One year ago this week

You won't believe it, but one year ago this week was when Bill and I flew to Hong Kong with contractions every 3-7 minutes apart. Here is a copy of Bill's email once we had arrived (sent to over 300 prayer supporters):

Hello Folks,
I am writing to you from Hong Kong this time. Teesa and I have made an emergency trip very much like our trip a couple of weeks ago to Bangkok, due to Teesa experiencing consistent contractions starting two days ago. She is currently in her 30th week, so she is still quite a bit short for us to be ready for this.

Her contractions are still coming at a rate of one every 5 minutes or so. When she was first admitted the staff was on constant high alert for her to go into labor for about 12 hours. Today, however, they seem to have relaxed some. A senior doctor made rounds with his staff this morning. He spoke to us about medication, treatment, and preterm labor. We spoke to him about the power of prayer. He also ordered an exam which showed that Teesa has yet to begin the physical process of labor.

Although she is weary, Teesa seems to be holding up relatively well emotionally. She still smiles and chuckles, but she has also cried a lot in the last couple of days. We are still praying that Father will amaze us and this staff with a 40+ week pregnancy. Please join us in doing the same. Also pray for Teesa to get some rest physically and emotionally. As you can imagine, she has not slept much in the last 72 hours.

Thank you, one and all.

Bill Klear

Here's another letter from Bill to a friend of ours just a couple days later:

Hey,

An ambulance was waiting for us at the airplane, they took Teesa off horizontally! We went to the nearest hospital where they took her to the delivery ward. For two days they kept Teesa in an emergency observation room in the delivery ward. She was having painful and consistent contractions that whole time. They expected her to go into labor at any moment and were ready to deliver. Teesa was pretty scared at times, and in a good deal of pain.

Everyone prayed.

I saw her this morning and it seems as though her condition had improved some as her contractions slowed drastically during the night, she slept for several hours and they transferred her from the emergency observation room in the delivery ward to a normal antenatal ward on a
different floor. We are very grateful. Then I went in during my allotted visiting hours and found her out of bed and walking. I said, "What are you doing??" and she smiled and said, "Going to the bathroom." She had very few contractions today spaced out by hours. They let her eat and drink, which she hasn't done in over two days. She is at peace and says that she is ready for it if she goes into labor.

Dad is good.

Bill

As Bill and I were recounting this story earlier today, it brought tears to my eyes to think about God's faithfulness in our lives. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, for when he has stood the test, he WILL receive the crown of life God has promised to those who love Him." I know our trial was small compared to what others have experienced, but our prayers (read OURS, yours and mine) led to us delivering a very healthy, very adorable, very hairy! little boy.

Our commitment to you and to God is to raise Him in His ways, so that God will be glorified. We were counted worthy to be called parents of Samuel William Klear and we promise to to continue to be worthy of that title.

God is good!

Here I am on bedrest during the three months I spent in and out of the hospital in Hong Kong. Below it is another picture of me on bedrest, a couple weeks later. I had terrible heartburn and needed at least 15 minutes of sitting upright after eating a meal.