"Did you get your poop hole fixed"?

This is what one of my colleagues continued to ask me every day this past week as it related to our ongoing sewer saga mystery. Classy huh, considering I work at a college? We just had to laugh though at the mystery of where the "stuff" was going because no one, and I mean no one could figure out what in the world was going on with what could only be described as a mystery pipe running through the yard.

The county just couldn't believe what I was telling them so I finally hired someone to start digging. Once the mystery pipe was exposed, I requested they come look. You could just feel the brain power as inspectors, contractors, plumbers, county sewer mucketee mucks all stood around and like a really bad choral echo, they all kept saying, "dang, that's really weird, I wonder where THAT pipe is going", one after the other. All the while just scratching and staring into the hole.

It was like a blue collar don't blink staring contest, no one wanted to commit to the next move. After much discussion and hypothesis building that would rival any Ivy League research department, we dug some more, it's just more dirt right?

After only a few more minutes, the guy turns off the back hoe and says, huh, what in the world is that?! Certainly not something you want to hear from your plumber, or doctor, when working on your poop hole. He says, hey there's another sewer line in here, what the heck?!!! After determining this line was indeed running properly to the main sewer line the real hypothesis began; where did your contractor connect to, where's your "stuff" been going for the past 5 months, etc...? Turns out during the remodel the contractor's plumber somehow never saw where the house was supposed to be connected, kept digging and found the original 1957 house connection, which no one knows where it really goes, but the dirt being dug up certainly didn't look or smell good. Can you say eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwhhhhhhhh!

So after tons of emotional ups and downs relating to the ridiculous amount of $$$ that was going to be coming out of our pockets, the original contractor finally says, wow, we really messed that up didn't we? He's paying to have it done correctly so we're not having to come out of pocket, the best news all week! I can honestly say I hope you don't have to have your poop hole worked on any time soon.

Mamby Pamby Land

I know God is a loving and gracious God, but some days I have to wonder if he wouldn't rather respond to our sniveling more in this manner? I know we sure do with our kids and it's hard not to, especially during especially stressful times.

You know like when your back yard is being ripped up by a back hoe because no one can figure out where your families' personal business is flowing to and the estimate before even breaking ground would purchase a steady used car for your driver to be teenage daughter. Then getting the boo boo face from your 5 year old because you wouldn't just "drop by" and pick up a brand new Wii game while on a run to the grocery store for milk, I want to just drop the old drill sarge on them some days!

I can only imagine my reactions if placed on the throne next to God watching our daily lives unfold.

Thoughts wafting up to heaven:

"I hate this mini-van, it's so uncool and constantly needs upkeep"
"I need a new flat screen, i can't go another college football season without watching it in HD"
"I hate cleaning this house, it's too big to keep up with, we need a full time maid"
"Why are these children asking so many dang questions, they sure are needy"
"Everyone in the neighborhood has been to the beach at least once already this summer, why can't we go?"

God:
I sacrificed my Son for you.

If i was sitting there I'd be rolling my eyes like i do at my kids and telling them to stop wallowing in Mamby Pamby land and get some perspective.

Note to self: see above....

Found, $475 a month: We'll take it!

God always cracks me up when it comes to finances and money. Several months ago Melissa says, "it's going to cost blah, blah, blah for Fisher (newly adopted from China) and Eli (adopted 4 years ago from Guatemala) to attend preschool/kindergarten at the church. After doing some quick math in my head and picking my jaw up from the ground, I said ok, we'll figure it out.

Fast forward to today and several instances of being presented with the opportunity to give sacrificially to something God had placed in our path, to which we did what we were lead to give.

We're in the midst of a major sewer issue (which will likely cost something akin to a monthly mortgage payment) and Melissa received a call from the church, we have a need for you to work at the preschool next year.

And here I thought "we'd" figure out how to make this work next year. Turns out God had it figured out the whole time. Melissa will work 2 days/week at the preschool and Fisher (3 days a week) and Eli (5 days a week) will have their tuition waived. That's approximately $475/month thank you very much!

Now we'll have to find a way to pay some, if not all of it, forward.

Our Family Has Grown... Again

We'd like to introduce Mhlengi (age 19), Mduduzi (age 14), and Zandile (age 7) from the Manzini region of Swaziland. We are now supporting these three with their monthly expenses at the Beveni carepoint in conjunction with Children's HopeChest.

Swaziland is sometimes called the nation of orphans because it has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world and the average life span is only 28 - 30. This would mean that our oldest daughter of 14 is considered "middle aged" in Swaziland. We had a great sit down with the kids the other night and discussed the bio's of these three children and statistics of Swaziland, needless to say they were a bit taken a back as they internalized their own circumstances and life span compared with these children. They are pretty excited about beginning monthly communications with their new "siblings" from across the globe.