Connor Benjamin Lee

Our sweet boy finally decided to join the outside world!  After 41 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy, we were thrilled to have him with us.  To be honest, I was beginning to wonder if he would ever make an appearance :)

A little bit of the grand story of how he entered the world...

As I approached the 42 week mark, my doctor decided we would induce labor on Tuesday, September 25th.  Needless to say, Ben and I slept as much as we could the two days prior, knowing our world was about to be rocked!  We went in that afternoon and by 3pm I was in labor.  I was hopeful by the end of the day we would have a baby although I was warned it could be a very slow process.  I will spare a lot of the labor and delivery details and just say this - I knew labor would be tough.  However, my pregnancy had been SO amazing that I thought it would be tough, hard work but manageable.  I labored about 85% of the way without an epidural.  In the height of the pain, I went a bit crazy, got an epidural and am incredibly thankful for that.  I now believe that anesthesiologist are the most loved and adored doctors on the planet.  After 3 hours of pushing, we were not making much progress.  The doctors discussed our next step would be C-section.  They decided to give us 25 more minutes and he finally arrived!  We were relieved, thrilled, happy beyond beyond belief to have our healthy baby boy finally with us :)

During my labor, no one really knew why I was struggling so much toward the end.  After Connor arrived, he helped answer that when he got on the scale.  When one of the nurses called out 9lbs 9oz, I was in disbelief.  And here he is...

9lbs 9oz

21.5 in

11:46am

September 26th, 2012

Each of us getting to hold him for the first time :)

We were just about ready to leave the hospital when we realized that in all the craziness, we didn't have a picture of the 3 of us.  Our first family photo :) 

Update on Little Lee

In very few ways does it feel like I have been pregnant forever.  For me, the time has flown by!  I am thankful for that and credit it to still feeling so great most of the time.  I know not everyone has that experience so I am beyond grateful!  Because I feel so good, I keep thinking I have a ton of time left to get things ready and prepare but my sweet husband reminds me, we are running out of time :) 

I woke up today and somehow...

• I have passed the 37 week mark, which means baby boy is full term
• I have less than 20 days until my due date
• We spent 8 hours at a birthing class
• We've had 2 baby showers where friends and family and have given generously to our family 
• We have a nursery (almost completed) with a crib and a changing table area and a glider 
• A closet FULL of cloths from newborn to 12months (thanks for ALL the hand me downs)
• The car seat is secure in the car 
• My hospital bag is packed...well it's getting there 

I am still walking to work and home everyday and will continue to as long as I feel up to it.  I am starting to find myself slowing down a bit.  I can still do most things, it just takes me longer to do them. I go to the doctor on Monday and we start weekly visits until the little one arrives.  Two weeks ago I was excited about getting an ultrasound, as I have only had two throughout my pregnancy (9wks & 18wks).   The ultrasound was to confirm that baby was in the proper position, head down, which thankfully he is!  It was so fun to get a quick glimpse of our baby - it had been too long!  It's a little wild for me to think that next time we see him, it will be face to face.  

Here are some of the highlights fromt the last 18 weeks :) 

Ben painting the nursery 

Finished crib 

Family Shower in New Orleans (27wks)

Babymoon in Mexico (28wks)

Epic Church Shower (31wks)

Hand made onesies

One of my favorite guests at the Epic Shower, Sophia Milner (31wks) 

A VERY rare belly shot :)... (34wks)

Tahoe Retreat with staff

Lake Tahoe - (36wks)

Uganda: Part 2 Church Partnership

I wanted to share more with you all about Epic's partnership with United Christian Center, a local church in Kampala, Uganda.  Our lead pastor, Ben Pilgreen devoted his teaching time a Sunday in July to talk about what God is doing around the world and through our partnership with Uganda.
You can click on the link below to watch the message as well as two interviews from people who made the trip to Uganda in June (One is my dear husband who talks more about Compassion International and what it was like to meet Fred...at minute marker 31:30)

There is also a powerful video (at minute marker 39:10) from the trip.

http://vimeo.com/46642314

Uganda Part 1: Meeting Fred, Our Sponsor Child

***Last November, I made three personal goals for 2012.  One of those goals was to see Ben go overseas.  When I set that goal, I always assumed I would be going with him somewhere on vacation or a mission trip.  When Epic Church began this partnership in Uganda in December and planned the first trip for June, we both planned on going.  I found out I was pregnant in January so my plans quickly changed :)  While I very much wanted to join Ben in Uganda, having a baby this year is an answered prayer for us!  I am so thankful that he was able to go and for the experience he had.  We will share more pictures and about the church partnership in Part 2.  ~Lindsey 


My Experience Meeting Fred Wandera 


I have never had the opportunity to travel internationally until this year.  I've always hoped that my first major trip oversees would be significant and have meaning. I would love to sail across the english channel and walk upon the beaches of Normandy and to reflect upon the significance of the ground that was under my feet.  I've wanted to go to the Holy Land and see the places where Jesus walked and where the heroes of my faith preached the Gospel, preaching that rippled throughout time and led to my personal salvation.


