The past three nights have afforded me zero chances to sleep in my own bed. Because a 10 year old with asthma is a force to be reckoned with and vigilance has been required.
Right now it seems everything is triggering him. Or maybe it's only one or two things that we just haven't clearly identified. I'm pretty sure oats are on the list which is almost amusing because he'd been eating them nearly every day. But yesterday evening the boys requested oats for supper rather than the leftovers I was planning to serve. I agreed and they eat had a nice, healthy bowl of oatmeal. Levi had been totally fine until shortly after he finished eating and then suddenly the coughing started and continued for several hours. I may be slow but I do eventually catch on.
Today he had honey sweetened tapioca in place of his favorite oats and tolerated them wonderfully. Fresh vegetable spring rolls with a peanut sauce for lunch also triggered no reaction. We'll eventually get there and figure out what he can and can't handle. Until then, maybe solid sleep or my own bed are just on hold for a bit.
Levi's diet and lifestyle aren't the only things changing around here, though. In fact, it would be easier to tell you the things that are staying the same. It seems every day brings tweaks and adjustments. There's a likelihood that we're adding at least 2-4 new children in the coming weeks. We have two new missionaries, Rachel and Jessie, that are here to help for roughly a year and they've been getting settled and figuring out their roles. They didn't come together, nor did they know each other before arriving, so the timing is purely God. They each bring unique gifts and talents and a lightness to the place ... we can't wait to see what God is going to accomplish through their help.
Ocean, our beloved Thai teacher, is transitioning from B̂ān Tā Yîm (our children's home) to our church plant/center of influence in town. It's a sad change in many ways because we love him and will miss him being here every day. But he has sensed God calling him to work and live there and we want to support that. We'd been praying for someone to really go in there and allow themselves to be used by God to reach the people, and so we're thankful He's answering that prayer. We trust He also has a plan to fill the hole left here at the children's home by Ocean's absence.
Also changing is the fact that we've been given permission to school the 9 youngest of our Thai children from here next school term. (The current school year ends for some of our kids as early as tomorrow) This, too, is an answer to prayer and with the "loss" of Teacher Ocean, it certainly has us praying and planning and throwing around ideas for how this is all going to work. Several of our staff have agreed to take on additional responsibilities to help meet the needs since we haven't yet found another teacher. It'll be interesting and we certainly need prayer, but we're grateful for the opportunity.
We've also been presented with a way to help with printing Christian literature to be shared among the Thai and Karen speaking people. Doors are opening for some other missionaries in Thailand and they've found people so eager for God's message of hope that they can't write, translate, and print fast enough to keep up with the demand. We are so excited to get to help and so thankful for this additional way we can involve our staff and children in outreach. It sounds like at some point in the coming weeks, the special printer and other necessities should arrive and get set up for the work.
As we watch the world swirl in chaos, with pestilence, natural disasters, suicide rates, hopelessness, and risk of a global war at an all time high, we're also being given front row seats to see how His Spirit is being poured out and hearts are being prepared to receive Him.
We ask nothing more of you than for you to join us in praying that that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. 1 Thessalonians 3:1-2