(This is the third in a series of posts drawing analogies between experiences that Ambassador Joseph Grew shared about in his book Ten Years in Japan and practical aspects of being an ambassador for Jesus Christ.)

Ambassador Grew wrote in his book (which is an extract from his diary) that Mrs. Woodrow Wilson visited with he and his wife Alice on October 24, 1932. The three of them spent a number of hours together. He noted that Mrs. Wilson said something important during their visit: “that a smile goes a long way in Japan.”

Ambassador Grew noted that he had also seen how important it was to smile and the impact that a smile can have. He had specifically noticed the impact his wife had when she went out for exercise and smiled at the many people she came in contact with.

I was struck by the realization that the wife of the Ambassador (who was not even the official representative) was positively representing her country while in a foreign land simply by smiling at people.

Why is a smile important for an ambassador? And what does the smile represent? I believe the smile of an ambassador represents several important things.

First, if you see someone from another country always smiling, it makes you want to learn more about the country they are from. If the country you are living in is full of depressed and angry people (yourself included), and everyone from a neighboring country that you’ve ever met are living lives overflowing with joy and peace, you will likely have a strong desire to visit (or move to) the other nation so you, too, can be joyful.

Jesus has left us with His joy and peace, and our hearts should be full!
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”
John 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

Second, when a person or representative from another country smiles, it projects an acceptance of you. When soldiers from two nations meet on a field of battle, they do not share smiles; you would see looks of grim determination on their faces – they are seeking to harm each other. And yet those same soldiers, if they are seeking to build relationships with the citizens of a foreign country, will smile and wave at the people they come in contact with. In such cases, the smile is a sign of good will.

Jesus specifically encouraged His followers to salute more than just friends and relatives.
Matthew 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

The Greek word translated “salute” is aspazomai, and Strong’s Greek & Hebrew Dictionary gives much greater meeting to the word: “To salute one, greet, bid welcome, wish well to; to receive joyfully. Used of those who greet one whom they meet in the way; a salutation was made not merely by a slight gesture and a few words, but generally by embracing and kissing, a journey was retarded frequently by saluting.”

Are we properly representing our heavenly kingdom by “saluting” (which would at least involve a friendly smile) those we come in contact with?

In Christ,
Christopher

Ever since we upgraded to a newer version of blog software last week we have had several ongoing issues. We are working on those and will likely be upgrading the blog software today or tomorrow.

If you have subscribed to the blog’s RSS feed in the past week you may need to subscribe again once we have the blog upgraded and the RSS feed address fixed.

In Christ,
Christopher

We wanted to post an update on the house work. Mom’s last post was about the tiling. After the tile was laid and then grouted, we had to scrape the extra grout up.

It was a hot Saturday (and the air conditioners hadn’t been installed yet).

We rented a floor buffer, and the boys took turns running it.

Dad has started the final coat of paint.

The same afternoon I was taking this picture, I wondered where John was. Dad told me to go to the window and look out, and I’d find him, and when I did, there he was, working on building a small retaining wall.

A big project this week was tiling the backsplash along the kitchen cabinets.

Hmmm... (Anyone notice where his pencil is?)

Working on that backsplash!

This morning, Mom and I worked on cleaning the windows in preparation for Dad painting them (and, by the way, Mom, Happy Birthday, only a few hours early (her birthday is Sunday)).

Mom cleaning a window

Working on cleaning windows!

The girls organized two sets of rolling shelves in the basement.

My Sisters - Anna and Mary

And for a few miscellaneous photos…

Honey sometimes gets thirsty at the new house.

Joseph

Joseph working with the backsplash in the bathroom

Thanks to Anna for picking out all the pictures .

Joyfully His,
Sarah

Tuesday we e-mailed out the August Dad’s and Mom’s Corners. To read the Mom’s Corner, on a subject Mom has had some questions on, you can go to this link.

Dad’s Corner is another in a series on deception, and this Corner is a very important one. You can click here to read it.

You can also view the full HTML version of the Corners, including our introductory note with upcoming conferences, etc., here.

If you aren’t subscribed to the Dad’s and Mom’s Corners monthly e-mail, we welcome you to sign up. The list is kept strictly confidential.

We are always delighted to be able to share with you each month!

Blessings in Jesus,
Sarah

(This is the second in a series of posts drawing analogies between experiences that Ambassador Joseph Grew shared about in his book Ten Years in Japan and practical aspects of being an ambassador for Jesus Christ.)

