Hello, sickness.

I hate sickness. And I REALLY hate it when my girls are sick. It's so hard seeing little ones hurting and scared, and so often as a parent, there's really nothing you can do except try and make wise decisions, hold them close, and pray. One of my biggest fears in moving here was the medical care. I knew that if any of us got sick, we would have to decide whether or not it was serious enough to get on a plane and fly to a bigger city. Driving across town to see a doctor would no longer be an option. We would just have to wait, observe, pray for wisdom, and then make a decision. I knew all of this, but the reality is much more difficult than the anticipation, especially when it concerns my babies. Thankfully, my girls were not seriously sick this past week. They were the victim of either a nasty stomach virus or a parasite. It did take a toll on their little bodies, and even now, they're not eating or sleeping well and both have lost some weight. They're not themselves, but in a few days, they will hopefully be my happy girls again. And I'm praying we can weather the winter months without multiple repeats of the last week.

I did learn something, however, through these recent days of sickness. I realized (not for the first time) that I struggle in trusting God to care for my children. I am more worried now, in this place, because good medical care is not available. In the States, I felt better knowing a hospital or doctor was only a short drive away. Which makes me wonder: Do I ultimately trust doctors and good medical care for our well-being? Or do I trust God? Because even though our location has changed, God has not. Medicine is indeed a gift, and I'm definitely not saying that we need to just trust God without seeking medical help. BUT…God is still the ultimate healer, whether there's a doctor nearby or not. My worry should not intensify simply because my circumstances are different. And our ultimate protection is not in the hands of doctors or medicine or safe surroundings, but rather in the hands of a sovereign, powerful, and gracious God. 

I am so thankful He has chosen to heal, even in our small sickness. And I pray that through more trials, the kind that come to all of us, we would prove to be faithful followers of Him. He has given us much reason to be grateful, and our struggle with sickness and culture shock and transition pales in comparison to the kindness of God through it all. Even in the little things, He has shown Himself to be gracious to us. 

• We have had several days of sunshine, which instantly brightens the mood. And it makes our clothes dry faster, a huge help when you're keeping up with sick kids. 
• We are slowly making friends here…my husband with a cab driver and a man we buy water from, and me with my language teachers. Today we went to a play area, and E followed a little girl around, so excited to have someone to play with. We SO desire friends for our girls, so this little foretaste was a blessing.
• I'm having to learn how to cook again, since the ingredients and ways of doing things are different here. But I'm doing it…and we're eating well. And I was even able to make apple cookies with caramel frosting tonight. Yum, yum. 
• We were able to travel to a bigger city recently, where we could buy butter and cheese and enjoy a Starbucks coffee. A treat.
• We took a walk last night and found a spot with a pond (albeit man-made) and some willow trees…in the middle of the city. Happy sigh.

AND, best of all…my baby girl turns one on Monday. What a precious and kind and gracious gift!

We are truly blessed. I still hate sickness, and I hope it is a very long time before any of us get sick again. But I'm thankful that there won't always be sickness. And I'm thankful that there is a God who can be trusted to care for us. Doxology.