Just a quick note to let you all know that Amelia and Amy-Beth have arrived, healthy, in Sydney. Yesterday we also put a deposit on a house and will move in the early part of next week.

Thanks you all so much for all your prayers.

Amelias in the hospital

Amelia was checked into the hospital yesterday. The Doctors are not sure what is wrong yet but best guess is pnuemonia. her Xray shoed no infection but here lungs are inflamed and she is having a hard time eating and staying awake.

She is on an IV and is getting antibiotics. I will post another update when i know more. Amy-Beth is at the hospital with her...they both could use your prayers.

She has arrived

This morning, the 10th of June, at 7:42, Amelia Lynn Arnette first saw the bright lights or this world. She was 8 lbs and 8 oz. She and her mother are doing well and resting in the hospital...her father on the other hand has his hands full with the first three at home.

For those who are curious she inherited her name from her great great(not real sure the number of greats here) grandmother on her mothers side. The middle name also comes from that side of her tree.

thanks to all those lifting us up.

The math doesn't work

I have been sitting here thinking about what it means to add another baby to our family. Tomorrow Amy-Beth goes into to have her C-section. At 7:30AM tomorrow bangkok time our family will grow by one. I can't help but think that adding another to our three kids already, will be an easy change. But something in the back of my mind...or atleast on the other side of the room, tells me otherwise...the first three. The number of children we have will grow by a third. If you looked at the simple math it would be just 25% more work...my wife could handle that...(just kidding) We could handle that. But for some reason it is not that simple. If I have learned anything from the first three it is that adding another baby is like starting all over again from scratch, just with a little more experience each time.

I love my son and look forward to each stage he grows through but I can't lie and I must say I am glad all the rest are girls. Our last child(most likely) will join us tomorrow and our lives will be changed once again. If you read this say a quick prayer for my wife tonight..for safety and and a healthy mom and baby.

Our goings ons

Sorry I have not been blogging lately . We have had to quickly pack our things and move out of our house. We are in Thailand now where my wife will have the baby. We are renewing passports and getting caught up on everyones Dr's visits.We are expecting the newest member of our family on June 10th and then we need to head to another city a few weeks after that for our big meeting.

As soon as we have the new babies passport in hand we will heading to Sydney to start our new work.

What to do next

Well we know one thing for certain (actually there are a couple, but who's counting) We are going to have to move. I will paste our letter to our leadership with the explanation but be in prayer for us as we seek where God would want us to come and join His work.

My list of reasons of why our family is fulfilled here mentally and spiritually could fill this email. Our Father is doing some incredible things and is way ahead of us on things we could only hope to have done in years to come. For example we recently found that someone, years ago, had come through and put the stories of the ancients into to both Cia Cia and Wolio languages and has them in audio format. We are currently making plans to mass distribute them. When we first arrived in Bau Bau we were the only unit on the ground and by the end of next month, an additional seven units (most from other orgs) will be here in Bau Bau. Our platform has taken off and Our Father has provided in ways we would have never expected providing all the equipment needed without burdening “Lottie”. We Love our role as SC’s we love our friends, both nationals, team members and other GCC’s in the area. We even like our chain of leadership all the way up the line. We could not ask for better leadership. I cannot imagine a better place or role for us. With one exception!

I have struggled with kidney problems since my first time coming to Indonesia. I have lost 60% function on my left kidney and as of last year lost another chunk due to a malignant tumor. Dr Van Williams was hesitant to let me come back to a humid climate like Indonesia but we assured him there was medicine I wanted to try that could possibly help control these stones. He agreed and we came back and started the medicine. After only two and a half months I went back for a check up to see if the medicine was working the doctor immediately found a stone more than a cm long. Every time he removes a stone it gets more complicated. He needed to leave a stint in between my kidney and bladder for eight day and when trying to remove it he could not because so many stones had formed on it.

So how do I fix the problem? The Dr agreed that the amount that I sweat due to humidity and heat drastically reduces how much urine I pass through my kidney. I have a genetic disorder called cysternia and the amount of fluids that I need to pass through is more than most. Living in colder climates I have never gotten a stone because I do not sweat and everything passes through my urinary tract.

We have done everything we can think of to make this work here and have run out of ideas. I am not comfortable leaving my family every 6 months while my kidneys take another hit. I have been warned that if this is not gotten under control my kidneys will eventually need dialysis and that is not what I want to happen!

As much as we want to live here, work with this SGL, be a part of the Southern Rim and the Pacific Rim I feel like we need to look for a much cooler climate.

Change in life is inevitable especially when following such a creative Father. There is something I have learned about making changes though, I must make changes based on passion not lack of passion. I believe that we are at a point that a change needs to take place for physical reason but not without following the passions Dad has laid on our hearts. My wife and I feel strongly called to work among those who have never had an opportunity to hear the His planl. We also feel gifted to go to areas that are neglected for whatever reason. We have spent the last three and half years serving in such an area and have been blessed to see the work blossom here as others have come and doors have opened.

I heard a quote a few weeks ago that said “that a slave to a perfect master has freedom” Our family is a slave to a perfect master and where he leads we will follow because we are truly free. We feel called to work among those who have not heard but whether that is in a city, a country side, or forest, if He calls we will go!

Andy

Back in Action

Finally...I am back home, with strict orders from the doctor. Everything from intake to output to limited activity. I am suppose to be taking it easy so I figure the most relaxing place I know is about 25 meters beneath the surface so today I got back in the water and went for a dive. The waves were a bit bigger than I anticipated but beneath the foamy crest was a sanctuary of tranquility and calm.

We haver full schedules for the next 7 weeks and then off to Thailand for two months.

Please keep our family in your prayers as we are at crossroads.