Transplant Fundraiser

I cannot begin to express my thanks for the outpouring of love and support we have seen through this kidney donation process. So many of our family, church family, and friends have approached us to ask what they can do during this time. And so I'm excited to tell you about an incredible event happening this Thursday!

One of Ricky's friends has put together a transplant fundraiser to cover travel, lodging, and medical expenses for both of our families. And of course, he's created an event that is only fitting for us Gatlin and Garcia folks: a Fit for the Cross workout (WOD).

Here is a copy of the flyer and an explanation of the WOD itself. If you're in the area and would like to join us, come on out. If you can't join us, but would like to contribute just let me know. And if you can't or don't want to do either, then please hold us up in prayer. We appreciate your support and encouragement no matter in what form it comes.

This WOD was programmed to honor the pain and sacrifice Ricky and Todd have and are about to endure. Todd's humbling sacrifice and gift to Ricky will allow him to continue being a wonderful father, husband and Christian with an improved physical and mental health with no more dialysis treatments. Ricky is an inspiration to all Crossfitters by being living proof that anything is possible with the right attitude. He still continues a tough workout regimen even with kidney failure.

This WOD represents the upcoming procedure.

It will be performed in a team of 2 to represent the unique bond Ricky and Todd will always have. Each team member will perform the reps alone while the other team member gives support/coaching. You cannot move to the next exercise until the team is done with all reps. Team completes the reps however they want to split the load for each exercise. Each team member must perform a minimum of 15 reps per exercise. STAY TOGETHER except during the run/row.

The rope climb represents the 1 kidney that both Ricky and Todd each will function with for the rest of their lives.

The number of exercises represents the projected 6 week recovery time for Ricky. The number of reps for each team member represents the number of members in the Fit For the Cross group."

The average cost of a kidney transplant is $160,000. Every 1 meter represents a $25 contribution to the cost from each team. So 1600m = $ 40,000. One member will run while the other rows. Switch positions during following runs/rows. (last one that ran, rows this time) ANY DONATION OF YOUR CHOICE WILL BE ACCEPTED.

By: Jamie Moon 

I don't want to sound pretentious, but after all the Lord has done so far, I can just picture the four of us standing in awe on Thursday as people flood in to participate in this WOD. I mean, already our little group of FFTC challengers has grown from the 3-10 people of past years to a consistent 40-60 people PER DAY way beyond our usual 7 weeks. So imagine if everyone who comes invites a friend, and then they show up on Thursday.... WOW. I don't know how many will come out, but I do know this: God has proven His sovereignty and faithfulness through every detail of this process, and I trust Him to continue to blow our minds. I can't wait to share what HE does on Thursday and in the weeks to come!!

Officially Official - Kidney Donation Update

Well folks, it's all officially official. Yesterday the donor board at the Transplant Institute voted and cleared Todd to be Ricky's donor! They are supposed to call Ricky today to fill him in on details, and then we just wait. In 2 weeks, both men will do another round of blood work to check for possible infections, etc. If there is anything that could cause potential harm, they will postpone until both are well. If both are infection-free (and we're believing they will be!), we will head to San Antonio on Thursday, July 5. Todd has to register the night before, we'll stay in a hotel that night, and then we'll arrive on Friday morning, July 6, for the transplant.

Here are the current prayer needs:

• Health & wellness for Ricky & Todd. Specifically, Todd has been struggling with a sore throat this week, and we have youth camp next week. He needs to kick this sore throat and stay well despite the busy weeks ahead!
• Continued peace beyond all understanding for Melissa, me, and our families
• Travel safety for all involved
• Finances for the Garcias (all medical costs fall on them)
• The Lord to do show Himself in a mighty way to those doctors and nurses who perform the surgeries
• Quick recovery & healing
• Ricky's body to accept Todd's kidney with no complications or infections

Thank you for your love and support. We continue to be in awe of this whole process, and we covet your prayers now more than ever.

We love you all,
Nikki & Todd

Greater Love Has No Man Than This...

