Past Due Update

I have been meaning to sit down and write a blog for a while, but life has gotten in the way. Or maybe just not knowing what to write about.  Probably a little bit of both.  Lots has been going on over here so I will try to give the highlights without boring you with the details, which we all know is not my strong suit.  In any event, let's see what I can do:

• Savannah's SAT test has been delivered to Mom & Dad's house and they will bring it with them to Thailand next week (NEXT WEEK!) and we will bring it back to India.  She will complete the test mid-April so we can send back for scoring.  Please help us pray for the 50% score she needs in order to graduate.
• We are both anxiously counting down to next Monday night, around 10 PM IST, when we board the flight heading to Bangkok & meet the parentals and Michael for a week of fun and relaxation.  My heart is happy with anticipation.
• I am excited to announce that I have accepted a position as a Customer Service Manager with Safmarine Container Lines, which is a sister company to Maersk Line, and within the Maersk Group.  I will be based in the Woodlands (Houston) office when my contract is up here in Chennai. I will transition between my current role with Maersk Line and begin working with the Safmarine team next month.  Praise God for answering prayers for a good position in Houston - doing everything I love - leading a team, working with customers, and being able to use my recently acquired knowledge of working in our Indian service centers!
• Our pastor's family has temporarily relocated to Canada, somewhat unexpectedly.  I told you about their sweet daughter, Prasansha, who passed in November.  They needed a break from India and some family time, so they booked flights home for Christmas to visit with Sheralyn's family in Florida, then Shawn's family in Canada.  Unfortunately, they were met with some obstacles with the local Foreign Registry office regarding their son's guardianship paperwork and had to postpone until they were granted an exit visa... which took several weeks and their attorney petitioning the High Court.  They made the tough decision to stay in Canad until they could get Leroy's citizenship, which could be several months.  Savannah is missing her weekends hanging out at their place, and we are missing their spiritual leadership, not to mention friendship.  Our church leaders have really stepped up and keep the services wonderful, but we all miss the Achesons, even so.  Please continue to pray for the family struggling with all the emotions of losing a daughter, sister, friend.  Savannah, too, while you're at it.  It's been tough on everyone.  We hope they will be able to come back before we leave in July but it seems unlikely at this time. 
• Savannah and I met up with our local RJ (radio jockey) friend, Paloma Rao, for a radio interview on the only English radio channel here, Chennai Live, 104.8.  We met at the new Coffee Day Square and enjoyed some delicious caffeine and good girl talk.  We talked about our experiences in Chennai, my Texas accent, what we will and won't miss come July, and she surprised us with a "rapid fire" round of questions/phrases, which I failed miserably.  We didn't get to hear the end result since we don't have a radio in the car or at home (seriously!), but Paloma said she will send the link to me soon.  I'll post here at some point or another.  We had a good time and it was another neat experience for our memory bank and Chennai-scrapbook.
• We sent a great friend-turned-sister to Savannah back to her Canadian family last week, separate from the Achesons.  Sandra came to Chennai after completing a study at the Impact School of Missions in Bangkok so she could serve in another church's ministry.  God has some slightly different plans, and He used Sandra with the Acheson family during the time they needed someone the most, and she made a great impact with our church. She was a blessing, a friend, a confidant, an organizer, a life-saver and so much more during her six month stay.  She is a godly young woman with a bright future in front of her.  I am so thankful she was here to build a strong friendship with Savannah and share her strength with the church family. 

So that's the latest and greatest here in Chennai.  I have been thinking about writing on the emotional aspects of this move back to the US, but I don't think I am quite ready to deal with all that yet.  Savannah and I are both having some mixed emotions as reality sets in deeper and deeper with every decision we make.  Oh, I forgot to mention we booked our flights home.  July 7, 2014, we will leave India as residents and return to the US.  That's been a big decision we've been grappling with, moving from excitement to sadness to fear to confusion and everything in between.  Anyway, more on that another time.  We send our love and thanks for your continued prayers, cheer leading, and support.  Below are a few pictures and I'll post more when we get back from our upcoming Thai holiday!  Sending thoughts for peace and the love of Christ to each of you!

Our FB post from Paloma's page

My future...

An AWESOME group of folks from the Word of Life, Chennai

Sandra, an honorary Grant girl

Indianisms, Texan'd up

As we get further into our second year here and as we think about making plans for our return to the US, I have become more conscious of the mannerisms and Indian grammar and phrases I have picked up.  And I like to point out Savannah’s just for fun.  She has more than I do.  Or maybe I realize hers more than I realize mine, but I like to think she has more than I do. Here are some examples that might make you laugh. Or pity us.  I am sure we will be teased when we get back and can’t speak our American English properly for a while.

Example 1- Today I wrote an email to a colleague in the US and said, "He must be knowing.”  I hit send.  Then I thought, “OH MY GOSH!”  American Nikki would have said, “He should know.”  Wow.

Example 2 – I always take the lift in our flat.  I never take the elevator anymore.  I mean, that word is too long.  And flat is shorter than apartment, too.  This just makes sense to me. Savannah teases me.

Example 3 – Savannah does the head bobble. A lot.  She answers with a wobble for any YES questions in school and many times at home.  I do it sometimes.  Not as much, but it happens.

Example 4 – I do this hand thing.  Well, I do a few hand things.  One is that my right hand goes to the middle of my forehead and I bow my head a bit when I am thinking something is funny but usually tied in with a bit of disbelief.  For instance, my co managers are all quite the comedians.  They tell me funny stories and I shake my head, laugh and tell them they are nuts.  The stories are sometimes so silly that I can’t believe some of the crazy stuff they say and do.  And there goes the hand to the forehead.  Another hand thing is like what we in the US call “jazz hands” – kind of shaking the hand quickly - and it’s basically my contribution of “whatever” to the conversation.  I am generally annoyed with the context of the conversation or brushing something off.  I do this a lot.  I must be annoyed a lot.  LOL  It’s just the right hand, too.

Example 5 – I don’t say, "You’re welcome,” much anymore.  I have changed it to, “very welcome.”

Things I don’t say out loud but I hear/say (in a perfect Tamilian accent, by the way) in my head during conversations with my Indian friends:

“siri ok.” This just means agreement. 

“solinga” – this means “tell me” – many Indians answer their mobile (cell) phones with “Solinga, Nikki”

“sapdia?” – did you eat yet? – this is the Indian equivalent of “how about this weather?”  When there’s an awkward silence in the lift (which is often) I sometimes crack myself up thinking of how I will start a conversation with a stranger and open it with this.  Because this is SO non-American.  Yes, I am easily amused.

“ama” – this means yes. 

These phrases are sprinkled in our English conversations all the time, which is why I hear them in my head.  But my spoken accent is so bad that nobody can understand me so I don’t even bother saying them.  I did tell my co managers about this a while back and they think it’s hilarious, but they did not encourage me to say them out loud.  I wonder why?  LOL. Tonight before I left, I got a quiz. My co manager asked me to pronounce some full names of the team members. I know them all, of course, but saying them is a whole other story. They all laughed with me when I gave initials. Oh, India. 

As July gets closer, my emotions get more all over the place.  I am so happy to be going home and seeing my family and Michael all the time. It will be great to be able to have all the conveniences that I took for granted in my American life: driving myself anywhere, anytime; putting stuff into a dishwasher; drying clothes in a machine; running an errand (ANY errand!) in less than half an hour;  working during the daylight hours and sleeping when it’s dark; downloading iTunes updates in less than 6 hours; being able to have a Skype conversation without losing the connection or picture after 15 minutes; TEX MEX! and so much more. 

However, I am really starting to think about all the things I will be missing, too, like the awesome church home we have found and have so much connection to.  Of course, with that church home come the church friends – more like family – that we have made.  I am teary-eyed writing this (shocking, I know).  I think about the fun team I work with and the terrific co managers I will miss laughing with so much. Our amazing American expat friends and their wives.  I am already sad to think about leaving chicken biryani and sag paneer with garlic naan.  I will miss having a driver since I don’t love driving.  I will miss the bonding time Savannah and I are forced to have and sometimes I think I won’t survive.  I will miss hearing kids playing outside in the courtyard at the flat, on the cricket field and running to greet Dynamo (even when I am late for work and trying to hurry).  I will miss the fresh tender coconut juice and the sweet little man who sells it right outside our complex. 

I know both of these lists will grow as July races towards us.  We have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in.  Thailand flights are booked. Hotels and tour packages are in the works. Countdown to hugging Mom, Dad and Michael is in full swing.  Kerala isn’t booked or looking positive.  We can’t have Savannah out of school much more and the rainy season will start soon. I am still trying to fit this one in…  I have an SAT test to administer to Savannah.  I need to firm up a position back in the states.  I am working on a car for when I return.  We are making some decisions about Savannah’s plans and future for our return.  I feel like I have too many irons in the fire and I focus on one thing and something else moves to the wayside.  It’s a daunting task – this international move – even if it is back to where we came from.  So much to do and plan for, so little time!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support for my girlie and me.  We appreciate it more than you know and send you all our love, hugs and prayers.

