September Prayer Update
Dear Prayer Partners,
We wanted to send a quick update and tell you how we are doing. Thanks so much for your prayers! We are doing a lot better this month and have felt very supported in prayer for all the things that we are going through as a family.
Pregnancy Update
As of now, after a new doctor and some new medication- I am doing much better! Praise the Lord. I am still having contractions on and off but the new medication is much stronger and has helped so much with making it possible for me to be mobile. I am able to go downstairs a couple times a day and even make dinner most of the time. After being on bed rest for so long even cooking dinner is something to look forward to. Don’t all you busy Mom’s wish you could feel that way!
We were also able to have a very in depth ultra sound, and after being almost positive that we were having a girl, we were so surprised to find out that it’s a BOY! So now all you curious ones can be at rest. So far no names picked out but if you have some suggestions please feel free to send them our way. Everything looked fine on the ultra sound and the baby is bigger than normal, but I wonder though if those are Filipino sizes for babies or American sizes? The ladies here are so much smaller then I am, and in the States I am pretty short!
Due date is January 3rd but with needing a c-section it will be more toward Christmas time. My mom has offered to come for an extended period of time at Christmas (even missing Christmas with the rest of our family) to help us. Which we of course accepted gladly and are excited about her coming!
Ministry and Team Update
We have also seen so many prayers answered in this area of where to go? When to go? How about the timing with the baby?
We were supposed to move December 1st but with the baby and the problems with this pregnancy that was just not possible. The lady who owns the house just said that we can stay as long as we need to.Which is such a praise! So with my mom coming to help with the kids, and packing our house, moving now looks a lot less scary. We also have pretty much chosen a team to go to and are making plans in that direction. Gilmer still wants to take one more trip to visit and with the fact that I am doing better he feels like he finally can.
So again, thanks so much for your prayers and concern for us. What a great God we have who takes care of all our needs and even some wants that we feel silly telling Him about sometimes. What a blessing to be able to share with you what God is doing in our lives and we hope that it is as encouraging to you, as it is to us, to see prayers answered. We hope all is well with each of your families, and as always please feel free to send us any prayer requests or concerns that you might have. Just because we are missionaries doesn’t mean that we are the only ones that need prayer.
Praises
-Julie is doing better and able to be more mobile. The baby is also doing well and growing! Finding a new doctor that is attentive and concerned for us.
-For more of our plans for the future coming together. Being able to stay in this house until after the baby is born, choosing a team, and my Mom coming to help with all the needed packing and kid stuff.
-Noah, my sister Aimee's and brother-in-law Sam’s baby, had to go to the hospital and have a procedure on his eye. It was a little scary for everyone but praise God that he is ok and what was wrong can be fixed without surgery.
-Health "right now" is pretty good. Rainy season (which is now) in the Philippines is like the winter in the States- lots of sicknesses going around. We have all been sick on and off and the kids have had very high fevers. Continue to pray for good health and protection. Nhaya seems to pick things up from school and bring them back for all of us to share!
Prayer
-Continued health for Julie and the baby during these last months. Wisdom for plans for the c-section and what to do about Christmas- if we need to stay in Manila for an extended time or not (we live an hour away).
-Language- Julie still has class everyday, the problem is that she can’t get out much to practice. Prayer for continued understanding and improvement.
-Gilmer’s trip to the team. Wisdom for him about whether or not that is the right place for us. Plans for moving there after the baby is born.
-Nhaya – we continue to have a hard time with her. She is doing well in school but very disobedient in all other area. Wisdom for us in dealing, training, and guiding her.
In His Service,
Gilmer and Julie Paden
I Cor. 15:58
School
“This is the gym at Nhaya’s school. We just wanted to give you an idea of the schools here. She is down there somewhere.”
Award
“Academics are very competitive here, even in kindergarten! All the moms sit around and ask what grade your child got on the exam. Can you believe they have exams so early? Nhaya got first in her class. She is really doing well in school and learning a lot of Tagalog.”
Calebs Shoes
"On a special outing with another missionary friend we were able to go to Bubba Gump’s for lunch. Can you believe that they have that restaurant here?”
Nhaya’s teacher
“This is Nhaya’s teacher. She has four classes a day of 20+ kids in each class. I don’t know how she does it.”
We wanted to send a quick update and tell you how we are doing. Thanks so much for your prayers! We are doing a lot better this month and have felt very supported in prayer for all the things that we are going through as a family.
