Scotland. But obviously that wouldn't work either... even if the baby arrived BANG 'on time' there was no way that we could get a passport in time to travel with the baby on that date. Our tickets specified 'no changes allowed' so initially we thought 'Well, we don't have the option of leaving the country' (because we couldn't afford to buy new tickets) and so we decide to look into the possibility of having the baby in Zambia.
We asked a LOT of people for their advice and experiences. We asked for hospital recommendations. We looked into housing. We spent a couple of months researching our options and praying about it. To make a long story short, while we were in the throes of having to make the decision whether to risk having a baby in a hospital in Lusaka or whether it wasn't worth the risk to us... we found out that our tickets COULD indeed be changed! For a very reasonable fee, which was FAR FAR more affordable than the cost would have been to pay out-of-pocket for baby's birth in a Lusaka hospital plus rent on a house in Lusaka for a couple of months. We knew that if we went back to Scotland as was originally planned, we could have the baby in a place where we would have support from our sending church and our friends, our housing would be provided, and we would be under care of the NHS which meant that we wouldn't have to pay out-of-pocket. We truly felt that this was the Lord's answer to our prayer and His provision for our family. So we paid the necessary fee to change our tickets and instead of flying out on 22nd Oct, we arranged to fly out on the 3rd of Sept.
During my pregnancy I can't say that I had the continuity of care that I did while pregnant with Ketzia. It was complicated, and it wasn't always enjoyable to keep bouncing from person to person. I went for my first antenatal appt at 16 weeks, to a private clinic to Lusaka. I saw the same OB/GYN at the same clinic for my appt at 25 weeks. In between, at 22 weeks, I had an appt at the mission hospital out in Eastern Province, an hour from our house, because we couldn't travel all the way back to Lusaka that month just for me to have an antenatal check-up. So I got a referral letter from the OB/GYN in Lusaka explaining my situation and asking for someone at the mission hospital to give me a routine antenatal check-up. Then at 32 weeks I had to visit a different hospital (another private clinic in Lusaka) to get a generic doctor's letter from a specific doctor that KLM required me to see in order to be 'cleared to fly' while pregnant. I found this to be really annoying, having to see a totally strange doctor who didn't know me or my situation, and also found it really odd that they would send a generic 'form letter' (totally not applicable to pregnancy, asking things like 'does the passenger require oxygen? can they use the restroom without assistance? are they contagious?' etc..) to be filled out by a general Dr. (not an OB/GYN) who didn't do anything to examine me at all but simply sent me for a hemoglobin count and a urinalysis. Anyway...! Then I was hoping to see the first OB/GN from my initial appt before I flew out, but she wasn't available for an appt, so in the end I arranged to see my friend Christine whom provided my antenatal care during Ketzia's pregnancy. I saw Christine at 35wks+4days, the morning of our flight to Scotland! (our flight left around 11 that night.)
Meanwhile, while I was bouncing to and from between doctors in Zambia, I was having difficulty arranging my antenatal care in Scotland because we didn't know where we would be staying yet. Our missions committee was having trouble finding a place for us to stay. The time for our departure was getting closer and closer and we still didn't know where we would be staying. We were hoping that we could be somewhere on the mainland, ideally even back in Glasgow where Elijah was born in 2010. I am still a member of the Glasgow homebirth group and managed to track down the contact details of Caroline, the NHS homebirth team midwife who attended Elijah's birth at our home in Glasgow. I contacted her to say 'Hey! I'm coming back to Scotland to have my 3rd child and if we end up in Glasgow, I'd love to be back under your care again!' She responded quickly and was a brilliant support to me and I was so relieved to know that I had a contact within the NHS midwifery care system.
The saga continues... on the 6th of August (less than a month before our departure date) our missions committee told us that they had arranged for us to stay in a house in a village in the north-western corner of the Isle of Skye (for those of you not familiar with Scottish geography, Skye is connected to the mainland by a bridge so at least you don't have a ferry crossing to contend with!). I immediately started chasing up my contacts. My hope was to be able to have a 3rd homebirth (you can read about my previous homebirths here and here). There are a number of reasons why homebirth is so important to me, but I also wanted to be sensible about it. I knew that if I was too far away from hospital (in the event of an emergency) or if the local midwifery team was too nervous or inexperience with homebirth situations to provide me with care that I could be fully confident in, then I would not be in an ideal situation for a homebirth. But I needed to do my research, and I needed to have a contact 'on the ground.' I felt very strongly that it is NOT wise to try to arrive somewhere at 37 weeks pregnant, and try to get into the NHS system when no one knows your situation or your history. That is NOT the way to find good support or positive care. So I contacted Caroline, my NHS midwife contact in Glasgow, and she got me in email contact with the Skye midwifery team! I also contacted friends who lived on Skye to get a feel for the general support of the midwifery team there and to find out more about the area where we would be staying. I heard back from the Skye midwives and felt very positive. We felt like the location where we would be housed was not ideal (remote, not close to hospital) but having made contact with the midwives there and knowing that they were aware of my situation, we felt that it was possible. The only thing which worried me was simply the distance to the hospital. The nearest hospital (35 minutes away) didn't have labor and delivery facilities, so we would have to go to the other hospital (an hour away) if that was necessary. They were willing to consider a homebirth situation but had a number of 'hoops' to jump through before they could be comfortable agreeing to it. If anything went 'wrong,' I would have to leave the island and travel to the bigger hospital in Inverness, which was 2-3 hrs by car from Dunvegan. Not exactly an ideal situation. But I was determined to make it work.
And then, by the grace of God, I was just feeling like everything was falling into place: and we received an email. The arrangements for the house in Skye had fallen through. It was the 17th of August. I was 33 weeks pregnant. We were leaving the country in just over 2 weeks, ready or not... and we didn't know where we would be staying. Suddenly all my carefully-laid plans and the correspondence with various midwives who would have been supporting me in labor came crashing down. I knew I would have to start all over again. I cannot express how I felt that week. I was so shaken.
Our missions committee scrambled to make alternate arrangements. What could be arranged at such short notice was housing on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides. Someone in one of the Lewis congregations had a furnished house we could stay in, in the village of Fivepenny in the district of Ness. However, this house was only available to us until the end of September. Another house on the other side of the island, on Point, was arranged - but this house was only available starting the 30th of Sept. So either way, we would have to move house the week that our baby was due! Naturally you can imagine we were not thrilled by this scenario, but after some inquiry it was clear that we had no choice. At this point in the process, so close to our departure date, I just wanted things to be finalized, no more curveballs, I wanted to know exactly where we would be staying when, so that I could get the process in motion of preparing for our baby's birth!
As soon as it was confirmed that we would be staying on Lewis, I contacted a friend of mine who lives on Lewis but used to serve as a doula in China. Since she was active in the birthing community on Lewis and knew many of the midwives there, I knew that she would be an excellent resource for making contact with the midwifery team and trying to make arrangements for a homebirth situation. And I was right! Yolanta has been a brilliant support to me. She gave me the contact details for the supervisor of the midwives, Catherine MacD, and I emailed Catherine from Zambia to introduce myself, share my situation and my medical history (thank goodness, pregnancies and deliveries without complications!) and say that I hoped to have a homebirth on Lewis. Catherine was brilliant from the start and not put off by my unusual circumstances or the fact that I would be arriving under her care at 36 weeks pregnant. She was happy to hear from me, and told me to contact them as soon as I arrived in Lewis. I was so, so, so thankful to the Lord for arranging things so that I would easily have a contact within the Lewis midwifery community and that they were expecting me and looking forward to supporting me!
So... you've already read about how the last couple of months worked out, in my last post. :) We arrived in Ness on Tues the 10th of Sept. I phoned Catherine and she came to see me immediately, on the Thursday morning! When she came, not only did she visit me at home and did my routine antenatal check on the sofa, but she brought all the homebirth kit with her and delivered it to our house... In other words, she was confident that I knew what I was asking for when I said I wanted a homebirth, and she was willing to take the first steps in supporting me in a homebirth before she had even so much as taken my blood pressure. :) Now, homebirths here on Lewis are not only provided with all the necessary equipment (resus equipment, pain-relieving drugs, a whole bag of medical supplies) but they will also provide you with a birth pool if you want it! I was absolutely amazed... and to think that some people told me that you couldn't have a homebirth on Lewis. :) Not only can you have one (it is a legal right), but they have a stock of birth pools and all the necessary equipment for any women who are interested!
