Firstly, I want to thank everyone who prayed for us today! We received pictures from our churches in the States and had many people message us as we were heading out the door to let us know that they were praying for us. I would like to give you an update on the events of today.
I am sure that most of you were picturing us as you were praying, sitting in a court room (probably like Judge Judy) and a judge in a robe standing up high behind a podium. The reality was a small room with four desks, and plastic red stools (but air conditioned, so not as jungle as you are thinking).
We came in and sat down across from a man, that we assumed was our judge. He asked us questions from 9:00-11:00 about the history of the girls, and how we could prove the length of time we had them. Lots of background story and telling the girls to sit still.
The girls did amazing. They listened and for the most part answered questions, even though it was all in Khmer and translated through our lawyer. The weirdest question was "How are they with your family?" Which we assumed was a bad translation of the questions, "Are the girls comfortable with living with you? Are they assimilating well?" To which we answered, "Yes? We love them and they love us, and they call us mommy and daddy." We both felt like the question was not really necessary, since we were sitting there with our daughters...
Another uncomfortable moment was when the biological father was asked about. At some point we were told that he may need to be involved, because he and the girls' mother were "married" in their village. But in that moment, I remembered something Srey Ron had told me in the meeting with our lawyer... The girls' father specifically said not to put his name on the birth certificates, because he wanted nothing to do with the girls. And when I said this, the man behind the desk dropped asking about the father, and wrote down in our statement that the father did not have a say. This is why you all prayed for us. If the father was necessary, it would have caused all kinds of problems. He could have held back permission for a bribe, or a whole list of other horrible things. This was huge!
Anyways, at some point in the interview, the man got up with our papers and walked into another room. After a while, our lawyer told us that he was speaking to the judge, and Kelsi and I both said simultaneously, "Wait. He is not the judge?" As it turns out, we had been talking to a clerk. So then we assumed that we would be going in to see the judge soon, but that was not the case.
Whether for better or worse, our judge did not want to see us, he instead worked through a clerk to take our statement... not sure if that is a good thing (he just wants to get the paperwork done) or a bad thing... no need to run those possibilities through our heads.
We were then told that they would like to meet with the mother, and we needed to have some documents translated (which our lawyer mentioned might be the case, but he wanted to wait and see which documents they wanted).
So, I hope no one is disappointed. I know that some might have had the expectation that we were going to get adoptions today, but that is not how Cambodia works. It is a process, and we are making forward progress, which is a huge answer to your prayers!
Kelsi and I are settling in and waiting on God's timing, as we take these steps forward. I will write later about new things going on in our lives... basically the things that we do while we wait (I think that will be the blog title).
Thank you again to everyone who prayed. We know for sure that this day would have gone differently without your support, and we are so encouraged by everyone in our lives who love us!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
September 21, 2015
September 20, 2015
Prayer Points
Because we know of many people who are praying for us for our court date tomorrow, we thought it might be good to give you a list of things to pray for...
1. Morning preparation--As most of you know, Kelsi and I are not very good at mornings. We are going to need help getting out the door tomorrow with all the things that we need and our sanity. Please keep this in mind at about 6:30-7:30 this evening.
2. Well behaved girls--Abby and Lily are perfect and always obey everything we say... NOT! They are human children. Please pray that God gives them supernatural ears for listening, and gives Kelsi and I patience with them, as tomorrow will most likely be stressful and long.
3. Directions--Please pray that we arrive at the court house on time and don't get caught up in traffic or get lost, as this sometimes happens. Pray that we can make it to our destination safely, also.
4. Favor with the judge--Each judge is different, and we do not know how our judge feels about adoptions for foreigners. Please pray that he has favor for us, and that he is a kind judge with a heart for adoptions.
5. Wisdom for our lawyer--Our lawyer has won cases like ours, so I have confidence in him, but please pray that he knows what to say and how to say it.
6. Six month waiting period--Please pray that the judge allows us to waive the six month waiting period, as we have already shown we can take care of the girls for the past three years. This is normally a period for people who are just getting the children, and they are wanting to make sure it is a good fit.
7. Quick decision--We do not know how long it will take the judge to make a decision on our case. It could be months, weeks, or days, but we don't know.
8. Patience/Contentment--Kelsi and I are trying not to get our hopes up too much, but we are really excited about this, and we are hoping that it leads to us coming home to the States with our daughters for good. Please pray that we can be patient as God works this out in His timing, and also content where He has us for this season of our lives.
9. U.S. Embassy--If/When we get adoptions, we will need to still start a long process with the U.S. Embassy. Please begin to pray for favor with whomever we work with on the girls' immigration paperwork. Also, pray that Kelsi and I have wisdom in how we handle speaking with the Embassy, as this is new territory for us.
10. Thank God for all the already answered prayers!
I hope this helps, and we very much appreciate all the prayer from you guys!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah and Kelsi.
