Not sure what to say...random events...

Many times over the last two weeks I've thought about posting a blog. It crosses my mind to update everyone, but sometimes it is hard to come up with something to say. It's not that nothing is going on, but so much is going on that the posts could be too long. Of course, there is also the issue of how to explain things in a blog that won't cause people to get concerned or be offended. The good news is that many of the blogs aren't read by a lot of people, so the potential damage is minimal. The funny stories, crazy events, and exciting news get the most attention. The simple, mundane things that are more representative of the day to day aren't as entertaining. No worries, I totally get it. I'm just saying that sometimes making a blog post is very easy - it's a story everyone will laugh at, etc. - other times, making a blog post is not so simple.

These last few weeks have been a combination of overwhelming events. The kids finished their second school term today, so the last two weeks have been a bit crazy. Last week, they had exams. When they are finished, they go outside to play. Of course, the little kids are testing much less than the older, so they come out early and frequently. I absolutely love that our house is the place to be during free time but it does have it's struggles. We have plastic blocks all over the porch most of the day, balls flying in every direction, children laughing, screaming, crying, etc. As much as I love it, if I'm inside home schooling the boys, the noise can become quite obtrusive. After 3-4 hours, it seems to never stop and you start wondering what time it is - how can it not be supper time yet (supper is around 7:30-8)? This week, they only had marking and clean up for the end of the term, so they were all done by midday. This makes for the days to seem much longer because we have hours of "free time."

Here's a little video that I took. I was walking home from the school and counting the blessing of so many kids running around having fun and decided to record a snippet for you (and memory's sake).

One week ago today, Edgar wasn't feeling well. Madame Grace (his mom) was administering exams to her students and Edgar wondered over to our house. He slept for several hours and had a fever.

He fell asleep at our table.

I laid him on a mat on the living room floor.

Even after waking, he had no energy and just laid half on the mat and half under the chair. :/

This was later the same day. Just look at that face. You can tell he doesn't feel good.

The next morning we were heading to Kawempe (the city) to pick up Cathy & Andrew (Grace's older two). When Grace came in the morning, she said Edgar had gotten much worse. While we were sitting in traffic, Floyd put Edgar in his lap to look out the window (they don't have car seats here - stop worrying, it's like the old days in the US). Floyd noticed that Edgar's breathing was very strained, very raspy, and his heart was racing. We decided that after picking up Andrew & Cathy, we'd take him to the clinic. Fortunatley, it was God's sovereignty that put us in the city with the Grace & Edgar because we found out that he had a pretty serious case of pneumonia. We ended up spending the night in the city because he needed treatments.

Your love fund helped again because we were able to pay for lodging for us & them, provide some snacks, and help with the medical costs. Fortunately, Edgar is doing great now!

While Edgar was at the hospital with mom, we took Cathy & Andrew to get snacks. I love those smiles!

On a side note, we had a funny moment at the fuel station. Andrew kept calling out, "Muzungu" every time he wanted to tell me something (remember, Muzungu basically means white person). It is not a derogatory remark, but it is definitely impersonal and it usually draws attention as everyone turns to see the Muzungu. Finally, I said, "Andrew, what is my  name?" Unfortunately, he just looked at the floor and got quiet. He finally admitted that he couldn't remember. Cathy quickly told him, "Auntie Tamra." I told him that if he can't remember my name just say Auntie, but to please stop yelling out Muzungu. :)

If this seems random, that is a good representation of our days. Even with the best of plans, you never know what will come up. Even as I write this, I'm sitting in the city, at a restaurant, by myself, waiting. Waiting on Floyd to come back from his boda ride further into the city. Waiting on the mechanic to bring back our car because they was a minor but serious, random problem in the middle of nowhere today. Waiting on whatever is next. Really, I guess I wouldn't have it any other way. The Lord has plans for each of us, and the willingness to go with the flow and be random is the easiest way to allow his plans to work out. That isn't to say we shouldn't be intentional, otherwise, some of us would never get anything done, but we can't be rigid - especially in our plans.

Anyway - if you've read this far, I hope you got something from it, even if it was a few minutes of respite from your routine. :) What random adventure does God have in store for you today???