The big event over the last 2 months has been the birth of our baby girl, Sophia Kate Brockington. The end of my pregnancy was filled with a few minor complications that resulted in her being born 3 weeks early. Luckily, she was very healthy and all my medical problems resolved right after she was born. Based on the size of my belly before she was born we thought she was going to be a big baby, but instead she was a peanut (only 6 lbs 13oz) and the delivery went smoothly. Now she eats, sleeps, and grows a little bigger everyday.
We have been able to stay with my parents (Oma & Opa to Sophia) in Saint Louis and it has been wonderful. My mom’s favorite thing is to wake her up for her feedings and change poopy diapers!! I couldn’t ask for anything better. We are really excited to get to Houston in a few weeks so she can meet her Grandpa (Jared’s Dad) too as well as other family and friends in Texas.
Right now our little babe is only 5 weeks old (and only 8.5 lbs) so we still have some time left in the United States before we make the long trip back to Malawi. Currently Jared is set to represent Child Legacy at the upcoming 2015 CMDA Medical Missions Summit on September 3 – 4, 2015 at Serving in Missions Headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. This conference is hosted by Christian Medical & Dental Association (CMDA) and Medsend (the non-profit organization that currently pays on all our student loans while we practice medicine in Malawi). The conference is “an annual gathering of mission sending agency representatives that are invested in sharing Christ through healthcare missions. The purpose of the meeting is to build ongoing relationships, share successful strategies, discuss important issues, examine relevant research and problem solve.” Sophia is still a bit too small for me to also go to the conference, but we feel really blessed that Jared gets to attend for Child Legacy.
We plan to leave Saint Louis for Houston in mid September so we can spend time with family and catch up with friends and supporters in Texas while we prepare for our departure to Malawi in the middle of October.
Another important event we will be assisting with before we leave for Malawi is Child Legacy’s 3rd Annual Tipping Point Fundraiser in early October in Houston. This is an invitation only fundraising dinner that involves an evening of inspiring testimony, plans and progress for the current and next year. We know that our presence will help give another voice to the needs Child Legacy is battling in Malawi, and we can speak first hand about the lifesaving medical care we are providing to some of the most underserved rural populations in Africa.
Our trip back to Malawi in Mid October is going to be a long 3 days, especially with Sophia, who will finally be 3 months old. By this time, she should be big enough to be able to take malaria prophylaxis which is one of the reasons that we are waiting to leave in Mid-October. We really miss our team in Malawi and are looking forward to serving alongside of them soon. We know that God has been working and doing amazing things while we are gone and He will continue to work in the lives of the underserved in Malawi. While we know it will be another transitional period, we are excited to settle back into life at the clinic and to reconnect with friends and our church family in Malawi.
Again, we are continually blessed and very thankful for everyone’s support and we ask that you continue to keep us all 3 of us in your prayers in the coming months. We look forward to seeing many of you soon.
-Jenny & Jared
