Entering A New Season

Well, I am rarely on the computer these days and when I do it's a quick stop to facebook. So I realized today that I never mentioned "it" on my blog. "It" being that...we are moving again...to Chiang Mai, Thailand, 12 hours north of here in the mountains.

This was a challenging decision for us to make. But really what was more difficult was the time just before we came to this conclusion.

As you may or may not know, our youngest son Aslan who will turn 4 in November is not yet speaking. Well, he speaks some, but typically not more than one word at a time. It's been a concern of ours for quite a while. We have reasoned it off on him having a more introverted personality, on him going through all the moves and transitions to 3 different countries, etc. We know that he hears and that he can understand, he just is not using words to communicate his needs or wants.

During our time in America, we took him to several appointments to doctors and therapists. Although no diagnosis was made, it was clear that we needed to be doing something more to help him. It was recommended that he be in at least one hour of occupational therapy and one hour of speech therapy each week. We knew none of those options were available to us in this city. So, we did what we could, which wasn't much with our limited resources. We put him in a preschool. (see the last blog post) It was a bilingual school and it was not giving him enough of what he needed. It was a strain on us financially, not to mention it was very far away.

It was so frustrating to need and to want to do something for your child that we had no ability to do. We were making a great amount of effort with very little results, and all the while, he was getting older and not progressing. Our hearts ache as parents for the simplest forms of communication from our son, the kind that gets taken for granted typically. Like asking for a drink, informing us of his need to use the bathroom, ....saying " I love you".  We have been trying to find a way to manage his tantrums when he too becomes frustrated by his own inability to express himself.  Then we second guess if he truly does understand certain things since he is not giving any feedback. The littlest things in life that should be easy haven't been...easy. It was this challenge that forced us to do the thing that we didn't want to do.

Not only did we NOT want to move,...we didn't even want to consider moving. The idea alone brought out insecurities in us; a sense of failure to not be able to make it here in this city, the overwhelm of moving again, not just to a new house, but to a city on the other side of the country, the debate of whether God wanted us to be still and trust Him for Aslan's growth or if we should be active and aggressive and get every help possible. We had a lot to consider, a lot to deal with within ourselves personally, and then had to deal with that fact that the other had their different way of dealing with it. The consideration process was exhausting. Making the decision was easier, although it took some time to get used to.

The easier part has been gaining peace about it all. Once we relented, it all happened rather quickly. Doors of opportunity opened in Chiang Mai while doors that were opened here closed rather suddenly. The timing of our lease here was ending and it was pretty clear on the when and where. I visited Chiang Mai alone and found an all English school for Aslan as well as different therapists (in English). We have none of this my current city. In Chiang Mai, I got to meet face to face with people I had only known through networking on facebook and after a few days I had more friends up there then I had ever had here! It didn't take long to see that God had a plan for US even though we thought we were going mainly for Aslan. That was very encouraging to us to know that we could do the best we could for Aslan and still be fulfilling our calling here. For some time, it seemed like the two were at odds with one another. So, it's with a sigh a relief that we are moving.

Well, we have lived here now over a year and have gone through all the startup purchases, like furniture, refrigerator, washer, etc. We aren't as light as we used to be since we have settled in some. So, this move cross country will be a different challenge for us. We will need a truck and a driver to get our things up there. I think me and the boys will be taking the overnight bus up while John delicately and carefully drives our car through the mountains. I know it's a 1995, but we have just had to put a lot of work into that car so it should be good to go. I don't really love that bus ride (see the post entitled "in all things give thanks") but I prefer that over the long car ride and dozens of "squatty potty" stops! :)

We are entering a new season, and as we know from times past, transitions can be stressful and can leave one vulnerable to an attack from the enemy. Please be praying for us in all the new things, for grace, and peace and joy AND that we see quick progress in Aslan!

We do have some mountains we are facing financially as we take on Aslan needing to be in a special school and having weekly therapy appointments. We will be speaking to that mountain/obstacle of an additional $300 a month to be removed. If you feel that you can help with this, please let us know. You can email us at spreadtheflame@hotmail.com or visit www.spreadtheflame.com.

Thank you so much for all your support. It makes a difference to have your encouragement and prayers.