I know that when I mention the word 'homebirth' some people's minds automatically picture a woman curled up in the fetal position giving birth under her bed as if she is a mama cat, shutting herself away from the world and wanting to be alone in her bedroom. Or else screaming 'No doctors! get the doctors away from me!' and locking the door. Well, this is a misconception. My experience of homebirth has been that I am supported by two highly-trained, excellent supportive midwives in the privacy of my home, I have their complete attention, and they come with all the necessary equipment to support me medically if there is a need. Having a homebirth does not mean that you are giving birth without access to life-saving medical equipment. (Nor do you have to give birth without pain medication! That is available, too!) The local ambulance crew was even aware that I was attempting a homebirth, so that if anything did go wrong, they would be able to respond even quicker, because they already had a note of my address, D.O.B. and blood type!
Anyway, I had excellent antenatal care from Catherine and her team when I arrived on the island. I had a couple of home visits from them while we were staying in Ness in September. My due date was 5 October so Catherine drew up a 'rota' of midwives from the maternity ward who were interested in helping with a homebirth, and they went on call for me beginning two weeks before my due date. There were two midwives on call for each day. Catherine knew that we would be moving house on the 30th of Sept if the baby hadn't arrived by then, and she didn't bat an eyelash. She gave me so much support. When we moved house, the midwives came back by and picked up the homebirth kit, birth pool, and all the other supplies which they had dropped off two weeks before, and took it over to the house in Point for us! So we only had to move our own things, and the midwives took responsibility to help us with the movement of all the birth-related supplies. That was such an enormous blessing. I had a couple of home visits after we arrived in Point on the 30th of Sept, and we just waited for baby to come. :) I was pleased to see that it was clear that every midwife on my rota had looked at my birth plan to see what my preferences were.
Unlike when I was expecting Ketzia, I had hardly any 'twinges' in the days approaching delivery. One night I had a few contractions for about an hour or so in the middle of the night, so I knew I was getting close. My mom arrived from the USA on Thurs the 3rd, after a long journey - flying to Inverness and then traveling by bus to Ullapool and taking the 3-hr ferry crossing to the Isle of Lewis to stay with us! And we were so happy to see her. She had been present at Elijah's birth in Glasgow in 2010, too! My 'due date' came and went, Saturday 5 October. On Sunday the 6th David was preaching both services in the Point congregation! There was 'back up' available (he had insisted on it) in case I went into labor that day and he needed to be with me, but I was clearly not in labor, so off we went to church as a family! I was feeling absolutely fine, so there was no reason to stay home!
That night we went to bed at a reasonable time, which was good because it meant David got some good rest after preaching before I woke him up in the early hours of the morning. :) I woke up around 2am or so (don't know for sure what time it was) with a contraction which was painful. I tried to go back to sleep but kept having contractions. They were far apart, about 10 minutes apart, which made me feel like maybe it could be a 'false alarm' but they did hurt! After trying unsuccessfully to get back to sleep, I really could not get comfortable and I kept having to get up to use the toilet. At some point I decided to go downstairs to see if I could curl up and get comfortable on the sofa instead, so as not to disturb David. I was very, very tired and desperately wanted to go back to sleep, but it was clear my body was NOT going to sleep. :) Finally around 4am I went and woke up David... I let him sleep as long as I could, but knowing that the birth pool wasn't fully inflated yet, and that there was some work to do to get the house ready for a birth, I knew we would need all the time we could get. So I woke him up, and bless his heart, he didn't murmur or complain. :) He came downstairs and started getting the living room re-arranged and tidied to become 'birthing central.' The birth pool was partially inflated and stored in the room my mom was sleeping in, but she was already awake having heard me moving around the house. David was brilliant at getting the shower curtains, sheets, and towels laid on the floor to protect the carpets, and then finished inflating the birth pool. I was wanting help to get my TENs machine on, and finally managed to get him re-directed onto that after a while. :) The TENs machine, as before, I found to be really helpful to get me through the contractions. I labored kneeling upright supported by a birth ball.
It must have been around 4:30 that I phoned the maternity ward to let them know I was in labor. I don't know what I was thinking, I was expected to be treated like I was when Elijah was born, and I had to phone into Maternity Assessment at the regional hospital, and I was just one of many women in labor that night and had to basically 'prove' over the phone that labor was progressing far enough that I could convince them to send the midwife out. I guess subconsciously I was expecting to have to convince people here, too, that I was really in labor. My contractions were continuing at 10 minutes apart but very regular, but the maternity ward didn't hesitate, they said someone is coming out to you NOW! :) I guess by the time it's your 3rd baby, they realize you know what you are talking about. :) And obviously things can go a lot faster the 3rd time, too!
I don't know what time the midwife showed up, I was still kneeling against the ball. She came shyly into the room, it was the only midwife I hadn't met in person yet. :) Her name was Annemarie and she was a young midwife enthusiastic about homebirth and had hoped to have one herself in the past, but had ended up transferring into hospital. She was really sweet and immediately I knew I was in good hands. She was the primary midwife for my birth. Just after Annemarie arrived I felt nauseous and then vomited quite badly, but it was really special to have David, my mom, and Annemarie all supporting me at the same time... holding me, bringing a wet cloth, and rubbing my back.
Not long afterwards afterwards Catherine MacD arrived, who is Annemarie's supervisor, and she very much functioned as the 'back up' midwife. She stayed in the kitchen for the duration of my labor, chatting with my mom, and just keeping an eye on things in case Annemarie needed support. but it was Annemarie who was with me as I labored. I thought it was very special though, that Catherine MacD, who I had been in contact with all the way from Zambia to arrange my homebirth, was the one on call the night I actually went into labor, so she got to be there for the grand finale after the weeks of preparation. :)
Around 6:30 in the morning we heard the little pitter-patter of feet upstairs and David went up to investigate. Ketzia (21 months) was awake. He managed to get her to lie back down in her bed but it was clear that the day had started and we would have a toddler invasion any moment. I had arranged for our kids to be sent over to a friend's house who has a bunch of kids and whom they would be happy to play with for hours without missing Mama too desperately much... so we phoned her and she said she would be there at 7am to pick them up and take them over to her house. So David went upstairs and got both kids dressed and completely ready to go, with my mom's help, and ushered them out the door (took them out the front door, so they actually didn't come through the living room at all and didn't see me at all, so that they wouldn't get upset about leaving!) and with the help of some Cheerios, they were off. Our friends kept them for the whole morning and they were returned to us after lunch. :) It was lovely to know that they were being well looked-after and that helped me totally relax and focus on what I needed to do! There is no way that I could have given birth with a toddler climbing all over me, and I am so thankful that we have friends who were willing to help us out in this way!
By the time the kids were headed out the door, I knew that things had progressed far enough that the TENs machine was no longer having enough effect. In my previous deliveries this has been the cue for me to get into the birth pool, so I climbed in. Annemarie knew from my birth plan that I didn't want any internal exams, but I was really thankful that she didn't even suggest it. She knew it wasn't necessary. So I was left in peace. I climbed into the pool and immediately felt relief.
There isn't really much more to say. I labored in the pool, supported by David and my mom who continually brought me cool washcloths.
Annemarie drifted in and out of the room and checked the baby's heartbeat every 30 minutes or so, but baby was obviously perfectly happy. Annemarie was excellent at checking in with me to ask me how I was feeling, and I was happy to be able to tell her that by the 3rd time through, I could actually track my own progress in labor and could feel the baby descending. She was very non-invasive and totally respected my space and my ability to birth my own baby, but she was also very affirming and supportive and was taking very good care of me.
Everything went as smoothly and as peacefully as I could have possibly wished... I felt unbelievably blessed. And at 9:25am, Titus Tyndale Lachman made his entrance into the world! It was definitely my easiest labor so far. I can honestly say that the last 5 minutes were the hardest, but the labor itself progressed fabulously well and I was able to stay focused and relaxed thanks to the peaceful and supportive atmosphere of my home.
We didn't know whether it was a girl or boy, but had been told at a scan that it was likely a girl... they were wrong!! Our sweet boy Titus surprised us. :) He was 7lbs 13oz at birth, so about half-way between Elijah and Ketzia's birth weights.
