So, the internet is awesome.
We don't have final plans in terms of a car or a place to stay yet, but the response to my last post has been pretty incredible. So many of you have commented or emailed or messaged me on Facebook with all different leads, and all I can say is keep them coming! The popular proverb tells us that beggars can't be choosers, and although we're most definitely beggars in this case, we'd love to prove the saying wrong. I probably should have given a bit more complete info in the original entry, but I honestly didn't think that it would spread as quickly as it did. So here are a couple clarifications that might be helpful.
I had a chance to meet with the social worker down at CHOP on Wednesday, and she gave me lots of information about places in the area to stay. The Ronald McDonald House was one of those options, along with some hotels that offer discounted rates and apartments available for shorter rent and things like that. The Ronald McDonald House is an awesome place; my own parents stayed there when my brother had his surgery as a baby, but there are a few limitations to the setup. The one closest to the hospital doesn't allow pregnant women to stay there, so we'd have to make a move to the other one shortly after Ethan is born if we want to be closer and a room came available. They also only allow you one room, and I know this is totally do-able, but Zoe isn't a kid who really sleeps at all if she's in the same room as anyone else. For the sanity of all involved, it's probably best that we look into options with a bit more space. Also, my mum is planning to come down for the first few weeks after Ethan is born to be a support for us in caring for Zoe, helping me recover, and allowing us as much time as possible at the hospital with him. And while Phil loves his mother-in-law, I'm not sure how he'd feel about bunking down with her for so long.
We're definitely keeping all the options the social worker provided us with in our back pocket in case nothing else comes up, but we're also trusting that our God is a God who wants to bless us above what we can ask or imagine. (That's Biblical or something, right?) And given the fact that over two thousand people visited the blog on Thursday alone, I'm feeling confident that He's putting together a plan for us where we'll be able to have a bit of space to provide some stability and normalcy for Zoe in what promises to be a very stressful time.
While our financial situation (aka dirt-poor missionaries who weren't expecting to leave the field quite so soon or so suddenly) means that we'd be happiest house-sitting for free, we are certainly considering options that have us paying rent, especially if they're closer to the hospital, so if you hear of the perfect little place just up the street but weren't going to mention it because it's going to cost a bit, please pass along the info. We're hoping to just collect information for a little while and then figure out what will work best for us in terms of a combination of size, price, and distance from the hospital. I should be getting my dad to write a computer program to compare everything...
As far as a car goes, we've had a couple incredibly generous offers to borrow cars for different lengths of time, but I think it's probably time to man up and be real grown ups by actually buying one. This is weird for me. A month and a half ago I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be considering such things for another decade at least and now here I am, being part of the economy and everything.
At any rate, I'm hoping this gives a bit more clarity as to what we're looking for. We've still got more than five weeks before we need to be down there, so we have some time to figure out what's going to be best for our little family.
Honestly, this whole asking for help thing is hard for me. We've been relying on support for the past six years on the ship, but we've never really had to come right out and be this explicit about specific needs, so this feels a lot different somehow. It's probably just one more thing that God is teaching us on this journey, part of a larger lesson about how admitting that I can't actually do it all by myself is a good thing. But knowing that doesn't make it any easier.
We are humbled that so many of you are taking time to follow leads and offering places sight unseen to people you've never met. This is, I know, how it's supposed to be in the family of God, but it's pretty overwhelming when you're the one on the receiving end of this kind of love.
So one of these days, when we've got our own place and our own dishes and a life built up here on land, I'd like to have you all over for tea. And hopefully Zoe and Ethan will both be there to get underfoot while the kettle's boiling. I can't imagine anything I'd like better.
We don't have final plans in terms of a car or a place to stay yet, but the response to my last post has been pretty incredible. So many of you have commented or emailed or messaged me on Facebook with all different leads, and all I can say is keep them coming! The popular proverb tells us that beggars can't be choosers, and although we're most definitely beggars in this case, we'd love to prove the saying wrong. I probably should have given a bit more complete info in the original entry, but I honestly didn't think that it would spread as quickly as it did. So here are a couple clarifications that might be helpful.
I had a chance to meet with the social worker down at CHOP on Wednesday, and she gave me lots of information about places in the area to stay. The Ronald McDonald House was one of those options, along with some hotels that offer discounted rates and apartments available for shorter rent and things like that. The Ronald McDonald House is an awesome place; my own parents stayed there when my brother had his surgery as a baby, but there are a few limitations to the setup. The one closest to the hospital doesn't allow pregnant women to stay there, so we'd have to make a move to the other one shortly after Ethan is born if we want to be closer and a room came available. They also only allow you one room, and I know this is totally do-able, but Zoe isn't a kid who really sleeps at all if she's in the same room as anyone else. For the sanity of all involved, it's probably best that we look into options with a bit more space. Also, my mum is planning to come down for the first few weeks after Ethan is born to be a support for us in caring for Zoe, helping me recover, and allowing us as much time as possible at the hospital with him. And while Phil loves his mother-in-law, I'm not sure how he'd feel about bunking down with her for so long.
We're definitely keeping all the options the social worker provided us with in our back pocket in case nothing else comes up, but we're also trusting that our God is a God who wants to bless us above what we can ask or imagine. (That's Biblical or something, right?) And given the fact that over two thousand people visited the blog on Thursday alone, I'm feeling confident that He's putting together a plan for us where we'll be able to have a bit of space to provide some stability and normalcy for Zoe in what promises to be a very stressful time.
While our financial situation (aka dirt-poor missionaries who weren't expecting to leave the field quite so soon or so suddenly) means that we'd be happiest house-sitting for free, we are certainly considering options that have us paying rent, especially if they're closer to the hospital, so if you hear of the perfect little place just up the street but weren't going to mention it because it's going to cost a bit, please pass along the info. We're hoping to just collect information for a little while and then figure out what will work best for us in terms of a combination of size, price, and distance from the hospital. I should be getting my dad to write a computer program to compare everything...
As far as a car goes, we've had a couple incredibly generous offers to borrow cars for different lengths of time, but I think it's probably time to man up and be real grown ups by actually buying one. This is weird for me. A month and a half ago I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be considering such things for another decade at least and now here I am, being part of the economy and everything.
At any rate, I'm hoping this gives a bit more clarity as to what we're looking for. We've still got more than five weeks before we need to be down there, so we have some time to figure out what's going to be best for our little family.
Honestly, this whole asking for help thing is hard for me. We've been relying on support for the past six years on the ship, but we've never really had to come right out and be this explicit about specific needs, so this feels a lot different somehow. It's probably just one more thing that God is teaching us on this journey, part of a larger lesson about how admitting that I can't actually do it all by myself is a good thing. But knowing that doesn't make it any easier.
We are humbled that so many of you are taking time to follow leads and offering places sight unseen to people you've never met. This is, I know, how it's supposed to be in the family of God, but it's pretty overwhelming when you're the one on the receiving end of this kind of love.
So one of these days, when we've got our own place and our own dishes and a life built up here on land, I'd like to have you all over for tea. And hopefully Zoe and Ethan will both be there to get underfoot while the kettle's boiling. I can't imagine anything I'd like better.