Emily: You may have heard (or seen a million photos) that we recently
welcomed another member to our family. We thank God that Emily arrived safely in May 2013 and has been healthy, happy and
growing like a weed ever since. Her interests now include mashed peas, bouncing
on any possible surface, rolling, sitting, wooing her aunties, uncles, and
grandparents, and pterodactyl calling. So far, Emily loves sleeping in her car
seat during road trips, riding in her chariot stroller (aptly named), and being
“au courant” on all that is happening around her. She tends toward Pentecostal
expression at church and loves a good joke. We have very much enjoyed parenthood
over the last six months and hope to continue to do so for twelve and a half
more years when we assume it gets slightly less enjoyable. Thank you, family and friends, for your
endless support, help, advice, and baby paraphernalia. Emily is blessed to have
you in her life.
Felix: This last month, to Nathan’s great delight and everyone else’s
dismay, Felix, our fluffy white bull terrier cross, left us to join a retired
couple in swanky indoor-farm life near Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Due to the amount
of travelling and working outside the home coming up in the next few years, he
decided to opt for an amazingly cushy home instead of hoboing around with
friends and family. His unconditional love, antics, and patience (especially
with Emily) are sorely missed but we look forward to updates of his new
adventures.
Nathan: In 2013, Nathan balanced his first year of senior
residency (year 3 of 5, but who’s counting?) with his first year of fatherhood
and excelled in both. Nathan completed a
rigorous rotation of pediatric surgery during Emily’s first months of life,
giving us both an ongoing attitude of thankfulness and awareness of the
blessing of a healthy newborn. This summer, Nathan enjoyed Montana’s Glacier
National Park during the second annual men’s backpacking trip and learned to
pack a little lighter while teaching Emily to hike in the Canadian Rockies in
September. Currently Nathan is enjoying
a surgical rotation in endoscopy and the challenges of scoping and trying to
get people to listen to his experiences during mealtimes.
Abbie: After a Belizean family vacation in January, Abbie returned to work for the second school semester. She had missed
her students and colleagues after a leave and was glad to be back in the
classroom up until the week before Emily arrived in May. She looks forward to
returning to work in September 2014, but has been taking advantage of maternity
leave to spend copious amounts of time photographing Emily, while introducing
her to friends, family members, and a love of travel.
Coming Up: As a family, we are looking forward to what God has
for us in 2014 and ask you to keep us in your prayers as we begin the year in
Kapsowar, Kenya. We will be spending eight weeks at a rural hospital in the Great
Rift Valley as part of Nathan’s surgical program, partnered with the organization,
Samaritan’s Purse. Nathan is looking forward to the aspects of surgery he will
be involved in, including general surgery, obstetrics, orthopedics, plastics,
and urology.
We
would ask you to pray:
· for safety as we travel from Saskatoon through Nairobi
and Eldoret to Kapsowar
· for good health and protection from disease for
ourselves and Emily during our stay in Kenya
· for Nathan as he ministers in surgery outside of his
scope of practice, with limited resources and within a high-risk HIV
environment
· for both Nathan and Abbie that we would adapt quickly
and be useful and effective in ministry during this time despite language and
cultural barriers (Swahili and local tribal languages)
· for wisdom and guidance as a family as we use this
time to consider future plans within medical missions
If
you are interested in learning more about the hospital at Kapsowar and what AIC
(Africa Inland Church) and Samaritan’s Purse are doing in this area, ask us or follow this blog… or
you can visit: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/medical/mission-hospitals-kapsowar-hospital-kenya/
You
can also check out the blog of an American general practitioner and his family
that live and work in Kapsowar here: http://joneshousehappenings.blogspot.ca/
We
would love to hear from you and wish you a holiday full of family, friends and
time to reflect on the real reason for the season!
Sincerely,
Nathan,
Abbie & Emily
"He has shown
you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8
but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8
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