I relaxed in the pool for a few minutes and cuddled Titus, just resting, as I felt absolutely knackered in the minutes immediately following his birth. Titus was amazingly alert from the very second he emerged from the water and we were all marveling at how he was already following our voices and trying to hold his head up.
After we got of the pool (with difficulty, as the umbilical cord was VERY short, but it was a team effort!) Titus immediately went for a feed and boy, did he take to his food! He nursed for more than an hour and a half! I delivered the placenta naturally but it did take quite a long time and I was very uncomfortable, more so than I had been with my previous babies. While I was lying on the sofa waiting for the placenta, David and my mom were busy clearing up the living room and by the time I delivered the placenta (maybe 45 minutes later?) everything was completely tidied up and the birth pool was cleaned and deflated and put away! My husband has obviously got this down to a science! :) Meanwhile, as I was still lying on the sofa recovering and nursing the baby and the midwives were scurrying around tidying up, my friend Yolanta, the doula who had introduced me to Catherine MacD and the midwifery team, arrived to congratulate us. She had been hoping to support me as a doula in my delivery but by the time she arrived the baby was already born. I can't tell you how grateful I am for Yolanta, though, because even though she wasn't able in the end to support me during the birth as we had both hoped, she has been a tremendous friend to me both before and since the baby was born.
Once the placenta came, I was feeling well enough to slowly make my way upstairs for a shower, with David's assistance, while my mom fell asleep cuddling Titus. :)
Feeling more human after my shower, I settled down in bed upstairs and Titus was brought up to me. David went on over to our friend's house to pick up the kids who had stayed for lunch there, and we got some sweet videos and photos of them coming home and meeting their baby brother for the first time. :)
In the days following the birth I was well looked after. Annemarie came by to check up on me and we had a good discussion about my homebirth, which was the first homebirth on the Isle of Lewis in 2 years and the first homebirth in the village where we are staying in 53 years! Titus has really become a statistic! :) Annemarie found my birth very special and was actually in tears in our kitchen after Titus was born, overwhelmed by how peaceful and simply amazing the whole atmosphere was. She told me, 'This is the way birth ought to be.' We were blessed to be supported by such a conscientious and caring midwife, and really Catherine MacD and her entire midwifery staff at Western Isles Hospital were fabulous beyond words.
We are so thankful to the Lord for orchestrating all the details of Titus' birth, from the smooth progression of a healthy pregnancy to the arrangements for our stay in Lewis and the excellent care we received from the midwives here! The Lord is faithful beyond our imaginings, to Him be the glory!
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:11-14
Like his sister, his is an international tale. :-) Let's begin at the beginning. (This will make for a L-O-N-G post, because as you know birth stories are not just about the birth, they are about the journey... and this babe had QUITE a journey!) We found out we were pregnant on the 31st of January... so this birth has been the whole year so far in the making. We had just returned to Zambia on the 17th of January after a few months of home assignment in Scotland. After finding out that our 3rd child was due on the 5th of October, we had to start making plans right away for where this baby would be born. The 5th of October was a bit of an awkward date, to be honest... the College's academic year would close on the 4th of October with the Graduation ceremony, and either way, whether we stayed in Zambia for the baby's birth or not, it wasn't likely that we would be able to attend Graduation. We knew that this would be a severe disappointment to our graduates. But we also knew we had to figure out what the best place was for baby's arrival.
We already had tickets booked to depart Zambia on the 22nd of October for a few months of home assignment again in Scotland. But obviously that wouldn't work either... even if the baby arrived BANG 'on time' there was no way that we could get a passport in time to travel with the baby on that date. Our tickets specified 'no changes allowed' so initially we thought 'Well, we don't have the option of leaving the country' (because we couldn't afford to buy new tickets) and so we decide to look into the possibility of having the baby in Zambia.
We asked a LOT of people for their advice and experiences. We asked for hospital recommendations. We looked into housing. We spent a couple of months researching our options and praying about it. To make a long story short, while we were in the throes of having to make the decision whether to risk having a baby in a hospital in Lusaka or whether it wasn't worth the risk to us... we found out that our tickets COULD indeed be changed! For a very reasonable fee, which was FAR FAR more affordable than the cost would have been to pay out-of-pocket for baby's birth in a Lusaka hospital plus rent on a house in Lusaka for a couple of months. We knew that if we went back to Scotland as was originally planned, we could have the baby in a place where we would have support from our sending church and our friends, our housing would be provided, and we would be under care of the NHS which meant that we wouldn't have to pay out-of-pocket. We truly felt that this was the Lord's answer to our prayer and His provision for our family. So we paid the necessary fee to change our tickets and instead of flying out on 22nd Oct, we arranged to fly out on the 3rd of Sept.
During my pregnancy I can't say that I had the continuity of care that I did while pregnant with Ketzia. It was complicated, and it wasn't always enjoyable to keep bouncing from person to person. I went for my first antenatal appt at 16 weeks, to a private clinic to Lusaka. I saw the same OB/GYN at the same clinic for my appt at 25 weeks. In between, at 22 weeks, I had an appt at the mission hospital out in Eastern Province, an hour from our house, because we couldn't travel all the way back to Lusaka that month just for me to have an antenatal check-up. So I got a referral letter from the OB/GYN in Lusaka explaining my situation and asking for someone at the mission hospital to give me a routine antenatal check-up. Then at 32 weeks I had to visit a different hospital (another private clinic in Lusaka) to get a generic doctor's letter from a specific doctor that KLM required me to see in order to be 'cleared to fly' while pregnant. I found this to be really annoying, having to see a totally strange doctor who didn't know me or my situation, and also found it really odd that they would send a generic 'form letter' (totally not applicable to pregnancy, asking things like 'does the passenger require oxygen? can they use the restroom without assistance? are they contagious?' etc..) to be filled out by a general Dr. (not an OB/GYN) who didn't do anything to examine me at all but simply sent me for a hemoglobin count and a urinalysis. Anyway...! Then I was hoping to see the first OB/GN from my initial appt before I flew out, but she wasn't available for an appt, so in the end I arranged to see my friend Christine whom provided my antenatal care during Ketzia's pregnancy. I saw Christine at 35wks+4days, the morning of our flight to Scotland! (our flight left around 11 that night.)
Meanwhile, while I was bouncing to and from between doctors in Zambia, I was having difficulty arranging my antenatal care in Scotland because we didn't know where we would be staying yet. Our missions committee was having trouble finding a place for us to stay. The time for our departure was getting closer and closer and we still didn't know where we would be staying. We were hoping that we could be somewhere on the mainland, ideally even back in Glasgow where Elijah was born in 2010. I am still a member of the Glasgow homebirth group and managed to track down the contact details of Caroline, the NHS homebirth team midwife who attended Elijah's birth at our home in Glasgow. I contacted her to say 'Hey! I'm coming back to Scotland to have my 3rd child and if we end up in Glasgow, I'd love to be back under your care again!' She responded quickly and was a brilliant support to me and I was so relieved to know that I had a contact within the NHS midwifery care system.
The saga continues... on the 6th of August (less than a month before our departure date) our missions committee told us that they had arranged for us to stay in a house in a village in the north-western corner of the Isle of Skye (for those of you not familiar with Scottish geography, Skye is connected to the mainland by a bridge so at least you don't have a ferry crossing to contend with!). I immediately started chasing up my contacts. My hope was to be able to have a 3rd homebirth (you can read about my previous homebirths here and here). There are a number of reasons why homebirth is so important to me, but I also wanted to be sensible about it. I knew that if I was too far away from hospital (in the event of an emergency) or if the local midwifery team was too nervous or inexperience with homebirth situations to provide me with care that I could be fully confident in, then I would not be in an ideal situation for a homebirth. But I needed to do my research, and I needed to have a contact 'on the ground.' I felt very strongly that it is NOT wise to try to arrive somewhere at 37 weeks pregnant, and try to get into the NHS system when no one knows your situation or your history. That is NOT the way to find good support or positive care. So I contacted Caroline, my NHS midwife contact in Glasgow, and she got me in email contact with the Skye midwifery team! I also contacted friends who lived on Skye to get a feel for the general support of the midwifery team there and to find out more about the area where we would be staying. I heard back from the Skye midwives and felt very positive. We felt like the location where we would be housed was not ideal (remote, not close to hospital) but having made contact with the midwives there and knowing that they were aware of my situation, we felt that it was possible. The only thing which worried me was simply the distance to the hospital. The nearest hospital (35 minutes away) didn't have labor and delivery facilities, so we would have to go to the other hospital (an hour away) if that was necessary. They were willing to consider a homebirth situation but had a number of 'hoops' to jump through before they could be comfortable agreeing to it. If anything went 'wrong,' I would have to leave the island and travel to the bigger hospital in Inverness, which was 2-3 hrs by car from Dunvegan. Not exactly an ideal situation. But I was determined to make it work.
