Levi is doing great!

We arrived at same day surgery at 7 am. He was in surgery by 830 am. Back in his room at 910 am. He dosed for awhile than watched pink panther on tv. By 1030 he was asking when we could go home.

The surgeon did a good job of reassuring Levi and making friends with Levi before surgery and checking on us after. The anesthetist put a mask on Levi with the first dose of anesthesia so Levi was sleeping before she put the IV in. He got a shot of antibiotic and 2 different pain meds while he was out during surgery. So when he got back to our room, he had no idea he had got shots. That was what he was most worried about. “Mom, am I going to get shots today?” So that helped. As he woke up, he told me that they hadn’t made him sleep long or hard enough. I asked him what he remembered, nothing except getting the mask on. He decided to take his own IV out, no big deal. I had asked the nurse if he could have it out and she said yes. Before she got in the room, he had started pealing the tape off and lickety split, it was out!

The nurses where great. And instead of putting us in the same day ward, we had a private room with our own tv and bathroom. They brought me coffee and Levi had warm milk and a roll after surgery. When it was time for Levi to go to surgery, the nurse brought adult size flip flops for him to walk to surgery in. Than she decided that was silly and carried him. After surgery they didn’t bring him back right away because he was too sleepy to tell them his name. When he did come back, she had him all wrapped up in a warm blanket and carried him into the room. Got him all tucked in and he fell sound asleep. I was impressed with how often they check on us.

I am mostly impressed with my son. No crying, or whining. When she carried him to surgery, he looked over her shoulder, waved at me with a big smile and said Bye mom! I think getting there early helped him get comfortable. Everyone took their time and talked to him, shook his hand and introduced themselves to him.

I managed to keep him quiet til 1200 noon and we were home by 1230. He thought he could play but his nurse mother decided differently and he took a 2 hour nap. Than he thought he could ride his bike to the duka. I think the anesthesia and stress of the day came to a head when I refused to let him go on his bike. He had a good cry. He did get to play computer games until dinner.

He has a little bandage on his tummy, and as long as he takes his ibuprofen he’s been comfortable. Tomorrow I think he might feel more like himself emotionally but he could be more tender as all the pain meds during surgery wear off.

Anyhow I am glad it’s done and he is ok. Thanks for praying.

Levi's Surgery

Levi has an inguinal hernia. So Friday morning at 8 am our time, he will be having surgery to have it repaired. We found a good pediatric surgeon whom was highly recommended. And we live near Nairobi Hospital where he will be operated on.

My little Levi. He's a bit nervous, asking if he will get a shot. But handling it well. We will be glad when he's back home, hopefully just out-patient.

So keep him in your prayers even during his recovery.

Baby Steps

Being in the adoption process feels like taking a step at a time. In Kenya it feels like baby steps, one at a time. Even worse, during the months of January and February we felt like we took one step forward and two steps back. The Post Election Violence slowed the whole country down to a crawl.

But this week all the little steps we have been taking since November, completed a big step. Wonderful Relief.

In November we opened a file at the US Embassy called an I-600 a. To complete the file, we turned in an application, lots of documents, initiated a criminal background check on ourselves complete with handprints, etc. But we were missing a US Home Study. Since March of 2007 when we brought Chloe home our Kenyan Social Worker has been writing a Kenyan Home study about us. In November, I started stopping by her office more regularly asking what info she needed from us. That slowed down in December with the holidays and January with the violence. Since February, I stop by every Monday afternoon on my way home from the grocery store. I try to greet her pleasantly and ask how things are going, and what info does she need. I think the only thing I haven’t given her is our dental records! Good Grief!

In April, she asked if I had applied to the Carolina Adoption Agency. Nope, I had to explain that unless she tells me this stuff, I can’t know what to do next. I had asked about this months ago and was reassured that the Carolina Agency would contact me. Not so. So I printed the application on line, filled it out, sent it with someone to be posted in the states. I need to send a personal check which isn’t safe to do through the Kenyan postal service. Instead I stamp an envelope with US stamps, ask someone traveling from Kenya to the states to carry it for me who than mails it within the states. In this case, it was mailed to my mom. I needed a photo of Ryan and me for the application. We took mug shots of ourselves, seriously a worse pic of myself does not exist but good enough. Uploaded them to Walgreen’s near my mom, she picked them up. Received the envelope from me with the check and application and than posted it to Carolina.

Baby Steps.

The Carolina Adoption Agency received my application this week. Next my Kenyan Social Worker emailed my Kenyan Home study to Carolina this week. That is a big step. They for a nice price will rewrite it into a US Home study, asking questions along the way, needing more info from our social worker who will probably wait till I stop by on my way home from groceries on Monday. Eventually, hopefully no longer than a month, it will be completed. I take this expensive Home Study to the US Embassy which they add to my I 600a file. They will process my completed file and either approve or deny our ability to do an international adoption.

Of course by the Grace of God they will approve our application. We take this approval to our Kenyan Lawyer who submits it along with all our other paper work to the Kenyan court and asks for a court date, twill be our first court day of possibly 2-3 court dates that we will go through before we are finished.