I'm officially the world's worst blogger. I tend to only remember this thing when it's time to share the big stuff, so here I go again with another pretty significant blog to update friends and family on our latest adventure.

Over the last year or so Todd and I have grown significantly closer to our friends, Ricky and Melissa, and their four boys. Ricky and Mel are a hardcore Cross Fitters who coach our church's Fit for the Cross with Todd, and Mel is my assistant director at Little Sprouts. They have also come alongside Todd and me to work with our Junior High students in youth ministry. You could say we see each other quite a lot.

In early February we started our 3rd annual Fit for the Cross Challenge. Ricky and Todd coached the early morning workout, but after just a couple of weeks Ricky had to take a break due to illness. Over time, his list of symptoms increased, and he started to feel really badly. Long story short, he went from being diagnosed with just an ear infection in February to finally being diagnosed with 5% kidney function by mid-March. He would need to start dialysis as soon as possible and would need a kidney transplant. The day Ricky and Mel were summoned to Lubbock and were given this news, Todd and I both joked with them about giving Ricky a kidney. Oh, little did we know...

Todd began to research what donating a kidney involved, and we discovered that he and Ricky have the same blood type. During Ricky's initial stay in the hospital to begin dialysis, Todd told him he would be willing to go through the initial testing to see if he was a compatible match. Ricky's brother, Mickey, also offered to be tested, and both went in for blood work. After about a week, doctors confirmed that both Todd and Mickey were compatible, and Ricky just needed to pick who he wanted to donate. However, at dialysis the next day, Ricky learned that Todd is an H-4 match (which I'm still not sure what this term medically means). To us this just means one thing: Todd is a closer match genetically than Ricky's own brother! Ricky came to the church, the four of us sat down at lunch together, and he told us the news. Then he and Melissa asked Todd if he'd be willing to move forward as the potential donor, and they asked me if I would be OK with this. I want to bawl now just thinking about it again. Am I OK?? My response was, "How in the world can I NOT be OK?!?" The thought that Todd was knit together from birth to genetically match, not a sibling, but a friend is mind-blowing. For us to all be in Midland, TX at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship and to have become such good friends with this family in the last year is beyond anything I could EVER imagine. I am overwhelmed by God's sovereignty... absolutely overwhelmed.

There are so many more details I could share, but I will catch you up to our current status quickly. Since the first of May, Todd has done several urine collections to check his kidney function, has given more blood, has been to San Antonio to the donor center where he has had a physical exam, a medical history evaluation, a CT scan, etc. Yesterday he got his final results from these tests, clearing him to be the donor. The last step prior to surgery is a board meeting on Monday to officially declare him a compatible and fit donor. Todd's contact at the donor center says he will pass with flying colors, because he is in perfect condition to donate.

So there you have it: Our newest adventure! People keep asking me how I'm holding up in all of this, and I am able to confidently say that I am doing amazingly well. I suppose our joking around about Todd and Ricky sharing organs helped in preparing me for this moment of reality, but more than that I serve a good God who has orchestrated our lives for such a time as this. Todd and I both have an opportunity that not many people get: to actually walk out our life verses. His is John 15:13: Greater love has no man than this: to lay down his life for his friend. Todd has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live this out and to see our dear friend receive life. As for me I'm getting a major opportunity to trust the Lord with all my heart, to lean not on my own understanding, but in all my ways to follow Him and see Him direct my path (Prov 3:5-6).

I will not fear, for God has His fingerprints all over this. He is a good God, and I'm honored to witness this incredible process. To Him be the glory now and forever.

Prayer Requests through this journey:

• Continued peace that surpasses all understanding from now through the day of surgery
• Health for both Todd and Ricky so the surgery can go as scheduled
• Finances for Ricky & Mel - all financial responsibility falls on the recipient
• A quick recovery for both Todd & Ricky
• For Ricky's body to accept Todd's kidney with no complications

We covet your prayers. I'll keep you all updated as July approaches.
We love you, Nikki & Todd

So, You're Really OK?