And then, by the grace of God, I was just feeling like everything was falling into place: and we received an email. The arrangements for the house in Skye had fallen through. It was the 17th of August. I was 33 weeks pregnant. We were leaving the country in just over 2 weeks, ready or not... and we didn't know where we would be staying. Suddenly all my carefully-laid plans and the correspondence with various midwives who would have been supporting me in labor came crashing down. I knew I would have to start all over again. I cannot express how I felt that week. I was so shaken.
Our missions committee scrambled to make alternate arrangements. What could be arranged at such short notice was housing on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides. Someone in one of the Lewis congregations had a furnished house we could stay in, in the village of Fivepenny in the district of Ness. However, this house was only available to us until the end of September. Another house on the other side of the island, on Point, was arranged - but this house was only available starting the 30th of Sept. So either way, we would have to move house the week that our baby was due! Naturally you can imagine we were not thrilled by this scenario, but after some inquiry it was clear that we had no choice. At this point in the process, so close to our departure date, I just wanted things to be finalized, no more curveballs, I wanted to know exactly where we would be staying when, so that I could get the process in motion of preparing for our baby's birth!
As soon as it was confirmed that we would be staying on Lewis, I contacted a friend of mine who lives on Lewis but used to serve as a doula in China. Since she was active in the birthing community on Lewis and knew many of the midwives there, I knew that she would be an excellent resource for making contact with the midwifery team and trying to make arrangements for a homebirth situation. And I was right! Yolanta has been a brilliant support to me. She gave me the contact details for the supervisor of the midwives, Catherine MacD, and I emailed Catherine from Zambia to introduce myself, share my situation and my medical history (thank goodness, pregnancies and deliveries without complications!) and say that I hoped to have a homebirth on Lewis. Catherine was brilliant from the start and not put off by my unusual circumstances or the fact that I would be arriving under her care at 36 weeks pregnant. She was happy to hear from me, and told me to contact them as soon as I arrived in Lewis. I was so, so, so thankful to the Lord for arranging things so that I would easily have a contact within the Lewis midwifery community and that they were expecting me and looking forward to supporting me!
So... you've already read about how the last couple of months worked out, in my last post. :) We arrived in Ness on Tues the 10th of Sept. I phoned Catherine and she came to see me immediately, on the Thursday morning! When she came, not only did she visit me at home and did my routine antenatal check on the sofa, but she brought all the homebirth kit with her and delivered it to our house... In other words, she was confident that I knew what I was asking for when I said I wanted a homebirth, and she was willing to take the first steps in supporting me in a homebirth before she had even so much as taken my blood pressure. :) Now, homebirths here on Lewis are not only provided with all the necessary equipment (resus equipment, pain-relieving drugs, a whole bag of medical supplies) but they will also provide you with a birth pool if you want it! I was absolutely amazed... and to think that some people told me that you couldn't have a homebirth on Lewis. :) Not only can you have one (it is a legal right), but they have a stock of birth pools and all the necessary equipment for any women who are interested!
I know that when I mention the word 'homebirth' some people's minds automatically picture a woman curled up in the fetal position giving birth under her bed as if she is a mama cat, shutting herself away from the world and wanting to be alone in her bedroom. Or else screaming 'No doctors! get the doctors away from me!' and locking the door. Well, this is a misconception. My experience of homebirth has been that I am supported by two highly-trained, excellent supportive midwives in the privacy of my home, I have their complete attention, and they come with all the necessary equipment to support me medically if there is a need. Having a homebirth does not mean that you are giving birth without access to life-saving medical equipment. (Nor do you have to give birth without pain medication! That is available, too!) The local ambulance crew was even aware that I was attempting a homebirth, so that if anything did go wrong, they would be able to respond even quicker, because they already had a note of my address, D.O.B. and blood type!
Anyway, I had excellent antenatal care from Catherine and her team when I arrived on the island. I had a couple of home visits from them while we were staying in Ness in September. My due date was 5 October so Catherine drew up a 'rota' of midwives from the maternity ward who were interested in helping with a homebirth, and they went on call for me beginning two weeks before my due date. There were two midwives on call for each day. Catherine knew that we would be moving house on the 30th of Sept if the baby hadn't arrived by then, and she didn't bat an eyelash. She gave me so much support. When we moved house, the midwives came back by and picked up the homebirth kit, birth pool, and all the other supplies which they had dropped off two weeks before, and took it over to the house in Point for us! So we only had to move our own things, and the midwives took responsibility to help us with the movement of all the birth-related supplies. That was such an enormous blessing. I had a couple of home visits after we arrived in Point on the 30th of Sept, and we just waited for baby to come. :) I was pleased to see that it was clear that every midwife on my rota had looked at my birth plan to see what my preferences were.
Unlike when I was expecting Ketzia, I had hardly any 'twinges' in the days approaching delivery. One night I had a few contractions for about an hour or so in the middle of the night, so I knew I was getting close. My mom arrived from the USA on Thurs the 3rd, after a long journey - flying to Inverness and then traveling by bus to Ullapool and taking the 3-hr ferry crossing to the Isle of Lewis to stay with us! And we were so happy to see her. She had been present at Elijah's birth in Glasgow in 2010, too! My 'due date' came and went, Saturday 5 October. On Sunday the 6th David was preaching both services in the Point congregation! There was 'back up' available (he had insisted on it) in case I went into labor that day and he needed to be with me, but I was clearly not in labor, so off we went to church as a family! I was feeling absolutely fine, so there was no reason to stay home!
That night we went to bed at a reasonable time, which was good because it meant David got some good rest after preaching before I woke him up in the early hours of the morning. :) I woke up around 2am or so (don't know for sure what time it was) with a contraction which was painful. I tried to go back to sleep but kept having contractions. They were far apart, about 10 minutes apart, which made me feel like maybe it could be a 'false alarm' but they did hurt! After trying unsuccessfully to get back to sleep, I really could not get comfortable and I kept having to get up to use the toilet. At some point I decided to go downstairs to see if I could curl up and get comfortable on the sofa instead, so as not to disturb David. I was very, very tired and desperately wanted to go back to sleep, but it was clear my body was NOT going to sleep. :) Finally around 4am I went and woke up David... I let him sleep as long as I could, but knowing that the birth pool wasn't fully inflated yet, and that there was some work to do to get the house ready for a birth, I knew we would need all the time we could get. So I woke him up, and bless his heart, he didn't murmur or complain. :) He came downstairs and started getting the living room re-arranged and tidied to become 'birthing central.' The birth pool was partially inflated and stored in the room my mom was sleeping in, but she was already awake having heard me moving around the house. David was brilliant at getting the shower curtains, sheets, and towels laid on the floor to protect the carpets, and then finished inflating the birth pool. I was wanting help to get my TENs machine on, and finally managed to get him re-directed onto that after a while. :) The TENs machine, as before, I found to be really helpful to get me through the contractions. I labored kneeling upright supported by a birth ball.
It must have been around 4:30 that I phoned the maternity ward to let them know I was in labor. I don't know what I was thinking, I was expected to be treated like I was when Elijah was born, and I had to phone into Maternity Assessment at the regional hospital, and I was just one of many women in labor that night and had to basically 'prove' over the phone that labor was progressing far enough that I could convince them to send the midwife out. I guess subconsciously I was expecting to have to convince people here, too, that I was really in labor. My contractions were continuing at 10 minutes apart but very regular, but the maternity ward didn't hesitate, they said someone is coming out to you NOW! :) I guess by the time it's your 3rd baby, they realize you know what you are talking about. :) And obviously things can go a lot faster the 3rd time, too!
