We spent today in Portland visiting the Ronald McDonald House, the place we stayed two years ago when John was having his open heart surgery. It is a day we celebrate God's healing over his body. There is so much I could write about all that happened, but sometimes pictures say more than I ever could.
John and Brian just before John was taken to surgery. He was only two months and three weeks old. He was so happy that morning, so sweet and trusting. We praise God for the amazing surgical hands that took care of our little guy.
This was in the Pediatric ICU after surgery. It was so hard to see him like this, but at the same time there was so much peace in knowing that the life threatening complication in his heart (coarctation of aorta) had been successfully fixed.
This was just after John's breathing tubes were removed. We were so glad to see him improving so steadily.
With my brave boy! He was so amazing through this whole process.
His first bottle feed after surgery.
Such gratitude to God for saving John's life.
Brian was the first to hold John as more wires and tubes were removed. It was also his first time to feed John since he was still nursing.
Christmas morning 2011. The best Christmas present we could have ever been given. John was moved from the PICU to a regular room.
Gramma and Pepa. We could not have gone through this without such amazing support from both sets of parents.
Nanna and Poppa. We were so blessed by our parents making a trip to be with us at such short notice. We all had a days notice to get to the hospital, and both sets of parents were able to find flights from Texas in order to be with us. It meant the world to have them all there.
John's recovery was so amazing. He spent his days after the PICU smiling nonstop as if nothing had ever happened.
After five days in the hospital we were given the go ahead to go home.
So happy to be leaving. We still had a couple of months of regulating blood pressure and three doctors appointments a week, but God got us through it all.
John's recovery went so well and he continues to be strong and healthy with each checkup with his cardiologist. After two years of visiting every few months, we were just recently given the clear to wait a year before his next visit. He still has two issues with his heart that are being monitored, but as of now his heart continues to function just as it should. We are so thankful to remember what God has done for our son.
We have made it a tradition to visit Portland each year on or around the day of his surgery, December 23rd. The children's hospital has moved from where we were when we are there, so it is all very different now. But the Ronald McDonald House is just as it was when we were there, and we have loved being able to visit and bring some things for the other families that are having to be there because their child is in the hospital. It is an amazing organization to care for families during their time of need to allow the families to solely focus on their child. This was the first time that John was old enough to really be a part of going back to visit.
The girls remember our time at the Ronald McDonald House and enjoy going back each year.
Statue in front of the RMH.
Our healthy boy in the coveted spot in the RMH dining room: the remote to the train overhead.
Unending enjoyment of the remote control train.
Our hearts have been made more full because of all that we have gone through with John. We are so grateful to all who walked and prayed with us throughout this journey. We are so thankful for the excellent care he received at the hospital, as well as the hospitality of the volunteers and staff of the Ronald McDonald House. But mostly, we praise God, the ultimate Physician, the ultimate Healer. We praise Him for our son. We celebrate this day that He saved John's life, and we look forward with anticipation to the day He saves his life for all eternity.
Recently I spent the
morning bundling up the kids in makeshift snow clothes so they could make
memories in the rare winter wonderland that had descended on the valley where
we live. As I was making them a hot
lunch, I was watching them out the kitchen windows, playing sweetly together
trying to feed apples to the birds who have been feasting on the remnants of
our fruit trees.The house was warm with
a fire crackling in the fireplace, The Christmas Song playing, red velvet
cupcake candles filling the air with a delicious aroma.I love that kind of weather.I’ve always wanted to live in a place that
truly feels like winter.The snow is so
beautiful, reminding me of how we are washed white as snow by Jesus’ gift of
grace and salvation.It was everywhere I
looked and it filled my soul.Have
Yourself A Merry Little Christmas came on and made my heart overflow with
gratitude for the blessings we have been given.I love classic Christmas music and the lyrics to Christmas hymns.Singing about the beauty and whimsy of the
Christmas season brings me so much joy, but it is singing about the hope we
were given when Christ came for us that fills my heart.I love sharing these special memories with my
kids, hoping to make it special for then in the same way it is for me.I hope that their love for Jesus is what makes this
season most meaningful for them.
A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
As the last month has passed by, it has been full of prayer and seeking God's will for us. Last October, Brian and I attended the World Medical Mission Prescription for Renewal Conference. It was an amazing time where the Lord confirmed what had already been stirring in our hearts. We were to step forward and pursue medical mission work overseas, specifically in Africa. There were hundreds of medical mission volunteers there, many of whom had served for years, even decades. They were so excited to share stories of their experiences with us. We were encouraged by countless people to start out in Kenya, being told that a couple of the hospitals there were great starting points in the mission field and great places for families. We knew that we had Africa on our hearts for a reason, but we didn't have a clear direction on where to go specifically. We listened and enjoyed each story and became more excited with each word of encouragement. While we were there we settled on Tenwek Hospital in Kenya, because that was the place that was mentioned the most and of which we had heard the most stories. We were excited and began to make our plans for Kenya.
