Today, I ask for prayer for two special members of my family. One has two legs and two kids. One has four legs and we are looking for a wife for him.
Our one year old black lab, Bhootu Max, is really sick.
Our dog who is usually FULL of life cannot get up to walk and only raises his head to see us. We have tried to keep him in our yard by improving our fence three separate times. However, he can jump from standing position over 7 feet of fencing that has sharp spikes on the top. He has a circuit to run and greet his friends. He lives up to his name, Bhootu, which means "friend" in Lebwisi. His second name is Max. We had been in Uganda 3 days which included shopping for groceries for the next 6 weeks, driving a large car in unfamiliar African insane traffic, trying to buy meat to deep freeze, taking paperwork places, and picking up household things to take to our new life in Bundibugyo. As Travis was out with Scott doing such errands, I had the guesthouse call a taxi for me. What showed up was an old pick up truck that had a back cab with no seatbelts. So, I had my 3 month old in the BabyBjorn on my front, Lilli on one side, and Patton on the other side and I held onto them for dear life as we went to meet an aunt of a friend for the first time. Here I was in Kampala with three children under the age of 5 in a klunker of a pick up truck with an address to a woman whom I did not know. Eventually, after many wrong turns we made it there. So, while I am managing three restless kids, Travis calls and says in one breath "I saw a flyer for a lab puppy and Scott says that it is very rare to find such a breed in Uganda and there is only one left and I think we should get it...for the kids" When I asked if he had prayed about it, he said yes and then I asked if that was before or after he saw the puppy. So, that night, he showed up 2 hours late for dinner with our new friends and he had a puppy in tow. I named him Max, because if I was not at my max before I was totally at my max now!
When you ask Lilli and Patton what their favorite part of Africa is, they both reply "Bhootu!" After a year in which we have said goodbye family and friends in America and then to 12 teammates in Bundibugyo, it has been wonderful to have a puppy, to see new life grow. I can't imagine what we will do if he does not make it. Please pray for him to get better.
Anna Elisabeth: One of the hardest parts about being on the other side of the world from family is missing noteworthy occasions: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, weddings, and soon a graduation. Anna is two years younger than me and my best friend. She is one of those individuals who shines. She is super smart, athletic, friendly, and hilarious. She throws great parties and is a tender and thoughtful mother. She is supportive of her husband and a go-getter in her own right. She has a passion for learning, an analytical mind, and a great fashion sense.
For the past 6 years she has balanced motherhood of two, a job at a hospital and working on her doctorate in epidemiology and biostatistics. For the past 3 weeks, she has done all this while her husband is in South America leading a foreign study program. This Thursday, she defends her dissertation. So, I ask for prayers for her too. For stamina, courage, bright thinking, and clear speech.
Thanks for reading. Thanks for caring. And thanks for praying.
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