However, I didn't have the opportunity to see either of these two things but something I did not expect. I got to see faith in action. I got to see true joy. I got to see true worship and I got to see a child's life being transformed before my very eyes.


I had the privilege to travel to Kampala, Uganda, which is in East Africa. Epic Church recently began a partnership with United Christian Center, a thriving church that is truly making a significant impact throughout that country. UCC operates a school that is designed to help care for and educate children from the local slum and to help bring them into faith in Jesus and to help bring them up out of poverty. Through a partnership with Compassion International, Lindsey and I were able to sponsor a 6 year old boy named Fred, who attends this school. After meeting him, I don't think I'll ever be the same.


Fred's father died several years ago and he lives with this mother and two sisters. To make a living his mother sells sweet potatoes on the side of the road. By doing so, she is able to pay rent on a tiny little concrete hut, with a torn sheet as a door way. Because of our sponsorship of Fred, he is able to attend UCC's school, receive a proper education where he learns about Jesus, basic math, science and reading and also gets food and healthcare. I had the opportunity to go visit Fred and his family at their home. I walked in, parting the torn sheets they used as a doorway, and there had my life changed.


I visited with Fred's mother, who required a translator to communicate, for about 20 minutes until Fred arrived home from school. I was able to share some gifts that I brought them which included healthcare products, cooking utensils, new sheets and hand towels, food and a few toys for the kids. The overwhelming joy that she displayed was amazing to me. She was so thankful and so happy to have me in her home. This was an incredible experience, which then went to another level when Fred walked in. This 6 year old boy was one of the sweetest kids I've even seen, complete with a big smile with his missing two front teeth! During my short visit with him, I gave him his toys and showed him photos of Lindsey, since she was unable to travel with me.


 

After we left, I was talking with the local minister and the Compassion Rep who accompanied me to Fred's home about how my visiting him would impact their family. Supposedly, not many sponsored children have the opportunity to actually meet the people who sponsor them. To most, their sponsors remain an imaginary person who helps pay their bills and occasionally sends them letters. The Compassion Rep said to me, "For most of these children, meeting their sponsor is second only to meeting God".....Speechless.


As I was walking back to the church I recalled how my wife Lindsey, who is very good at helping me keep my eyes on what is most important, recently helped me put into perspective some concerns I was having about how much I've been putting in my Roth IRA, savings, etc.....after visiting Uganda, my perspective is forever changed.  Whenever I get caught up in the stress of my job or frustrated about how much San Francisco costs to live, I will always have this experience as a reminder of what is truly important and where true joy comes from. It comes of knowing Christ and loving and serving others. Fred and his family taught me that.


During the rest of the trip, I had the chance to spend time with Fred two more times. I had the opportunity to sit in his classroom and listen to the lesson being taught, feed him breakfast and lunch and on our final day spend two hours at an amusement park. Complete with go karts and bumper cars! One of my favorite memories will always be when Fred would see me for the first time he would run as fast as he could and jump into my arms smiling the whole way. It melts my heart thinking about it. I will also never forget his face when I told him that it was time for me to go home. He became visibly upset and so was I.


 

My life and my perspective has been changed by a little kid in Africa name Fred Wandera. He is no longer just a strange child from a foreign land whose picture is posted on my freezer door. He is my sponsored child, who I hope to visit every year until he graduates from the sponsorship program when he is eighteen. I now dream of a day when I can see Fred and my son throwing a Frisbee together at an amusement park in Kampala, Uganda. An overseas vacation that will truly have meaning.

Ben Lee

Ben goes to Uganda

As some of you may know, Ben  is leaving on a mission trip tomorrow for Kampala, Uganda with Epic Church.  I, of course, would love to go but am THRILLED that he is getting the chance to head overseas for the first time.

*Ben is packed and ready to go!

In December, Epic Church started a partnership with United Christian Center, a local church, in Kampala, Uganda through Compassion International.  Our church got the chance to give money, sponsor 38 children form this project and now work alongside people there.

Ben and I decided to sponsor a 6 year old little boy named Fred.  Fred lives in Kampala with his mother and two sisters.  We have exchanged 2 letters and pictures so far.  This coming week, Ben will have the chance to hang out with Fred all day and meet his family!!  To be able to meet our sponsor child is a dream come true :)

Please pray for Ben and the Epic team of 14 who begin their journey tomorrow afternoon.  The team will be blogging updates throughout the trip.  You can check it out here.  I will also update as I receive information from Ben.  I will be traveling to New Orleans and having my sister out to SF while Ben is gone.  Prayers for me and Little Lee are also appreciated.  I am just a week and a half away from the third trimester and will post updates about baby and nursery soon!

Much love,

Lindsey