It has been some time since we last updated our blog. Our sincerest apologies. A great deal has happened in the past few months. Amy participated in the week Training of Trainers 2 in Petauke for community health evangelism. John graduated from high school and Chris completed 9th grade. Both recieved the President's Award for achievement and Sports Awards. Chris recieved the award for best student in Spanish, quite an achievement given that this was his first year of Spanish. He does have a gift for languages. Ruth continues to do well in her job at the Embassy. Jim helped coordinate a second visit by George W. Bush. He came to Zambia and helped remodel a rural health center as well as dedicate a new African Center of Excellence for Women's Cancer Control. It was a very successful visit. He and Laura spent the 4th of July with the Embassy community and it was a nice event with square dancing and a bar-b-que.
The entire family has been back in the States. John is enjoying his summer before college re-connecting with friends. Chris is taking driver's ed. Miriam has found an apartment and will re-engage with the PACE Program for next year. Ruth has already returned to Zambia after a three week visit that included volunteering at Church Camp and visiting Art Schools in Los Angeles. Amy continues to basically hold the family together. Jim has returned to the scene of the crime, as it were, to have his colostomy taken down and all the holes closed. The surgery was on July 9th and it went well. The recovery will take about a month and the family (Jim, Amy, Chris) hopes to return to Zambia August 13th.
The past few months have been quite an experience. I have learned to deal with my physical fragility, to wrestle with the concept of being disabled (a colostamate), and to turn to God for strength and sustainance. I am not sure all lessons have been fully learned yet! We continue to seek your prayers as the healing process goes forward. During the surgery they could not find the hole in the bladder so we are trusting it has closed. Still some tubes and drains to remove and open wounds to heal up, so not out of the woods yet.
In Christ