1. Morning preparation--As most of you know, Kelsi and I are not very good at mornings. We are going to need help getting out the door tomorrow with all the things that we need and our sanity. Please keep this in mind at about 6:30-7:30 this evening.
2. Well behaved girls--Abby and Lily are perfect and always obey everything we say... NOT! They are human children. Please pray that God gives them supernatural ears for listening, and gives Kelsi and I patience with them, as tomorrow will most likely be stressful and long.
3. Directions--Please pray that we arrive at the court house on time and don't get caught up in traffic or get lost, as this sometimes happens. Pray that we can make it to our destination safely, also.
4. Favor with the judge--Each judge is different, and we do not know how our judge feels about adoptions for foreigners. Please pray that he has favor for us, and that he is a kind judge with a heart for adoptions.
5. Wisdom for our lawyer--Our lawyer has won cases like ours, so I have confidence in him, but please pray that he knows what to say and how to say it.
6. Six month waiting period--Please pray that the judge allows us to waive the six month waiting period, as we have already shown we can take care of the girls for the past three years. This is normally a period for people who are just getting the children, and they are wanting to make sure it is a good fit.
7. Quick decision--We do not know how long it will take the judge to make a decision on our case. It could be months, weeks, or days, but we don't know.
8. Patience/Contentment--Kelsi and I are trying not to get our hopes up too much, but we are really excited about this, and we are hoping that it leads to us coming home to the States with our daughters for good. Please pray that we can be patient as God works this out in His timing, and also content where He has us for this season of our lives.
9. U.S. Embassy--If/When we get adoptions, we will need to still start a long process with the U.S. Embassy. Please begin to pray for favor with whomever we work with on the girls' immigration paperwork. Also, pray that Kelsi and I have wisdom in how we handle speaking with the Embassy, as this is new territory for us.
10. Thank God for all the already answered prayers!
I hope this helps, and we very much appreciate all the prayer from you guys!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah and Kelsi.
September 9, 2015
Court Date and God's Timing
In a previous blog we mentioned that we were praying to go home on September 16th. As most of you know already, this will not be happening. As Kelsi mentioned in that blog, we believe that we should be specific in our prayers, but we are always praying for God's will and timing. We appreciate everyone who prayed alongside us for this date.
As an update on the adoption process, we have been summoned to go before the judge on September 21st at 8:00 AM (Monday morning). At this time, he will hear our case. After this, it will be up to him on how long it takes to approve (or disapprove) our petition. We are continuing to pray that God softens his heart for our case, and that our lawyer is wise in his dealings with the judge.
Something that we would like to ask is for all the churches, who are willing, to hold a prayer service at 8:00 PM on Sunday the 20th. This will be when will be going before the judge, in Missouri time. Kelsi and I really believe in the power of prayer, and it would be a great encouragement to us to know that you all are praying.
After the adoptions are approved (not sure on the time table), the plan is to go forward with applying at the U.S. Embassy for the girls Immigrant Visas. I have done a lot of research on it, and I think that it will be best to go ahead and just ask them what they think is the best route. Please pray that we find someone who is helpful and sympathetic towards our situation, as the U.S. Embassy is always a wild draw on who will handle your case.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and prayer. We are excited to see how God is working all this out in His perfect way, and we patiently await the day when we can see you all in the States, again.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
As an update on the adoption process, we have been summoned to go before the judge on September 21st at 8:00 AM (Monday morning). At this time, he will hear our case. After this, it will be up to him on how long it takes to approve (or disapprove) our petition. We are continuing to pray that God softens his heart for our case, and that our lawyer is wise in his dealings with the judge.
Something that we would like to ask is for all the churches, who are willing, to hold a prayer service at 8:00 PM on Sunday the 20th. This will be when will be going before the judge, in Missouri time. Kelsi and I really believe in the power of prayer, and it would be a great encouragement to us to know that you all are praying.
After the adoptions are approved (not sure on the time table), the plan is to go forward with applying at the U.S. Embassy for the girls Immigrant Visas. I have done a lot of research on it, and I think that it will be best to go ahead and just ask them what they think is the best route. Please pray that we find someone who is helpful and sympathetic towards our situation, as the U.S. Embassy is always a wild draw on who will handle your case.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and prayer. We are excited to see how God is working all this out in His perfect way, and we patiently await the day when we can see you all in the States, again.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
September 1, 2015
Renewed Excitement for the Gospel
About a year or so ago, because of some circumstances that I will not get too deep into, Kelsi began doing Bible study with our tuk tuk driver's wife (Sinuin). We asked Boo Sovon (our tuk tuk driver) if he would be willing to do Bible study, and he always said that he needed to work, because they only had a year and a half left to pay off their house or it would be taken. So we kept on praying for him and his family and trying the best we could to help them towards this goal. When we got back from the States and gave him the moto, I told him that it was God providing for his family and asked if he would be willing to do Bible study, and he said yes.