As Ambassador Grew was traveling via steamer toward Japan in 1932, he wrote about two dangers that face ambassadors.

The first is the danger of being prejudiced against the nation where one is being sent. “An ambassador who starts prejudiced against the country to which he is accredited might just as well pack up and go home…” Ambassador Grew pointed out that such an attitude would undermine and damage the relationship that was to be built. This underscores the importance of us, as Christians, having loving and compassionate attitudes as we interact with the lost.

Do we have a love for those we are called to be ambassadors to? I was reminded of Jesus as He interacted with the wealthy and proud young man who would not acknowledge his sin. “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him…” (Mark 10:21).

The second danger that Ambassador Grew shared about is the opposite of the first: being influenced by the foreign country! The term that he used in the book was “imbued,” which means “to permeate or influence as if by dyeing.”

I’ve thought often about how easy it is for us as Christians to be influenced by the world, but I was particularly struck to read about an ambassador being on guard against the same danger in the physical world.

While we love the people, we must be on guard against loving the things of the world. “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

How could an Ambassador ever remain “in balance” – loving the people in the country to which he was posted while being on guard lest he become too influenced by those around him?

Ambassador Grew shared the solution: “However, I know the minds of the President, the Secretary, and the Department pretty well, and that should help to keep a straight course.”

The only way we will be able to be in the world but not of the world is to know the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2).

In Christ,
Christopher

I received this delightful email a few days ago and they gave me permission to share it on the blog as it might be an encouragement for other families. Steve

“Hello! I’ve written to your family before and just wanted to let you know about a momentous event in our household. Today the tv (aka, the beast) finally went where it belonged-the curb for the garbage men to pick up today. You don’t even know how big this is, and very strangely, a little scary too!(that’s our culture’s indoctrination saying that you’re crazy if you don’t have a tv). The phrase about the “beast” going to the curb stuck with me after hearing Steve mention it at a conference we attended in Plymouth, PA some time ago. Even though we only used the tv when sick and only for videos, it always turned into watching more and more. Then the children would start to regularly ask for it, and I would give in. Not anymore! I feel freedom and am excited about this!! The children weren’t so excited when we first explained it to them, but I kindly emphasized that it wasn’t a punishment, but simply a matter of what’s best for them. They are very resilient and after about 5 min. they were fine and ready to go outside to throw the football around!” A Free Family

One word. Mentioned twice in the New Testament. And yet living that word out will impact every aspect of our life.

2 Corinthians 5:17-20
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

For years I have been fascinated with the idea of being an ambassador for Christ. Five years ago, with a goal of wanting to learn more about ambassadors, I went to the library and checked out some books written by or about ambassadors. One book, in particular, contained a number of stories that illustrated practical aspects of being an ambassador for Christ.

I recently purchased a used copy of the book (Ten Years in Japan, by Ambassador Joseph C. Grew) and am re-reading it. As I come across some of the analogies I thought about sharing them on the blog. Perhaps as the Lord challenges me and speaks to my heart others will also be encouraged. At the very least, maybe the stories and analogies could spur worthwhile discussion for families during their meal time or Bible time.

In Christ,
Christopher

August 1st was a day of special significance for several in our family, namely Dad, Mom, and me. It represented the deadline of a new resource project.

I remember well the evening back in May, when I was driving back from Home Depot with Dad. We were having a wonderful time of fellowship, and our conversation drifted to a topic that Dad and Mom felt that it was time to write about. Dad mentioned that he would like to have the book done this summer to take on our fall trip, and Mom’s school time would be freed up with summer arriving.

It didn’t seem possible to accomplish, but the next day, Dad called a family meeting without telling us what it was about. He had our curiosity aroused, but he did tell us it didn’t have to do with matrimony :-).  That evening, he shared about the project the Lord had laid on his and Mom’s hearts, and asked if we children were in support and if we would be willing to pitch in and take care of Mom’s responsibilities so she could write. We all joyfully agreed, and so the project began, back in May.

The last few months have been quite busy because Dad and Mom have spent many, many hours working on the project. I became involved with it this month because I format the book and do a lot of proofreading. The last two weeks have been very intense as Mom and I have worked to wrap it up.

(Mom and I Thursday afternoon, with book copies in hand.)

Yesterday afternoon, with a happy and relieved heart, the book was sent to the printer—praise the Lord! I’ll give you a peek of a bit of text from the back cover :-).