I can't really say why I feel the need to write this today, but I feel the Spirit urging me to do so. (I started this around 3pm today and I'm just now getting around to finishing it.) Prayerfully it is meant for someone - one of you - who is in my boat or in a much more complicated one.

Over the last several months to a year I've had a lot of my friends ask me this title question in regards to the whole becoming-a-mommy process. So for those of you who are interested, have asked, care, or don't care, here is the answer to that question: Yes! I'm OK! The Lord has done amazing things in my life in the last year-ish to solidify a few things I needed to sink in. If I could recap some of the key points that have been driven home to me, I could in 3 main points:

My God is sovereign. His timing is so incredibly perfect down to the wire. I've been studying Beth Moore's "The Patriarchs" which goes through the book of Genesis from the call of Abraham to reunification of Joseph with his brother. One common thread throughout the study is the amazing timing of our God. A theme I've noticed within these chapters of Genesis is barrenness and in particular, God's perfect orchestration of opening a womb. I can't even begin to fathom the life of Sarah and the amazing journey the Lord took with her. Todd and I haven't been "trying" nearly that long, yet I have days I want to bust. Her willingness to submit to God's leading despite her seemingly unanswered prayer is humbling. And sure, she wasn't perfect and offered up her maidservant to Abraham, but to only make one (recorded) majorly stupid move to try to "help along" God's plan in 90 years of waiting is pretty admirable. And then, low and behold, she conceived. AT 90. (On a side note, Todd's sweet Granny Lucy just turned 90 and I can't for the life of me fathom someone her age with a big ole preggo belly...) God's timing was so perfect though. Had Isaac not come along just when he did, he would've been a very old man and probably have married someone other than Rebekah, mother to Jacob. God knew what he was doing. The family lineage of Jesus Christ was the big picture. Now I'm not saying my family line is more important than that of Christ, but why would God, in His supreme sovereignty, not be taking care of my own, too? Whoa...what a big picture concept that overwhelms my brain to even consider.

His Spririt gives me confidence and I stand on His promises. Throughout Scripture the Lord gives countless verses of the blessing of children. Check it out sometime. The Bible is chock-full of Scriptures about bearing children, the heritage of having them, the joy in raising them, etc. God says in Genesis 1:28 to "be fruitful and multiply."  Therefore, I can confidently assume His desire is for us to do the same. When I start to waver or become worrisome about this process, I remember God's promises of children and the gift from him that they are. I am confidant that I will be a mom. Period. I believe it with everything within me, and I'm trusting Him to fulfill that promise.

I have to pause here a moment to say that I know some of you are thinking, "You're crazy to think that God is going to give you a kid just for believing for one." I'm not an idiot. I know there are real circumstances where people physically do not have children. But I believe 2 things: 1) God can heal and do miraculous things through faith, and 2) There are thousands of orphans in the world just looking for someone to love them. Adoption is parenthood. As evident by my sweet, now legally adopted Micah man... God perfectly ordains these cases, too, even down to creating Micah to physically look like Lindsey! And if you're reading this and you fall into the category of physically not having children, please  know that I do not take that lightly or think you have little faith. Be encouraged; God can provide you a miracle through conception, adoption, or just a whole bunch of biological/not biological nieces and nephews.

My words and thoughts are powerful tools. Throughout this season of "trying" I've had my really amazing days and my rougher days. There are days when news of someone else's pregnancy or the sight of a young mom and her baby sends me into a tailspin of jealousy, frustration, and comparison. However, I've learned that "the tongue has the power of life and death" (Proverbs 18:21). In those hard moments I can choose to dwell on and then vocalize my fears, my worries, my what-ifs, but to what harm? My thoughts and words ought to be full of life, proclaiming the promises of God and praising Him for all He's done in my life and all that He will do. It might sound a tad over the top, but some days I tell myself aloud (usually alone in my car), "I WILL have babies. God YOU ARE faithful, and I TRUST YOU." Life is spoken into the darkness, and it also serves as a good reminder to Satan to back off. It's pretty therapeutic!