I don't know what time the midwife showed up, I was still kneeling against the ball. She came shyly into the room, it was the only midwife I hadn't met in person yet. :) Her name was Annemarie and she was a young midwife enthusiastic about homebirth and had hoped to have one herself in the past, but had ended up transferring into hospital. She was really sweet and immediately I knew I was in good hands. She was the primary midwife for my birth. Just after Annemarie arrived I felt nauseous and then vomited quite badly, but it was really special to have David, my mom, and Annemarie all supporting me at the same time... holding me, bringing a wet cloth, and rubbing my back.
Not long afterwards afterwards Catherine MacD arrived, who is Annemarie's supervisor, and she very much functioned as the 'back up' midwife. She stayed in the kitchen for the duration of my labor, chatting with my mom, and just keeping an eye on things in case Annemarie needed support. but it was Annemarie who was with me as I labored. I thought it was very special though, that Catherine MacD, who I had been in contact with all the way from Zambia to arrange my homebirth, was the one on call the night I actually went into labor, so she got to be there for the grand finale after the weeks of preparation. :)
Around 6:30 in the morning we heard the little pitter-patter of feet upstairs and David went up to investigate. Ketzia (21 months) was awake. He managed to get her to lie back down in her bed but it was clear that the day had started and we would have a toddler invasion any moment. I had arranged for our kids to be sent over to a friend's house who has a bunch of kids and whom they would be happy to play with for hours without missing Mama too desperately much... so we phoned her and she said she would be there at 7am to pick them up and take them over to her house. So David went upstairs and got both kids dressed and completely ready to go, with my mom's help, and ushered them out the door (took them out the front door, so they actually didn't come through the living room at all and didn't see me at all, so that they wouldn't get upset about leaving!) and with the help of some Cheerios, they were off. Our friends kept them for the whole morning and they were returned to us after lunch. :) It was lovely to know that they were being well looked-after and that helped me totally relax and focus on what I needed to do! There is no way that I could have given birth with a toddler climbing all over me, and I am so thankful that we have friends who were willing to help us out in this way!
By the time the kids were headed out the door, I knew that things had progressed far enough that the TENs machine was no longer having enough effect. In my previous deliveries this has been the cue for me to get into the birth pool, so I climbed in. Annemarie knew from my birth plan that I didn't want any internal exams, but I was really thankful that she didn't even suggest it. She knew it wasn't necessary. So I was left in peace. I climbed into the pool and immediately felt relief.
There isn't really much more to say. I labored in the pool, supported by David and my mom who continually brought me cool washcloths.
Annemarie drifted in and out of the room and checked the baby's heartbeat every 30 minutes or so, but baby was obviously perfectly happy. Annemarie was excellent at checking in with me to ask me how I was feeling, and I was happy to be able to tell her that by the 3rd time through, I could actually track my own progress in labor and could feel the baby descending. She was very non-invasive and totally respected my space and my ability to birth my own baby, but she was also very affirming and supportive and was taking very good care of me.
Everything went as smoothly and as peacefully as I could have possibly wished... I felt unbelievably blessed. And at 9:25am, Titus Tyndale Lachman made his entrance into the world! It was definitely my easiest labor so far. I can honestly say that the last 5 minutes were the hardest, but the labor itself progressed fabulously well and I was able to stay focused and relaxed thanks to the peaceful and supportive atmosphere of my home.
We didn't know whether it was a girl or boy, but had been told at a scan that it was likely a girl... they were wrong!! Our sweet boy Titus surprised us. :) He was 7lbs 13oz at birth, so about half-way between Elijah and Ketzia's birth weights.
I relaxed in the pool for a few minutes and cuddled Titus, just resting, as I felt absolutely knackered in the minutes immediately following his birth. Titus was amazingly alert from the very second he emerged from the water and we were all marveling at how he was already following our voices and trying to hold his head up.
After we got of the pool (with difficulty, as the umbilical cord was VERY short, but it was a team effort!) Titus immediately went for a feed and boy, did he take to his food! He nursed for more than an hour and a half! I delivered the placenta naturally but it did take quite a long time and I was very uncomfortable, more so than I had been with my previous babies. While I was lying on the sofa waiting for the placenta, David and my mom were busy clearing up the living room and by the time I delivered the placenta (maybe 45 minutes later?) everything was completely tidied up and the birth pool was cleaned and deflated and put away! My husband has obviously got this down to a science! :) Meanwhile, as I was still lying on the sofa recovering and nursing the baby and the midwives were scurrying around tidying up, my friend Yolanta, the doula who had introduced me to Catherine MacD and the midwifery team, arrived to congratulate us. She had been hoping to support me as a doula in my delivery but by the time she arrived the baby was already born. I can't tell you how grateful I am for Yolanta, though, because even though she wasn't able in the end to support me during the birth as we had both hoped, she has been a tremendous friend to me both before and since the baby was born.
Once the placenta came, I was feeling well enough to slowly make my way upstairs for a shower, with David's assistance, while my mom fell asleep cuddling Titus. :)
Feeling more human after my shower, I settled down in bed upstairs and Titus was brought up to me. David went on over to our friend's house to pick up the kids who had stayed for lunch there, and we got some sweet videos and photos of them coming home and meeting their baby brother for the first time. :)
In the days following the birth I was well looked after. Annemarie came by to check up on me and we had a good discussion about my homebirth, which was the first homebirth on the Isle of Lewis in 2 years and the first homebirth in the village where we are staying in 53 years! Titus has really become a statistic! :) Annemarie found my birth very special and was actually in tears in our kitchen after Titus was born, overwhelmed by how peaceful and simply amazing the whole atmosphere was. She told me, 'This is the way birth ought to be.' We were blessed to be supported by such a conscientious and caring midwife, and really Catherine MacD and her entire midwifery staff at Western Isles Hospital were fabulous beyond words.
We are so thankful to the Lord for orchestrating all the details of Titus' birth, from the smooth progression of a healthy pregnancy to the arrangements for our stay in Lewis and the excellent care we received from the midwives here! The Lord is faithful beyond our imaginings, to Him be the glory!
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:11-14
Saturday, 26 October 2013
life around here
Whoops. Er... yes, that was another two months of blogging silence. My apologies. Let's catch you up with life around here...
On the 2nd of Sept we left our home in Eastern Province and traveled to Lusaka, where we spent one night before our travel to the UK. On the morning of the 3rd I had a final doctor's check up to confirm what we already knew - baby and I were STILL in excellent health! - and to get a second doctor's letter in case the airline decided to be really picky about the fact that I would be flying at 35wks+4 days when their technical statement is 'We advise pregnant women not to fly past 36 weeks...'
On the 3rd of Sept we left Lusaka on our overnight flight to the UK, via Amsterdam. Yep, I traveled at 35wks+4 days pregnant. (This is not exactly something new - I traveled at 35 weeks when pregnant with Ketzia.) Not only that, but I had a 20-month-old toddler as a 'lap child' the WHOLE WAY!! Is anyone impressed yet? We were hoping that there would be a free seat, but the flight was super-crammed-squished-fully-booked. Ah well. Just for future reference, in case this information is helpful to anyone: it is really difficult to use your drink tray if you have a toddler in your 8-month-pregnant lap!
(Oh, and the other annoying thing? Despite what the online check-in says, which is that each passenger including the 'lap child' gets a meal, the flight attendants on every international flight I've ever been on have refused to give a meal to my lap child. I've had to beg them to bring one if there is an extra when they finish serving everyone else! This makes me so mad! But apparently, the only food that my poor toddler is entitled to is jars of baby food. Uh, ma'am, my 'baby' may be under 2 years old and thus still entitled to ride on my lap at a discount price should I feel like choosing that discomfort, but, breaking news... this child has been eating solid food for a LONG time and has an appetite!)
So, yes, we arrived in Scotland, safe and sound and all accounted for. We were met at the airport by a representative of Syzygy Mission Support which is a fabulous organization that has given us a vehicle for hire to use during our 4 months in the UK! We are so thankful for this 7-seater Ford Galaxy that the Lord has provided. Finding a car to use short-term when on 'home assignment' is a huge hurdle that every missionary family will face at some point, and we are SO THANKFUL for missions support groups that exist to bless families like us in every way they can. They even very thoughtfully arranged for the loan of car seats for our children, without being asked -- and even included a car seat for child #3 whom they knew was imminently expected! Talk about service... AND they met us at the Glasgow airport with the car (having brought it up from Birmingham)!
