Update on Angelita

September 13, 2015

So, I am reading this book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  I read books like this after I have spent time in the word because it is so important to read God's word before reading one man's perspective about God's word.  Anyway, while I was reading, the ever repeating question of 'If God is so loving, why is the world such a mess?' came to mind  In the first chapter, Chan asks "Why are there so many people dying of starvation?"  And I was struck by the answer that came to mind.  Francis Chan writes "because He's God.  He has more of a right to ask us why so many people are starving."  He goes of to make further perhaps more significant points, and I recommend this read to hear those as well, but as for me, the example that came to mind was like small children.  

Say a father gives his son some toys to play with.  He gives his son these because he loves him, and he asks him to take care of his toys because they are his responsibility and delight now.  The boy loves these toys and plays with them everywhere; in the car, on the lawn ect.  Well, little boys are little boys and the son likes to play rough and dirty.  He often gets distracted and runs off to chase after the dog, or his friends.  He soon returns to his home to e supper and get ready for bed.  Days later, his toys are still outside scattered wherever they were left.  Some muddy, some broken, and others lost.  A week goes by and the boy finally returns to play with his toys.  But they are not very nice anymore.  The boy runs to his father and asks him why the toys are so dirty, broken, or lost.  Why didn't his father bring them in when it started to rain?  Why are they so messed up if his father wanted them so nice?  His father might then reply that it was the boy's responsibility to care for them.  To clean them, and bring them in from the rain, and find the lost pieces.  It was intrusted to the boy when he asked for more independence to play as he would.  And now he must try to clean, repair, and find the dirty, broken and lost toys.  

Ok, so obviously there are a lot of flaws with this analogy, specifically that, praise God, the dirty, broken, and lost of this world place their hope and trust in God alone, and rely on him not in God's other children for their relief.  My main point is that God has every reason to question us why there is so much pain and suffering in this world when it is our choice to follow sin which has resulted in these things.  We often blame him for the results of our choices.  

Anyway, just a thought.   

As I am writing this, I am holding Angelita.  The whole house is quiet before anyone wakes.  This is such a perfect time.  

Angelita is struggling a lot after surgery.  After the first two days post op, she has not smiled, and cries a lot.  Her cries are terrible to hear.  I know that part of it means that she has increased brain function which allows her to cry when she has not been able to before, but part of it represents pain that she has and it breaks my heart.  Please be praying for her comfort.  We are talking to all the doctors, but we are at a loss as to why she is so miserable, and it truly hurts to see her struggling like this.

Sept 22, 2015

Well, after worrying about Angelita for weeks and being told that everything is fine, even though we knew it was not, we got her in to a neurologist who said that she has blood in her brain around, and possibly clogging her shunt.  This is obviously not good, but we are all relieved that there is finally something we can identify that is causing all of her suffering.  In two weeks we will have the scans repeated to see if the blood is increasing, or diminishing.  At this point, Angelita is struggling.  Today she has been very cold, colder than normal.  She often has cool extremities due to circulation, but this time her overall temperature is low, although we are having trouble getting an accurate reading.  She is wrapped in heating pads, which it seems she likes because she smiled today for the second time in the nearly two weeks since I returned(before surgery, she used to smile 5 or more times every day, and rarely cried).  We are awaiting the doctor now, and hope to have something to do for her.  

I have mentioned how we get calls sometimes from the courts to please take this child, or that.  And most times we have to say no.  There have also been requests for our ministry to expand into other departments farther out.  At one point, the woman representing one of these department said with tears "children are dying".  I just want to refer you to the director's blog to read the post he wrote today.

  ----http://www.hopeforhome.blogspot.com/2015/09/for-this-one.html-----

This is such a striking account of a hospital visit to a national hospital in Xela.  It sounds like it comes out of a nightmare; walking down a crouded old hospital cooradore with arms reaching out from every side and people crying "help me".  After reading this, and hearing all the things I have heard since moving here, the sense of desperation is still stagering.  These families need help.  Much more so, these families need the hope of Jesus Christ.  



September 23, 2015

Today God has shown how yet again he sees our needs and provides.  All the medicine was available for our kids, and all their food was on the table with some to spare.  Our nannies gave physical therapy with love.  Many of our kids went to school, or learned one on one/two with Anny.  Bellies are full, minds grow richer, and little hearts are filled yet again with love and joy.  Children were held, laughed with and loved on.  God is so good.  The needs of yesterday seemed so great.  And they would be if they were ours to fill.  But God holds all these things in His arms and he has a specific plan and purpose for them.  He will provide what must be provided to fulfil His plan in His time to the glory of His name.  Praise God!




Thank you for all your prayers!
~Katie~
--after His heart--