We attended a wedding tonight & brought Sandra along for the fun. The beautiful bride was on our team when I first came. Here are a couple snaps (pictures).  Enjoy! 

Philosophical Nikki

To whine or not to whine?  That is the question.  I could very easily whine about what a crappy week this has been. Obviously, I feel like it’s whine-worthy. But then I ask myself what benefit will this bring?  I can whine about a few different things… India.  Work.  My poor kiddo.  Her school.  Her principal.  Our hot water heater.  Family back in the US. But will whining actually do anything? Will it even make me feel better or will I just have verbalized (or written) some negativity and put it out there to the world?  I am reluctant to say I will not whine.  Because, by nature, I am a whiner.  Most of my closest friends and even some of my not-so-closest friends know this about me.  If I am too cold, too hot, too tired, too hungry, too full, too caffeinated, under caffeinated, too broke, too alone, too crowded, too ANYTHING, and you are around, you will probably hear about it.  Since my time in India, I have worked hard at reigning in my whininess.  It’s hard to understand until you put it into practice, but using the gratitude method (being very thankful for everything you DO have or CAN have instead of what you do not or cannot) makes a HUGE difference in your mindset and those people who are lucky enough to come into contact with you.  I wonder if my friends from Word of Life realize how whiney I am?  Or have I done  a good job on this mission while living here and kept it “under wraps?” And that doesn’t mean I don’t feel too this or too that.  It doesn’t mean I don’t get frustrated and just fake the emotion of NOT feeling whatever whiney way it is at that moment.  It simply means I choose to think about it from a different perspective.  Example – It’s hot here this week.  Like high 80’s and humid-sun-blaring-sweating-while-walking-the dog hot.   But it’s terrific in the early morning when I get home from work and we walk a few loops around the building.  And I know that while we are out sweating at 3 PM.  And I also know my friends in the US are under crazy amounts of snow or ice and freezing their booties off, so I won’t complain about a little heat.  I guess the easy way to think about it is to consciously shift the perspective.  I am working on it.  But, MAN!  Some weeks are harder than others.  Some principals make it really difficult to try and show the Christian love I know I need to. Some days waking up early to run around the hot, loud city to complete ridiculous errands that should not be required make me really want to whine. Sometimes knowing my girl’s heart is still hurting so much from missing her little Princess Prasansha now that we are back in Chennai makes me want to whine.  In times like these, I am working hard to turn to scriptures and remind myself that God is there for us.  When we are angry, sad, frustrated, furious, broken, our loving Savior is there extending his Holy arms and providing supernatural comfort.  The kind of comfort we can’t get from anywhere or anyone else, no matter how hard we try. It’s taken me a few years (about 37) but I am finally getting it.  Not only can I find comfort in His Word, but listening to praise and worship music and letting that goodness fill up my ears, I find that it spills over to my heart and I feel better.  I went home from work yesterday in a much better mood than when I arrived. Dynamo and I did about 4 loops around the building together in the crisp, cool air in the early morning quiet of Padur.  I enjoyed an episode of the Ellen show, ate a bite, and slept much better and more peacefully than the day prior.

We got some great news this week – Savannah CAN graduate this year.  She will need to meet the credit requirements and pass a 12^th grade standard achievement test with at least a 50% score.  No problems there.  There was a problem of having that test administered.  I was able to contact a company who provides these tests in the US and found out I can actually administer it to her myself!  Praise God! Tick that off the list – now to prep her for the test and keep her focus on completing her studies.  Light at the end of a multiple-month battle tunnel!

Hmm what else?  I posted all of ourLondon and trip home pics on Picasa. There are entirely too many and I am sure they will bore you to tears, but if you haven’t seen London, at least flip through and see what you are missing out on.  Then plan a trip.  It’s amazing.  And, of course, our family time at home was fun so there is some good stuff in that album.  It took a while, because, HEY, I live in India and the internet is a heck of a lot slower than that in the US.  Why didn’t I post them there?  Good question. I guess because I am a ding a ling.  Oh, well.

We did plan our trip to Thailand – looking forward to the first week of April when Savannah and I will meet Mom, Dad and Michael in Bangkok.  Airfare bought and tour/hotel plans in the works. I am really excited and looking forward to it!  We are still hoping to squeeze in a trip to Kerala, “God’s own country,” but that’s gonna be a big dent in the wallet and fitting it in before their rainy season is looking doubtful.  But I am trying!! We would love a weekend in Mumbai, too, but (again) that costs rupees that just aren’t there.  If anyone wants to pay off my student loans for me I can do all this travelin’ fun.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Yeah, darn it, that’s what I thought.  Haha

So… yeah, I guess that’s about it for us. Of course I will ask for you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers, especially for comfort and peace for Savannah’s heart. In the meantime, we send our love and hugs across the ocean and around the world to you, our wonderful friends and family.  Happy wishes for a great weekend and try to remember how blessed you are, instead of how much you lack if that happens to pop into your head.  It works!!

Welcome, 2014!

Happy New Year!

Savannah and I are back in Chennai and doing well, other than her jetlag and cranky attitude for the past couple days.  Health wise she has been great and our visit to Houston only resulted in the one scheduled appointment and one follow up for some blood work.  Which is her least favorite thing, but she dealt with it and now the US CDC is checking to see if she had a small case of scrub typhus, a mite-borne illness, along with her Typhoid and another virus that started with an A.  So very thankful to have that behind us and have my girl back in school catching up on her makeup work and looking forward to graduation in June. We have confirmation from the umbrella school in Florida that she can complete her studies based on the same requirements we understood, but still working on the school here in India to confirm this in writing and also to confirm they will administer or coordinate the required standardized test. It seems to be never ending, but I am confident she will be a high school graduate six months from now.  Which is just nuts to me.  How can my baby girl be graduating?  I am too young for all that. Aren’t I? 

This question takes me to our visit home.  I turned 37.  I had a hard time with that number.  I also had a hard time with 27... Something about those numbers being closer to the next decade than the middle of the decade and being closer to older than younger, I guess.  I know it sounds ridiculous, but I was pretty quiet and some might say cranky (or pissy, thanks, Mom!) for a day or two and I guess this was why. I had to sit down and reflect on the emotions, have a reality check, and realign my gratitude-meter and remind myself of all I am blessed with.  This year brought more reminders that time doesn’t stop for anyone and nobody is guaranteed a certain amount of time on earth.  A few years back, many of you remember a very close friend of mine lost her younger sister to cancer at only 22.  This year we lost a very close friend to cancer at only 4.  I was heavily intertwined with both families during the hospital stays and the last few weeks for each of these very special girls. It was awful as an outsider, and I can only pray for God’s great comfort for these families, even today for the first and continue prayers for the second. 

The past year and a half in India feels like the blink of an eye, which makes turning another year older even scarier.  I know the next birthday will come just as fast as this one did, and the next and the next, God willing.  That means I have a lot to do and not a lot of time to get it done!  I am still unclear as to what God’s will is and why he sent us to India.  I have a couple ideas, but either I am not looking hard enough, or maybe looking too hard, to find that big answer.  But then I wonder… maybe it’s not a big answer or reason at all.  Maybe it’s a whisper of something that happened here, or is yet to happen here, or even back in the US as a result of our time here. Maybe it is simply His will to blueprint Savannah’s life with a great cultural experience that will serve His Kingdom someday far away.  I can’t help but hope and pray that we do know before we go, but I guess that’s the human nature in me. Whatever He has in store for us, we have had our good days and bad days here, our stressful and our not-so-stressful days here, just as we would have had in Texas.  These days, though, were sprinkled with a crazy adventure that included lots of laughs as we learned to acclimate to an entirely new culture, a change in mindset that allows us to share the road with cows and goats on a regular basis, an understanding beyond our American world of convenience and instant gratification and an immeasurable appreciation for the family, friends and loved ones we moved so far away from. Yes, my birthday was a time for reflection and I am so thankful for all the opportunities and blessings we have been afforded as a result of our big move. Whether we know His reason yet or not…

Our trip home was terrific.  I surprised Savannah with a three day trip in London, which was amazing.  She loved it so much she said she’s moving back.  We enjoyed typical London weather – overcast, drizzly and cold – on day one, but days two and three were SO gorgeous with blue skies along with the crisp winds and cold weather.  We layered with thermals, jeans, jackets, scarves and gloves and braved the tube (subway) and streets to see as much as we could in our short time there.  Some of our stops included: The London Eye at night, a walking tour that helped us cross paths with His Royal Highness Prince Harry pulling into the residence of Prince Charles and Camilla (exciting!), a ceremonial changing of the royal horse guards, another ceremonial changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey (which was more amazing than I ever thought possible), Hyde Park, the Parliament buildings, the Thames river, the Tower of London (with all the crown jewels!), the London Tower bridge, Big Ben, 10 Downing Street, the Chelsea area, and so much more I can’t remember.  We even met up with the friend of a friend and enjoyed a Christmas Carols show performed by Hillsong, which was a terrific jolt to get us in the holiday spirit.  It started out a big surreal for me, sipping Starbucks (right next to our hotel!) in the cold, in London, and Harry Connick, Jr. came on the radio.  So what happened?  I started crying.  Hahahaha Savannah was mortified.  I pulled it together quickly, but just was so overwhelmingly thankful, blessed and humbled by the entire scenario.  It was a wonderful trip with memories I know Savannah and I will both look back on with love, laughs and fondness.

Saturday morning we packed up and headed for Houston.  After a couple hour delayed flight, we were eventually airborne and ready to see the family, friends and Michael.  We had a great trip home, enjoyed more cold weather (well, I complained and wasn’t sad to be heading back to warm India, really) and our terrific family and friends.  We didn’t make any huge plans or schedule any big dinners this year, but time sure passed quickly and soon it was time to head back.  This time our goodbyes were different and more dry-eyed, which I imagine is because we see an end to our Indian adventure and a new beginning back in Texas in the very near future.  In a short six months we will be heading back over to re-acclimate to being a couple American girls. We will be crying over here on this side as we say goodbye to some really terrific people from work and church that have such a special place in our hearts… but so much to do in the meantime!  Mom and Dad (and hoping we can get Michael along!) will meet us in Thailand in a couple months for one last international trip.  Savannah and I will make a trip to Kerala to see the natural beauty that India has to offer.  Some friends from the office are coordinating a weekend getaway for our group to Bangalore.  So much to do and see, so little time!

Here are a few pics from our holidays.  We hope yours were blessed, full of laughs, love, friends and family.  We send our appreciation for your thoughts and prayers for us as we head into the last quarter of our stay here in India.  And we send our love.

Cheers to a prosperous, successful and LOVING 2014!

Merry Christmas!

Someone sent me a message today and asked me to please update my blog since the last one was early this month.  So I will rush and write this to let you all know December finally got better!!!  Praise the LORD because I wasn’t sure I was going to survive if it didn’t.  Today is Tuesday, December 17, and we have been fever free since last Sunday, December 8.  More than a week and we made it through a Sunday night – which has been unheard of since we started this sickness journey.   We have been in touch with Savannah’s pediatrician in Houston who was nice enough to refer us to an Infection Disease Specialist in Texas Children’s at the medical center in Houston, and we have an appointment set for the Monday after we arrive.  I am hoping he will check her, look at all her medical charts and lab reports from over here (oh, we did a little more lab work based on HOU doc’s suggestion – all came back negative) and magically know what the issue was and confirm that it is now gone and won’t be back (a mom can dream, right?) She has been eating well and had a normal amount of energy since Thursday evening last week, which relieves me more than I can explain.  Except with that normalcy came the normal teenage-sass.  Too bad that couldn’t have gone away with the illness.  In any event, she’s healthy, Momma’s happy.

And in other news, we are leaving India at 0400 Wednesday (4:30 PM Tuesday for you Texans), which is less than twelve hours from when I type this.  We will board a British Airways jet and hop off in London.  What Savannah doesn’t know is that we are staying in London for three days.  (((SURPRISE!! MERRY CHRISTMAS, SAVANNAH!!)))  

We will brave the cold and go see some sights, enjoy high tea and eat some beef while we are there.  I am hoping for some better weather than the forecasters are showing now – above 50 and sunny would be ideal. I guess I’ll just take the healthy kid and be happy.  Saturday morning we will board from London and head home for Christmas.  Home with my sweet nieces, my parents, my boyfriend, brother & his wife, even my stepson and his new family, and so many of our friends.  I can’t wait to see everyone and celebrate Christmas and a New Year in Texas!

I will try to update from our travels, but no promises.  In the meantime, Savannah and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!  A holiday filled with love, joy, and all the wonders of the season.  We hope you take some time to think about our Savior and consider how glorious our Heavenly Father is to have sent His Son for our sins. Powerful stuff.  We also send you very Happy New Year wishes and thank you for your prayers and thoughts in 2013.  Each of you is special to us and we are so thankful and so blessed to have you in our lives, near and far.

Cheers!!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

December Better get Better REAL Quick-like

So… Indian hospitals.  We took Savannah to the one by our house back in May when she had a month of stomach issues – near daily vomiting after a pretty ugly virus – for an ER visit.  And she swore she wouldn’t go back to that one or any other.  My daughter is a bit of a medical wimp.  She gets it honest, really… I am not much braver.  I still faint when I have blood drawn.  But I am an adult and use logic and know when things need to happen and tests need to be run and so on.  She is a teenager and doesn’t quite understand all that.  Of course nobody WANTS to have blood drawn, injections or hospital stays.  But most people, when feeling bad enough, will concede and let logic take over the fear or emotion involved.  Not my kid.  She is SO hard headed.  She might get that honest, too…   I knew when she called me into her room around 5 AM on Monday that something was wrong.  I found her with a fever, trembling and looking pretty terrible.  I gave her a couple Tylenol, a big cup of water, a cold rag on her neck and lay down with her.  She had been complaining all weekend about knots on her head behind her right ear.  That pain, coupled with the fever was enough for me.  I sent Gideon a message to let him know we needed to get her into the doctor on the same day.  And last time we were there, the doc suggested a hospital stay to do all necessary tests in one shot.  Knowing Savannah well enough, I declined but kept it in the back of my head.  Monday morning I changed my mind.  I had to figure out how to break the news to my anxiety-ridden daughter.  I decided we were going with me sneaking a packed bag into the car and letting the doctor be the mean one.  Yep, I am THAT mom.  And it was a good plan.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to work because all her clothes, for once, were in her room and not out in the wash area (AKA dining area).  Dang it all!  So then I decided we would go with the love and logic route.  After giving myself a pep talk and knowing as long as I keep my emotions in check (have I mentioned I am a crier these days?) and sound positive, loving, and concerned, she will have to understand and agree that the hospital admission is the way to go. Right?  Wrong.  This child used every ounce of her energy, which wasn’t much, to argue, yell, physically get in the way of me packing a bag and then locked herself in the bathroom, refusing to go.  Yep.  My sixteen-year-old turned into a toddler.  And honestly, I expected it.  She’s terrified.  She’s sick.  She’s miserable.  And I was forcing her to do the very thing she was most against.  So after I raised my voice she left the room and let me pack her bag.  That was when she locked herself in the bathroom.  When I told her if she didn’t open the door I would have the maintenance men come by and take it off the hinges (and I was serious), she angrily complied.  I was too stressed to use logic anymore and emotion took over.  I cried when I told her I don’t know what is wrong with her and we can’t figure it out until she gets more tests.  I told her I was sorry she’s already had blood drawn three times and nothing has come back conclusive.  I told her I wish there was another way, but let’s make the best decision and get her admitted, get any and all tests done in one shot and get her well.  I reminded her she has already missed over FOUR weeks of school and if she really wants to graduate this year then she has to get back in there and get caught up.  I reminded her that in less than three weeks we are heading back to Texas for our holiday break and she needs to be healthy enough to travel, not to mention enjoy her time there.  I told her I don’t always know the right or best decision, but I know we need to do this to get her well.  She was still angry, wouldn’t speak to me, but got dressed.

We picked up Gideon on the way and she was silent for the entire car ride.  We met the doctor a little over an hour later.  He was concerned with her high fever, asked a few questions which she refused to answer since she was still in non-speaking teenager mode.  I answered most of the questions, but the doctor wanted to hear from her.  He is a nice man.  He understands her anxiety and spoke to her with compassion.  He explained that the tests already taken do not indicate what is wrong and he wants to do a few more and observe her.  She finally acknowledges him but says she doesn’t want to be admitted.  Ultimately, she was admitted and the first test to be done was a CT scan. 

Monday night passed pretty quickly.  She had quite a few visitors and she was in pretty good spirits (Thank you to those who came and took the heat off mean mom!)  There was no CT scan, though.  I asked at least five times and the nurses all said they were checking or the scan centre was full and would call when it’s time.  They never called.  When I went out at 3 am to ask for a blanket (again) and just stood at the nurse’s station until a blanket came, I asked about the CT scan.  One of the girls told me it was now scheduled for 8 AM and they would come get us.  OK.  Blanket in hand, back to the – oh, let’s call it a “bed” – in the room and a few hours of tossing and turning with a few naps woven in there, 8 AM comes.  Shortly after, I am up and walking to the door to go find out, and a nurse comes in, hands Savannah some hospital issue clothes to change into and a wheelchair for the ride down.  She does the scans for her chest and abdomen after a small wait and heads back to the room.  In the meantime, we snuck a visitor in outside of visiting hours (yes, we are quite the rule-breakers!) and she shared some smiles and laughs with her friend, Sandra, while we waited.  Not too long after Sandra left, Gideon came by to check on the patient.  She was still having the pain behind her ear and the usual no-appetite, but nothing else at the moment.  The nurse came back a bit later and said the scans were clear, which was good news.  But it didn’t tell us what was wrong.  Sigh.  After a couple hours, the doctor called Gideon and said she would stay another night as we wait for a fever.  It was sounding like malaria was the culprit, but it will often only show up during a blood test taken when the infected has a fever.  So, oddly, we were hoping and praying for a fever.  Praying for a fever and a diagnosis and a treatment plan and health.  But no fever came.  Tuesday ended, we are mid-afternoon Wednesday and there’s still no fever.  So it’s about time to start the discharge process, which is fine.  I am over being here.  Savannah is over being here.  There isn’t anything productive going on, no real monitoring of her food, drink or other levels.  Nothing I can’t do in the comfort of our own home, anyway.  Like everything else here, I am sure the discharge process will take time.  I don’t expect to leave before at least two hours pass, probably three.  Maybe they’ll surprise me.  (PS, editing from home and it took a cool 3.5 hours to discharge…)