Joyfully His,
Sarah

“Have you ever wanted to sit down with an experienced homeschooling couple and ask them every question you could think of about homeschooling? Managers of Their Schools: A Practical Guide to Homeschooling is the next best thing. With eight children and twenty-three years as a homeschooling family, the Maxwells share their answers to the questions they are frequently asked.”

A cheery “great to see you girls out today” ended a brief two or three sentence interaction with a lady jogger as Mom and I walked this morning. Her spark of joy and comment brightened my morning. Later at home, it was announced that Yellow Freight had arrived. Ah—the sticky tac for the Scheduling Kits was here. I went to the door and exchanged a few words with the driver as I signed the paper. He pleasantly asked me how my morning had gone, which surprised me as most of us are used to the simple, “Hello.”

As I thought about these two situations, I was struck by the impact of something more than a simple “hello.” May each of us reflect Christ’s love to those we see daily.

Joyfully His,
Sarah

What would you think if you saw a “rope” going across the sidewalk? Well, at first glance it looks like an odd sort of “rope”, but upon closer inspection, you see thousands of little “insects” sliding across the cement.

Christopher was finishing out his exercise with some stretches, when he discovered these terrible looking insects. He came home, called the widow who lived at that house, and then came to her rescue with insect “killer” spray. From what I heard described, I thought this could possibly be a Moody adventure, so I hurried out with my camera. The lady contacted our local extension office, and they assured her that she didn’t need to be concerned. Farmers will even use these little guys for something beneficial. So although they were pretty disgusting (just be glad you weren’t the cat that stepped in them!), it was nice to know we don’t have neighborhood invaders!

John helped get this “close up” photo.

Joyfully His,
Sarah

We are still working on the tiling. The family has discovered that tiling is tiresome, uncomfortable, and difficult work that seems to never end, especially when the whole main floor is tile. We are almost finished laying tile, and it looks great, but it still has to be grouted and sealed. Everyone will be glad when this step of the house is completed.

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri

Countless buckets of “mud” have been mixed up.

Extra “mud” has to be cleaned off the tiles and in between each tile. Anna, Jesse, and Mary have done a wonderful job!

Dear Friends,
I know I don’t often post, but I want to let you know that I do so appreciate all of you who have supported us with prayers and encouraging blog comments over the past many months. We are so very blessed to have you all as friends – even though many of you we have never met face to face.

It seems so amazing to look back at the past year. Just a little over nine months ago we learned that God had answered our prayers for a second child. Little did we know what a journey lay ahead. Now I am writing  with Abigail beside me. What a joy it is that God has given us 7 weeks with her!

I never could have guessed what an adjustment there is to being a mother. The first few weeks were so very hard; exhaustion, physical pain, and then the added challenge of postpartum depression. I’ve never felt so low in my life.

One of the verses I had memorized while on bed rest was: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). It was hard for me to accept that this was the path God had allowed. All the heartache, trials, and pain of the last 2 years seemed rolled into one big package weighing on my heart.

• “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God” – accept what He had allowed in my life.

• “…Casting all your care upon him …” – I sure had plenty of that, for there were moments when I found myself nearly paralyzed with fears and anxiety; from concern for Abigail to worrying about the economic stability of  nation (and everything in between).

• “…for he careth for you.” – Here was the truth I needed to cling to: God cares for me. He would see me through and give me strength and hope for each new day.

It was so weird to feel so low, when I was experiencing a dream come true…
Thankfully, by God’s grace, I am feeling so much better. Now I can look down at our baby girl and with a peaceful heart, rejoice in the gift from God that she is!

I am so grateful for the faithful, loving support that Nathan is for me. He has been so patient, and so faithful to speak truth to me. So many times while I was on bed rest I would tell him, “I think the baby will come soon.” He would simply remind me that the baby needed more time, and, “No, the baby is not coming for a while yet.”  That is the kind of support I need - he is so good to keep me on track.

We are so grateful to the Lord for His mercy to us. What a blessing it is that Abigail made it to 34 weeks gestation. She had such a smoother road than if she had been born at 26 weeks (when I first was diagnosed with pre-term labor). He has sustained us and provided for us through all the bumps and turns. Now He has given us a little girl to raise and love. Praise the Lord!

I love being a mommy! What a joy it is to get to walk into the nursery in the morning and greet Abigail…to sit feeding her and get to gaze at her little face and hold her hand…to watch Nathan holding her and talking to her…to watch her Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and cousin, hold her…and yes, even to be up in the middle of the night pacing the floor singing to her. What a joy it is to have a daughter!

