Seeing

 

More progress this week...

- The biggest answer to prayer is that after nearly six weeks, Jennifer's diarrhea has finally resolved.  Sorry to lead off the prayer update with diarrhea, but that's the reality of the struggle.  Very thankful.

- On Friday, Jennifer had her Final Exam so-to-speak at the Physical Therapy unit in Bridgeport.  Her demonstrable improvement on so many different levels (improved gait, strength, balance, flexibility) qualified her for discharge from the formal PT program.  So, that means no more driving an hour to Bridgeport twice a week.  Yay.  She will continue to work hard here at home with her own independent program in order to multiply the gains she's made, but we won't have to travel or pay for more therapy.  A shout out to United Rehab Physical Therapy staff--they were great.  Expert professionals who could see things we couldn't see and then guide her with a regimen towards recovery.

- I mentioned an Eye appointment scheduled for this week...that was rescheduled to Nov 8.  On the eye, Jennifer said to me this week..."look at my pupil, I think it is getting smaller."  Indeed, it's true. And she's having less and less double vision with far vision--though with the slightest downward gaze, the double vision is apparent.  Jennifer also finished reading Perelandra (after reading Out of the Silent Planet) this week.  Some of this reading is done patched, some done unpatched.  But I cannot emphasize enough, how thankful we are that she is able to read. We don't take this lightly. This was not a given eight weeks ago. And we were talking about it yesterday--how reading is central to soooo much of life. So, again, pausing to give thanks.

- She is walking in the woods more and more. Walked about 3.5 miles yesterday. She has an app on her phone which helps her identify trees. It reminds me of the way the Physical Therapists watch Jennifer walk and then comment about which joint is weak or inflexible.  They "see" things of which we are unaware.  And now, as we walk in the woods, we are seeing with new eyes. We look up into a big meadow above our house every morning when we wake up and throughout the day. As we walked by one of the biggest trees this week at the top of the meadow, we noticed that it's a Shagbark Hickory (of course, we live on Hickory Flat Road). It's always been there, but we never "saw" it before. 

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Our Team in Bundibugyo continues to fragment for this season. The Forrests are en route to San Diego for a 5 month Home Assignment as they transition from being 2-year Short Termers to 5-year Long-termers.  Thankful they decided to commit to a longer term of service.  They will reconnect with supporters to share their vision for continuing service in Bundibugyo. Can't wait for their return!

The McClures are halfway through their 4-month Home Assignment and will return to Uganda in January just as Christ School re-opens.  We are working together with the school's Leadership Team to plan a budget for next year, plan for recruitment and selection of new students for the S1 and S5 classes, and participate in a national re-registration process undergoing for all private schools (I suspect they are trying to assess how many private schools have survived the long Covid shutdown).  Please keep praying for Christ School, too.