Travel, Oh, no’s, more travel ahead, moment by moment

Our trip over the weekend to Amarillo went without a hitch. Victoria was able to travel with us and Owen and Gailyn thoroughly enjoyed her participation in their activities in those hours we got to spend alone with them, which happened mostly Friday evening between 2 pm and 7 pm. The combined birthday partied took place Saturday at 10 am. They were rescheduled from Sunday to Saturday to allow me and Mama to attend. Mama and I were very appreciative of that. It was not a long visit, but it was a great visit. It was cold, but tolerable since almost all our time was spent indoors. We got a hotel Friday evening which was a disappointment is several ways but having our own beds without Chase and Makaila rearranging their house to accommodate us facilitated the trip.

The hotel was not bad, it was just a little frustrating in a couple areas. Victoria and I made three round trips from our room on the fourth floor to the front desk to get our access card reset because it would not unlock our door. We took the stairs each time which gave us some exercise, but it was frustrating to have to repeat the trip after the second failed programming attempt. Once in the room, a fairly large room, we were comfortable enough with the two queen sized beds and the small sitting area, but I am glad Mama and Victoria did not need to shower Saturday morning. When I used the shower the pull tab on the faucet was broken. Only half the internal stopper was attached to the tab so that when I started the shower only half the water flow came out of the shower head. It was enough water for me, but I do not have an issue getting my hair rinsed when I wash my head. All in all, it was okay. It is a little disappointing to pay as much as is charged by hotels only to find that the accommodations are barely adequate.

This morning I woke to a very trouble stomach. Chase had called to warn us that all four of them had only recently recovered from a stomach bug. It appears that there was enough infectious potential left in the family to affect me. Time will tell, but on the bright side, it was only a 24-hour bug for all of them. It is unpleasant but endurable. It is what the Apostle Paul refers to as a “light affliction.” All things being equal, I should be better tomorrow. Since I have to teach an 8-hour class, it would be better for me to be better by then. That class will be my only class this week since Mama, Victoria and I are traveling again starting Thursday morning.

This coming trip is to visit with Brittany and Andrew and celebrate birthday parties for the girls. In our absence this last weekend, Trace managed the feeding and watering schedule for our flocks and herds. The same will apply for the coming weekend. We will arrive in New Jersey Thursday morning and get back home Monday afternoon. Another quick trip. We are planning on traveling light in the hope of not having to deal with checked luggage. That will avoid the delay in arrival and will enable Brittany to fit us and our luggage into her vehicle when she comes to meet us at the airport. It is my first return trip to New Jersey since we left in late 2010. Going on twelve years now. Mama visited a couple times during the move Brittany and Andrew made a year or so ago, but this will be a first for me and Victoria. I am looking froward to seeing friends and family we have there from the ten years we spent in our church home there.

Meanwhile in Honduras, Cori and Nate continue to struggle to fully comprehend Blake’s insulin needs. We are praying that the newly updated passports get to them this week so that they can schedule a visit to an endocrinologist here in the States. They are wrestling through the administration of life-giving medication with far too many unknowns. For instance, the medical guidance they are currently following limits the administration of insulin to once every three hours, but Blake’s blood sugar ran high all day yesterday. His bedtime reading, which was less than three hours from the last injection of insulin, was over 400. What do you do? No one they currently have access to seems to feel qualified to give an answer. Therefore, it is imperative that they get some help from someone who understands juvenile diabetes and can help them tailor a program, a regimen, specifically suited to Blakes needs using what is available to them in Honduras. A very tall order. Thankfully, we serve a very big God.

Services yesterday were phenomenal. Caleb Garraway preached both services for us. He is a dynamic speaker. For a young man, only in his mid-thirties, he has had a prolific career so far. He has written seven or eight books on scripture, several children’s novels, produced dozens of music and educational CDs aimed at both children and adults. His latest project is called The Gospel Film. A video presenting the Gospel in a very clear way. The project will have the video produced in fifty-five languages in the first phase. Complete with text on the screen and voiceover for each of those languages. So far the video has gone out to over 40 million people in fourteen language groups. It is worth checking out and sharing. You can follow the link or look it up at saved@thegospelfilm.org.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbVqFVujkUE