Lawrence Family Update 3 - lawrencefamilyupdate

It's day 16 of our "vacation" and we are still a little in shock. We are now all under one roof and settling in as best as we can to our new normal. We've shipped in clothes from home (who knew we'd need clothes for 37 days!), taped photos to the wall, set books on nightstands and become personal friends with our local Starbucks Barista's...it's starting to feel like we live here. Of course, if we are going to be in house arrest somewhere, the sunset view at dinner time is not all bad! The scene that God paints for us each evening is a great worship service for us.

 

HOW IS MIKE?

Getting out of the hospital and having the family together has been a huge emotional boost to us all. Mike has begun walking and is in good spirits most of the time. We are starting to encounter the challenges of what it looks like to keep him still as he becomes more and more active. We spend our days trying to protect him from falls, balls, trips, slips, hits, fits, running, gunning, jumping, bumping and the other boy things that are off-limits for this next season in our lives. He still has some soreness and awkwardness but for the most part is healing on the outside quite well, as even his bruising is almost entirely gone now. We pray his liver and broken bones are healing and will know more with the next round of doctors visits. Mike spends his days playing card games (he's beaten Dad 7 games to two over the last two days!), working in activity books, and playing video games but mostly building Lego's. He seems most at ease when he is constructing Star Wars battle ships and fortresses, "not according to the directions." He and Luke spend hours upon hours each day doing this (hence the disappointment of the non-trip to Lego Land).

 

HOW ARE LUKE AND JJ?

The day of the accident Luke kept telling us, "I just wish that Mike didn't have to get hurt and that I could have broken my arm instead of him." It's a good window into his ability to care deeply, especially for Mike. And remarkably, both he and JJ have altered their rambunctious ways and have become Mike's new body guards, protecting him from anyone who walks near. Luke has now "found his sport" as he likes to say with tennis. We enrolled him in a tennis clinic and it's been good to see him engage with others and own something that he enjoys. Both he and JJ are also in a golf clinic, which is hilarious to watch as JJ spends most of the time pointing the club at the birds and screaming, "boom, boom, boom." The hotel is on a protected cove and often we have seen sharks, sea turtles and sting rays out in the water. We are humbled at God's graciousness to bring these experiences to us in the midst of all else that is happening.

 

HOW ARE WE?

Nan's mom will be here soon and we have had friends and family coming in 3-5 day shifts which has made a huge difference. Just having someone emotionally fresh to engage with the kids has given us time to breathe and it's safe to say we would not be doing as well with out the help. Through friends of friends we have been taken care of locally, we have even been adopted by a local young marrieds small group. It's amazing to see the body of Christ at work. Know that your emails and acts of incredible kindness are encouraging and have ministered to us deeply. But like most times of hardship, God and His Word have been our true consolation.

 

We leave you with a few verses that a good friend shared with us. Enjoy.

 

As Paul was traveling around Macedonia and Greece, passing from one gathering to another, giving constant encouragement and charging them with fresh hope he found himself in Troas. Here he met with others on Sunday to worship and address those who were gathered there to hear about Jesus. The plan was to leave first thing in the morning, but Paul talked on and on. The room they were was well lit and upstairs. A boy was there, a boy named Eutychus. "He was sitting in an open window and as Paul went on and on, Eutychus fell...and toppled out of the third-story window. When they picked him up, he was dead. Paul went down, stretched himself over on him, and hugged him hard. 'No more crying', he said. 'There's life in him yet.' Then Paul got up and went on telling stories of faith until dawn! On that note, they left--Paul going one way, the congregation another, leading the boy off alive, and full of life themselves." The Message, Acts 20:5-10
 
May we be full of life ourselves, because our boy also is alive.

 

Love,

Jeff and Nan

 

 

1/30/2012 9:46:12 AM