The Short-n-Sweet:
- Our baby girl arrived on the 4th of July, and we are adjusting well to being a family of 5!
- We still plan to head back to Asia Pacific in October if the Lord allows.
- Tyler will be having knee surgery on August 4th and is also pursuing various other doctors for his overall health. We’re trusting the Lord to get him back to 100%.
Hi Friends,
Isn’t it crazy how God’s timing can be so surprising sometimes? And then somehow in His own special way, He works everything out perfectly. When we came home for ‘Medical Leave’ last October we didn’t expect to be staying for almost a year. . . but God orchestrated the details to allow for more time for healing for Tyler and to grow our little family.
Haven Amber was born on July 4th at 2:07 a.m. after four days of contractions for Allegra. The doctors had intended to perform a repeat cesarean delivery (since our first two were emergencyc-sections) but God—and Haven—had other ideas. She was born naturally as Allegra’s labor intensified very quickly at home and by the time we got to the hospital Haven was ready to ‘let freedom ring’! It was a wild experience and we are very thankful the Lord brought us through it! We praise God for His grace in it and for our healthy baby and Momma.
Haven was 5lbs. 11oz. and 19 inches long. Her name reminds us that our place of refuge and safety is only found in the Lord—He is our Safe Haven and we pray that our daughter will understand that as she grows older. Her middle name is in honor of Allegra’s sister who is an amazing role model to our girls of true, Biblical womanhood, humble maturity, and love for others.
Psalm 91:1-2
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
He is my God, and I trust him.
Now, we wait on Haven’s passport and then her visa. Lord willing that will all be ready by the first week of October so we can travel back to Asia Pacific. (Again: God’s amazing timing!) October is the departure date because we have to be back by the 11th to keep our visas (permission to live/work there). It has been a 5-year process to get this one and—if at all possible—we don’t want to lose it.
In the meantime, a recent development is that I (Tyler) will be having knee surgery to repair my meniscus and possibly my partially torn ACL. It was injured two years ago on a survey trip hike and after two different rounds of physical therapy it hasn’t improved so the doctor thinks it’s time for surgical intervention. We are hoping the ACL is still stable enough to save but the Doctor will have to decide during the procedure what exactly needs to be done. Allegra is feeling nervous about having a husband on crutches along with a newborn and two active big sisters, so we are praying for a “best-case-scenario” situation! Otherwise, I have seen improvement to my health but am still dealing with some lingering issues and will be getting new testing for that in the coming weeks.
PRAISE:
- For Haven’s safe arrival and a healthy baby and Mama!
- For the improvement we’ve seen in Tyler’s health.
- For having help from many friends, family, and both sets of grandparents this summer.
PRAYER:
- For wisdom in how we spend our last few months here.
- Allegra: For continued recovery from childbirth, and strength & stamina to take care of the family while Tyler is out-of-comission.
- Tyler: For a smooth & successful knee surgery, quick recovery, and continued healing overall.
- For Haven’s paperwork to come through in good time.
Please continue to pray for the two teams on our island who proceed with the ministry without us. Our small team continues to do survey trips and build relationships in hopes of gaining access into one of the language groups there. The second small team has just recently moved into a village where they are starting to learn the local language and hopefully begin reaching those people with the hope and truth of Jesus. Thank you for praying for their water situation recently—they were able to get clean water just before moving in!
Bonus Pictures…
Both sets of grandparents were here to help us with baby Haven. They were so helpful and encouraging.
Uncle Adam and Aunt Mariah were the first or our siblings to meet Haven.
Our 10th wedding anniversary (July 3rd) found us in the thick of labor pains and headed to the hospital to meet our baby! Moriah lost her first tooth!
Although tiny herself, Haven was our biggest baby by almost a full pound!