Then one day, after he had already agreed to do Bible study, I asked him how paying off his house was going, and he said, "We lost the house already. We are living in a small house further away now." And my heart sank, but I realized that he already wanted to do Bible study, so I asked, "You lost your house, but you still trust in God? You still think that God is good?" To which he replied, "Yes. God is good. Bad things happen, but that does not mean that God is not good. When we go to heaven, then there will be no more bad things." And I was just in awe of his simple faith in this, because there are many Christians who struggle with this issue and it wrecks their faith, and here is a man who has just begun to follow Christ, and he already understands.
So we began our Bible study with the Ten Commandments, because I wanted to share with them the gospel message, and I think that the gospel begins with understanding how much we fall short of God's standard. We went through each in one sitting, and I explained each with the New Testament application when necessary.
The next week, I started by asking if they thought it was possible to keep all the Ten Commandments, and they said no. So I asked whether they thought they could just keep one commandment, which led into the story of Adam and Eve in the garden. This was important, because we needed to introduce them to the idea of sacrificial atonement, which was instituted in the garden of Eden when God slayed the animal to make Adam and Eve clothes. Sinuin had heard the story of Adam and Eve before, but a different version.
We jumped from this to the Roman road, which is a series of verses in Romans that explain our inability to follow God on our own, God's gift of grace to us, and how to make Christ Lord of our lives. Boo and his wife had already made the decision to follow Christ with their lives, but I wanted to make sure that they understood the cost and that it was every part of their lives, and also understand what it means to be a "Christian" which they understand better than most as "Following Christ."
Towards the end of our Bible study in Romans, I made a side comment about Jesus raising from the dead, and said, "Do you know that story?" and they both shook their heads "no" with a puzzled expression... So for the next two weeks, we watched the Jesus Film in Khmer with them, and it was a life changing experience for everyone involved.
In the beginning of the movie, it explains that Abraham was given a promise and it was fulfilled in Isaac, but then God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, and when Sinuin heard this, she put her hands to her mouth and was horrified. As Abraham picked up the knife and raised it in the air, she got tears in her eyes and even shrieked. When the angel appeared and the ram was revealed, you could feel the relief in the room. In that moment, I longed to have my memory wiped, so I could hear the stories of the Bible with new ears. The story of Abraham and Isaac is one that I could tell from memory with all the New Testament applications and explain all the pictures, but it would be so great to hear it like Sinuin did, with all the tension and fear, followed by the relief of God's faithfulness.
Later in the movie, Jesus brings a girl back from the dead. When He comes walking in the house, Boo and his wife turn to Kelsi and I and say, "She's dead?" and we say, "Yes." Boo says, "But Jesus will bring her back to life." He was sure of it. There was no doubt, and he had never even heard the story. And when she sat up, they went crazy with excitement.
And it wasn't just the miracles that excited them, when Jesus was teaching the multitude and speaking in parables, they talked back and forth with each other and shook their heads up and down in agreement. They actively listened to the new truths that were being taught, and you could see in their eyes that the Holy Spirit was at work.
And then Jesus was crucified, and they cried. They put him in the grave, and there was just silence in the room. Finally a few minutes later, Jesus appears in the room with the disciples, and there again the excitement in their eyes was crazy! To them, the Resurrection was the most exciting moment in the film. You could see the puzzle pieces coming together for them, as they realized what it means to follow Christ as a risen Lord. You could see that what we had talked about in the weeks before about Jesus giving eternal life made much more sense in light of the fact that he defeated death!
What I really like about the Jesus Film is that, at the end of the movie, it explains why Jesus died and how the prophets said it would happen, and it uses flash backs in the movie to remind and wrap up the main point.
Although it seems backwards to have waited to watch the Jesus Film until after a few Bible studies, I think it was better, because they had a better understanding of grace and our need for Him to die. I am excited to continue to do Bible study with Boo Sovon and Sinuin. I like to see God working in their lives in such a mighty way.
We have just begun studying Philippians in our church home group, and this last week we studied the first chapter, in which Paul writes, "If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus."
I find myself attributing Paul's words to our situation. Kelsi and I would very much like to be back in the States with our family and friends, but we also long to stay and continue to disciple Boo and his family. We are hard pressed between the two. We are going to continue to be obedient in what God has told us to do: "make disciples." As long as we are here, this is our aim, and we pray that God is glorified in our lives.
Friends, thank you for your support of us in prayer and financially. We are always blessed by your obedience, and find ourselves being blown away by God's faithfulness to our family. We remember you all in our prayers, and thank God in every remembrance of you. Until next time...
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
Then one day, after he had already agreed to do Bible study, I asked him how paying off his house was going, and he said, "We lost the house already. We are living in a small house further away now." And my heart sank, but I realized that he already wanted to do Bible study, so I asked, "You lost your house, but you still trust in God? You still think that God is good?" To which he replied, "Yes. God is good. Bad things happen, but that does not mean that God is not good. When we go to heaven, then there will be no more bad things." And I was just in awe of his simple faith in this, because there are many Christians who struggle with this issue and it wrecks their faith, and here is a man who has just begun to follow Christ, and he already understands.
So we began our Bible study with the Ten Commandments, because I wanted to share with them the gospel message, and I think that the gospel begins with understanding how much we fall short of God's standard. We went through each in one sitting, and I explained each with the New Testament application when necessary.
The next week, I started by asking if they thought it was possible to keep all the Ten Commandments, and they said no. So I asked whether they thought they could just keep one commandment, which led into the story of Adam and Eve in the garden. This was important, because we needed to introduce them to the idea of sacrificial atonement, which was instituted in the garden of Eden when God slayed the animal to make Adam and Eve clothes. Sinuin had heard the story of Adam and Eve before, but a different version.
We jumped from this to the Roman road, which is a series of verses in Romans that explain our inability to follow God on our own, God's gift of grace to us, and how to make Christ Lord of our lives. Boo and his wife had already made the decision to follow Christ with their lives, but I wanted to make sure that they understood the cost and that it was every part of their lives, and also understand what it means to be a "Christian" which they understand better than most as "Following Christ."
Towards the end of our Bible study in Romans, I made a side comment about Jesus raising from the dead, and said, "Do you know that story?" and they both shook their heads "no" with a puzzled expression... So for the next two weeks, we watched the Jesus Film in Khmer with them, and it was a life changing experience for everyone involved.
In the beginning of the movie, it explains that Abraham was given a promise and it was fulfilled in Isaac, but then God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, and when Sinuin heard this, she put her hands to her mouth and was horrified. As Abraham picked up the knife and raised it in the air, she got tears in her eyes and even shrieked. When the angel appeared and the ram was revealed, you could feel the relief in the room. In that moment, I longed to have my memory wiped, so I could hear the stories of the Bible with new ears. The story of Abraham and Isaac is one that I could tell from memory with all the New Testament applications and explain all the pictures, but it would be so great to hear it like Sinuin did, with all the tension and fear, followed by the relief of God's faithfulness.
Later in the movie, Jesus brings a girl back from the dead. When He comes walking in the house, Boo and his wife turn to Kelsi and I and say, "She's dead?" and we say, "Yes." Boo says, "But Jesus will bring her back to life." He was sure of it. There was no doubt, and he had never even heard the story. And when she sat up, they went crazy with excitement.
And it wasn't just the miracles that excited them, when Jesus was teaching the multitude and speaking in parables, they talked back and forth with each other and shook their heads up and down in agreement. They actively listened to the new truths that were being taught, and you could see in their eyes that the Holy Spirit was at work.
And then Jesus was crucified, and they cried. They put him in the grave, and there was just silence in the room. Finally a few minutes later, Jesus appears in the room with the disciples, and there again the excitement in their eyes was crazy! To them, the Resurrection was the most exciting moment in the film. You could see the puzzle pieces coming together for them, as they realized what it means to follow Christ as a risen Lord. You could see that what we had talked about in the weeks before about Jesus giving eternal life made much more sense in light of the fact that he defeated death!
What I really like about the Jesus Film is that, at the end of the movie, it explains why Jesus died and how the prophets said it would happen, and it uses flash backs in the movie to remind and wrap up the main point.
Although it seems backwards to have waited to watch the Jesus Film until after a few Bible studies, I think it was better, because they had a better understanding of grace and our need for Him to die. I am excited to continue to do Bible study with Boo Sovon and Sinuin. I like to see God working in their lives in such a mighty way.
We have just begun studying Philippians in our church home group, and this last week we studied the first chapter, in which Paul writes, "If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus."
I find myself attributing Paul's words to our situation. Kelsi and I would very much like to be back in the States with our family and friends, but we also long to stay and continue to disciple Boo and his family. We are hard pressed between the two. We are going to continue to be obedient in what God has told us to do: "make disciples." As long as we are here, this is our aim, and we pray that God is glorified in our lives.
Friends, thank you for your support of us in prayer and financially. We are always blessed by your obedience, and find ourselves being blown away by God's faithfulness to our family. We remember you all in our prayers, and thank God in every remembrance of you. Until next time...
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
July 7, 2015
Can I get an Amen, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!!!
"PRAISE-A-LUJAH!"
...as my dear missionary friend George Rivera would say. He has gone to be with the Lord but I will always cherish the time I spent with him and Rebecca in Galeana and I will always remember him when I use this catch phrase.
Our God is good! Since my last post He has provided enough to cover both Micah's medical bills and our lawyer fees! AND we have some left over to put toward our visas and plane tickets!!! I can't tell you how excited and in awe I am! God always provides and this time He has provided above and beyond what we ever expected. Thank you all who prayed for us and those of you who gave specially this month! We are beyond blessed by you!
