Checking In

On Wednesday, we took a trip to the pediatrician's office for Lillian's 4-month checkup and Edwin's 3-year checkup. Goodness time flies!! Here are their stats:

Lillian

Weight: 13lbs 4oz (50th percentile)
Length: 25 1/2 inches (90th percentile)

Edwin

Weight: 36 lbs (90th percentile)
Height: 40 inches (95th percentile)

Apparently we've got some big kids!! Most importantly they are both healthy and it appears that they have both forgiven us for the shots they received :)

Edwin has become such a sweet big brother. He's always concerned about his "Silly Lilly" as he calls her...so sweet! Here's a video from the other day when we were just hanging out at the house. It's not long (less than 40 seconds), but it's super cute.

Hope

Over a year ago, I started following MckMama’s blog…some of you may have heard of her, or of her little boy Stellan.  She recently went to Kenya on a mission trip through Compassion International.  Every day, I read her updates and viewed her photos…and every day my heart would start pounding and my mind would race.  It’s so easy for me to live my life and forget that there are entire countries out there full of people that live in far worse conditions than my brain can even comprehend.  It makes me wonder why God placed me here in Wilmington – why I have a roof over my head, a pantry full of food (even when I arrogantly stand there staring at the shelves thinking “there’s nothing to eat”), a job that allows me to provide for my family.  And it makes me even more grateful for those same things. 

It’s no secret that we’re trying to sell our house and move closer to town.  I admit there are some days that I boo-hoo and whine that our house hasn’t sold, I’m tired of driving so much every day, etc.  But more and more I’m reminded that this is a mere inconvenience.  I mean, hello?!  I’m complaining that I have a functional car that takes me from my good job with great benefits to my nice house where I spend time with my healthy children and husband??!!  What is wrong with me?? 

Ok, I’ve gotten a bit off track.  While I was reading MckMama’s posts, I kept getting the feeling in the pit of my stomach that I really wanted to sponsor one of the children in Kenya.  I began praying that God would make an opportunity for me to talk about this with Ed.  Sure enough, two Sundays ago at church, they showed a video from Hope 127, a project that PC3 has in Kenya.  You can go to the website to get all the background, but basically, Pastor Jackson and his wife run Mama Helen’s Rehabilitation Center.  I’ve known about this for awhile – in fact, our small group last year decided to sponsor one of the boys from the center.  I regret to say that I never took this seriously – the way we collected money was in what we called the “John Jar.”  Sure I would throw in a few bucks here and there, but I never let my heart realize the fact that it represented a REAL PERSON who had REAL NEEDS!  When I watched the video at church, tears started to fall when I saw the conditions the children were living in, and the hope that they find at Mama Helen’s.  I even had the crazy thought that maybe possibly perhaps someday eventually if things fall into place maybe I would want to go on a mission trip over there?  Crazy, I KNOW!!  I have NEVER thought that, and it’s even strange to type it here.  But who knows?   So that night after church I asked Ed if he would consider having us sponsor a child from Hope 127 and he agreed.  I’ve filled out the paperwork and just need to drop it off at church this Sunday.

God is so amazing.  I neglected the “John Jar” and missed an opportunity to help that little boy.  Jonah 2:8 says “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.”   But God has changed my heart and now we are able to help another child (don’t worry, John is still taken care of).   And here’s something really cool – my friend Rebecca and her daughter Hannah are going to Kenya in August.  I’m hopeful that they’ll be able to meet the boy or girl that we end up sponsoring…how cool is that??!??

Just as a disclaimer – I’m not writing this post to say oh, aren’t we wonderful for sponsoring a child. That’s not it.  I guess I just wanted to show one of the ways that God is working in my life…and maybe encourage someone else to sponsor a child, whether it’s through Compassion International or Hope 127.  Just a thought.

 

HOPE 127 | Kenya Project from PC3 on Vimeo.