Pregnancy Update
As of now, after a new doctor and some new medication- I am doing much better! Praise the Lord. I am still having contractions on and off but the new medication is much stronger and has helped so much with making it possible for me to be mobile. I am able to go downstairs a couple times a day and even make dinner most of the time. After being on bed rest for so long even cooking dinner is something to look forward to. Don’t all you busy Mom’s wish you could feel that way!
We were also able to have a very in depth ultra sound, and after being almost positive that we were having a girl, we were so surprised to find out that it’s a BOY! So now all you curious ones can be at rest. So far no names picked out but if you have some suggestions please feel free to send them our way. Everything looked fine on the ultra sound and the baby is bigger than normal, but I wonder though if those are Filipino sizes for babies or American sizes? The ladies here are so much smaller then I am, and in the States I am pretty short!
Due date is January 3rd but with needing a c-section it will be more toward Christmas time. My mom has offered to come for an extended period of time at Christmas (even missing Christmas with the rest of our family) to help us. Which we of course accepted gladly and are excited about her coming!
Ministry and Team Update
We have also seen so many prayers answered in this area of where to go? When to go? How about the timing with the baby?
We were supposed to move December 1st but with the baby and the problems with this pregnancy that was just not possible. The lady who owns the house just said that we can stay as long as we need to.Which is such a praise! So with my mom coming to help with the kids, and packing our house, moving now looks a lot less scary. We also have pretty much chosen a team to go to and are making plans in that direction. Gilmer still wants to take one more trip to visit and with the fact that I am doing better he feels like he finally can.
So again, thanks so much for your prayers and concern for us. What a great God we have who takes care of all our needs and even some wants that we feel silly telling Him about sometimes. What a blessing to be able to share with you what God is doing in our lives and we hope that it is as encouraging to you, as it is to us, to see prayers answered. We hope all is well with each of your families, and as always please feel free to send us any prayer requests or concerns that you might have. Just because we are missionaries doesn’t mean that we are the only ones that need prayer.
Praises
-Julie is doing better and able to be more mobile. The baby is also doing well and growing! Finding a new doctor that is attentive and concerned for us.
-For more of our plans for the future coming together. Being able to stay in this house until after the baby is born, choosing a team, and my Mom coming to help with all the needed packing and kid stuff.
-Noah, my sister Aimee's and brother-in-law Sam’s baby, had to go to the hospital and have a procedure on his eye. It was a little scary for everyone but praise God that he is ok and what was wrong can be fixed without surgery.
-Health "right now" is pretty good. Rainy season (which is now) in the Philippines is like the winter in the States- lots of sicknesses going around. We have all been sick on and off and the kids have had very high fevers. Continue to pray for good health and protection. Nhaya seems to pick things up from school and bring them back for all of us to share!
Prayer
-Continued health for Julie and the baby during these last months. Wisdom for plans for the c-section and what to do about Christmas- if we need to stay in Manila for an extended time or not (we live an hour away).
-Language- Julie still has class everyday, the problem is that she can’t get out much to practice. Prayer for continued understanding and improvement.
-Gilmer’s trip to the team. Wisdom for him about whether or not that is the right place for us. Plans for moving there after the baby is born.
-Nhaya – we continue to have a hard time with her. She is doing well in school but very disobedient in all other area. Wisdom for us in dealing, training, and guiding her.
In His Service,
Gilmer and Julie Paden
I Cor. 15:58
School
“This is the gym at Nhaya’s school. We just wanted to give you an idea of the schools here. She is down there somewhere.”
Award
“Academics are very competitive here, even in kindergarten! All the moms sit around and ask what grade your child got on the exam. Can you believe they have exams so early? Nhaya got first in her class. She is really doing well in school and learning a lot of Tagalog.”
Calebs Shoes
"On a special outing with another missionary friend we were able to go to Bubba Gump’s for lunch. Can you believe that they have that restaurant here?”
Nhaya’s teacher
“This is Nhaya’s teacher. She has four classes a day of 20+ kids in each class. I don’t know how she does it.”
Comments
What fun to see the pictures of school, etc. Thanks for the update and we ptl for your improvement and the health of the baby--a boy, Congratulations! I spoke with Shawna this week and she told me your Mom was coming at Christmas. That will be so nice for you all. You are in our prayers! In Christ, Michelle & Family