A lot of our friends reading this blog will know why the posts stopped coming in 2010 but I thought I might take the time to write it down. So here goes..
We were all primed to go to Africa then with Mercy Ships, but an Aspergers diagnosis for our eldest son changed all that. At the time it was a very difficult period for our family but the right decision not to go. And I am glad that Mercy Ships made that decision for us, rather than letting us continue on without taking advantage of the excellent Speech Therapist and Occupational Therapist in Australia that have helped him no end.
However, we are flying out in 5 weeks today. So how did we get here? Well, that is a series of extraordinary coincidences or perhaps something even more amazing.
In October 2010, when our acceptance to serve was rescinded, I felt that our whole family was out a long way, up very high on a very small branch - waiting to fall. We had agreed with Mercy Ships that we would reapply in a year or 2 when our son had taken advantage of the services available here in Australia. Nevertheless, I secretly hoped that they would ask us to reapply because I wasn't sure, at the time, that I had the strength to go through the "small branch" feeling again. Mick had no job to go to at that point and was studying in England to gain his Third Engineers Merchant ticket to join the ship. I was doing some Reserve days with the Navy but had already tied up all my work. We had plane tickets paid for and a good proportion of our house packed up ready to rent. It was a trying time for us.
What actually happened was that when Mick returned to Australia, we all had a really good holiday with family and friends in South West Rocks. Within a few months, and with several other choices on the table, he had secured a good job with a small supportive company that is happy for him to take unpaid leave to serve in Africa now. Our son responded well to various therapies and the boys were all settled at school and Kindy. I was able to continue my Reserve days as well. I have never seen Mick so "at peace" with job hunting - and it is worthwhile remembering in his Navy days, we went through the stressful posting process every two years!
Every time the boys received school reports, we forwarded them onto the Mercy Ships Academy Director in Texas to add to our file. We had been doing this for about 18 months as Harry was finishing pre school and preparing to start school. We had nominally thought 2013 or 2014 was about the time to reapply for Mercy Ships and had not considered actively starting the process.
Then I was asked by an acquaintance if I would consider sharing a sea job in the Navy. It was a Supply Charge Job - basically a Head of the Logistics department in a warship and my unfinished business in the Navy. Mick and I discussed it and decided to give it a go, knowing that the job would start as Harry commenced school. He would work part time and I would do the Charge job I hadn't managed to complete. The only thing with the Charge job share would be that it would take 3-4 years to complete which pushed Mercy Ships service a long way into the future. So we decided to withdraw my sea charge application and apply for a 6 month operational posting instead. Fortunately, in June 2012 I was selected to go to East Timor for the Final rotation of OP ASTUTE in a Contract Management style position starting Jan 2013. I had to undertake a few courses prior to going which meant about 4 weeks away from home. Everyone managed okay and I was looking forward to the challenge of the job.
First coincidence. In November, we received an email seemingly out of the blue, from the Mercy Ships Academy Director stating that having reviewed all the boys school reports, they were happy to accept them into the onboard school - the Academy - and see you in Texas in June 2013! Of course, we went back to them and said sorry I am under contract to the Navy until Aug 2013. We will have to delay it a year.
Second coincidence. I was talking to a lady at church a week or so later who asked about Mercy Ships and I explained that I was going on deployment so it was probably delayed by 12 months. However, I had also heard rumours that my deployment might have been shortened so we may still be able to go. We finished our discussion with "If God wants us to go, He will make it happen".
When I went into work on Tuesday, I sent an email to Joint Operations Command to try and find out whether my deployment was shortened or not. A reply a few hours later said very sorry, but all future deployments, including yours, have been cancelled. Whoa. Huge.
Third coincidence. Mick and I were a wee bit concerned about the Field Service component of our training with our boys. This is basically where we go and live somewhere remote from the ship and work alongside the locals - in the past, it has been orphanages and hospitals. Everything we had read about this talked about new experiences, new food, flexibility. All things Asperger children have trouble with. We hadn't even discussed this at all with friends and prayed about it or anything. Then out of the blue one morning, we receive an email stating that we have been exempted this from our training because the school year starts onboard during the transit from Tenerife to Congo.
Some people may say these are random coincidences. I prefer to see them as God having a plan for us and guiding us towards it. It is tremendously comforting to know that even those small worries He has addressed. How much more will He make things happen for us over the next 2 years!
Tammy
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