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Because I believe we should be specific in our prayers I am praying for September 16th. That is the 3rd anniversary of getting the girls and it is ten weeks away. September has been stuck in my head for a while, every time I pray about our adoptions and going home September comes to my mind. I don't know why, maybe it is the Lord telling me something or maybe it is just my wishful thinking, but my God is big and can make big things happen and His timing is impeccable! So I am praying to fly out of Cambodia on September 16th. Micah thinks I'm crazy :p we ultimately pray for God's will and timing but why not ask specifically?
Last year we prayed and fasted for foster care, this year I want to fast again. You can choose to fast however you want. Last year we each picked something to fast from (chocolate, Mountain Dew, pop...) you can choose to do that again or you can pick a day each week to fast and pray. Whatever you choose, fasting or not fasting, the important thing is that you pray with us! :)
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Adoption Update:
To fill you in... since June 15th we have gotten our visas extended and all of our paperwork turned in to our lawyer. Yesterday we thumb printed our petition and it was turned into the courts. Now we will wait on a Judge to hear our case. This could take anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks. It is very important that we pray for a good judge. Some judges have a heart for adoptions and will be able to help us while some others don't really care. We have no say on which judge we get so be praying for favor! After that we are unsure, it may take a few weeks again to hear if our adoptions are approved or not. Once our adoptions are approved (which we are choosing to believe that they will be) we will work on our paperwork to bring the girls back to America for good.
June 27, 2015
The Raw Truth
When Micah and I were engaged we decided to take a Dave
Ramsey: Financial Peace course. We had
heard that a lot of marital spats stemmed from finances so we wanted to start
as strong as possible, especially knowing (well thinking anyway) we would be
living on teacher salaries our whole lives.
Little did we know we would actually be living on donor support as
missionaries for three years and counting.
We have tried our best to follow our Financial Peace plan, envelopes and
all. We have tried to save up an
emergency fund. We have tried to be good stewards of what God has blessed us
with. But to be honest, it is really really hard. Yes, I could write for hours about the ways
God has provided for us but even so it is still difficult to live month to
month hoping and praying your supporters don't forget about you. Making every decision hoping you don't offend
a supporter. Only slightly more
difficult is asking for the support in the first place. The thought always runs through my head,
"Who am I to be asking anyone for money.
It was our choice to adopt, not theirs, and now I am asking them to pay
for it?" In America when we needed
more money we would just work more for it.
Micah would take on extra hours at the golf course, I would do different
jobs at school. But here, that is not an
option, although I did try to sell my cakes for a while… I sold three. Here we have to ask our family and friends
when we need extra funds and that is hard! So hard and humbling.
It seems like every time we have some money saved up (the
money that family and friends have so generously given to us) and we are in a
comfortable situation, something happens and we need more for this reason or
that. So, once again I face my pride and
ask. I write my blog about why we need
money this time and think "When are they going to get tired of
me?" But I bite the bullet and do
it anyway, and I pray. I pray that God
will bless my writing, I pray that He would call someone to give, I pray that
someone will be obedient to His calling just one more time. And He always comes through! In our three years in Cambodia we have not
ever missed a meal, yes, there has been a few weeks that we lived on eggs and
Mama Mei (Ramen Noodles) but God always provides for us.
So, here I am again… asking God to bless this writing,
asking for Him to speak to your hearts, asking that someone be obedient to His
calling.
Last week Micah met with our adoption lawyer and settled on
a price ($4000), we were pretty excited because we were only a little short of
that in our savings account and we still had some supporters in America waiting
on the word to give their "Change for Adoptions." Then Saturday happened… Micah woke up with
appendicitis and needed emergency surgery (Blog Link). In going back and forth from home to the
clinic I had to dip into our savings to pay the tuktuks and to buy quick and
easy food because I just didn't have time or energy to cook the meals I had
planned for the week. And of course
today we got the bill for his surgery and hospital stay…$747 (still a lot
cheaper than America) and that leaves us needing help once again. At this point we still need $1300 for the
lawyer (this still doesn't cover visas and such but we will cross that bridge
after adoptions are final) and our doctor bill of $747. We know that everything happens in God's
perfect timing and that He will work everything out for His good but we also
know that in order to receive we have to ask.
So I am asking you, reader, family member, friend, whoever you
may be to ask God what He would have you do.
Is He asking you to give? Is He
asking you to pray for us? Is He asking
you to send an encouraging word?
Whatever your case may be all I ask is that you be obedient to God.
Thanks,
Kelsi
June 23, 2015
Micah Is Hospitalized
Some background here... About two week ago, a friend told me that she had some crazy stomach bug that was leaving her with horrible cramps in her stomach. A week ago, Kelsi had some stomach issues that cleared themselves up after a couple hours. So, on Saturday, when I woke up with horrible stomach pains, I assumed that it was that same bug. At five-thirty, I was uncomfortable, and it felt like someone was reaching inside of me and tearing at my stomach. I decided to tough it out, because I assumed it was the bacteria or a bug, but it was not. From five-thirty to ten, I lay in bed as my appendix was trying to burst. When I finally went to the hospital it turned out that I had abscessed appendicitis (google it).
