For my first (and only!) class of swimming lessons this morning, I had a pair of twins who go to afternoon kindergarten. So I asked them that all important question - did you like not having school on Monday and Tuesday? (For those of you who are reading this and are NOT from Minnesota, schools here were canceled on those two days due to bitter cold.) I can't remember which twin turned to me and said, "No, I wanted to go to school because Tuesday was my sharing day." So now we know - sharing day trumps snow day any day!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
LUCRECH
Written by Mercy Ships' writer Grace Antonini.
He’s doing much better than yesterday,” Nick remarks, as he gently inclines five-year-old Lucrech’s thumb toward the pointer finger.
Today, Nick believes Lucrech is ready to touch each of his fingers to his thumb. It seems a small distance to cover – but, for Lucrech, it’s a milestone. One by one, nurses and patients gather around the pair, and a sheepish grin sweeps across the little boy’s face.
Not very long ago, most eyes on Lucrech were critical eyes. The only words he heard from his schoolmates were unkind ones. His physical problem was a seemingly uncrossable dividing line, separating him from other children.
You see, three years ago, while reaching for his brother’s toy, Lucrech tripped, plunging his arm into a pot of boiling beans over an open fire.
Without a skin graft to prevent the raw wound from forming inflexible scar tissue, the skin across Lucrech’s palm tightened until each finger was pulled into a permanently bent position. This is called a burn contracture.
Mercy Ships volunteer surgeon, Dr. Tertius Venter, explains, “To treat an acute burn wound in the First World, we would quickly do a skin graft before a contracture forms. We’d treat it with physical therapy and occupational therapy, and then splint it. But, in many parts of Africa this is just not available. The only way that the body can heal itself and prevent infection is by pulling everything together to close the wound up.”
A few months ago, Lucrech decided he’d had enough of school. He couldn’t handle the negative attention anymore. His classmates ridiculed him because he could not write or throw a ball. His mother, Nadja, recalls, “He loves to play games, especially soccer – but he had to play alone.”
Today, the deep, fire-etched scars on the five-year-old’s right hand go unnoticed. The people gathered around Lucrech and Nick are too busy celebrating a true showstopper – those five freed fingers that can move, stretch, grasp, wiggle, point and tickle!
Nadja comforts her son with a pat on the head as he tries to touch his thumb to his ring finger…two down, two more to go. She is beaming from ear to ear and clapping her hands in expectation. When the two fingers touch, everyone bursts into applause, exclaiming, “Très forte, Lucrech! Très forte!” [Very strong, Lucrech!]
Lucrech looks around the room with a big smile, unable to resist the temptation to flex a bicep (much to the delight of his nurses).
Nadja laughs. “He forgets the pain because of the attention,” she says.
“Okay,” Nick continues, “last one. Can you try to reach your pinky finger to your thumb? No? I think you can!”
Lucrech drapes over Nick’s thigh, his head turned toward the camera with a grin. These exercises for his newly uncurled fingers are painful – but, when everyone tells him how strong he is, he smiles and tries harder.
The pinky and thumb touch to another round of applause. Lucrech wrinkles his nose in response and then runs off to join a noisy group of his pals from the ward.
A few weeks have gone by, and Lucrech is back from the Hope Center for his weekly physical therapy. Like a miniature whirlwind he jumps up into the arms of one of the Africa Mercy crew members. All traces of shyness are gone; he’s a veritable entertainer these days.
“What are you going to do now that you can use your right hand?” the crew member asks him.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
We have a Lifeguard!
Yes, dear friends, we have a lifeguard back in the family and praise God! It's NOT me! My lifeguarding expired in May of 2012 and I have had no regrets! It was time to let it go . . .
A few weeks ago, I was talking to my "bosses" at the Y, Barbara and Lori, about Matt needing a part-time job and they practically jumped me! Barbara wanted him to be a lifeguard and Lori wanted him to be a swim instructor - we're a little short staffed right now. When I got home, I embellished the story a bit and told Matt my bosses were fighting over who would get him to work at the Y! After a few days of conversation, Matt asked me to sign him up for the blended learning lifeguarding class to be held this past weekend at the Y.
Monday through Thursday of this week, Matt spent daily time watching CPR-PR, First Aid and Lifeguarding videos. Friday (after a full day at school) he went to class from 4-8 p.m. and passed the prerequisites. Saturday and today he had class from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we're proud to say . . . he did it!
CONGRATULATIONS, MATT!
We do have an unemployed lifeguard on our hands, but he did send in his application to the Y when he go home . . . stay tuned!
We Voted . . .
overwhelmingly "YES!" as a congregation to offer Mike Shields the position of senior pastor at our church. Now, he just needs to give us the same answer!
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Excitement mounts . . .
You may or may not know, but our church has been without a senior pastor since June of 2012. It's been an interesting time (and don't we all love that word - interesting!). However, two weeks ago it was announced from the pulpit that we have a candidate and this morning Sam and I went to a time of "Meet the Candidate". While we personally did NOT meet the candidate, we enjoyed hearing him speak and answer questions. What impressed us most is that he is REAL and his desire is to OBEDIENT to God and His Word. Tomorrow, he will preach at both services and at noon we will have a congregational meeting to vote for the candidate. At this point, we're leaning toward a definite, "YES!"
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
HAPPY 2014!
We have a plan -
a family plan!
Our goal
(certainly NOT a New Year's Resolution!)
is to post one family photo each month
right here on "What's Zup?"
We drew months and
January went to Micah
So we'll see what she comes up with in the next thirty days.
Sam did see an "Awkward Family Photo" last night that he wants to duplicate when it's his turn -
I told him if we had boas
(as in constrictors not feather!)
around our necks it would be the end of our marriage!
Stay tuned . . .
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