Safely arrived in Seattle
Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 6:07PM Praise the Lord for His goodness! Last night (about 12 hours ago) we arrived safely in Seattle after 30 hours of travel. In the hours leading up to the flight my leg was quite painful although my back wasn't too bad. Our biggest concern was whether or not I would be able to sit at all without excruciating pain. When I wrote our last post I had given it over completely to God, knowing that if I was in pain or not was a small matter compared with His larger plan. As I was recently reminded, suffering and struggle come for one reason only - to drive us into the waiting arms of our Savior.
From the moment we left our house in Kenya to the moment we arrived in Seattle I was virtually pain-free! I took some Tylenol as a precautionary measure before our first flight but nothing beyond that. I was completely comfortable sitting in my seat and helping occasionally with the kids. I was a little less comfortable during our long 9-hour layover but there was a wonderful kids area in the Heathrow airport that had a padded floor so I was able to rest and do some stretches. I applied a heat pad during our layover and also got a relaxing massage before boarding our second flight.
It's likely that I've regressed a little in my recovery. Today my leg is much more painful again but I have the freedom to lay down at will and do my stretches and I have a physiotherapy appointment here in the Seattle area later this afternoon. God always answers prayers and this time we're particularly grateful that His answer was to provide me comfort without incapacitating painkillers.
My dear, dear friends, family, prayer warriors and partners, thank you. Thank you for your prayers, your encouragement, and your support. Thank you for walking with us. We look forward to seeing you in the months ahead!
-Shauen