I know that's a large nutshell, but so many people have asked, and I know others must be wondering how I've been doing. I'm not usually one to share this kind of thing so publicly, but like I said before, I really feel like someone needed to hear it.

Oh Lord, would you use the things you've been teaching me to comfort, speak to, or encourage someone else in turn?

The Great Pumpkin Procrastination

Well, I've managed to outdo myself in the area of procrastination. Usually when I remember to do something, I try to make a note or do it right away so I don't forget. Sometimes I remind myself several days in a row before I finally make myself suck it up and just do whatever "it" is. Unfortunately I did not follow this policy this last week.

Earlier I left the office to head home for lunch. Almost as soon as I was in my Jeep I thought, "Hmm...something smells a bit musty in here." I did a quick glance-around to see if a random lunch tupperware had escaped my lunch box, but didn't notice anything. Then I thought, "Oh, I did just buy that sand for MDO this weekend at Lowe's; maybe that's it. And oh, I need to get those fall festival things out of the back of the car."

I got home and headed to the porch to make room for a couple of pumpkins I had in my car that were leftover from the fall festival. (On a side note, those suckers cost $8.00 because they were the fancy, "Cinderella" pumpkins, and they were the only ones left on the morning of Oct. 31, the day of our Little Sprouts festival, so I bought them. We used them that same night for our church's festival and afterward I wasn't about to let them go to waste, so I took them home - well, to my car at least.) When I reached the porch I discovered that one of the large pumpkins I had on display had imploded. I guess the recent warmth killed it, and it was a juicy blob on the porch. Annoyed, I went for a trash bag and shovel and scooped the pumpkin off the porch. Then I headed to my car to get the 2 Cinderellas from the festival to display.

I opened the back-end of my car, grabbed the first pumpkin, and set it out on the porch. I went to retrieve the other pumpkin from the car, reached out and touched it, and low and behold, the musty smell - squishy, mushy, juicy pumpkin. It had rotted (in just a week mind you) and was stuck to the carpeted floor of my car. I kid you not, I had to SHOVEL the pumpkin out of the car and scrape the bits (yes, bits) of pumpkin off the floor. After hitting the spot up with carpet cleaner, I scrubbed it with 409 and hot water several times, but unfortunately I think it is going to require professional help. I Febreezed the inside before heading back to work, and now the car sits with windows open to hopefully carry away the scent. Sick.

While I can't say I will get any better with my procrastination, I can say that I will NEVER leave a pumpkin in my car longer than a day ever again.

How the Gatlins Came to Be

It seems that enough time has passed since Todd and I met that we are now friends with people who have never heard the story of how we came to be "us," so I thought I'd take some time to write it down while my memory is still kickin' (I tried to cut and paste but theknot.com apparently deletes stuff after so long).

Prepare yourself for a quite an epic story...

I graduated from college in December 2005 from Texas A&M and had applied to several different school districts. I subbed for awhile in College Station for a bit before getting hired by CyFair ISD (in Northwest Houston) at the end of January. I was supposed to start on Valentine's Day, had two weeks to move, and had committed to work at Pine Cove that summer, so getting an apartment was pointless. I moved back to my parents' house in EB and commuted to and from Houston every day that spring. Since I was mostly spending my time on the road or grading papers, I had little time to hang out, and so the youth pastor's wife at my church, Jill Coleman, became my comedic relief and confidant.

After that summer, I found an apartment in Houston, and around that same time Jill and her family relocated to Odessa. Later that fall Jill began working at The Life Center in Midland as an abstinence education presenter, and Todd was the director of the Prevention Dept. After a little time passed, Jill called me to tell me that I should meet her "boss," and if nothing else, we'd make great friends. I laughed at her and the thought of her "boss" as I pictured a middle-aged, balding man. Unbeknown to me, Jill was also talking me up to Todd on his end. However, he'd had a difficult year relationship-wise, so he informed her he was not interested in a relationship. We both shrugged her off, but she continued to tell one about the other throughout that spring and summer.

