Tom and I got home from our last trip together on Sunday night. We were in Pennsylvania to say goodbye to his dad and a life well lived. I spent the previous week in Iowa visiting my mom in the hospital. Even under unfortunate circumstances, Pennsylvania and Iowa were literally teeming with spring. Illness and death could not stop the brightness of fresh green grass and hot pink azaleas or cut the scent of sun-kissed lilacs or rhubarb pie.
Tomorrow night we will be catching a red-eye to Villahermosa, the capital city of the Mexican state of Tabasco, in search of a different kind of new life. We fly out of Tijuana and even though the flight isn't until 11:47 p.m., it is still technically tomorrow. We have a layover in Mexico City and we are bummed that the amount of time we have in Mexico City is not long enough to let us explore North America's largest city.
Taking the shuttle to the Tijuana Airport and flying to Villahermosa seems like a leap of faith. We don't know how our journey will end but we are willing to take a risk for the possibility of a great reward. Having children has been something that we have discussed since we first started dating and it seemed like a distant possibility, more like a daydream, really. Now, almost four years after those discussions started, we find ourselves on the brink of something momentous.
There is no need to get too graphic. I think you will all know what I mean when I say that we have to be in Mexico to "start the process." We have been told that we should find out if we have positive pregnancies within 90 days, although another couple from San Diego that used this same agency told us that they heard about their positive pregnancy in about a month.
We will not be meeting the egg donor. We chose her after sifting through dozens of pictures, profiles, and medical histories and know her as Canadian JGF. I'm not sure if we will be meeting the two gestational surrogates or not. Even if we don't meet them in person on this trip, we will have (at least) monthly Skype times for doctor's appointments and check-ups.
As we embark on our new journey we will be taking our recent experiences with us. How wonderful that Tom was able to tell his dad, before he passed away, that he would (hopefully) be a grandfather again. In true Don Custer style, he took the news in stride and made a kind-hearted joke. Through our Skype session we could see the smile on his face and in his eyes. How wonderful that my mom has another incentive to heal and give all that she can to her physical therapy. In true Mary Stender fashion, she is already buying baby clothes. My dad is looking forward to the prospect of more Stenders, even if that means Stender-Custers!
It is our hope that if it is God's will, and with the help of your prayers, that our time in Villahermosa will be fruitful. As Christians we believe in the power of resurrection and that Christ will make all things new. May the growth of the Stender-Custers be as persistent as spring in Cass County or the Delaware Valley.