You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail. Proverbs 19:21
A few months ago, when Brian spoke with Dr. Dan Galat, he briefly mentioned a place called Soddo, Ethiopia. He said that we might want to pray about serving at Soddo Christian Hospital as there is only one orthopaedic surgeon at that hospital.
Soddo Christian Hospital
Tenwek is a popular place for medical missionaries, so they receive a lot of short term help to supplement their already growing national and international orthopaedic staff. We tucked that comment away and added it to our prayer list and proceed on with our plans to go to Kenya. As we continued to prepare for our trip, Soddo would make it's way into our conversations more and more. Brian was taken to a medical conference last month where the only orthopaedic surgeon in Soddo, Ethiopia happened to be. They had a few chances to talk and God really started showing us that He might have something more specific for us. On the Sunday that it was announced that our friend, Edith, would be holding fundraiser in support of our trip, we heard a great message from our pastor that further stirred our hearts and really began the process of God changing our plans. The message was over the feeding of the five thousand in Mark's gospel. Our pastor spoke that if we see a need, then there is an obvious reason that God has allowed us to see that need and it could very well that we may be the ones that God wants to use to meet it. Brian immediately leaned over to me and whispered, "Soddo". Through other instances and times of prayer, it became clear that God was giving us a clear and specific assignment to pursue plans for Ethiopia rather than our random choice of Kenya. With so much confirmation, we have obediently changed our plans to travel to Ethiopia.
Soddo farmland
At this time though, we are also considering that Brian will go alone. Although it was very important for us to go as a family, as of now we feel that the kids and I are supposed to wait for other specific reasons that have been revealed to us. Over the last year I have become so attached to the idea of going to Kenya that I am sad to not be going there, but I am excited to have such clear direction from the Lord. We are willing to go wherever He leads us, so we are excited to just keep pursuing the calling of medical missions in whatever location He would have us.
Front gate of the hospital
Please keep us in prayer as we try to walk this out as obediently as we can. We need prayer for all of the details associated with international travel, time apart as a family, medical requirements for Brian (licenses, insurance, etc.), and finances for this trip. Brian will spend three weeks in Soddo, where he will be working with the only orthopaedic surgeon in a region of more than 2.5 million people. There is a great need there and he is excited to be able to help meet that need. Please pray that this trip will allow Brian and I to know if this is indeed where we are to serve for two years after residency with World Medical Mission.
It is becoming clear to us that Trust and Obey is the theme for this season of life for us. And we want to be as faithful as we can be. So, with our sights set on Ethiopia, we are allowing the Lord to direct our steps as we walk down His path for us.
God's provision comes in so many forms, and He is ever so faithful to provide for our needs. Our good friend, Edith from Simply Kissed Photography,
is holding a photo fundraiser in support of our trip to Kenya. If you are local and interested in participating, she can
be contacted at info@simplykissed.com to set up an appointment. She takes
beautiful photographs and is offering a great rate for 30 minute mini
sessions on September 21st and 22nd. Be sure to check out her website. She is amazing in heart and talent!
For years God has been stirring our hearts for a people and a land far from here. Years before Brian even got into medical school, before we even knew one another, God put Africa clearly on his heart.
He shared it with me when we met, but I tucked it neatly away with all of the thoughts labeled, "Not Sure What to Think About That." We dated, married, and a few months after our first anniversary Brian began the long, arduous journey of becoming a physician. Africa has always been on our minds, and slowly it increased as a topic of our conversations. It became a regular part of our prayers, and it has found its way knit into the very fabric of our hearts. It is clear that God is calling us there in some form, some capacity, to love a people we do not yet know and a land we have only heard about and seen pictures of. Something that doesn't make sense to others makes perfect sense to us. Why would you go when you can live a very nice, financially sound, stable life here in the states? There are plenty of people who need medical care and love here in the US. Very true! But God has told us to go. And when God tells you to go, you go. Remember Abraham? Moses? Jonah?!! The disciples? We will go because God wants us to, and it is not just a command from the Lord, but our hearts desire to go now as well.
Last year we attended a medical conference through World Medical Mission of Samaritan's Purse called Prescription for Renewal. It was there that He affirmed the calling on our lives and where He led us to the country of Kenya and Tenwek Hospital. This February, 2014, we will be traveling as a family to visit Tenwek for three weeks. We are using this as a scouting trip to see if it is what we are to do after Brian completes residency in June 2015. World Medical Mission has a two year Post-Residency Program that provides training in medical missions for doctors who feel called to the mission field. We feel very specifically called to apply to this program.
Our hopes are that we will know whether we should apply to serve these two years at Tenwek when we visit in February.
We know many people have questions and we hope to answer them the best we can. I love to research and have found the best way to find answers to my own questions is to read about it from those who are already living out what we feel called to do. I am including a couple of links to blogs from the Galat family that have been helpful to us to see what life will be like there. Brian has spoken with Dr. Galat in the last few months and we were so encouraged by their
conversation! He lives in Kenya with his wife and five children. Dr.