Fast forward to the first of August 2007. Since my sister, Lindsey Mayberry, had been in Jill and Aaron's youth group as a HS student, she and her then boyfriend, Larry decided to head to Odessa for Rock the Desert. I was finishing up my last session at Pine Cove as a nanny and was soon to be heading home from camp for a new school year. The Life Center always has a booth at RTD, and since Jill worked for them, she took Lindsey and Larry over to say hello. There she introduced Lindsey to Todd as "the sister of the girl you refuse to talk to." Todd, caught off guard, informed her that he never said he wouldn't talk to me; he just wasn't interested in a relationship. Jill spotted an in, and said, "So you'll talk to her???" Todd, probably reluctantly, said he would. Jill called me to get permission to give him my email address, and I very reluctantly told her she could give it to him.

Several weeks went by without word, and then on the first day of school I received my first email from Todd. All he said was something along the lines of, "Hey, this is Todd, Jill's friend. I don't really know how this works, so I'll just start by saying 'Hi.'" I read that, laughed out loud, and responded. I told him just a little about myself and asked him a little about himself. Several weeks passed before I heard from him again. During the next few months I think we emailed maybe 4-5 times.

Towards the end of October, a couple of sweet mentors in my life decided to try to set me up with someone new. He was a local guy, so we were able to talk and meet pretty quickly. The day I went to meet him, Todd called for the first time. Since I'd had very few guys interested in me in the past, I had no idea what to do with two. I ignored Todd's call and went to meet Guy #2. After a week it was clear that he and I were heading nowhere together, and Jill wanted to know why I wasn't returning Todd's call. I felt badly for just ignoring him, so I decided to call him back. After a bit of phone tag, we finally talked for the first time in early November. Our first conversation lasted almost 3 hours. We talked about everything: the Lord, church ministries, family, work, etc. When I told my roommates about our conversation the next day I used the word "refreshing" to describe Todd, which I know sounds ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I'd had some awesome Christian guy friends in college, but there was something totally different about Todd and the way he talked about the Lord that I'd never noticed in anyone else before.

Over the next few weeks we talked maybe 3-4 times a week, and around Thanksgiving I decided I needed to meet this guy. I had already gone through a pretty long, drawn-out setup before and didn't want to waste time and get my hopes up again. Lindsey and I decided we'd come out to Midland/Odessa for New Years to see Aaron and Jill/meet Todd. When the day came, I was a major wreck of emotions; my gag reflex was at an all-time high. Naturally, Jill couldn't pick us up at the airport, so that left just one other person to do the job: Todd. We arrived and made our way down to the baggage claim where Todd stood waiting nervously for us in his UT thermal. He was the best-looking guy I'd ever laid eyes on in spite of that UT shirt.

I could go into major detail, but will try to spare you more time. Todd took us to meet up with the Coleman clan at Chili's, and that night Lindsey and I went to Odessa to watch a football game with Todd and some friends. The next day he came over to babysit the Coleman boys with us, and then we went on our first date, to a hockey game, the third day. He took me out for a nice dinner on New Year's Eve. Several time throughout these few days, we talked about the prospect of dating with the intent to marry. We had talked on the phone enough to get to know each other pretty well, and at 26 and 24 we weren't really interested in just casually dating and causing each other heartache. Once again, unbeknown to me, Lindsey was texting my parents back home about the "fireworks" between me and Todd. It was true. I had never enjoyed being with someone as much as him; he was everything I'd ever prayed for and more.

Our First Date

On my last night in Midland, Todd and I hung out until really late even though he had to be at work the next day. When he left, I asked him what I should call him when I returned to Houston. My friend? Silly girls...we always need a DTR. He answered me with, "What do you want to call me?" (Totally unfair to answer a question with a question.) I said, "My boyfriend?" and he said it sounded good to him. He gave me my very first kiss ever and left. I almost tripped on the curb going back inside the house. If you want the details of the silliness that followed that night, ask Lindsey or Jill. They have some hilarious stories.

