trials of many kinds

I write this post with the intention to be to update the many who have asked about what is going on in our lives recently. I don't intend to complain or to make you feel sorry for us, just to give you an honest glimpse into the past few months of our lives.
We spent most of the month in February in Beijing getting treatment (two separate procedures) for James' kidney stone(s).
Not long after we returned home to our city, our God's trike was stolen. It was not only one of our favorite possessions, but a necessary means of transportation for us.
Our current visa requires us to leave the country every 90 days. In March, we did just that. Those trips are exhausting for us as it means long travel days with the girls and hauling them through immigration lines.
We continue to meet with a SLP a few times a month to help Catherine's speech delay but have recently been encouraged to seek a deeper level of care for her to determine if their may be something other than just a speech delay going on. Our city doesn't provide the luxury of a developmental pediatrician or therapists so this means we have to plan to get to another location to seek treatment for her. Catherine is very high energy, ALL THE TIME. She often doesn't sleep through the night and our pediatrician friend here recommended taking away her afternoon nap until the nighttime issues are resolved. It has helped some, but also means we don't always get to sleep through the night and mom's afternoon solace is now non-existent.
I continue to have migraines which seem to be more frequent and more severe. We talked with a doctor in Beijing in February who suggested an MRI to rule out big things first. We decided to wait to do that until we were back in our city because of the cost difference, but we recently found out I can't do it because of the surgical screw in my foot!
In May, we mourned the passing of James grandfather from afar and it was hard to be away from our family during that time.
All of these things compound when you're living everyday in a culture, language, and system that just isn't home, no matter how long we're here.
We'd love to be on a more permanent visa that doesn't require 90 day exits, but can't do so until our company registration is complete, and that has been in process for at least six months or so.

And that was the list when we sent out our last newsletter which prompted many of you to write us to ask for more details.

James recently addressed a group of folks here using the story of Paul and Silas rejoicing in prison after suffering a beating. We've also been trying to cling to (And live out!) the passage in James 1, "Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

We are tired, but we are so thankful for the work He is doing in us during this season and for all the ways we have seen Him provide (financially, with local friends to help us, with local friends to cry with us and encourage us, and for all the prayers and support we receive from home).
We have a habit of recounting the things we are thankful for each day before we go to sleep. Even in the midst of the trials above, we were never lacking in reasons to be thankful. He is so good us. Each and every day.

But, our trials continue. James had been having minor back pain for some time, but last week it was time once again for a trip out of country. We had to do it then or risk overstaying our visa, but it was  a rough trip since Ann was getting for teeth and having cold-like symptoms during the trip. We made record time across the border and so decided to come straight home instead of staying another night. We made it home late one evening and since we still had out rental car another day decided to drive around our city and look at potential new homes (apartments) for us the next day. We cut the home tours short when James back pain worsened. It didn't get better and we took him for an MRI which confirmed he had three herniated disks in his back. He's been on his back for about six days now except for meals and a few walks around our complex each day.

The day before yesterday, while we were talking one of those walks, Catherine fell into one of the large rocks that surround the fountain in our complex. We sent a photo of the injury to an American friend here who is a pediatrician and she thought it would require stitches so off I went to the hospital with Catherine in tow.

Did you know almost everything in China (at least still in our city) stops after lunch until about 2:30 so everyone can take a nap? (The injury happened right before lunch) It's nice in theory, until you need something done in that time period, like, say, get stitches in your daughter's face. The first (the biggest hospital in our province) said they could do it, but not until after the nap time unless we wanted them to use adult size equipment (needles, thread, etc). They recommended we go to a hospital known for their plastic surgery department to get the best care and the least likelihood of leaving a scar.

We got to hospital number two (it's actually number 253. That's its name, the number 253 hospital) and find out they too are closed until 2:30. We wait for them to open. Wait to see a doctor. Wait to see another doctor. Wait to get blood drawn for required blood tests. Wait for results. Now it's time for the real show: the time where I get to lay on top of my screaming, squirming, daughter while the doctors sews her skin back together. You can probably imagine that I was questioning our decision to move here, feeling like her current pain was our fault, and wishing to be almost any other place in the world.

But we are here. And we are trying to consider it joy. And there are good things happening that we can't write about on a platform like this just yet. And we are learning how to be thankful.

We also know we aren't the only ones dealing with trials these days. In fact, our struggles pale in comparison to some of the things are friends are dealing with.

If you have a moment, take the time to read the stories of some of our friends and offer a prayer for them. And consider giving to their causes:

a friend walking a long, hard road with rare cancer

friends who lost a newborn

lin