Our first two nights were spent with friends in Ayr. The next three nights were spent with our pastor and his family in Glasgow (worshiping with our home congregation on the Lord's Day). Then on Monday morning we started off on the first leg of our road trip to the Western Isles which would be our abode for the next 2 months. We drove as far as the Isle of Skye and broke the journey with friends there. The next morning we were on the early ferry crossing from Skye to Harris (the lower part of the same island as the Isle of Lewis) and then drove the hour north to Ness, Isle of Lewis.
Ness is at the far northerly tip of the Isle of Lewis. At the end of the road where the house we stayed in was located, there is the Atlantic Ocean! Our missions committee arranged for us to stay in a comfortable 3-bedroom house belonging to friends. Next door was a lot with someone's pigs, and across the street were someone else's chickens, so Elijah and Ketzia felt right at home as if they were in Zambia. It was a really enjoyable place to stay. Just down the road was a fantastic playpark built into the sand dunes so we took the children there often! Just a short walk from the playpark was a beautiful beach.
We stayed in Ness for 3 weeks. The house we were staying in wasn't available past the end of September, so another house was arranged for us to move into. Now, if you've been doing the math, you might realize that I was imminently due. The house we would be moving into, on Point (a peninsula on the opposite side of Lewis from Ness), was only available starting the 30th of September. So the 30th became our moving date. Baby was due on 5 October, so it was agreed that if baby decided to arrive early (as Ketzia did) while we were still in Ness, we wouldn't have to move into the Point house straightaway but could recover for a few days before transitioning over... however, if baby hadn't come on the 30th and I wasn't in labor, we were moving over to Point THAT DAY, with no delay, so as to be as settled as possible in Point before baby did decide to show up! Ah, the great simplicities of our ever-nomadic life. So yes, we moved house when I was 39wks+2days pregnant. I wasn't in labor, so we just packed up our stuff and WENT. At least there was no furniture that had to be moved - both houses were fully furnished! Just ourselves, our luggage, clothing, and personal things, and bags of food (I even managed to get a few freezer meals put together in expectation of Baby... so proud of myself!).
So we moved across to Point on the evening of Monday the 30th of Sept. Well, I say 'Point' but actually Point is the name of the area - we are in a small village on Point. As I say, it is a peninsula extending past Stornoway, the main town on Lewis. We are only 10 minutes from the center of Stornoway, which is far more convenient than Ness in terms of distance. Sadly there is no fabulous playpark close by here, or anything really within walking distance, so the kids and I are much more confined to the house. But the house (again, a 3-bedroom, and larger than the first) is comfortable and we are settled here... temporarily! We will be on the move again 2 weeks from now!
In the end we had exactly one week to settle in before baby arrived. Our 3rd child and second son, Titus, was born on Monday 7 October! Like his brother and sister, Titus was born at home, in the water. (Don't worry, I will post the birth story soon!) And since this wouldn't be a bona fide blog post without a photo, here is a photo of our wee man:
And here are the other two stars of our show, exhibiting their goofy sides:
My mom flew over from the States, arrived on Thursday the 3rd, and was here for the weekend, before Titus' birth on the Monday morning. Perfect timing. Mom was here for a total of two and a half weeks and we crammed it full of as much 'Grandma' time as we could. We took her on an outing to see the Callanish standing stones and other spectacular sights of the West side of Lewis. On her last day here David had a preaching engagement back in Ness so she got to see where we were staying before. It was really special having her here, for the baby's birth and for his first two weeks of life. Having family members around for a baby's birth is always really special and makes such a difference!
So yes... that's what the last weeks have been full of! The adventure is only just begun though... Titus is not going to beat his sister's record of international travel at 5 weeks old, but he is about to go ON TOUR in the UK!
On the 2nd of Sept we left our home in Eastern Province and traveled to Lusaka, where we spent one night before our travel to the UK. On the morning of the 3rd I had a final doctor's check up to confirm what we already knew - baby and I were STILL in excellent health! - and to get a second doctor's letter in case the airline decided to be really picky about the fact that I would be flying at 35wks+4 days when their technical statement is 'We advise pregnant women not to fly past 36 weeks...'
On the 3rd of Sept we left Lusaka on our overnight flight to the UK, via Amsterdam. Yep, I traveled at 35wks+4 days pregnant. (This is not exactly something new - I traveled at 35 weeks when pregnant with Ketzia.) Not only that, but I had a 20-month-old toddler as a 'lap child' the WHOLE WAY!! Is anyone impressed yet? We were hoping that there would be a free seat, but the flight was super-crammed-squished-fully-booked. Ah well. Just for future reference, in case this information is helpful to anyone: it is really difficult to use your drink tray if you have a toddler in your 8-month-pregnant lap!
(Oh, and the other annoying thing? Despite what the online check-in says, which is that each passenger including the 'lap child' gets a meal, the flight attendants on every international flight I've ever been on have refused to give a meal to my lap child. I've had to beg them to bring one if there is an extra when they finish serving everyone else! This makes me so mad! But apparently, the only food that my poor toddler is entitled to is jars of baby food. Uh, ma'am, my 'baby' may be under 2 years old and thus still entitled to ride on my lap at a discount price should I feel like choosing that discomfort, but, breaking news... this child has been eating solid food for a LONG time and has an appetite!)
So, yes, we arrived in Scotland, safe and sound and all accounted for. We were met at the airport by a representative of Syzygy Mission Support which is a fabulous organization that has given us a vehicle for hire to use during our 4 months in the UK! We are so thankful for this 7-seater Ford Galaxy that the Lord has provided. Finding a car to use short-term when on 'home assignment' is a huge hurdle that every missionary family will face at some point, and we are SO THANKFUL for missions support groups that exist to bless families like us in every way they can. They even very thoughtfully arranged for the loan of car seats for our children, without being asked -- and even included a car seat for child #3 whom they knew was imminently expected! Talk about service... AND they met us at the Glasgow airport with the car (having brought it up from Birmingham)!
Our first two nights were spent with friends in Ayr. The next three nights were spent with our pastor and his family in Glasgow (worshiping with our home congregation on the Lord's Day). Then on Monday morning we started off on the first leg of our road trip to the Western Isles which would be our abode for the next 2 months. We drove as far as the Isle of Skye and broke the journey with friends there. The next morning we were on the early ferry crossing from Skye to Harris (the lower part of the same island as the Isle of Lewis) and then drove the hour north to Ness, Isle of Lewis.
Ness is at the far northerly tip of the Isle of Lewis. At the end of the road where the house we stayed in was located, there is the Atlantic Ocean! Our missions committee arranged for us to stay in a comfortable 3-bedroom house belonging to friends. Next door was a lot with someone's pigs, and across the street were someone else's chickens, so Elijah and Ketzia felt right at home as if they were in Zambia. It was a really enjoyable place to stay. Just down the road was a fantastic playpark built into the sand dunes so we took the children there often! Just a short walk from the playpark was a beautiful beach.
We stayed in Ness for 3 weeks. The house we were staying in wasn't available past the end of September, so another house was arranged for us to move into. Now, if you've been doing the math, you might realize that I was imminently due. The house we would be moving into, on Point (a peninsula on the opposite side of Lewis from Ness), was only available starting the 30th of September. So the 30th became our moving date. Baby was due on 5 October, so it was agreed that if baby decided to arrive early (as Ketzia did) while we were still in Ness, we wouldn't have to move into the Point house straightaway but could recover for a few days before transitioning over... however, if baby hadn't come on the 30th and I wasn't in labor, we were moving over to Point THAT DAY, with no delay, so as to be as settled as possible in Point before baby did decide to show up! Ah, the great simplicities of our ever-nomadic life. So yes, we moved house when I was 39wks+2days pregnant. I wasn't in labor, so we just packed up our stuff and WENT. At least there was no furniture that had to be moved - both houses were fully furnished! Just ourselves, our luggage, clothing, and personal things, and bags of food (I even managed to get a few freezer meals put together in expectation of Baby... so proud of myself!).