When I arrived at the hospital, our doctor said, "Let me guess, you have horrible diarrhea." I answered, "Nope. I actually have not gone to the bathroom all day." Her face changed, and she reached over to my stomach and pressed down on my lower right side, and I cried. She turned to the nurse and said, "We have to get this boy an emergency ultra sound, now." So I was sent in a tuk tuk to the nearest ultra sound clinic (twenty minutes away). The tuk tuk ride was awful... I cried every bump of the way. When we got to the ultra sound clinic, they did not want to see me, because I did not have an appointment, but they decided to let me go ahead, when I laid down on their floor... I guess they got that it was serious. During the ultra sound, the doctor was curious why my whole abdomen was in pain, so I explained that I had waited all morning and had been clinching in pain so much, that everything hurt at this point. She soon found out, clearly, that it was my appendix, and I rode back to our normal clinic with the ultra sound pictures. When I got there, our doctor gave me pain killers... THANK YOU, GOD, FOR PAIN KILLERS! I was like a new person. Kelsi and I went on to the surgery clinic which was about thirty minutes away, and they began doing the prep for my surgery. This involved a heart test (healthy heart, check!) and blood pressure (good blood pressure, check!).
I have never had surgery. This one was not a "knock you out" surgery. They gave me a shot in my spine, and I slowly went numb from the chest down... and it was the. most. terrifying. experience of my life. I grew up with three brothers, and we used to wrestle. Whenever they would gang up on me and pin me to the floor, I would have a sudden burst of adrenaline and break free, because I hate being pinned and not being able to move. As I felt my legs going numb, I freaked out. Not just a little freak out... my arms went numb because I was hyperventilating, and the anesthesiologist asked me if I would rather be knocked out for the rest of surgery, which of course I said yes to, but alas it was too late. It is a horrifying feeling to slowly lose the ability to move your body. Suddenly, your toe itches, and you can't move against the others to scratch it. The surgery itself was only about forty minutes long, but the anesthesia lasted for seven hours. I laid in a bed not being able to move, and was told that I was not allowed to sit up for twenty-four hours, not that I could.
After the surgery, I slowly gained feeling as the night went on, and I found out the joy of catheters. Halfway through the night, I finally asked the nurse to just take it out, because I could not sleep, and it seemed to not be working. I was right, it was not working properly, and he pulled it out... I'm gonna go ahead and type that again real slow so you get the picture better... he ppppuuuuullllllleeeeedddddd it ooooooooouuuuuuuttttttt! And after the longest second of my life, I slept for the rest of the night soundly.
The next adventure came the next morning, as I was transferred back to my regular clinic for post op. The nurse came in, and Kelsi asked when we were going to transfer, as most of the staff could not speak English, and we were eager to get answers about recovery time and when I could eat (I had not eaten since Friday night). The nurse picked up the phone, and then hung up and said, "Ok. We go now. Get up." I had not stood up since my surgery the day before, and now I was walking down three flights of stairs to a taxi, while holding my IV in the air. We then road in a taxi to our normal clinic. Here's a picture:
Once we got to our normal clinic, things got a little more comfortable. The staff speak better English and it is just more familiar. What I then discovered is that our doctor believes in using as little pain medication as possible during post op--"so that the patient doesn't over do anything." And when you have had a catheter, you find yourself in a situation in which you weigh how much you have to go to the bathroom against how much it is going to burn. I waited as long as possible, and finally, when I could not hold it anymore, I went, and I screamed, and I bashed my fist against the concrete wall.
It is now Tuesday, and I have two more days of recovery in the clinic before I can go home. Kelsi and the girls have come to visit me everyday in the morning and then at dinner time. I am ready to go home, and get back to normal life, as this weekend was a very painful one. I guess I should give some kind of reflection on this.
A lot of people take 1 Corinthians 10:13 out of context. They say, "God will never give you more than you can bear." I want to clear up that this verse is firstly speaking on temptation. God does not allow us to be in a position in which we have no choice but to fall to temptation, but He gives us a way of escape. This verse is not speaking on pain and suffering. I had a discussion with a friend once and we decided that we believe that God gives us more than we can bear all the time, purposefully. If we were able to handle all the pain and struggles of this life, we would never come to Him. This weekend has been the most painful weekend of my life, and because of that I drew near to God. When I was scared in surgery, I sang my favorite worship songs, and it calmed me down. At night, when I couldn't sleep, I cried out to God to give me rest. As I have been missing my family and my house, I ask God to be my sufficiency.
