March 16, 2017
Back from Iraq and Time in Asia
Warren is back from Iraq.
It is good to be back home together!
Thank you for your many prayers, It is not
easy being apart and for me to parent alone.
He is still working through some of his experiences. I am so grateful that he was able to offer
his surgical and leadership skills. We
continue to pray for the work of the field hospital and liberation of
Mosul. He is catching up on his “chronic
disasters” here in Congo. There is no
lack of challenge here!
Thank you for your responses to our blog, and support
during Warren’s time in Iraq.
We just returned from a medical conference in Asia and
vacation in Thailand. It was my first
time to visit Asia! Bangkok is a huge city, and quite easy it is to get around by
train/plane/automobile/tuk-tuk. Emmanuel
ate at McDonalds for the first time in his life. I kept saying, “it is so modern!” I am not sure what I was expecting. As always, it was a huge encouragement to
meet together with other physicians from around the world and attend great
lectures. Emmanuel made lots of friends and rode an elephant. What more could a kid want?
We enjoyed several days in a place called Krabi
on the coast of Thailand. We did some snorkeling and
playing on the beach. Now Emmanuel has a
better idea about where fish live, as there are not any bodies of water close
to where we live. We ate lots of padthai and fresh coconut. We are grateful
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Visiting the reclining Buddha in Bangkok |
Thai style |
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"Look Mom, I'm under the fish!" |
Parenting
Emmanuel loves having his Daddy back! It is really special to see the relationship
they have. They could blow bubbles for
hours (guess who gets bored first?) or make silly noises/gestures. I know that he admires his Daddy and one day
he will understand what he does everyday to “help people” when he rides away on
his motorcycle. I am grateful for all
the wonderful experiences our son is able to have in the village: playing with kittens, caring for his
chickens, picking flowers, playing in the treehouse, collecting guavas, and
stomping in the rain barefooted. I hope
that he will have great memories of his early years and the flexibility we have
enjoyed as a family. It is so nice to
work close to home…everything is only a walk away.
I keep learning the same lessons over and over, like the
fact that kids thrive on routine. I can
tell when Emmanuel feels stressed from traveling because he starts sucking on
his shirt and wanting to be held more.
He loses his patience and gets more aggressive, especially when he can’t
communicate (or understand) all his needs.
Our son is a picky eater and this all gets amplified when we
travel. He eats best in his own chair in
his own house, in his own particular way.
So it is great to be home here in Congo again.
We are so grateful to have the support of so many friends
and family members. We need you!
Blessings and love,
Lindsey
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Elephants can paint!!! |
Vacationing with our friends the Bartons |
Making Thai friends |
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Krabi, Thailand |
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Swimming in the warm blue waters! |
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Emmanuel's first haircut |
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The lunch choices were endless |