Catching Up and Going Back...or is it Forward?

Well, my last post several weeks ago was cheering on some reality show contestants with physical challenges, besides that provided by the producers. To date, Scott on American Idol has been voted off, but Luke and Margie are still on The Amazing Race. They've been having some interpersonal spats with other contestants that shows their fatigue at this point in the race. I hope they can end gracefully, in whichever position they achieve. It would be nice to see them win.

Meanwhile, I've been doing some travelling with my family, speaking in churches that support our work in Africa and giving them an update on our current plans to return to Mali with my hearing situation. For Spring Break, we drove to Minot, ND, and renewed friendships there with my college roommate and her family and church. As we drove back, we enjoyed watching flock after flock of Canada Geese heading north in formation after a long winter. We also stopped to play in a huge snowdrift by the side of the highway, but otherwise avoided the flooding and snowfall before and after our visit.

Once the weather started to show signs of Spring, I started walking outside again and enjoying the sounds of woodpeckers and other birds getting busy with their work of living. It is such a pleasure to hear these things again, as I recall where I was at last year at this time. I had survived a difficult case of malaria and dysentery, with some complications that convinced my doctor to give me an antibiotic that "nuked" my hearing. I arrived back in the States on April 18th, my birthday, last year, profoundly deaf in both ears.

For six months, I was in shock at my new circumstances and the feeling of complete dependence on my husband and family to interpret my world for me. Then I got my first cochlear implant, which restored my sense of confidence and hope as I could once again have conversations with people and listen to the radio and t.v. Doing so well with the first one, I got the second implant in my other ear and the feeling of being balanced in hearing again was confirmation that I could plan on getting back to my "life" and work.

Now, many months later, I am still hesitant to talk on the phone, but can do it if necessary and will make the best of trying to understand. Noisy restaurants and riding in the car are still listening challenges, but I do think that music is improving. And voices don't sound like chipmunks anymore!

So, we have booked our tickets to fly back to Africa on June 8th, leaving from Chicago. We have a few more speaking engagements before then, and lots of sorting and packing to do. We also need to continue presenting our work for people's consideration of charitable donation. Here is a link to our agency's personal page for us, with buttons near the top to make on-line donations or commitments: http://http//worldventure.com/Missionaries/Missionary-Directory/Missionary/Seward_Tom_Lisa.html

Thanks for considering if you'd like to be a prayer or financial partner with us in a difficult but rewarding work. We are helping down-trodden women learn to read and write, children be able to go to school, pastors be able to serve the locals in their villages, young people learn English and expand their view of the world, and much more. To see an archive and many pictures of our blog, check this out: http://tomseward.com/

I'm so glad I could share with you today. Thanks for stopping by.