God is Gracious

Brief Summary...details below

This past week has been a wild one to say the least and we wanted to send you an update so that you can be praying more specifically.

From Craig having an appendectomy to Bryn having contractions to Craig's back pains to Bryn's back pains, going in and out of the hospital, and doctors visits we have been pretty busy. We are both home now and our precious boys have been doing great through it all, but it has definitely been a week of chaos. We are so thankful for the three guys that are living with us and the missionary community that surround us here in Côte d'Ivoire (Especially the Livingstons and Harrisons). They have stepped in and helped in tremendous ways. A good friend of ours Kevin Dennis has been able to send out email updates for us from afar but we know that many of you have not received any of them and we are sorry. We have had again more problems when trying to email out news (please pray for that as it is a spiritual battle of it's own). We are so grateful for you!

Prayer Requests

*Pray for the pains Bryn continues to feel in her back.

*Pray for our return flight to the US (We plan on flying back December 14 to have the baby in the US but may need to move that date up for health reasons)

*Pray for Craig's body to continue healing from the appendectomy and back pains.

*Pray for the boys in the midst of all of this. They have been champs through it all and incredibly sweet to both of us but pray that they would continue to love well and have understanding beyond their years confident in the Lord. Also Keenan loves school and we just found out today that because of a training at the school, classes won't start up till December 12 just before our departure so pray that he would not be too disappointed and not too bored being home all the time with a mom on partial bed rest and guys working.

Details

FIRST UPDATE
We wanted to give you a quick update about an unexpected event this week. Recently Craig started feeling pain on his right side and food didn't seem to be affecting how he felt. We went into the doctor and discovered he had an appendicitis (swelling of the appendix). Yesterday he went into surgery for an appendectomy and it went well. Craig is recovering at the hospital, and he should be able to return home tomorrow. Thank you so much for your prayers as Craig heals and recovers, and for our family and team! We are so thankful for God's continued care and provision. We hope to update you again soon!

SECOND UPDATE:

I'm sending this update on behalf of Craig & Bryn as they don't currently have access to email. Bryn recently began having stomach pains and some contractions, so earlier today they went to the hospital to run some tests on Bryn and the baby. All the tests are looking good except Bryn's white blood cell count is high. They believe this is likely because her body is fighting some sort of an abdominal infection. They do know that it is not preeclampsia. They are currently giving Bryn medicine to help slow and stop the contractions, and Bryn will likely be on bed rest at the hospital for the next 3-7 days.

God is graciously caring for them in this. Their SOS international insurance service has been great in helping communicate with the doctors and ensure the best care. They have assured them that the hospital they are at in Cote d'Ivoire is doing everything that a hospital in the US would be able to do for them, and thus they are in a very good place. Some great friends of theirs are also taking care of the boys while they are at the hospital.

Please be praying for Bryn and the baby, that their health would return to normal and the baby would continue to fully develop to the expected due date in January. Please also be praying for Craig's full recovery from his appendectomy. Besides some lingering pain in his stomach, he is doing well. -Kevin

SINCE SECOND UPDATE:

After spending the day with Bryn in the hospital Craig was walking to his car to go get Keenan and Elliot and go home when breathing was becoming increasingly difficult. He couldn't take deep breaths at all because of the pain that he was experiencing in his back. He called SOS (International Insurance) and they suggested that he go back in to have it checked out. The urgent care doctors immediately decided to run a bunch of tests and admit him into the hospital for the next 2 days. At least Craig got one day out of the hospital! Meanwhile Bryn was still slowly recovering from continuous contractions and pain. Thankfully the boys were in safe hands with Laura and Jeter Livingston.

After running multiple tests (inlcuding a cat scan, x ray, EKG (twice) they concluded that Craig must of had some sort of horrible muscle spasms or pinched nerves since all the tests were negative and no fever. Craig was able to leave the hospital Monday afternoon while Bryn's doctor wanted her to stay just one more day to monitor things. Bryn returned home Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday the weirdest thing happened. She began to feel the same horrible pains in her back when she would breathe (piercing pains). There were also signs of an infection from Craig's appendectomy forcing them both to head back to the hospital for a doctors visit.