When I arrived at the hospital, our doctor said, "Let me guess, you have horrible diarrhea." I answered, "Nope. I actually have not gone to the bathroom all day." Her face changed, and she reached over to my stomach and pressed down on my lower right side, and I cried. She turned to the nurse and said, "We have to get this boy an emergency ultra sound, now." So I was sent in a tuk tuk to the nearest ultra sound clinic (twenty minutes away). The tuk tuk ride was awful... I cried every bump of the way. When we got to the ultra sound clinic, they did not want to see me, because I did not have an appointment, but they decided to let me go ahead, when I laid down on their floor... I guess they got that it was serious. During the ultra sound, the doctor was curious why my whole abdomen was in pain, so I explained that I had waited all morning and had been clinching in pain so much, that everything hurt at this point. She soon found out, clearly, that it was my appendix, and I rode back to our normal clinic with the ultra sound pictures. When I got there, our doctor gave me pain killers... THANK YOU, GOD, FOR PAIN KILLERS! I was like a new person. Kelsi and I went on to the surgery clinic which was about thirty minutes away, and they began doing the prep for my surgery. This involved a heart test (healthy heart, check!) and blood pressure (good blood pressure, check!).
I have never had surgery. This one was not a "knock you out" surgery. They gave me a shot in my spine, and I slowly went numb from the chest down... and it was the. most. terrifying. experience of my life. I grew up with three brothers, and we used to wrestle. Whenever they would gang up on me and pin me to the floor, I would have a sudden burst of adrenaline and break free, because I hate being pinned and not being able to move. As I felt my legs going numb, I freaked out. Not just a little freak out... my arms went numb because I was hyperventilating, and the anesthesiologist asked me if I would rather be knocked out for the rest of surgery, which of course I said yes to, but alas it was too late. It is a horrifying feeling to slowly lose the ability to move your body. Suddenly, your toe itches, and you can't move against the others to scratch it. The surgery itself was only about forty minutes long, but the anesthesia lasted for seven hours. I laid in a bed not being able to move, and was told that I was not allowed to sit up for twenty-four hours, not that I could.
After the surgery, I slowly gained feeling as the night went on, and I found out the joy of catheters. Halfway through the night, I finally asked the nurse to just take it out, because I could not sleep, and it seemed to not be working. I was right, it was not working properly, and he pulled it out... I'm gonna go ahead and type that again real slow so you get the picture better... he ppppuuuuullllllleeeeedddddd it ooooooooouuuuuuuttttttt! And after the longest second of my life, I slept for the rest of the night soundly.
The next adventure came the next morning, as I was transferred back to my regular clinic for post op. The nurse came in, and Kelsi asked when we were going to transfer, as most of the staff could not speak English, and we were eager to get answers about recovery time and when I could eat (I had not eaten since Friday night). The nurse picked up the phone, and then hung up and said, "Ok. We go now. Get up." I had not stood up since my surgery the day before, and now I was walking down three flights of stairs to a taxi, while holding my IV in the air. We then road in a taxi to our normal clinic. Here's a picture:
Once we got to our normal clinic, things got a little more comfortable. The staff speak better English and it is just more familiar. What I then discovered is that our doctor believes in using as little pain medication as possible during post op--"so that the patient doesn't over do anything." And when you have had a catheter, you find yourself in a situation in which you weigh how much you have to go to the bathroom against how much it is going to burn. I waited as long as possible, and finally, when I could not hold it anymore, I went, and I screamed, and I bashed my fist against the concrete wall.
It is now Tuesday, and I have two more days of recovery in the clinic before I can go home. Kelsi and the girls have come to visit me everyday in the morning and then at dinner time. I am ready to go home, and get back to normal life, as this weekend was a very painful one. I guess I should give some kind of reflection on this.
A lot of people take 1 Corinthians 10:13 out of context. They say, "God will never give you more than you can bear." I want to clear up that this verse is firstly speaking on temptation. God does not allow us to be in a position in which we have no choice but to fall to temptation, but He gives us a way of escape. This verse is not speaking on pain and suffering. I had a discussion with a friend once and we decided that we believe that God gives us more than we can bear all the time, purposefully. If we were able to handle all the pain and struggles of this life, we would never come to Him. This weekend has been the most painful weekend of my life, and because of that I drew near to God. When I was scared in surgery, I sang my favorite worship songs, and it calmed me down. At night, when I couldn't sleep, I cried out to God to give me rest. As I have been missing my family and my house, I ask God to be my sufficiency.
We all have a choice when faced with difficulties in life. We can choose to take them and say that God is either not good or not in control or we can take them and say, God can make good of this, and I trust that no matter how terrible things are, He is always in control and will one day set all things right. I am certain that there will not be appendicitis in Heaven, and I am certain that when God created Adam, He did not plan for him to have it, either. Disobedience and separation from God have caused these pains, and I long for the day when I will be free from my sin and reunited with God.
