Will There Be A Victory In 2013?

This is the second installment of the experiences and struggles of our last four months of 2012. Read the first here and the final here.

When the pieces seem to shatter, To gather off the floor
And all that seems to matter, Is that I don’t feel You anymore When I’m overcome by fear, And I hate everything I know
If this waiting lasts forever, I’m afraid I might let go

A Reason to Sing, by All Sons & Daughters

THE MOVE

At the end of August, I applied for a transfer from Staples in Helena, Andrea left her position at Great Harvest Bread Company, and friends helped us pack everything we own into a 24-foot Budget box truck rental.

We then made the two-day drive (with only a little drama) from our empty home in Montana to Southern California ready to start over again. At the time, I don't think we anticipated the challenges ahead.

Andrea's parents have been gracious to allow us to stay in their guest bedroom, but things are definitely crowded. Andrik and Kellin have been sleeping on the floor in the office for three months now. Andrea's parents have also been helping out in other ways. We are so grateful for these blessings.

It was also a blessing to transfer to the Staples Best Copy & Print Center here in Ontario, California. A "Best" Copy & Print Center stands out in service and quality from standard Staples Copy & Print Centers, so it was quite an honor to be accepted into the position. However, I did not get the hours I had hoped, so I continued to look for a better position.

DIFFICULT TIMES

Even with help from family, things continued to be tight financially. At one point, I was bringing home just $138 per week for our family of four. Since my medical scare last February, our healthcare costs have increased to over $300 per month for medications without insurance (nearly the same with the limited insurance offered by Staples). My mom has been helping in that area.

To further help with costs, we set our pride aside and applied for MediCaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - formerly known as food stamps). The kids were accepted for MediCaid coverage and our family has received SNAP assistance since November. For a man who is highly and uniquely skilled in two separate career tracks and educated with a post graduate degree, the turn of events of 2012 have been huge.

I am truly a broken man.

THE ACCIDENT

It wasn't soon after, that we experienced another setback in these difficult times. I received a call one afternoon at work from Kellin's middle school informing me that he had been in an accident on his bike — he was on his way home from school when he collided with some piping in the sidewalk.

He was thrown from his bike landing face-first on the pavement. While he still does not remember getting from the scene back to the school (a concerned parent helped get him and his belongings back), he does remember seeing a lot of blood.

In the end, Kellin had broken his nose and lost a permanent front tooth. At this point, it looks as though a second front tooth will also be lost for good.

On MediCare in California, it was nearly impossible to find a doctor to see Kellin. We ended up at the emergency room of a local hospital where they did very little. Follow up care has been just as challenging.

We finally found a specialist to see Kellin about his nose after the intense swelling subsided. The dentist we found that actually accepts MediCaid has still not contacted us and seems elusive as we try to follow up with care for his missing tooth.

We are still praying for help and a resolution to Kellin's heath needs.

So where are we now? Why are we praying for victory? Check out my third and final installment here as I conclude the experiences and struggles of our last four months.