Sadly these doctors visit just so happened to be when Thanksgiving dinner was to take place at our friends place. By God's grace we didn't have to get readmitted into the hospital but just a thurough cleaning of Craig's wound and some perscriptions of medicine for Bryn. It has still taken another 2 days for those medicines to truly help Bryn's pain subside but finally we are seeing what seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. We have so much to be thankful for. God had taken care of us through all of this and we are full of joy. Though a little cold we were able to take part in the Thanksgiving feast a couple hours late Thursday and on top of that they graciously gave our team all the left overs to enjoy last night. Craig is feeling much more energy and Bryn is moving around the house today even to the point where she wants to cook again (to which she was quickly told "no" that she might continue to soak in the time of rest).

What comes next? Well we are taking each day at a time. We plan to still leave back for the US December 14 but are praying for God's guidance through it all. What we do know is that God always gives us enough light for today and that today has enough worries of it's own. We continue to soak up his love as he continues wrapping his arms around us!

IN Christ,

Craig and Bryn

So hot!!

I dont have a lot to report from over here in hotville, just wanted to upload some pictures! We leave in the morning to head to Bouake, a city about 5 hours or so from here to do some ministry up there and wont have internet until about Sunday so I wanted to get some things up before then. The University campus is open up there so we will be able to go on campus a few days and share with students there while meeting with and encouraging the students that are involved in the ministry. There is also a church plant that was started when we were up there last year with the big conference Pamoja that the National staff want to meet with and encourage. We are so excited to go but at the same time a bit nervous to make the trip. The roads are iffy and with me being large these days I am praying that my back will stay strong and no damage done. I'll let you know when we get back how everything goes :)! But here is what we have been up to lately: WATER!!! We have been trying to cool off in many ways with water fights and pool time. We have a little plastic pool that some friends gave the Glendennings a while back and it has been great to have in the heat but this one day I asked if the boys wanted to go swimming and they said no, just wanted to run around outside for a while. Well, the night before it had stormed hard and a bunch of water had collected on our front porch and where did those crazy boys end up?! Swimming.
Craig wanted to get the water off the porch so we used a dust pan to scoop it all off and then onto the boys who thought that was hysterical



Then Saturday afternoon we had a huge water balloon fight and it was so so so so much fun!
Getting ready
Keenan launching one at Shane
Matt swatting them away
Squeeeeeeze
Blocked!
Earlier that day Elliot had fallen off a step in the backyard so he now has scabs on his face. Poor guy!!


I guess what goes around comes around. Shane got me!!
This was a water bottle from the fridge and was COOOOOOLD!! Love Elliot's face here!
The intensity!



All of us happily cooled off afterward

Handsome little men

These are just from a little photo shoot in the backyard one day just me and the boys!
Keenan saying he's 4 and Elliot either saying he is one or trying to pick his nose slyly
Back up in the tree making monkey noises
Keenan's shorts got stuck when he was trying to get down from the tree and he was dangling and laughing so hard! Elliot took the opportunity to torture his brother:)
Take that!


Thinking about jumping off the step


Now trying to be sweet, give him hugs and help him down. awwwwww

Orphanage

Last Saturday we got to go back to the orphanage and hang out with the kiddos. The students who went with us had a song and Bible story all ready and the kids at the orphanage had their share of songs that they had prepared for us as well! After our lesson time we rounded everyone up along with a bunch of neighborhood kids and played some soccer. Everyone had a blast but it was a sunny day as well so it was a little stinky on the ride home:)


Here is everyone after the soccer game.
Everyone loves rubbing Elliot's hair since it is so different from their own and they cant believe how thin it is. He does pretty well for the most part but definitely has his moments where he is tired of it and yells, well screams, for them to stop.
Greeting people is also huge here. You not only say hi but it is important to shake their hand while doing it as a sign of respect. They teach this super young and here are the kids coming and shaking Keenan's hands all at once.
Keenan and Ellie the youngest boy at the orphanage
Craig being so intense!!

Valerie doing a great job being goalie
Elliot wanted in on the action as well
Shane making a play!