New family members, and ministry oppertunities

In the last month, we added two children to our home. Merlyn is one and a half and is an incredibly beautiful child. We were told that she is mentally retarded (a term I know is not used in the US now, but that is what we were told none the less), and we have noted some developmental delays. She is curious and likes to explore. She likes swinging in the hammock swing, and we think the motion soothes her. She is becoming more comfortable in her new environment, although we still have some struggles to work through with little Merlin.

 

Cesar is nine years old, and has a rough history. We believe he has autism as well. Cesar has the sweetest disposition and always wants to come up for a hug. He speaks a mixture of Spanish and K’iche (possibly misspelled), but his chirpy little responses have to our fascination. He also is learning the routine of the home, and is benefiting from the structure, through which, we have seen a remarkable improvement in his behavior. He also likes swinging in the hammock swing, and playing with his soccerball, and all music. We also still have some struggles with Cesar as well. Please be praying for both Merlyn and Cesar, and for their adjustments into the home and continued improvement as we learn how to best help them grow. 




We were blessed this month by cane training for the visually impaired through Global Cane Outreach (www.globalcaneoutreach.org). In addition to donating many canes for the blind, they provided a training session to teach us how to teach others to use these canes to their full potential. Through this ministry, we can train trainers, and reach many of the blind of Guatemala. As always, any ability to reach out physically to those who are hurting, is a fantastic opportunity to reach out spiritually and through a relationship to better spread the gospel. Another example came this month through another local ministry. Vicky Horsfield passed along a donation of teddy bears for us to hand out to some kids in Sipakate. Through teddy bears, Gerardo was able to sit and share the gospel with the kids. Praise God for the new opportunities we will have to share. 

Finally, today members of our team are heading out into a new department to lay the foundations of our work there. They are meeting up with another ministry already working in the department of Quiche’. There are many families there in need of help, including Christian, who lived in our home for a year while we learned how to teach his mother to care for his severe autism. Please pray for their travels, and for the right connections to be made. Praise God for this new adventure!

Here are some fun photos of the kids playing outside.

 

 

 

 

Thank you all again for your prayers, God bless!
~Katie~
--after His heart--

Angelita is free

January 26, 2016

Our Angelita is walking with Jesus now.  We were so blessed to carry her into his arms. 

I have now lived in Guatemala just over a year, and in that time we have lost two children who were most precious to me. 

When Micah came into our home, we knew he was dying, and we were to give him peace and comfort until he died.  Angelita had been living in the home before I got here, and although her hydrocephalus was serious, we expected that she could live years, and we certainly did not expect her to die in the next year. 

Coffins should not come this small.

This is the short story. 

Angelita was 9 years old.  She was the size of a toddler, so her name, meaning little angle, was quite fitting.  She had a lot of brain damage, and she never talked, or made eye contact.  When I first came, she would smile, and sometimes laugh, and never cry.  She was perfect for snuggles, and I cherished her.  In the last few months, Angelita struggled a lot.  As the pressure on her brain increased, she lost the ability to drink from a bottle, and she hurt more.  She smiled less and less, and cried more and more.  She had some terrible nights, many of which we thought we would loose her.  I loved holding her through the night.  She had a shunt placed to try to relieve some of the pressure on her brain, and just a few days ago, she had surgery to place her perminant feeding tube.  She had struggled so much that when she went for surgery, and her breathing was so poor, we found ourselves praying that if God took her home then, we would understand and rejoice for her peace.  But he gave us a few more days with her.  We held her more, and had a few peaceful nights with her. 

Then yesterday, while most of the family was away, she had one of her bad days.  She cried a lot, and even in my arms she did not calm down.  In the evening, we put the other children to bed early, and I just held her because she was so miserable.  We called the Doctor, and he arrived shortly after some of the family was able to return.  He said she needed to return to the hospital.  We were tired from not sleeping the night before, but we moved hurriedly to gather her things.  She was struggling more than ever, and her breathing was very poor.  I knew that we were loosing her, and I prayed thatt if God was going to take her, that he would take her from my arms and not alone in a hospital bed.  I didn’t know what to do for her, so we started a breathing treatment, but I knew it would not make a difference.  When we were ready, I carried her toward the door, and I felt her stiffening, and her breathing changed.  As I passed through the kitchen, her breathing stopped.  I dropped to the floor in the doorway, and Daryl and I did what we could, but there was nothing we could have done to keep her here any longer.  She died in my arms and went home.  

Praise God she is finally pain free.  She is home. 

I have loved that child most dearly.  She was most precious to me.  I held her and hugged her for long hours day and night.  This family cherished her, and she was a treasured member of the home.  God truly blessed us with her.  I am so glad to have known her.  I am happier still that she is not struggling anymore, and is safe in the arms of her father.  She can run and talk and smile with her brother and sisters who beat her to heaven. 

