Trenching, traveling, transitioning

Friday evening and Saturday, I slowly worked on the trench that needs to go from the utility pole to the carport/shop. Digging is like weed eating for me. I can only do it for about an hour per day because of the back issues I am having. The trench is only about 125’ in length but it is in clay and roots. I used the potato plow to mark the path and get the first four or five inches of dirt and root cleared away. Other than that, I have about six feet of the trench taken to the correct depth. I am guessing it to be about four hours of work total – which will take me several evenings. That is not even the hard part. I still have to go from the shop, across the yard, to the other side of the house to put in a receptacle for the camper Nate and Cori are living in. That is about 225’ total. Fortunately, Nate will be here to help. Maybe he will see an easier way to get power to the camper. Power will go to the shop regardless.

Nate, Cori and the kids will be on the road today heading from the Pace, FL area to the farm. It will probably be a two-day trip. Mama and I have driven it many times and the best we have done is about thirteen hours of driving time. Everyone is well right now and the kids are looking forward to being at the farm. Nate and Cori are praying the Lord will fill up their schedule so they can continue to gather the support they need to get to the field. At this point I believe they are at 43%. With only one year of deputation under their belts, I think they are doing well but there is always a sense of urgency to get the job done and get started on the work that initiated the calling. The lead missionary at the work in Honduras suggested that they come down with the kids in this slack time. It was a good suggestion but a costly one. Well, one of the churches they recently visited is going to pay for the airfare to get the family to Honduras so they can expose the kids to the work. Praise the Lord! Now all they need to pay for is the hotel they will need to stay in – unless the Lord provides something else for them.

Brittany and Andrew got to bring the twins home last night. There is still a bit of concern about Zoe’s bilirubin count. She was the first through the birth canal and spent the longest time in that state of compression; causing some bleeding under the scalp (perfectly normal) and all that blood has to be treated and removed by the newborn liver.  It may take her liver a just a little longer to get about the business of normal activity with the increased initial load it has been assigned; but it knows what to do. When I think about the little lives, even the normal act of breathing, digestion, liver function, kidney function, etc. it truly amazes me how wonderfully made the human body is. Just so you know, bilirubin is a yellow substance that the body creates when it replaces old red blood cells. Too much bilirubin in the blood causes the yellowing of the complexion known as jaundice. The liver helps break down the bilirubin so it can be removed from the body. If we knew all the autonomic functions our bodies carried out in the course of a normal day we would have a much greater appreciation for our bodies – and perhaps a greater interest in their care.

The twins first night at home was a good one. Brittany had to get up and feed them at 12am and 3 am. Zoe is still having an little trouble regulating her body temperature – another wonderful thing our bodies for us – but they were able to wrap her warmly to compensate. Other than that, the two of them slept through the night. As they begin to realize that they are hungry and crying out for mom is the way to get that hunger sated, they will become more demanding, but the current patterns are working well for Brittany. Mama slept through the 3 am feeding – as did Andrew. Brittany said she could not wake him. I vaguely remember Mama telling me the same thing many years ago. It did not take long for her to realize that those early morning feedings were better handled on her own. It made for more pleasant mornings overall; especially when I had to get up and go to work two hours later.

I am sure Brittany and Andrew will work it all out – and the babies will help.