We made it -- what a trip!

January 16, 2010

Wow, what a journey back! Where do I begin? Our last week home was filled with packing and doctors visits. Our girls both got sick with upper respitor infections. Lydia got it first on Monday by Tuesday afternoon she was crawling around because her legs hurt so bad. Wednesday when she still wasn’t walking and Grace was now sick we went back to the doctor to find out that Lydia’s virus went into her legs and Grace had Lydia’s infection. Oh my. Somehow we got everything packed (okay almost everything – you never get it all in or remember everything – it’s a year and a half to pack for!). I was thankful I was even relaxed enough to still enjoy our last week. But I never seem to be able to do everything I hoped to. We defiantly ate enough though! We were done with food by the end of our stay. (Now on the other hand, sitting in Uganda where I can’t get all of the treats in MI…) We managed to visit Lydia’s class and say goodbye to her teacher and friends. We are so proud of her. Her teacher told us she was the best student she has very had in Bible. She said she knows her stories very well and prays beautifully. Praise God her love for Him shows! We are thrilled. We also had a last get to gather with Josh’s siblings and my family. Makes me miss them all the more. I am so thankful for our time together.

Then Friday we were on our way to Chicago to spend our last night before flying out. We had a special lunch with my parents on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building. What a view! We stayed at a hotel where Sliedrechts joined us (they were at IT in Elgin). The kids enjoyed the pool and I enjoyed everything. I soaked in all in…one last good meal (the Cheesecake Factory!), one last hot shower with good pressure, one last walk in the snow, one last time with family… We really are so blessed.

Saturday came and we made it to the airport only to find out our flight was canceled! Never had this happen before. To be honest I always wanted it to happen – Uganda will always be there but another day in the US with family is always a treat. We found out the flight was canceled because of snow in London and everything has been backed up since Wednesday. The best they could do for us was put us on another airline on Monday. They put us put in the Hilton at the airport and paid for two wonderful meals a day. Not bad! But it was hard too. We were all ready emotionally, we had only our airport clothes and carry-ons to live out of, and poor Josh had to move all of our luggage again. (We had 13 50lb pieces and by the time we got to our home in Soroti Josh moved them13 times! His poor back.)

So we went and settled into our new hotel (it was SO nice) and that our weekend continued to go wrong. We went to IKEA with my parents because that was their plan before our plans to fly changed. Right when we pulled into the packing lot we got a flat tire. We called someone to come while we went in to shop (I couldn’t buy anything my bags were full!). Two hours later the tire was still not fixed. We ended up taking a taxi back to the hotel – for $40! While my dad stayed to wait for someone else to be sent to fix the tire. Back at the hotel we swam and had a very late dinner. My dad finally arrived at 9:30pm four hours after this whole ordeal started and the tire still wasn’t fixed and he had to take another expensive cab. The next day we found out Moses Sliedrecht, my nephew, was in the hospital. He caught my kids bug and couldn’t breath because of croup. Man, what else? I had to ask.

Monday morning the day of our flight Luka woke up with 104degree fever, cough, and was quite lethargic. It was like panic mode all morning. I called my mom who called Luka’s doctor. We counted his breaths because he seemed to be breathing fast. Then called the doctor the hotel told us about. That doctor told us to bring Luka to the hospital for a chest x-ray and to be put on oxygen. What?! Lord, help us. Josh tried to call the airlines to explain while I went down to talk to the hotel and get the girls breakfast. Someone told me there was a doctor in terminal 2 which the hotel in connected to so I went up and told Josh I was taking Luka there. I didn’t realize the clinic would be through the security thankfully God had me see and talk to the man in charge and he help walk me through security. The doctor said Luka had the upper respitory infection too, his breathing we still in the normal range, his throat was red but not strep. He was okay to fly. Thank you God for being with Luka!

Now it was panic to get ready to fly but we got it all together in time. (Just missed out on enjoying one last morning.) We were really worried because the day before the airlines told us no carry-ons because of security. I was so upset. How can you travel with three kids and no carry-ons? Another thankfully, we were able to take all of our carry-ons. Changing airlines did cost us more for baggage and we may not get our miles. What could we do? Flying did go very well. Our kids do great. It is a LONG ways though. We got to Amsterdam after about a 4 hour night sleep on the plane. We found a nice baby lounge though were each family has it’s only curtained off room with a crib and chairs. That was nice. Two hours later we were back on another airplane (which they had to de-ice because of the snow there too). We landed in Uganda at 9pm Tuesday night. Unfortunately, four of our bags did not arrive and one of them was the one packed for the first couple nights. We were now without all toiletries and extra clothes. By the time we file our report for the luggage, packed the van, and drove to our guesthouse it was 12am. My eyes hurt, I didn’t feel well, and all I wanted was a bed. However, Luka didn’t. Thankfully Josh took him while the girls slept with me.

The next day I felt rotten all day. All I wanted to do is sleep (or go back to MI J). The kids did really well. They are so much better than me sometimes. Luka still had a fever but was doing well. I was very thankful for a couple missionary friends that called to welcome us back and one of them that had us for supper at night.

We all got a good 10 hour sleep and felt a lot better the next day. And our luggage arrived! Josh had to back to the airport to get it though (2 hour dive there and back). We finally got on the road to Soroti in the afternoon and arrived home at 6:30pm. When we told the girls we were in Soroti Lydia screamed and said she was so excited she just had to. I am so glad she is so happy to be back.

Our house was all in tack and even clean – how nice. Our friends brought over a meal for that night, cinnamon rolls for the next morning, and another meal. How kind! The girls were thrilled to play with all their toys again. Luka looked a little lost. We keep traveling and he wakes up in yet another place. He likes to be held a lot and loves being outside. Praise God his fever is even gone!

So we made it. We are finally home after a long journey. Thank you for all your prayers! What a blessing it was for us to know people were praying as we were delayed, Luka was sick, our luggage didn’t come… Now we are slowly settling in. It takes a lot of time to adjust back and unpack. The girls are already playing with their friends again. We went for groceries and were welcomed back by our Indian friends. And our workers and friends were thankful to have us back. It is good to have friends here.

I have a lot of thoughts and emotions after our trip home and coming back to Uganda. (Of course I do – I am Mandy you know.) I continue to be struck by the two different worlds we call home. It is hard. Coming back I realize what a blessing our time in MI was and how nice everything really is there – so nice! I realize how hard mission life is coming back and forth and leaving our families and our comforts. It is a sacrifice. Sacrifices hurt. I realize how much I love when I am in my culture and know and understand everything. It is so hard here when what is totally wrong to me is just right for them. I just want to scream with frustration. I realize how lonely it can to here and how few things there are to do. I am so troubled by the sins here and especially the ones in the church. Ok, I am troubled about that in MI too. Yet, I am thankful for our home here and our special family time and routine. I am not distracted here like in MI. My priorities are right here. I keep God first and my family. No TV, no shopping, no sports, no materialism to swallow me up like it could in the US. I struggle with how to express all I feel and we go through. It is hard to understand unless you have done it. Oh well, I know God knows. And I know He is still my reason we are here and we do this all. He is enough.