For now, please pray for my recovery, as I am still in quite a bit of pain, and I miss bedtime routine with my daughters and evenings with my wife.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
May 30, 2015
Boo's Moto
Before we left for the States, I went on a tuk tuk ride with our driver Boo Sovon (we just call him Boo). You may remember from earlier posts that Kelsi has been doing a Bible study with his wife, and we have been talking to him about the importance of going to church and getting involved to grow in his faith for his family. He has always said the same thing: that he would go when he was able to pay his house off which would be in about a year. But he has been saying that for about a year and a half, so we keep praying for him. When I was riding in the tuk tuk with him before we left, it sounded awful. We got out and I asked him about it, and he showed me that his engine was falling apart, and in general his moto was breaking down. I asked him how much it would cost to get a new moto, and he told me. He then explained to me that he used to be a bus driver, but his vision has been getting worse so he could not handle the long drive to Siem Reap. Basically during our discussion I learned that if his moto breaks down, he is sunk. So I told him that I would ask my friends in the States if they would ask God if they were supposed to help him with a new moto. While in the states we spoke to First Baptist in Schell City, Missouri about Boo, and they decided that they were the ones to sponsor his new moto. Here is the before and after:
It has more power than his other moto and since it is new it will last a long time. We have already heard people complimenting him on it. Kelsi mentioned that it would be great if he could use it as a witnessing tool. When people say something about it, he can tell them that God provided for it.
I decided to have my friend Seyha come and translate when I gave the moto to Boo. I told Boo that
God loved him. And when we trust in Jesus and seek His Kingdom, He provides for all our needs. I said that God told my friends in the States to give him this moto, because He cares about him and his family. He said "Thank you God for my moto!" I hope that this gesture has built Boo's faith. As we have been here and seen God provide for us, we know that it has made us trust in our God more and more, who always provides. Thank you First Baptist Schell City! Your generosity and obedience is a blessing to us and those with whom we minister here in Cambodia. Continue to pray for Boo and his family, as they grow in their faith and begin to follow Christ, not just because they work with foreigners who follow Christ, but of their own decision. We are blessed by Boo, and we are so grateful that we were able to bless him in this way. Again, thank you First Baptist Schell City!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
May 21, 2015
Waiting for June 15th (Adoption Update)
Thank you for the prayers about the meeting on Tuesday! When we met with the lawyer, we found out two things. One that the man's name in the family book is not Abby and Lily's father. It is the name of Ron's new husband. Secondly, the girls' father was never married to Ron legally. She explained that she had a village marriage, but nothing on paper, and he left her and said he didn't want his name on the girls' birth certificates... That means that we are good to go to court, and we do not need to include him at all. Huge answer to prayers! I answered a bonus question on Tuesday too. Abby and Lily's Khmer names are Sreyroath Roeun and Sreyniet Roeun, but Ron's last name is Pich... so I asked why they had a different last name, and the lawyer explained that, in Cambodia, when a child is born, you decide whether to give them the family name or the father of the family's first name. So, Pich is Ron's grandfather's first name, and Roeun is the name of Abby and Lily's grandfather and Ron's father.
So June 15th can not get here soon enough. On that day, I will go and get Kelsi and my's visas, which just happen to be the last thing on my list of things we need to go to court. After that, I will meet with the lawyer and hammer out price and get our paperwork together to petition the judge. After that, it is a waiting game for the court date, and after that, a waiting game for the decision.
Some of you may be wondering what the process of this looks like. You may have the questions, "If you get court adoptions, does that mean you can come home right away?" "What is the time frame on this whole thing?"
To answer the first question simply... no. Court adoptions have nothing to do with the United States. It is all about how Cambodia sees us. However, once we have court adoptions, and Cambodia recognizes us as the legal parents of Abby and Lily, we can petition on their behalf for citizenship with a certain form. That is the uncertainty. We are not sure that this court adoption will be enough for that, but either way, we want as strong of a connection as possible with the girls. If the court adoption is enough, we already have the two years required of residency to apply. It will be a series of trips to the U.S. Embassy and a whole lot of paperwork, and a whole lot of waiting. To answer the second question, not sure. We don't know how long court adoptions will take, and we don't know how long the petition will take. Right now, we are here, and we are glad to be making progress.
Thank you for everyone who has been praying for us, and please continue to pray. Like I said, we have a little bit of a wait ahead of us--three weeks. And for most of you that time will fly by, but for me it will feel like ages. I think God likes to make us wait sometimes. I am excited to see how He works all this out in His timing, and in His perfect way.
Hope this answers some questions. If you still have some, please comment or send us an email :)
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
May 19, 2015
Gardening Day
The girls are doing a project for school with Kelsi. They are growing Basil, Rosemary, Dill, Marigolds, and Lavender. These are all mosquito repelling plants, and also useful in other things, like cooking and being pretty, or that is what I am told ;) Hope you enjoy the video! Just a bit of our life here in Cambodia.
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
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