I know that there are many people with challenges of their own right now. Some may be experiencing what we have gone through – infertility, the loss of a child, complicated pregnancy, hospital time…or many other challenges that are part of life on this earth. I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will be your comfort and your strength, and that you will be able to humble yourself under His hand, throwing down your fears and worries at His feet, gaining a peaceful heart, knowing that God cares for you and lead see you safely through!
Resting in Christ,
Melanie
 

For our 4th of July barbecue, we had the joy of having our family together after what seemed to me to be a very long time of not being able to all get together. Our last family gathering with Nathan and Melanie and Grandad and Grandma had been our Resurrection Sunday meal. That may not seem like very long ago for those who don’t live near family, but for us living on the same block, it is a terribly long time.

Just after that last extended-family meal, we headed out for a speaking trip, and Melanie was put on bedrest. Since Abigail has been born, Nathan and Melanie have kept her at home for six weeks. Those circumstances kept us from all being together at one time and place although we have seen each other and been together in various groups during that time.

We rejoiced yesterday to have a new addition to our family at her first Maxwell-family gathering, plus a recovering Grandad who could be there too. I was so excited that I asked someone to take a picture of Nathan and Melanie as they came in the door, and Sarah wanted a whole family photo after we ate.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 1:4). That is the joy I feel when our family is together.

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri

“And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:43-44).

One could hardly imagine walking into a place where the residents are mostly eighty years of age or older, in very poor health, without a home or finances to see this awaiting you.

The beloved members of our nursing-home church wanted to have a baby shower for our new, little granddaughter Abigail. This picture is what greeted us, along with the residents and many of the staff, of the nursing home when we walked in Sunday morning. We were overwhelmed with emotion. After church, everyone gathered around the table as Melanie opened gifts, and Nathan held Abigail. Melanie walked around among the residents showing Abigail to them and, of course, they all thought she was so precious. The members of our church have loved and prayed with Nathan and Melanie through Susannah’s death and now Abigail’s birth. Nathan and Melanie take over church the weeks we are traveling.

The Shower Committee

With joy, Nathan and Melanie showed everyone their new little girl.

Abigail was very alert and content.

Joy lit up their faces as Melanie went around to each one to show them Abigail.

Pure joy!

Mary and I with a sweet couple that comes to our service.

The shower in progress!

Nathan showing Abigail to another sweet lady, with Anna looking on.

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri

Yesterday, June 25th, was Abigail’s due date :-)! She is now a healthy 8 pounds 9 ounces and 5 ½ weeks old. The other night, I heard some excitement, and I thought maybe Grandad, who had just come home from the hospital that day, was at the window on the side of our house. No, actually, it was Nathan, Melanie, and Abigail, making their first, brief neighborhood outing. Because of Abigail being a preemie, Nathan and Melanie have been keeping her in the house except for her doctor’s appointments. We all happily hurried outside and greeted them.

Praising the Lord for Abigail,
Sarah

We were excited to set off for another evening at the little church in Gypsum, Kansas. This trip was different from the last time we were there in December for a few reasons: the weather was fifty degrees warmer, Nathan and Melanie weren’t with us because of Abigail, and neither were Grandad and Grandma because Grandad was in the hospital. Before we left town, the children played/sang several songs for our nursing-home church Sunday morning. Our dear friends were thrilled!

The children played/sang for our dear friends Sunday morning. 

The Gypsum church provided a wonderful BBQ for everyone before the service. Several men barbecued, and some of the ladies and children worked on the rest of the preparations inside. We were blessed by the kind provisions.

The pastor and his sons helped us carry all of the equipment inside.

The Girls

A Sweet Helper

We began the service with about an hour of music, interspersed with testimonies from each of us. Our desire is not to entertain but to edify and lift up the Lord Jesus. Dad shared from God’s Word during the next portion, and he gave a very challenging message. After that, the children closed with a new “medley” on which they’ve been working.

Joseph, Dad, and Anna

Mary

We were on the road a little before ten, and we had a good family time chatting about the evening for a while. Then most of the family decided to sleep, but Mom kept Dad awake talking since they had both had naps in the bus while the rest of us did the set up. We pulled into the driveway around 1:00 a.m.

Great news: Grandad was released from the hospital last night :-)!

Joyfully His,
Sarah

It’s been a few days since we’ve updated you all on Grandad. He is doing very well physically, which is a blessing. The amazing part is that he has no pain from his surgery! The plan is that he’ll move into a regular room today and out of the ICU. Another praise is that his lungs look good :-).