So the next steps… wait for a fever.  Take her to local clinic and get a blood test if and when it comes back.  Make her eat.  Make her drink.  Pray.  Then, when we get back to Houston, take her to see her regular doctor.  Maybe the comforts of the good ol’ USA will help ease her anxiety and we can complete some tests there.  Suggestions include another blood test (won’t she be thrilled?) and endoscopy (another fun conversation, I am sure) to start.  We will bring all her records with us so he can see everything we have done and get his thoughts…

Changing the subject completely, and while I realize this is really long, I need to let you know that little Prasansha passed away last Thursday.  She was in a lot of pain from the tumors and left us around 2 PM IST.  Indian customs surrounding death are quite different than that of the western world.  Christians in India are buried.  Hindus are cremated.  There’s no crossover or option for this to vary.  And there’s no funeral parlor to come pick up the family member (she passed at their home) and prepare the body for burial.  Generally there is a refrigerated box brought to the home or a place of the family’s choosing in which the deceased is displayed for friends, family and neighbors to come and pay respects.  Or gawk.  Or who knows what else.  The Acheson’s did not want that, so they went with a same-day burial.  Fortunately, another family handled all arrangements when Prasansha first fell sick a few weeks back, so this was possible.  The casket people came to measure her.  Dr. Rajiv from our church came by and helped prepare her little body by cleaning and dressing her.  The service was set for 5:30 PM at a nearby cemetery.  The casket guys came back around 5 ready to pick up and transport her body.  Turned out the little casket was an inch or two too short. As with most things here, proper measurements were not taken and they eye-balled it.  And her little legs were bent at the knees.  Shawn mentioned this was pretty normal for India – “good enough” – but in the US (and Canada, from which they hail), good enough is NOT good enough.  We expect perfection and we expect above and beyond.  Keeping in mind her soul was gone to be with Jesus and it was only her “earthly vessel” – it had to be OK.  (I don’t know what they are called here, so we will keep referring to the casket guys as such.) The casket guys carried her downstairs from the apartment with no lid and put her into a beat up little van.  Again, back home this would not be acceptable.  The departed would be taken by a nice and clean, shiny hearse from one place to another, so this was just overwhelming.  The Acheson house emptied and we all went to the cemetery.  The most crowded cemetery I have ever seen.  Now, I don’t do cemeteries or ghost stories or scary walks around Halloween like some people do.  I don’t like to be scared, so maybe there are crowded cemeteries like this back in the US, but I am ok not knowing this.  We got there as the sun was setting and the casket guys kept telling Shawn and Sheralyn they should have done it earlier to avoid being there after dark.  Thanks for the newsflash.  Things happened as fast as India would let them, and we were all there now.  Sheralyn’s mom was Skyped in for the quick eulogy.  Well, I think it was quick.  I don’t remember a lot.  I didn’t hear what the pastor who was speaking said.  I remember they offered to let everyone walk by the casket, which was already in the shallow grave, before they put the lid on.  I chose not to see her after she passed.  She was very thin last weekend and that was hard enough for me to see.  I know she lost more weight in the next few days.  I wanted to remember her with her little chipmunk cheeks, big smile and sweet fresh head of hair instead of the sickly little girl who came in the last three weeks.  After everyone who wanted to had filed by, they hammered the lid on.  Yes. They hammered the lid on.  Drove the nails in.  Right there.   Man, it was hard to hear.  And to see the kids crying over the loss of their friend.  And sister.  Leroy, her six-year old brother, stayed in Shawn’s arms and cried during most of the service.  Realization that his little buddy had left was setting in.  Mcartney, her 11-year old sister, is more analytical and logical about it.  Or else the reality hasn’t made its way to her yet.  We will miss that sweet girl.  So funny, so happy, and so confident after only a few short months with the Acheson family.  We are blessed to have known her and will always have a little spot on our hearts carved out just for Princess Prasansha of Nepal, adopted by Canadians living in India. 

