a new lease on life..

You know that there are many sayings that are said to told to you when bumps on the road come....

-when life hands you lemons make lemonade
-he won't give you too much that you can't bear
-life is a bowl of cherries...including the pits
-life is full of mountains and valleys

There are tons of these sayings that are said to a person to try to encourage them to keep pressing on through the hard moments.....

But as I personally traveled this bumpy road, I found the most comfort I had was through prayer... There was not a perfect saying that would take away all the fear and anxiety of the big trial that I was in. As I look back on my journey- I see His hand carrying me through it all. Some moments it felt that God was a million miles away and then there were times that He was a whisper away. It never was consistent. But what was consistent was my worries and fears. But as I worried and fretted I actually found the most hope in repeating anything that I had memorized in my brain. I was continually going back to MY Rock and my hope of the future. The only scripture I found out that was stuck in my head was Psalm 23. It carried me in ways I never knew it could. When I could breathe I recited it - when I was anxious I recited it... It became so real that It took me away from the moment. But I want to say thank you for everyone of you that prayed for me and interceded for me as my neck journey is coming to an end. I made it back to Malawi and I get to be here! I love being back with my family and finally at peace. My neck pain was caused by a herniated disc that was pushing on my nerves and now I have titanium in my neck... I am bionic woman. I feel just leftover surgery pain and have no arm or neck pain. It is amazing. Below is a picture of what I got




What is amazing is that I am finally able to live life again. Thank you again for being apart of the season of life with me. I really never have felt so loved and prayed for. We have seen God personally intercede in ways I never could of imagined. This now- lemon, bump, mountain or should we call it a cherry or even better we call titanium piece in my neck - is interwoven in to my story for ever and I deeply changed and challenged and found that I cling ever so more to THE ROCK!

Serving Jesus daily and finding realy in day to day things- Amy Louise

P.S. Analise and Nya said they never want me to ever leave again. :) Bob agrees... So do I... 20 days is way too long for anyone to be seperated....at least for the mama!

So an update....

Some of you got this already but I wanted to update those readers who didn't get it.


Ok another fun day here in Joburg. I did finally have Mc D's and it was good but the ice cream was better! It is really a fantasy when you live away from any fast food but the cereal with the most amazing milk is NOT a fantasy. It is all that I have ever made it to be in my head.

I went and made an appt for second opinion with another opinion. This doctor was a huge advocate for more intense conservative therapy. I have decided to go this route. Fun times ahead. I will be the hospital for the next 3 days in traction starting tomorrow at 12pm. Lovely. I will be on serious meds to calm down the badly damaged disc with the combination of continual traction. You see the problem is that I am tall and I have bad genes somewhere... And I live with the MOST potholely roads in the world and that is what caused this to happen. So somehow my discs (which is rare for a 34 year old girl) denigrated over time- actually my vertebrae did and then the disc pushed out and are severely pushing on my nerves and causing my feeling in my right hand to stop. So with that the traction will leave room for the disc to come back in and my body absorb the part that is not inflamed anymore. So it is a 50 -50 shot. But much better than this other plan that I was trying to do here- that I already had done in Malawi. It is so complicated when you have to travel to get this kind of medical treatment. So it is very sad for the mama and dada to be away from each other and especially mama hen away from her chicks. So hopefully after Friday we will know what is the next step is.

So it will be a long 3 days but I plan to ask for lots sleeping pills to sleep continually. That is everyone's dream right. Me too! but without the part of pulling my head away from my body! :(

Thank you for loving us and praying for us and please continue to pray for our family. That God provides for us financially, emotionally and physically and spiritually. Seriously we need to have his loving arms carry us through. Thank you!

Love - all of serving Jesus here in Africa (me in Joburg South Africa and Bob with the girls in Malawi, Africa) with a little bit of medical complications! Amy Louise, Bob and the cute girls- Nya and Analisey.