Galat is also an orthopedic surgeon, so Brian will be working with him
while we are visiting Tenwek, and then again if we go back for the
Post-Residency Program. They have a great video talking about the work God is doing at Tenwek.
We are also aware of risks and dangers there, just as in our own country. We have researched every aspect of our trip and of living there. I am very thorough and like to know as much as I can about things before I do them, almost to the point of exhausting myself and those around me! I say that to say that we know what you may be thinking and feeling. We have probably had the same thoughts and feelings at some point. But being educated about where we are going and what life is really like there is the best way to dispel fears. Making assumptions can bring about many unnecessary fears. Our greatest peace is knowing that God is calling us there. We know that being in the middle of His will, no matter where in the world that is, is the safest place we can be. Our deepest desire is to be obedient to His calling for us. Yes, it will be incredibly hard to leave friends and family. But we know that the Lord knows that and He knows the desires of our hearts. Our future may be different than we had once pictured it, but there are so many times that I have looked back at our lives and praised God that things did not happen the way we thought it should.
So we are stepping forward and trusting Him to lead us on this new great adventure. Please keep us in constant prayer. There is nothing greater you could do for us. If you feel led to provide financial support, please click on our family picture to the right or just below. The link will take you to the support page for World Medical Mission. Scroll down to "Find Dr/Medical Professional: [example: Smith, John]" and enter Hodges. Hodges, Brian will appear and our family picture will appear once Brian's name is selected.
Last year we home schooled Elisabeth for Kindergarten, and loved it. It was something that we prayed long and hard about, made lists of pros
and cons, and talked to friends, family, mentors, and teachers. In the end it was
just something that we knew we were supposed to do for our family, and
we are so glad that we did. She is in First Grade this year and Abigail has been begging to do school, so we are indulging her in Preschool activities every day. She loves it! I love that our girls love to learn! And I love to teach them, so it's been a great all around. A lot of work, but so worth it.
Last year Elisabeth also participated in Classical Conversations, a program that puts her in a class one day a week with seven other children her age led by a tutor who covers math, timeline/history, English grammar, Latin, science, and geography. She also participates in a fine arts project/lesson, a science project, and does an oral presentation each week. It's a lot of fun learning with her friends each week. She starts again in a couple of weeks and is looking forward to her new classmates and tutor. It's a fun change to our week to be in a class setting versus being at home.
Being in a class is fun, but we manage to have a lot of fun at home too. Our playroom is set up to be a school room/playroom, and it works so well for us.
View into the dining room where we have a chalkboard and baskets for our library books.
Chalkboard and Library Books
My desk and subject organization for the girls. Drawers and baskets for play clothes, baby dolls, and more school supply organization.
My desk and the white bookshelves separate the school area from the play area.
View toward the play area.
Table, white board, piano (I completely underestimated how much the kids would LOVE having a piano!)
The play area is set up like a house with table, piano, living/bedroom area, and a play kitchen. John is hanging out in the living/bedroom area.
Play kitchen area
Play kitchen and back side of bookshelves.
View from the playroom door into the school area.
Books, toys, and school stuff accessible from both sides of bookshelf. This makes a great divider for when we are trying to do school and John needs to be occupied on the other side!
The girls each have a specified desk, and they love having their own supplies handy when we need them for particular activities or subjects. Our reading spot is in the middle. It's the perfect spot for snuggling up to read a book alone or together.
We love the flexibility to learn any where, but it has been really fun to have this set-up. This room was originally a garage that was enclosed, and it's purpose for us has evolved over the three years that we have lived here. But this is by far the most fun and well planned it's been. It is very functional and we use it a great deal during the day. It's also nice that if we do use it for school most of the day, we can just close the door and "go home."
We are thankful for this time together. I know home school does not work for everyone. Not everyone feels called in that direction and not everyone has the desire. Honestly some days I don't have the desire to do it either. But it is what we feel called to do at this particular time, and overall I do love it. The flexibility allows us to take breaks when I need it or the kids need it, or just take a day to do something completely opposite of what we have planned. We are taking it year by year to see what is best for each child and for our family. This year we are excited to see what First Grade and Preschool hold for us as we enjoy it together!
The Lord's leading is so sweet and tender. He is so patient and full of love. He has been leading me for quite some time to follow Him in very specific ways, to trust and obey. It is amazing how we can so quickly become wrapped up in seemingly simple things. Very specifically the Lord has called me to delete my Facebook account and other social media accounts, to get rid of the things that have become a distraction from the most important things in life. This is a very personal thing, not something that would necessarily apply to everyone. But it applies to me. I have found that I compare myself to every picture and every post, and I wonder all too often what others must be doing...because it must be better than what I'm doing at that moment. Instead of reveling in the joys that God has placed before me I have allowed insecurities and boredom to cause me to focus on what could be instead of what is. Instead of realizing that what I have is beautiful, I find myself looking for more. I do not want to live that way. I don't want to miss out on what God has given me. Even the mundane. So with sincerity of heart, I am stepping out to trust and obey what God is calling me to do. To keep my eyes on Him and these precious ones He has entrusted to me.
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