I am sure I have left out some important parts of the days leading up to and hours during and after and days following her death.  It has been a whirlwind of emotions here the past weeks and days.  I am amazed at the faith and strength Shawn and Sher are able to have during such a difficult time.  They came to visit Savannah Monday.  Less than a week after they buried their baby girl, they were here for us, offering moral, spiritual and support as friends and family.  I don’t understand how they can be at a hospital so quickly, but they are.  They know she is with our Savior, dancing and laughing, in no more pain.  They know she spent her last almost year building her confidence with the love of a family.  They know she died peacefully.  Loved by not only a family, but knowing the love of Jesus Christ.  We should all be so lucky to have that spiritual confidence at any age.  We will miss her.  The Acheson’s will host a celebration of life service next Monday or Tuesday evening so all those who could not attend her burial can help remember Prasansha.

OK.  So this is long enough.  I am hoping the next blog post will be about how Savannah is healed and back to her normal bratty teenager self.  We both thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts as we move through some tougher times here in India.  We are looking forward to a little H-town love from our family and friends in the upcoming few weeks.  And Tex-Mex.  I am pretty sure I’ll feel better after I have some Guadalajara in my belly… after a few big hugs from my parents, brother and family, and Michael, to start.  Again, we appreciate your prayers, warm thoughts and good vibes as we work to figure out what is ailing Savannah and for our safe travels mid-month.  You are all a blessing to us!  Love from Chennai!

Thankful.

Every single day.  We are thankful. We have made some amazing friends here in Chennai. We are blessed with terrific friends in Houston and all over the globe. We have a loving family anxiously waiting on us to come home next month. We have an awesome church and church family here. I have a fun job and terrific coworkers here and in the US that I get to work with. We have been exposed to a new culture and have had the opportunity to travel this side of the world. There's been a visit to the Taj Mahal, Delhi and Jaipur with my sweet girl, which made memories to last a lifetime. We got to experience Malaysia, Singapore & Chennai with my love and my parents.  These are the big things.  Of course there are little things, too.  We have our celebri-dog, Dynamo, with us to complete our little family here.  We have a dependable driver and in-home helper to make our lives easier here in this crazy world.  We have Gideon (who really falls in the "big" things category).  We have food (some of it American! in our cabinet LOL) and shelter.  We have technology to keep us in touch with friends and family around the world.  We are blessed.  We have much to be thankful for.

 

Usually I would have health on that list. And for me and most of those close to me, I am so thankful for health. Unfortunately, we've had a lack of it with Savannah this month. And often since we've been here, actually.  More than we've ever had, which is unnerving and stressful. We are both impatiently waiting for last week's antibiotics to kick in and get her back to her normal, feisty self.  We've also sat countless hours with a sweet four-year old fighting cancer this month. We are praying for a big miracle from God to heal her completely, but preparing our hearts for her to walk into Jesus' arms and out of pain. But how do we do that?  How do we prepare our heart to say goodbye to such a sweet girl, little Princess Prasansha, who brings smiles and laughs and love to everyone she meets?  I'm in awe of her parents, Shawn and Sheralyn, and their grace during these very hard weeks. Amazing faith. I don't know that I could be so understanding in the same situation. Selfishly, I hope I never have to find out. We will keep praying for them to have the strength they need and the answers for their older two children. 

 

We are winding down this year and getting in the "countdown to home" mode.  As long as everyone is healthy, we are looking forwrd to a fancy Thanksgiving dinner with some friends, including a few Americans and a New Zealander.  We will be thankful for each other and for some delicious food and wine. I am hoping for some turkey but not holding my breath.  I might indulge in a massage and pedicure if time allows, for which I will be thankful.  We will visit Prasansha and be thankful for her and her loving family.  We will attend a wedding of a dear friend and be thankful for the opportunity.  We will simply be thankful.

 

I am ticking off the "shopping weekends left until we leave" mentally and realizing I won't get much shopping done between Savannah not feeling well and wanting to spend time with and help the Acheson family.  And that's OK, because the meaning of Christmas is not the presents for us.  It's the love.  We are immeasurably thankful that God loved us so much that He sent His Son in the form of a small baby over 2,000 years ago.  We are blessed daily with His mercy, grace and forgiveness.  These things come in handy with us being imperfect humans.  We are happy to celebrate this special holiday with our loved ones in the US.

We are going back to the doctor tomorrow and hoping for some next steps to get Savannah well.  I had a meeting with her school yesterday and we aren't much further along with graduation plans than we were a month ago.  We will continue to ask for your prayers and thoughts for these obstacles.  Please also keep Prasansha in your prayers.  Scans yesterday showed tumor growth again.  We love you all and wish our American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving!  We hope everyone takes some time to reflect on the wonderful things (and people) that have happened to them in 2014 and to be thankful.  We are thankful for all of you and are blessed by your thoughts, prayers and encouragement all the time!  Gobble, gobble!