Thought we should send out a quick update on my post-surgery progress.  I am now nearly 8 weeks post-surgery.  All in all, things are going well.  I am back to work full-time and I am slowly getting back into all of my regular routines.   I still have a good amount of pain and discomfort, but I am noticing daily improvements and my tolerance for activity improves every day.  I am on a daily physio plan that mostly involves core strengthening, stretches, and Pilates/yoga type exercises, but I am hoping to soon start a higher level of rehab.  I had a bit of a setback when we returned to Kenya in that I picked up a double bacterial infection (unrelated to surgery) that knocked me out for 5 days.  I was unable to do rehab and it really zapped the bit of strength I had gained.  I am slowly putting my weight back on…..between the surgery and the double bacterial infection I lost 20lb!….so I am beginning to not look quite so emaciated.  The main thing I have to focus on now is taking it easy, listening to my body, and knowing when to slow down and when to push through.  It has been a long recovery process, and we still have a ways to go, but I am confident in a full recovery.  The surgeon, as well as the physio, feel that everything has gone perfectly so far, and they have encouraged me to be patient with recovery, as these things take time.    

The most difficult part for me has been the extra load it has put on Jess….for the first several weeks she had to be both Mom and Dad, and even though I am slowly returning to most of my parenting roles, she is still carrying more than her share.  I am blessed with an amazing, supportive, and caring wife, and my kids couldn’t have a better Mom.  It has been tough having to be a bit more detached from the kids (not being able to pick them up and carry them…especially Ethan who couldn’t understand) but luckily that part is mostly behind us now.  It has also been tough for us to accept the fact that we have only a few more weeks in Kenya, and we are limited in the amount of travel and activities we can do.  My surgeon told me I need to avoid bumpy roads for the first 3-4 months…well that cuts out pretty much anywhere in the country…especially outside of the city.  Ideally, we would have spent our last few months seeing friends around the country, saying goodbye to the different orphanages, schools, and churches we have worked with, camping and hiking, and revisiting some of our favorite spots, but trips to SA, the surgery, and recovery has dominated our lives the last couple of months.  It helps knowing that we are returning to this part of the world, but since we don’t know the exact East Africa country yet, it is still difficult to leave for now.  We know that God’s timing is perfect though.  We have no doubt that this whole process, though difficult and challenging, has been a great time of faith building for us and we have seen God’s hand in every aspect.  We know that He has a plan for us and are resting in that.  We could not be more excited about our future.

Thanks for all of the prayers and encouragement.  We gladly welcome any prayers in the future….specifically for continued improvement, healing, and relief from discomfort for me, strength and comfort for Jess, and for our family in the coming weeks as we say goodbye to Rosslyn and Kenya and as we move into a new adventure together.