So we moved across to Point on the evening of Monday the 30th of Sept. Well, I say 'Point' but actually Point is the name of the area - we are in a small village on Point. As I say, it is a peninsula extending past Stornoway, the main town on Lewis. We are only 10 minutes from the center of Stornoway, which is far more convenient than Ness in terms of distance. Sadly there is no fabulous playpark close by here, or anything really within walking distance, so the kids and I are much more confined to the house. But the house (again, a 3-bedroom, and larger than the first) is comfortable and we are settled here... temporarily! We will be on the move again 2 weeks from now!
In the end we had exactly one week to settle in before baby arrived. Our 3rd child and second son, Titus, was born on Monday 7 October! Like his brother and sister, Titus was born at home, in the water. (Don't worry, I will post the birth story soon!) And since this wouldn't be a bona fide blog post without a photo, here is a photo of our wee man:
 |
| widely alert from the moment he was born! |
My mom flew over from the States, arrived on Thursday the 3rd, and was here for the weekend, before Titus' birth on the Monday morning. Perfect timing. Mom was here for a total of two and a half weeks and we crammed it full of as much 'Grandma' time as we could. We took her on an outing to see the Callanish standing stones and other spectacular sights of the West side of Lewis. On her last day here David had a preaching engagement back in Ness so she got to see where we were staying before. It was really special having her here, for the baby's birth and for his first two weeks of life. Having family members around for a baby's birth is always really special and makes such a difference!
So yes... that's what the last weeks have been full of! The adventure is only just begun though... Titus is not going to beat his sister's record of international travel at 5 weeks old, but he is about to go ON TOUR in the UK!
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
countdown!
SIX DAYS.
I made a little 'countdown' sheet for Elijah, which is hanging on the living room wall. I assure you it was really complicated - I took a piece of paper (scrap paper, at that!) and stuck 11 pink sticky notes on it, one for each day of the countdown when we started, with the numbers 1-11 written on them. Definitely worthy of pinterest, eh? :) We've been taking down one sticky note each day and counting back through the remaining numbers. Elijah was originally having trouble comprehending the idea that we didn't take them all down AT ONCE.
But only SIX sticky notes are remaining now! Yikes!
I've broken this unintentional stretch of blogging silence by posting a review of David Murray's new book Jesus on Every Page. That was a good stimulus to write something on my blog before we are suddenly back in Scotland again!
Now, how to summarize the last 2 months since I posted? I don't even know where to start. How do you summarize two months of hard work at the College, conferences, lecturing, administration, church visits, and spending time with visiting lecturers. How do you summarize bank cards that suddenly stop working entirely and leave you without access to your bank account for two months. How do you summarize the stress and pressure of a furlough rapidly approaching but which is still not entirely organized and the plans for which have fallen through more than once already. How do you summarize the knowledge that - ready or not! - a baby will be arriving imminently, around the beginning of October, wherever we happen to be when that happens. At this point, Baby is going to think he or she has been born into a family of nomads. :)
So, what have I been doing recently? Well, one of my major goals for August was to read David Murray's book so that I could post the review on time. I am so thankful for my Kindle which allows me to put even PDF files on it and then I can sit on the front porch, or in the garden, or in the toy room, or wherever the children are bouncing around, and keep an eye on them while I broaden my mind with good reading!
This week I'm also interviewing each of our students who will be graduating in Covenant College's Class of 2013, and I will be writing up an introduction so that you can be praying for each of these men as they complete their studies and move on in their ministries.
And I'm packing. And I'm preparing our house. Because, did I mention that we are leaving on Monday morning?
And I'm sending loads of emails to churches throughout Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and southern England to see who is interested in having us visit and share about the work at Covenant College. (Massive roadtrip with a 6 or 7-week old baby, anyone? No sweat!) And working up the itinerary thereof.
And in between, I'm trying desperately to keep a 3-yr-old and a 21-month-old from endangering their lives at every moment, trashing the house, and unpacking every bag as fast as I can put things in it. And I'm growing a baby.
Times like this, I am so thankful that the Lord made me to love logistics. My husband doesn't love logistics, so I am glad that I can research all the little details for him and make his life easier.
I am thankful for networking, for generous people, for organizations that exist simply to help missionaries, for the car that we will be able to use for 4 months, for the car seats that the company provided before we even asked, for midwifery-based care, for roofs over our heads, and most of all for the knowledge that no matter what happens, the Lord will provide for us - and already has!
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3
I made a little 'countdown' sheet for Elijah, which is hanging on the living room wall. I assure you it was really complicated - I took a piece of paper (scrap paper, at that!) and stuck 11 pink sticky notes on it, one for each day of the countdown when we started, with the numbers 1-11 written on them. Definitely worthy of pinterest, eh? :) We've been taking down one sticky note each day and counting back through the remaining numbers. Elijah was originally having trouble comprehending the idea that we didn't take them all down AT ONCE.
But only SIX sticky notes are remaining now! Yikes!
I've broken this unintentional stretch of blogging silence by posting a review of David Murray's new book Jesus on Every Page. That was a good stimulus to write something on my blog before we are suddenly back in Scotland again!
Now, how to summarize the last 2 months since I posted? I don't even know where to start. How do you summarize two months of hard work at the College, conferences, lecturing, administration, church visits, and spending time with visiting lecturers. How do you summarize bank cards that suddenly stop working entirely and leave you without access to your bank account for two months. How do you summarize the stress and pressure of a furlough rapidly approaching but which is still not entirely organized and the plans for which have fallen through more than once already. How do you summarize the knowledge that - ready or not! - a baby will be arriving imminently, around the beginning of October, wherever we happen to be when that happens. At this point, Baby is going to think he or she has been born into a family of nomads. :)
So, what have I been doing recently? Well, one of my major goals for August was to read David Murray's book so that I could post the review on time. I am so thankful for my Kindle which allows me to put even PDF files on it and then I can sit on the front porch, or in the garden, or in the toy room, or wherever the children are bouncing around, and keep an eye on them while I broaden my mind with good reading!
This week I'm also interviewing each of our students who will be graduating in Covenant College's Class of 2013, and I will be writing up an introduction so that you can be praying for each of these men as they complete their studies and move on in their ministries.
And I'm packing. And I'm preparing our house. Because, did I mention that we are leaving on Monday morning?
And I'm sending loads of emails to churches throughout Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and southern England to see who is interested in having us visit and share about the work at Covenant College. (Massive roadtrip with a 6 or 7-week old baby, anyone? No sweat!) And working up the itinerary thereof.
And in between, I'm trying desperately to keep a 3-yr-old and a 21-month-old from endangering their lives at every moment, trashing the house, and unpacking every bag as fast as I can put things in it. And I'm growing a baby.
Times like this, I am so thankful that the Lord made me to love logistics. My husband doesn't love logistics, so I am glad that I can research all the little details for him and make his life easier.
I am thankful for networking, for generous people, for organizations that exist simply to help missionaries, for the car that we will be able to use for 4 months, for the car seats that the company provided before we even asked, for midwifery-based care, for roofs over our heads, and most of all for the knowledge that no matter what happens, the Lord will provide for us - and already has!
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3
Jesus on Every Page
It's always a blessing to find a new resource which will aid in understanding, appreciating, and benefiting from the Scriptures more. I have just finished reading Jesus on Every Page, a new book by David Murray. And I was blessed by it.
It first caught my eye when I was reading Pastor Murray's blog and saw his offer to send a free copy of his new book to anyone who was willing to read it pre-release and post a review it on their blog. I immediately thought, 'That sounds like the kind of book that would really help our students here at Covenant College understand how Jesus is revealed in the Old Testament.' And myself as well! So I emailed and received a PDF copy of Jesus on Every Page which I have spent the last two weeks reading. (No, it's not a long book - I am a distracted mother of two toddlers!) And here is my review.
I was struck by the very personable, conversational tone of the book. Pastor Murray leads his readers along the path that he himself walked as a young pastor who was initially unaware of how Jesus is at the very heart and soul of the Old Testament. The book is written in a simple and straight-forward manner, chock-full of vivid examples. It is easy to read and the message is clear: Jesus is present in every page in the Old Testament, and here are some (many!) of the ways that you can find him. And not just find Jesus - but view the Old Testament in a new light, as Jesus himself would have read it.