In the meantime, life goes on at home, Chloe and the boys are oblivious which is a wonderful thing. When we are all done legally adopting Chloe, we can visit the states.

My goal is to do little updates of this process. This needed to be a big one just to give you the scoop of where we are.

Let's go fly a Kite

 
 
We had a great week at Mombasa. I didn't get too many pics cause its a hassle taking our video camera onto the beach. And I didn't want to lose it at the hotel.

We drove up on Sunday, first two hours on the road was the pits, than smooth sailing. Ryan knows how to drive.
Monday was beautiful, we had sunny weather. 85-90 degrees, low tide was in the afternoon. I think I was on the beach for 6 or 7 hours with Caleb and Levi. Ryan went back and forth with Seth and Chloe to the house. Its still overwelming for anyone 2 feet or under to see all that water.
Tuesday was also beautiful, Seth's feet bothered him so he stayed at the house. But him and Chloe can just putz around for hours at the house. Caleb and Levi LOVE the beach, the water, the sea creatures, everything. It was Ryans day to be at the beach and I spent more time at the house. I came down with a terrible head cold.
Wednesday, we hung out at the house. The place has a fence all the way around it so the kids could run and not fear getting in the water. They played on the tire swing, road their bikes, helped daddy with the van, collected coconuts.
Thursday we loaded up the van and drove an hour north to Sun and Sand. We paid to be there for the day, all inclusive. It's a hotel with fun pools. We swam in 3 of the 5 pools. One started up on the hill and to get to the next pool you went down a slide, than another pool to float through like a river, than another slide, than waterfall steps than a big pool with a bar on one side. The pool had stools to sit on in the water and order cokes or juice from the bar. The kids thought that was cool, to sit in the pool and have cokes. Since it was all inclusive, we drank and at the whole day, 10 am to 6 pm. 3 of the kids slept the way back to our cottage.
Friday, the kids were so excited that we had one full day at the beach yet. We were out there the whole day. Seth and Chloe by now where used to the beach and playing in the sand.
Saturday we drove back to Nairobi. Before we loaded up the van, I had the kids pose in front of our cottage. They were quite brown even with lots of sun block on each day. Caleb and Levi are truly Kenyans wearing sweat pants, jeans and long sleeves any time they weren't living in their swim suits. We can't wait to go back.
 

Nanna's Pics

Ryan's mom needs some updated snaps of Sephers. These where taken in February. One in our back yard and one in the DC3. Maybe I'll have more pics after next week. We are going to Mombasa for a week. Kids are counting the days, so are the parents.

 
 

Cessna 208 Grand Caravan

The airplane involved in the accident.

 

AIM AIR Accident

This last Saturday, (April 26) one of the AIM Air planes was involved in a very
serious accident during takeoff. While the aircraft was severely
damaged, the pilot and four passengers came through the accident in
remarkably good condition and are in recovery from their various
injuries.

Andy Keller, a long time AIM Air pilot, landed at a SIM medical
mission station in Doro to pick up four of the SIM nurses. He was
flying 5Y-SPK, a Cessna Caravan which easily carries 9 passengers.
On takeoff around 12:40 pm, the aircraft lifted off but failed to
attain sufficient airspeed to clear the obstacles at the end of the
runway. The left wing of the plane struck the ground, and the
Caravan flipped onto its back.

Events in the next few minutes are not completely clear, as all five
on board were very shaken by the experience. But the five were able
to help each other as they unbelted themselves from the inverted
seats onto the ceiling of the upside down airplane and crawled
outside. By this time, other medical professionals from the clinic
were able to get to the accident site and give aid.

The five, after being stabilized, were airlifted by a UN helicopter
to a nearby medical facility for further test and observations. The
next day, they were moved to Nairobi on an AIM Air DC3 under the care
of a SIM doctor.

SIM has reported the condition of the nurses as stable and
recovering. All have now been released from the hospital. One
suffered a fracture of her sternum and a dislocated thumb. Another
was a broken rib. All were sore and had smaller ailments. The pilot
is also in recovery. He was diagnosed with a broken bone in his knee
and had surgery today (April 29).

A thorough and professional accident investigation has already
begun. Other organizations will be involved, and the results will be
used as part of a continuing effort to improve the safety of both AIM
Air and mission aviation world-wide.

There is a deeper reality that surrounds the events described above.
We minister in Africa in the context of a spiritual war. As partners
in ministry, SIM and AIM missionaries share in the risk of ministry.
This event is one of many that remind us that we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against the principalities of this world.

The opposition that we face, which is evident in many ways, is a
testimony that God is accomplishing His purposes through His
servants. We should not be dismayed that we suffer, knowing that He
has already defeated the enemy.

So we praise God! We praise Him no matter what is happening around
us. We worship Him because of who He is. The true foundation of
praise is God, not our circumstances. Praise God that in His mercy
he spared the lives of His servants.

Please continue to hold the four SIM nurses up in prayer as they
recover from both the emotional and physical trauma of the accident.
Please pray for Andy and for his healing. Pilots bear a heavy burden
in these situations. Pray also for the ministry of AIM Air as the
organization will be stretched during the time of recovery following
this significant event.

Written by Alan Masters (Director of International Services, AIM)