Rest. What does that look like for me, because it’s hard for me to not be doing something. In order for me to completely shut down, it usually means no electricity. God knew yesterday was what I needed.
Last month I shared about the craziness of summer that was upon us. Week 5 of VBS just concluded. I’m so thankful for the team of Dominican staff that I have had the privilege to work alongside this summer.
I’ve had great help with Braegan this summer that has allowed me to be with the groups in the afternoon and the ability to leave her at home while I’m with them. This week’s VBS took place not too far from our house and in the morning, so on Tuesday I walked with Braegan to VBS. My plan was that she would enjoy participating. We split the kids into age groups, and I sent her along with the 3-5 year olds. That lasted about 5 minutes, until she realized I was not with her. She did enjoy being there, as long as I was within sight. We walked home after VBS was over, and Braegan went down for her afternoon nap.
As soon as Jeff got home from construction, I left for the guesthouse to spend time with the group. We have committed to making Tuesday nights our family night, we either go out for dinner or make something at home. It’s nice to have one night a week where we shut down for a few hours. This week we went out to Pollo Rey and enjoyed some crispy bbq sandwiches, probably the closest thing to a stateside meal in San Juan.
Braegan has been great with adjusting to people coming and going for the last 2 years, but recently I think it is hitting her. New people and lots of them are coming in and out of the place that she sees as “home”. Toddlers already have their moments, but I can’t imagine how her little mind is processing everything that she experiences. Last night she had to be within reach of me, or she was not happy. This is exhausting at times. The last two nights have been sleepless nights for us as well, which doesn’t help.
I decided not to go to VBS on Wednesday to spend some time with Braegan and catch up on administrative things. Since Braegan didn’t sleep well on Tuesday night, she was down for a nap by 8:45 am. This was followed by electricity turning off at 9…which meant I would not be accomplishing much. I went up to the roof to read for a while, then came in for a nap. The power did not return until 2:30 pm. This was God’s way of showing me that I needed some shut down time.
I love being a mom and parenting with Jeff, but there are hard days. If you are a parent, you can relate. I would not change our experiences for anything. I so look forward to how God continues to use our time here to shape who Braegan is and will become. I feel that sometimes she feels as if she is competing for our attention amongst the group members, because she wants to be heard. Please pray for her and us as we continue to learn how to parent in full time ministry.
We head to the states on August 5th and will be there through September 12th. We have plans to visit Illinois, Indiana, California and Georgia. I’m trying to be optimistic, because last year was filled with many sleepless nights and illness for Braegan and myself.
Prayers for our family:
-Safety as we travel
-Health and rest while we are in the states
-Refreshment with friends and family
-Beginning the renewal process for our Dominican Residency in November