Chronicles from the Fields...: June 2013

Monday, June 24, 2013

Update

Friends,

Thank you for your sweet words of encouragement and personal testimonies of the Lord's goodness in similar situations. After carefully researching and speaking with doctors, we will be travelling to Singapore this week. Consulting another doctor will give us better results to bring back to America when we return on July 26.

Our plan is to leave Papua on Wednesday, June 26 at 11 AM. We will arrive in Singapore that evening. Thursday morning we will meet with an OBGYN and have another ultrasound. Friday will be reserved for any follow-up appointments. We will board a plane to begin the long journey back on Saturday, catch an overnight flight from Jakarta to Papua, and arrive home on Sunday morning.
Please continue to pray that the Lord would receive the maximum amount of glory in this situation, pray that our little one would continue to grow and develop the way the Lord has planned, and please continue praying peace over us.

-Amber and Josh

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Baby Harrington Update/Prayer

We went for our first ultrasound on Tuesday night. After signing up and waiting in a hot room with many other pregnant ladies, we finally caught a glimpse of our precious one. The doctor spoke English well, and we felt very comfortable asking him specific questions about the baby's growth and development. We saw the four chambers of the heart, the heart beating strong and fast, a complete spinal cord, and even urine in the bladder. He said the baby is measuring around 19 weeks. We loved seeing the little one moving his/her limbs. We did not find out a gender, because the baby was being modest.

Everything was great, until the doctor spoke the words, "Ms. Amber, there is something I am concerned about." He went to a view of the baby's brain. The doctor continued to explain to us that he was concerned about a dark area he saw on the brain. During the course of the discussion, he told us the baby may have "fluid on the brain" or hydrocephalus. This condition is caused when the body's cerebral spinal fluid cannot flow outside of the brain due to blockage. The fluid builds on the brain and may cause damage.

We left the doctor's office with a mix of emotions-so grateful we could see a baby but crushed because something may be wrong and there's nothing we can do. Friends, it has been a difficult past few days. We are trusting in the Lord's goodness and love for His children to provide peace. We wrote to our midwife and explained to her everything that had happened. Her recommendation is to go to Singapore for a follow up ultrasound that can give more clear answers. We are now waiting on a second opinion from a doctor who serves here. Of course it is possible there was a mistake in the reading of the ultrasound. God makes no mistakes in His special designs of creation. Please pray that if there is fluid on the baby's brain that it would decrease, that the blockage would open up and the fluid would flow properly. Pray for peace that we would take necessary steps to ensure the best care and provision for both mother and baby. Regardless of the outcome, Baby Harrington will be loved by a Creator that has fearfully, wonderfully, and creatively made him/her. He/She will be loved by a mom and dad who have waited for God's timing to provide an addition to their family. They will be loved by you, who have partnered with us on this journey through joyful times and difficult times.

Unexpected expenses can be difficult to talk about, but we feel like this is something that we should bring to you as prayer partners. Would you pray that God would provide financially for any expenses that may be needed for a quick trip to Singapore? Would you consider giving gifts to Wycliffe on our behalf to cover these expenses? If you are willing to give towards this trip please send gifts to:

Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628200
Orlando, FL 32862-8200

Include a note attached: “For Josh and Amber Harrington #214391”
You can also give online: www.wycliffe.org/Partnership.aspx?mid=124E53

Thank you for your love, prayers, and encouraging words during this challenging time.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Summer, Baby Update, Good-bye

I'm hoping to be more faithful on posting things about our plans and summer activities.

A couple days after the last day of school, I headed to Singapore so my good friend could have some medical checks done. It was fun to travel with her, and we have many funny stories and new sayings. All her tests came back clear, so we're praising the Lord for that. It was neat to watch the Lord bless her during this time too. The perk of eating great food and shopping helped a lot too. One of the blessings from that trip for me was an "easy" answer regarding my visa. My work visa through the school ended on the last day of June, so that means I would need to be out of the country by July 1. We had originally hoped to stay through the summer to help out at Yajasi, but didn't know how it would be possible. Yajasi and HIS were working together to try to extend the visa for 30 days while I was in country, but we wouldn't know if this worked until two weeks before my current visa expired... for some of you two weeks may be enough time to plan and prep for a move around the world, but for this girl it's not! So the trip to Singapore allowed me to leave on an exit permit and re-enter on a visa on arrival. It's good for 30 days, and we're told that there should be no problem extending it for 30 more days. That gives me 60 extra days in country and allows us to stay during the summer! We have tickets bought and we hope to leave Jakarta on July 26 and arrive in Seattle on July 26... yeah, how does that work??

Baby Update:
Our little one continues to grow. We hope to go for our first ultrasound next week. I'm so excited that it's finally "my turn". I know that sounds so selfish, but things are just different here. The equipment is older, so it's really best to wait longer to get good results. I have other friends who are not as far along as I am and have already had multiple ultrasounds. It's great for them, and I am so happy for them but I'm definitely ready to "see" our little one! I haven't noticed any movement, but I'm told that it will happen soon and continue for the next 30 years or so :)

The Dark Side of Summer:
Yes, there is a dark side of summer. Summer is the time when many people leave! Today our good friends Joel, Elaine, and Esther boarded a plane with no plans of returning. We have watched Esther grow through the last four years. We have welcomed their family like they were our own. Elaine's laughter and her ability to relate to me emotionally will be missed. We will miss cooking our food with the hopes that it meets Joel's cuisine critiques with passing marks. I'm thankful that we were able to go to the beach together, travel to Bali, pray together, celebrate birthdays together, and just share life with each other. We will miss you!