A few prayer requests. He is struggling with some confusion, and the prayer is that whatever is causing that (maybe the previous pain medication and sedation he was on?) would go away. Second, he was diagnosed with a very slow growing form of lymphoma. Nothing even needs to be done for the lymphoma right now.

Thank you for your prayers. We have been very blessed by them! Oh, and Grandad’s great-granddaughter, Abigail, is doing extremely well :-).

Our family will be going to Gypsum, Kansas (outside of Salina) Sunday afternoon. We are doing the Sunday evening service with music and preaching; this is the same church we did a Christmas service for December 23rd (and it was also Uriah’s maiden voyage!). We’ll come home late Sunday night.

Joyfully His,
Sarah for all the rest

Just a quick update to let you all know that Grandad is off the respirator (as of this morning). We are praising the Lord for this next step in Grandad’s recovery :-).

Joyfully His,
Sarah

Please continue to pray for Grandad. During the surgery, Grandad was put on a respirator, and he is slowly being “weaned” off of it, so they’re keeping him sedated. Plus, there’s the complication that he has pneumonia from all the “stuff” in his lungs, so they’re working on clearing that out before they “unsedate” him.

I saw Grandad briefly yesterday, and it was sobering seeing him so still, with a tube in his mouth, and monitors all around. But, it is encouraging to know that soon he will be awake and aware of what is going on. I guess he and Melanie will be able to sympathize on the aftermath of stomach surgery :-), although Grandad definitely gets the “prize” for the worst surgery of the two. 

Yesterday I heard that Grandad quoted, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalms 118:24), and Revelation 3:20 before being taken into surgery. Truly, he and Grandma have been leaning on the Lord, and will continue to be as they journey through this. Thank you for your prayers. They are an encouragement to our family, and to my Grandma, who checks the blog :-).

Resting in Jesus,
Sarah
PS - Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there! I know this year will be an extremely happy one for my brother who is a new dad :-). Dad and John arrived home today, so we’re very grateful to have them back safe and sound (they’ll post an update on that later).

We received word that Grandad came through surgery just fine. There was a high grade obstruction of the small intestine which was a band looped around it. Part of the intestine was taken out, but he will be fine. Grandad will be in the hospital for a bit of time while he recovers and gets back to normal.

We know the Lord Jesus doesn’t always choose to heal in the way we would wish. Yet, in this situation, He is giving our Grandad more time here on this earth. Truly, our Great Physician is amazing. All praise to Him!

Rejoicing in Jesus,
Sarah for the rest

Grandad.

One of his favorite verses:
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:20).”

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil” (Hebrews 6:19).

We read the above verse last night in our family Bible time, and it’s been on my mind as we go through this trial with Grandad. Truly, our hope is in Jesus.

The x-ray showed that things have become worse since the CT-scan, so the doctor decided he needs to do exploratory surgery this afternoon.

We are grateful for your prayers.

Only for Jesus,
Sarah

Abigail Hope celebrated her three week birthday on Sunday. Two weeks from today is her due date. Time is passing already.

Melanie and I are enjoying being parents. We recently received a note from someone who said, “Enjoy this time, the days are long and the years short.” Melanie can relate to the long days part. We’re not quite into the smooth sailing when it comes to feedings, sleep, and “mom’s” energy level. Melanie is also dealing with some post-partum issues, both physical and emotional, that have proven to be challenging. However, we’re working through things. It’s been a learning process for me as I seek to support and encourage her, and our families have continued to be a great blessing. I should probably add, this is not designed to be a “negative” paragraph, but rather honest. Neither Melanie nor I want our posts to be the “glamor shots” kind, but rather real and from the heart. This is just where we’re at.

All things considered, we feel very blessed to have Abigail at home. God lead us through quite a few years of waiting. We thought we’d be in this parenting phase with Susannah, but God had other plans. I frequently look at Abigail in wonder at God’s blessing. She’s such a sweet, precious little bundle. Even when she cries she’s cute, fragile, and innocent. It’s a privilege to walk up to her when she’s fussing, pick her up, and feel her relax and quiet down - wow! To those waiting and longing to experience the same thing, I know how that feels. I can’t tell you to “Just hang on, I know God will bless…” But I can tell you that what you wait for you treasure that much more.

Nathan

Grandad and Grandma, who live next door, are Mom’s parents. Grandad went into the hospital with severe stomach pain Tuesday. Since then, his condition has deteriorated, and he is now in ICU. Please lift him up in prayer. Mom is up with Grandma at the hospital.

