i hate malaria {a post I wrote a couple weeks ago}

I wrote this a couple weeks ago. The good news is that Zoe's health is restored, except for a little more fatigue than usual. Our passports have been received, though not in the timing I hoped for when writing this. The children's IOM medicals are complete, and we will have our interview at the US Embassy in Kampala today and should receive our visas on Wednesday. 

If all goes according to that plan, we will fly out at 12:45am on Friday morning (really, more like Thursday night) and, after a stop in London, arrive in Raleigh at 3:45pm on November 22.

We knew there were risks in bringing our first three children to Uganda to bring home our newest three.

And now, Zoe has malaria.

We caught it early. We’ve started the medicine as directed by a Western doctor here and our pediatrician back home. We’re doing all we can to keep her fevers down and keep her comfortable.

I’m not going to lie. It’s scary.

I haven’t cried much while we’ve been here, but upon realizing that our baby girl is ill because we chose to bring her to Africa with us, the floodgates opened.

I hate malaria.

Malaria almost took the life of our youngest Ugandan a couple months ago. Now, malaria is visiting us once again.

Did I mention that this is scary?

God and I have had a lot of hard talks lately. I’m glad he can handle it. I trust that he has a purpose in all the struggles we’re having here in Uganda, but it’s still hard when we dwell in such uncertainty and illness in this beautiful country.

Pray with us.

Pray for us.

For health, not only for Zoe but also for those in our family having stomach issues. For our three Ugandans’ passports to be ready today, even though we’ve been told that’s not a possibility. For grace from the people we’ll deal with for the kids’ immigration medicals and for our embassy appointments for their visas. For strength and endurance for us. For God to let us in on what he is doing in all of this, because we ache to see the purpose in the pain.