:: zambia.....an update ::

This is a hard post to write.  However, after talking to a couple of people this past week, I realized it's time for you all to know our plans for the future.  

So, back at the end of July, Tim and I made the decision to move our family to Zambia, Africa.  We really felt like God was calling us to minister to the widows and orphans there in N'dola, Zambia.  We were excited, anxious, and ready to get started moving in that direction.

About a month ago, it became very clear to us that God's plan was different than we originally thought. Doors started closing, left and right, and it started seeming very complicated in a lot of ways.  During this time, I was talking with a dear friend, who said, "Our God is not a God of chaos."  This really hit home with me, because at the time everything concerning this decision seemed so up in the air.  After much prayer, tears, and more prayer, Tim and I decided to NOT make this move.  (I wand to add right here that this decision was VERY hard.  Our hearts were in Zambia and one of our children was over-the-moon excited about moving to Africa!) One of the main reasons being Cooper.  He has made so much progress in the last couple of months....taking up to 7 steps on his own, using his left hand a whole lot more, and saying more words per week than I can keep track of.  I had come to terms with the fact that in Zambia, I would be doing ALL of his therapy myself....PT, OT, speech, on top of running a household (in Africa, mind you) and trying to minister to the Zambians.  With all his progress, we feel like it's not the right time for him to plateau.  We also had an insurance issue that we had not figured out.  We were looking at changing insurance and with a HIV+ child that is not easy...uh, pretty much impossible.  We weren't sure we were willing to risk Cooper's health care, right now.

It's funny how God works.  After we decided we were staying here, Tim and I both started seeing areas where we could do more ministry....and together!  This was a huge perk of the work in Zambia.  I kind of feel like God used the opportunity in Zambia to help me realize what my gifts are and my desire to use them, even if it's right here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Who knows what is in store for our family. Maybe one day we will move to Africa, but for now, in this season of our lives, we will be staying here.  All of our friends and family have been so supportive, and for that we are very grateful.