After yet another return of my back and stomach pain on Saturday, having exhausted fifteen days worth of antibiotics and a drunk a WHOLE LOTTA WATER . . . David and I made the decision Sunday morning to pack up the kids and head to Kampala for medical evaluation. We made our decision around ten a.m. and pulled out before 12, throwing our children into yet another unsettle-ment – ” but Mom, I just got used to school and you at work and EVERYTHING!” Yea, honey, me too.

Here we are a day and a half later . . . And much to be thankful for. I am not admitted on IV antiobiotics. I’m not in extreme pain. It appears that my body is doing a slow mend, and I’m getting some serious cultures and blood work done. Meanwhile the kids snack on apple pie and ice cream and play foosball with their dad at the American Club’s hotel.

Driving out on Sunday, giving out last minute messages to house workers and team members and staff at school, trying to remember what we forgot, feeling miserable and puking all across the mountain, this trip felt like a loss. All our hard work getting the term started and now we are leaving the whole CSB team in the lurch. Yesterday was the final admissions day for S1′s and 5′s and we wouldn’t be there to help all go as planned. There was a sense of “what if”. We were scared to let go.

But we realized as we went; all in all this trip is GOOD. It’s space to breath in our hectic and overwhelming lives. It’s a chance to step back from the progress we’ve made and acknowledge that HE is the one who can take the pride in saying ” it is good.” If our team falls flat on their faces in our absence we can come back to encourage them to try again. We gain the knowledge of things not yet learned well enough. If they succeed brilliantly, we can come back full of pride and shared excitement; knowing that these folks have taken ownership. And of course they will do both; they will fail and succeed. And we will encourage and rejoice with them. And in he process we will all be reminded that God is the one doing this good work in all of us.

David and I have gotten chances to sit and talk from the heart, a rarity in the last few weeks. We have gotten extra moments to cuddle and care for our children. We have been able to think a little. And we’ve gotten permission to care for ourselves above the school. How can we see all this as anything but a good plan from a good God who knows us well and loves us even better.

As we drove out of Fort Portal on Sunday towards the city with another four plus hours to go, I sat in the back with the kids and saw two of Quinn’s leg wounds starting to ERUPT with pus – we’re talking big dangerous red circles and scabbed over sacs of deep yellow goo. Gross and scary. Did we remember the bactroban?? No. But fortunately we’re back in civilization where we can buy medicine. Quinn’s leg got pretty swollen up but it’s mending now and we’re all taking prophylactic batroban once again to try to rid our bodies of the colonizing bateria that continue to haunt us. Relief may be in sight.

And travel to the big city can only be good for Naomi’s weight. She ate spare ribs, onion rings and a milkshake for dinner tonight and you know how happy that made both of us!! She seems to be shooting up in height and her feet are growing so I feel deep relief that we haven’t bonsaied her after all. Praise God with us for all his care and continued to pray for our bodies to heal well and wisdom on when to return to Bundi.