Anyway, Todd knew by the end of that week we'd spent together that we'd get married. I knew a few weeks later but waited for him to say "I love you" first. Which is another story in itself that also involves answering a question with a question. By the first week of April we were engaged, and we were married in July. It was super fast, but we both knew the Lord had thrown open wide the doors for us and there was no denying His Hand in our lives and relationship.

Proposing to me in my classroom

First Dance at our Wedding

Three years later, I can say that there is not a doubt in my mind that Todd is the perfect man for me. He is able to put up with me in ways that no one else could, he fits in so perfectly with my family that it's scary, and he shows his love for me in the sweetest, most thoughtful ways. I'm truly blessed and wouldn't trade or change our story for anything in the world.

One of my all-time faves of us with Bonzai

Little Sprouts

So, I realized today that I really am, legitimately the world's worst blogger ever. I don't even think people know we have a blog or care, but hey, writing is fun for me, so I'll just create new blogs about the last few months like I actually did them on time. I'll start by sharing the vision that was cultivated over the last few years and then came to life over the last few months: Little Sprouts Mother's Day Out.

If you know me at all, you know that teaching had been hard for me since my transition to Midland. I will not blame or point fingers (as I was definitely to blame for part), but teaching had become harder and harder, and I didn't like the person I felt I was becoming (or rather had slowly become). The negativity of all of it became unbearable and was pouring over into other aspects of my life. Something had to give.

Over spring break, Todd and I took the junior high youth to Houston on a mission trip. It sounds like a not-so-exciting thing, but it was truly amazing. We saw and experienced people and parts of Houston that I never knew existed. As the lead driver of our pack (since I lived there for so long), I was shocked to pass a place I'd driven by my whole life, only to discover a part of town I never even knew was there. We went to refugee apartments, visited and prayed around a Buddhist temple, and ate a legit Nepalese meal with converted Christian brothers and sisters. It was amazing. During this time and for a week or so after, I found myself wondering what on earth I was doing with my time. My sole purpose is to love the Lord and to make His name known through sharing of His Great Love, and here I was, going to a job that I was disliking more everyday. My mind kept flashing back to school picture day when one of my neediest students came to me for a hug and I was "too busy." What was I doing??

I began to pray that the Lord would open doors and then met with one of the elders in our church and his wife (both of whom we dearly love). Our church was (and is) without a children's minister, so I expressed interest in doing something along those lines. In the conversation, the ideas I've had for the last few years about mother's day out program came to light. When asked to talk a bit more about this idea, the floodgates opened. Years of thoughts - which apparently had piled up in my head - poured out. I was asked to generate a business plan to present to the elders of our church, and then we'd see where it went from there. So I went home, had a weekend alone while Todd was on another youth trip, and the Lord began to give me new and incredible ideas for the program.

That Saturday while Todd was gone, I decided to plant some flowers for my front beds. As I planted, I prayed the Lord would give me a vision and a name for the MDO program. I began to think about the plants I was potting, and the idea of children growing came to mind. Later, as I washed my hair, I was suddenly hit with the term "sprout." I began to throw around things that went with sprout, cleaned up, and began to form notes and google other terms. The Lord just completely put the names and ideas in my head! Little Sprouts became the name of the program, and the class names became the stages of a pea plant: seeds, roots, buds, and pea pods. The Lord also gave me our theme verse: But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. 2 Peter 3:18

To try to make a long story, shorter, I researched logistics and presented the name and details, etc. to the elders, and the week of my birthday in May they hired me as the director. During the summer, every second not devoted to youth trips was spent researching, preparing, interviewing, hiring, training, remodeling, etc. And then finally on August 24, the vision came to life when 30 little ones came walking through the doors!!!

This journey has been incredible and some amazing people have helped me in the process. I am blessed to know that the kids who come through the doors every Monday and Wednesday are being taught about our Lord Jesus Christ. I love to sit in my office and just listen to the sounds that come from each room: the cries, the giggles, the burbs, the songs, the squeals. It's an incredible honor to have been given the task of starting something so amazing, and I can honestly say I LOVE what I do!!