In addition to Grandad being our dear, wonderful grandfather, he has been a wonderful asset to our ministry. He has helped when we’re away traveling, is always a great supporter of the ministry, even helping in small things such as when we compile Chore books.

Resting in our Savior,
Sarah for all the rest

Grandad helping with Chore books.

We are down to seven at home this week. Why? Dad and John left after church on Sunday and drove Uriah to Wisconsin. A homeschool father there felt the Lord’s leading to offer the use of his shop, tools, and mechanical expertise to help us. One project Dad has felt needed to be done was a complete overhaul on each axle to get them in new condition. It would cost a fair amount to pay someone else to do it, so this was such a blessing! They are also tackling many other repair projects on Uriah. We are extremely grateful to this sweet family who are “housing” Dad and John, taking care of them, and spending much time helping on Uriah.

(The sendoff Sunday!)

Because of Nathan’s cold, he asked Mom to spend the nights at their house to help Melanie with middle-of-the-night Abigail feedings. Mom was home in the daytime – but not coming home quite as early as she is usually up and around – and spending nights with Melanie and Abigail. As of Wednesday, Mom is now back home.

(A picture from when Abigail was in the hospital.)

In the meantime, the house work continues. Heat and humidity have settled into Kansas (and many other places!), but the boys are such great workers. We had a storm last night which cooled off everything, and we’re enjoying a break from the heat. We’re making steady progress. The tiling preparation has been done, and the first tile laid.

(Joseph cutting tile.)

(Jesse and Joseph taking the forms off the driveway.)

May Jesus fill each of you with joy in Him!

Only for Jesus,
Sarah

Joseph holding Abigail :-).

Anna holding Abigail.

Abigail and I :-). Abigail is so precious–truly, an incredible gift from our Lord. Thank You, Jesus!

Sarah updated you’all on the fact that we’re home! We are thrilled. To backtrack a bit, Thursday morning I got a call at the hotel room. I was there because I had come down with a slight cold and was keeping my distance from Abigail. I still am, as well as wearing a mask when I do need to be close to her, but I digress. My Mom, who was with Melanie, called and gave me the good news. Melanie had wanted to call but she couldn’t get out to the phone soon enough and wanted me to have as much time as possible to pack out of our room.

Since it was already a given that Abigail would be discharged with a monitor, upon review the only reason she was still there was their desire to see her gain weight. Wednesday evening when she was weighed she had gained 10 grams (30 grams to an ounce). When the nurse practitioner reviewed her chart Thursday morning the 10 gram gain must have satisfied their “weight gain” requirement and so once again, Melanie was shocked with a “Want to go home?” question. (Her previous “want to go home?” was by the doctor that released her from the hospital during the pre-term labor challenges.)

So, I packed out of our room and loaded up the car. It took awhile to get the paperwork signed and get Abigail loaded up. But, within a few hours we were happily on our way home.

We are settling into a routine at home. It is wonderful being at our very own house - a place we haven’t called home for so long. Abigail is doing well. She continues to be a good nurser, something we are extremely grateful for. Her billirubin numbers are still somewhat elevated, and she’s technically still a preemie. But, all in all she’s doing great.

Melanie is well as well. She is spending her time feeding Abigail, resting, and eating - that’s about all she’s allowed to, or feels up to, do(ing). She has a great attitude and is loving caring for little Abigail. Melanie had dreamed of having her own children for years. Susannah Joy was God’s first answer to the prayer of her (and our) heart(s), and Abigail Hope is His second answer. With Abigail, we’re getting to be active parents and each loving our role.

I’m hoping to be over this cold quickly so I can get rid of the mask and begin holding/caring for Abigail again. I’m afraid I’m going to lose my status as “professional diaper changer” which I’d earned in the hospital. Then again, I suspect there will be plenty of time to work back into that in the coming months.

Thank you for praying for and loving Abigail. Many of you have walked through these difficult seasons with us - thank you! There were so many times in this pregnancy that we were tempted to despair, wondering what the outcome would be. We sought to trust God and not give into our fears. We prayed that God would guide us, that He would make His way so clear we couldn’t miss it. And He has. I sit here marveling that as I type this, I’m sitting in my own house, while Abigail and Melanie are on the floor upstairs. Abigail is getting some tummy time and Melanie is laying next to her watching her. The trauma of pre-term labor is over, the c-section past, the NICU behind us, living 40 miles from home done! Amazing! Are we beyond troubles and fear - no. But, we are excited to be in this phase of caring for Abigail. God has proven Himself more than faithful, and we can rest in that.

Nathan