This book will aid in personal Bible study and reflection as well as in teaching and preaching. It includes discussion questions at the back which turn it into an excellent Bible study resource. I encourage you to pick up a copy of this book and read the pages of the Old Testament with a new and greater understanding of our great Saviour who is revealed! I personally enjoyed this journey through the Old Testament writings, and I look forward to placing a copy of Jesus on Every Page in our college library to benefit our students in their understanding of the Scriptures and the mighty, timeless work of Jesus Christ.
You can order a copy of Jesus on Every Page here.
If you order before 31 August, you can receive $100 worth of free Old Testament resources!
It first caught my eye when I was reading Pastor Murray's blog and saw his offer to send a free copy of his new book to anyone who was willing to read it pre-release and post a review it on their blog. I immediately thought, 'That sounds like the kind of book that would really help our students here at Covenant College understand how Jesus is revealed in the Old Testament.' And myself as well! So I emailed and received a PDF copy of Jesus on Every Page which I have spent the last two weeks reading. (No, it's not a long book - I am a distracted mother of two toddlers!) And here is my review.
I was struck by the very personable, conversational tone of the book. Pastor Murray leads his readers along the path that he himself walked as a young pastor who was initially unaware of how Jesus is at the very heart and soul of the Old Testament. The book is written in a simple and straight-forward manner, chock-full of vivid examples. It is easy to read and the message is clear: Jesus is present in every page in the Old Testament, and here are some (many!) of the ways that you can find him. And not just find Jesus - but view the Old Testament in a new light, as Jesus himself would have read it.
This book will aid in personal Bible study and reflection as well as in teaching and preaching. It includes discussion questions at the back which turn it into an excellent Bible study resource. I encourage you to pick up a copy of this book and read the pages of the Old Testament with a new and greater understanding of our great Saviour who is revealed! I personally enjoyed this journey through the Old Testament writings, and I look forward to placing a copy of Jesus on Every Page in our college library to benefit our students in their understanding of the Scriptures and the mighty, timeless work of Jesus Christ.
You can order a copy of Jesus on Every Page here.
If you order before 31 August, you can receive $100 worth of free Old Testament resources!
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Zambia/Malawi camping trip: Intro
This past month I haven't blogged. The first two weeks of it I didn't blog because we were traveling. These past two weeks I haven't blogged because I didn't know where to start. :) So this is me starting to write about our camping trip through Eastern Zambia and Malawi! This will just be an introductory post.
Why did we go? We wanted to take a family holiday and Malawi is really close. You reach the Zambia/Malawi border within 2 1/2 hrs of our house. We decided to take a few days of holiday around Lake Malawi, and then we extended the trip to take advantage of the opportunity to visit 3 of our more distant students -- 1 who lives in southern Malawi, and 2 who live in Eastern Zambia. It would be difficult to visit these men during term time so it made sense to do it during the term holidays, in conjunction with an already-planned trip in that direction.
Why do we camp? Believe me, it's the affordable way to travel with a family! We bought our tent in 2011, our first year in Zambia, so that we could join our colleagues on a 10-day camping trip through northern Zambia. At that point Elijah was 1 year old. We bought a large 6-person tent, figuring it was an investment which would last our growing family for a long time and would make affordable travel possible. Then last year we camped as a family for 10 days in Livingstone, visiting Victoria Falls, with nearly 2-year-old Elijah and 6-month-old Ketzia. This time Elijah was nearly 3 years old and Ketzia was18 months. We find that camping is an excellent way to travel with kids because kids love the outdoors, and because staying in the same familiar tent every night is easier on the kids than staying in a strange hotel room every night or two! And it is so cheap! I don't know how much camping costs in the USA, but most places here in Zambia don't charge more than $10 a night (2 adults) and some are even less. Since you're saving money on accommodation, you then have the flexibility in your budget to eat out a bit more, or to make it a really cheap holiday by cooking all your own meals (we did a bit of both).
But... camping?! What about laundry? And drinking water? And hot showers? And bugs? :) Hey, camping isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you are relaxed AND prepared, it can be a fabulous low-key inexpensive way to 'get away.' You do need to be prepared though... especially camping in Africa. Not every campground will have clean drinking water available, so some places you will need to bring your own. (In 2011 we had to bring our own water - it was real off-road camping in wild and remote spots; this year all the places we stayed -being more 'touristy' - had safe drinking water.) I washed laundry by hand, trying to keep up with it throughout the trip. Since there are 4 of us, I didn't manage to actually keep up with it, but I at least kept it under control so that we did have clean clothes to wear throughout the trip and I didn't have 6 loads of filthy things to wash when we got home (only 2). :) Hot showers? Not necessarily guaranteed... even in places which advertise hot showers. Sometimes the hot water has been used up already by other campers. :) I certainly had my share of uncomfortable showers during the trip. But it just makes you more thankful for your shower at home. :) Bugs and other undesirable camping buddies? Well, be prepared, but not freaked out. Bring insect repellant, citronella candles, and Doom. Don't leave food or dirty dishes out for them to find and bring all their relatives to the feast. We camped with our fair share of ants, and not just bugs as camping buddies -- monkeys, too! (Nothing as worrying as having hippos, warthogs, and elephants in close proximity to our camp in Kasanka National Park in 2011, though!)
Do you have other questions about camping? Share them with me!
I will be continuing my blog posts about our trip, so keep checking back. They will be posted in date order (beginning 20 May 2013) below this post.
Why did we go? We wanted to take a family holiday and Malawi is really close. You reach the Zambia/Malawi border within 2 1/2 hrs of our house. We decided to take a few days of holiday around Lake Malawi, and then we extended the trip to take advantage of the opportunity to visit 3 of our more distant students -- 1 who lives in southern Malawi, and 2 who live in Eastern Zambia. It would be difficult to visit these men during term time so it made sense to do it during the term holidays, in conjunction with an already-planned trip in that direction.
Why do we camp? Believe me, it's the affordable way to travel with a family! We bought our tent in 2011, our first year in Zambia, so that we could join our colleagues on a 10-day camping trip through northern Zambia. At that point Elijah was 1 year old. We bought a large 6-person tent, figuring it was an investment which would last our growing family for a long time and would make affordable travel possible. Then last year we camped as a family for 10 days in Livingstone, visiting Victoria Falls, with nearly 2-year-old Elijah and 6-month-old Ketzia. This time Elijah was nearly 3 years old and Ketzia was18 months. We find that camping is an excellent way to travel with kids because kids love the outdoors, and because staying in the same familiar tent every night is easier on the kids than staying in a strange hotel room every night or two! And it is so cheap! I don't know how much camping costs in the USA, but most places here in Zambia don't charge more than $10 a night (2 adults) and some are even less. Since you're saving money on accommodation, you then have the flexibility in your budget to eat out a bit more, or to make it a really cheap holiday by cooking all your own meals (we did a bit of both).
But... camping?! What about laundry? And drinking water? And hot showers? And bugs? :) Hey, camping isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you are relaxed AND prepared, it can be a fabulous low-key inexpensive way to 'get away.' You do need to be prepared though... especially camping in Africa. Not every campground will have clean drinking water available, so some places you will need to bring your own. (In 2011 we had to bring our own water - it was real off-road camping in wild and remote spots; this year all the places we stayed -being more 'touristy' - had safe drinking water.) I washed laundry by hand, trying to keep up with it throughout the trip. Since there are 4 of us, I didn't manage to actually keep up with it, but I at least kept it under control so that we did have clean clothes to wear throughout the trip and I didn't have 6 loads of filthy things to wash when we got home (only 2). :) Hot showers? Not necessarily guaranteed... even in places which advertise hot showers. Sometimes the hot water has been used up already by other campers. :) I certainly had my share of uncomfortable showers during the trip. But it just makes you more thankful for your shower at home. :) Bugs and other undesirable camping buddies? Well, be prepared, but not freaked out. Bring insect repellant, citronella candles, and Doom. Don't leave food or dirty dishes out for them to find and bring all their relatives to the feast. We camped with our fair share of ants, and not just bugs as camping buddies -- monkeys, too! (Nothing as worrying as having hippos, warthogs, and elephants in close proximity to our camp in Kasanka National Park in 2011, though!)
Do you have other questions about camping? Share them with me!
I will be continuing my blog posts about our trip, so keep checking back. They will be posted in date order (beginning 20 May 2013) below this post.
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