YaY!! We are all done with shots....well, maybe.....
Yesterday we all got all the necessary shots, the most important being yellow feaver, which you need to get a visa. Both kids did great! Son cried, but didn't freak out. He was a very brave boy! Daughter was very brave as well. We had a great nurse, who was very good at her job. The shots were pretty much painless.
After the shots, both kids got to pick out a prize at Target. Son chose IronMan and Daughter picked art stuff. She is so creative!!
So, as far as shots go, we are all done, with the exception of a possible flu shot this winter.
However, please pray for us! We have a decision to make about the Rabies vaccination. Jody and I have gone back and forth about it for awhile, in regards to the kids. Rabies has been a recommended vaccination since my first trip to Ghana back in '97. Neither of us have received it because it is very expensive, and we are not working with animals. But, kids tend to be more at risk since they are more likely to play with animals.
If you get the vaccination, you would still need treatment in the event of a bite, but it gives you more time, and the treatment is diffrent, more safe, and more available. However, the vaccination is a 3 shot series, and the total cost is $775 per person! If you dont get the vaccination and you get bit, you must be treated immediatly, and the treatment is hard to come by overseas, and the side affects are much more dangerous. Plus, it can cost up to $6000.00.
It may seem like a no brainer, but we really are not sure which way to go. First, that is $1500 that we didn't budget for. Second, that is three more shots for two kids that have already had 7 shots/vaccinations this year. Thirdly, there is a shortage of the vaccination in the US, so we may not be able to get it anyway! So, do we not do it and trust God for protection, or do we find a way to make it happen? Please pray that God would give us wisdom for this decision. We have until November to decide.
On another note, yesterday was a hard day for Son and I was reminded of how much our kids need His grace for what we are about to do. Oddly, Daughter seems to be embracing this big change really well. Usually, she is the one more resistant to change.
However, Son is not as excited. A big part of that was the shots. That was a really big deal for him. Since he HATES them. He has been saying "I dont want to go to Africa, because I dont want shots." But, yesterday afternoon, he just broke down crying. "I dont want to go to Africa and live in a diffrent house! What will we do there? I dont want other kids playing with my toys." It broke my heart. How scary this must be for him. And what can I do about it? I know that God has called us---our family---and I know he will be with our kids and give them peace, but as a mom, I just want to make it all better. I held him and we talked about why we are going (to tell people about Jesus), and that he would have lots of friends his age to play soccer with, and that he could keep his special toys inside. My comfort was doing nothing for him, but daddy saved the day by coming home with a Slurpee at that exact moment.
Even though yesterday was a bad day, there are good days when I see that they, too, share in the burden God has given us. They will talk to eachother and to their friend about how the kids there dont know about Jesus, and we have to tell them. Sometimes they will bring me a toy or a shirt and say, can we bring this to Africa to give to the kids that dont have any? I am so proud of them, and I cannot wait to see how God uses them to minister His love to the kids over there.
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