Friday Praise and Prayer.

Time for another praise and prayer!

Praise:

• Rebekah, our new long term volunteer has been accepted with CTEN, and is working towards getting here as soon as possible!
• Marcy is doing somewhat better. She has still not had great poo's (very loose) since we put her on a slightly less expensive formula. After a month, I put her back on the more expensive formula on Sunday, and today she finally had a normal poo! And she hasn't really been sick since we left the hospital the beginning of May. Praise God!
• We have had some good sun lately, and Lupita has LOVED going in the pool for a bit in the afternoons. 

Prayer:

• Luz has a sprained ankle, and a bad case of pneumonia. It has been a rough week for her. Please pray for comfort, and quick healing. 
• Finances. 
• My leadership skills and training of nannies. We have had some struggles with staff members, and I need wisdom in dealing with some things.

We were blessed to have a photographer come spend a couple of days with us, and this is our group picture with the girls, the nannies, the housekeeper, social worker, and I in the traditional dress of the area. Enjoy!

Help is on the way! :)

This is a post that I am so excited to write about!

For some time now I've felt quite overwhelmed, and highly under qualified with some of my duties. I'm not sure I can adequately explain how difficult this whole process of starting the children's home has been for me. Let's just say, it's been really difficult to do this alone.

Though I haven't advertised it, except to a few people close to me, I (and others) have been praying for someone to come and share the ministry with me. A nurse wasn't necessary, but I wanted someone  who would especially be willing to help out with the office work so I could spend more time with the girls, and do a lot more hands on training with the nannies. Though I thought it would be so nice to have another nurse around when I can't be here.

Well, in a way that I feel like only God could have arranged, a nurse administrator from Canada has agreed to come work with us for two years!!!! She has a lot of administration experience, as well as she is a nurse! I couldn't ask for more! Her name is Rebekah, and we hope that she will be here by the end of August. She has started to raise funds, and it will depend somewhat on how that goes.

When I have to go to the City for appointments, hospitalizations, or when I go up to Canada (in June it will have been TWO years since I've been home!), she will come and stay at the Home. This is really important to me, as often these girlies have only subtle signs that they are becoming sick, and a non-trained eye may not pick up on it right away.

She will be able to drive, and can help take girls to appointments and help run errands. The possibilities are endless!!!! ;)

We have chatted several times, both prayed and sought counsel, and we both really feel like this is what God has for us.  Please pray with us, that her transition will be smooth(ish). That her fund-raising and sharing with churches will go well. Please pray for her family left behind, as I know it was hard on my mom when I left! Please pray that Spanish language learning would go well.

Thanks for all the prayers!

Surgical Updates!

I was going to update you on Sara and Lupita's surgeries, but now I've waited so long that I can update you on Marcy as well!

In the middle of April, Sara and Lupita had their tonsils and adenoids removed. Both of the girls have smaller than average heads, so their tonsils and adenoids were growing at a normal rate, and were blocking off their airways. This caused them both to have sleep apnea, and Sara got to the point where she couldn't be alone, and position changes were needed while sleeping so she could breathe effectively!

 These girls looked so cute in their little gowns!

 Sara was hungry, and crying a lot, so Lupita started trying to make her feel better. So sweet!!!

Post-op ice cream!!! 

I was pretty nervous, but things went very well for both girls. We stayed one night, just to make sure everything was okay, and went home happy the next morning! By then end of the first day, I was noticing that Sara was breathing SO much easier, and both the girls slept so peacefully and soundly that night. Sara's breathing was so quiet, I felt like I had to double check she was breathing!!! 

I am so thankful we could get these done. They have greatly increased their quality of life, and I no longer fear they will stop breathing at night and not start again! Thank you to all the donors that gave to us, to cover their care in a private hospital. I am so grateful!!!! 

The end of April Marcy got sick (again!), and wasn't getting better with our treatment here. We went to Guatemala City to receive treatment in a hospital there. We were there for five nights. She was improving so much, and we had already planned to put in a g-tube (permanent tube going directly in her stomach to feed her, as opposed to me having to insert one in her nose) so they went ahead and planned to do it while we were there. I am sure thankful for that! 

 Feeling pretty rough in the ER. It is hard to be sick, and have to drive 5 hours just to get to the hospital.

 First smile in almost a week! I was so thankful she was getting better!

 I wanted one last picture with her and her NG tube. But you can't even see the tube! :)

 No tube in my nose!!!!!

 The first night after surgery, they left the g-tube open so it could drain any fluid from her stomach. There was a plastic bag attached to the end of it. She kept wanting to play with the bag, instead of sleeping. She had her own bed, and my couch was next to it. I kept getting up to tell her not to touch the tube. After about 3 times of that, I got up and she had pulled the sheet over her head, and was hiding while she played!!! You can see the top of her hair sticking out. Little stinker! 

She was pretty interested in this new thing in her belly. Now she is just used to it. It was only yesterday that I was getting the bag of food ready to attach to her tube, and she grabbed the tube, and held it up for me!!! Smart or what?!?

After 5 nights, we happily headed home. She has done really well with it. They did biopsies while they put it in, and she has some very bad reflux that is causing damage. Please be praying for her for that. She has a hernia that is making her reflux worse. I feel like every time we see a new doctor, or get a new exam done, we find something else wrong with her. Some fixable, some not, but all problem causers. The anesthesiologist had a very hard time intubating her, so future surgeries need to be well thought out. I had really hoped she would be easier to intubate, as she is bigger than last year. But, no. 

I am seeing such improvements in her as well. She is putting more toys and food in her mouth. She won't eat the food, but even putting it in her mouth without gagging, crying, choking or vomiting, is a very big step! She is breathing better, and hardly ever has boogers! It is so nice to be rid of the nose feeding tube. This surgery really should have happened months ago. I held on to the hope for SO long that she would eat with her mouth, and then when I finally decided we needed it, she was sick for so long!

So now we have finished the three most important surgeries. I'm so glad they are done. And I have seen such an improvement in all of their quality of lives. Thank you to everyone for their prayers and financial donations! I appreciate it all so much!