We are hurting a lot.  Pray for us, and especially for Krishauna, Carissa, and Taryn who were not able to be here and receive the comfort of the family.  Angelita is not the fourth child to be carried home to the father from this home.  The second child I have lost in a year.  I know what it is to pray for God to take a child.  This is so very hard. 

Thank God she is finally home.

Evening

A few of us just took Angelita to her hometown of Jutiapa to be buried near her family plot.  We drove for hours, as were met by a man who knew how to get to Angelita’s grandmother’s house.  He led us along another long road, and then onto an unpaved road which was essentially offroading.  After a while, we turned onto a field, and then on farther still until we were climbing a steep dirt road surrounded by forest.  It was there that the van could go no further.  We climbed out, and began to carry the tiny coffin until the men of the town met us, and carried it further.  They were walking very fast along the uneven dirt road, and there was hardly enough light to see each foot fall.  We walked on and eventually, the men ahead of us started down a small footpath on the side of another steep hill.  As we carefully climbed down in the dark, we could hear music coming from the house below.  This was our final destination. 

There must have been more than 100 people inside and outside that small one room, dirt floored home.  When we entered the home, it was crammed with the children and the small band who stopped playing the music.  People morned for my Angelita whom I had never known, but they shared love for her.  Angelita’s grandmother was a tiny woman who had cared for her grandchildren after their parents abandoned them.  She truly loved Angelita.  Daryl and Manuel shared words and the gospel with them, and there were many tears.  Afterward, we escused ourselves from the gathering that was likely to last hours more into the night, and we started our long drive home. 

I miss holding my girl so much, but I have no doubt at all that she is better in the arms of the father than in my own.  She is playing with Micah, Thania, and Esperanza, and I know one day I will see her smile again, without a hint of pain.  God blessed us so much to be a part of her life. 

Praise God for empty wheelchairs.  

A year in review

In just about a week, I will celebrate my one year anniversary living in Guatemala and serving with Hope for Home Ministries.  This ends my initial one year commitment, however I have no plans of stopping now!  Guatemala has become my home, and I love the work I get to take part in. 

If you have been reading these updates, then you know I live and work in the group home for special needs children, and I am privileged to travel out with the four wheel drive ministry team to visit and minister to children with special needs in more remote villages. 

Alejandra

Brayan

Yennifer

Here in the home, I have grown accustomed to more than just long term care from a nursing definition, I have become part of a ridiculously large and loud family.  Our kids in the home have become my kids.  I truly cherish each of them.  This year, I have watch Alejandra find her ‘voice’ and start communicating through an ipad.  Brayan and Yenni are growing and learning new things almost daily.  Rafael has begun to interact slowly in his therapy.  Angelita has seen many struggles this year as her hydrocephalus has been progressing.  She underwent a shunt placement to try and reduce pressure, but she has also lost her sucking reflex and can no longer drink from a bottle, necessitating a feeding tube.  Humberto has graduated to eating more regular meals and drinking from a cup (poured by his feeder) rather than a bottle.  Giovanni runs, jumps and has been talking more.  Ruavis roars like a little lion cub, and his snuggles are perfect.  Olimpia has seen many changes.  She now can say Si, and gracious, and a few short names.  She has been walking with help, and now walks along with nothing but her baby doll stroller which she uses as a walker.  She also has made the change to eating at mealtime, and even holding her own spoon.  Alison was born this year, and came into our home a month later.  She has grown into quite the lovable little chunk!

Rafael

Angelita

Humberto

Giovanni holding Alison

Ruais

Olimpia

Alison

Then there are those whom God has blessed with a smaller, more intimate family.  Christian returned to his family after a year long stay in the home to learn about his severe autism, and learn how to care for him, and teach the family.  Ester and Raquel, our precious toddler twins went home to their forever home last month.  I has watched them learn and grow, and talk, and experienced toilet training with one of them.  I loved these kids.  And I am grateful that God has given the twins loving parents, grandparents, trips to the grocery store while riding in the cart, and so many precious moments that a smaller family with loving and Godly parents is able to provide. 

Esther and Raquel

Christian

Rosalinda came to us this year also.  She struggles with severe malnutrition so that she never topped 11lbs 6oz while with us, although she was a year and a half when she went to the malnutrition center for closer more direct care.  She has more attitude and personality than I have ever seen in a baby her age!  Nonetheless, she was a precious child in our home whom we loved dearly enough to send her to a malnutrition center when we feared our efforts were not enough for her.  At the center, she initially lost weight, and did not gain for a few months.  Now, she is still listed as critical, and has not yet gained back to our top weight with her.  She has begun to pass developmental benchmarks again however, and has learned to say ‘zapatos’(shoes), as well as Si, and many other verbalizations. 

Rosalinda (and Angelita)

And finally those who have returned home to Jesus.  I arrived too late to meet Thania or Esperanza.  But I loved them in my heart, and it has been incredible to hear stories of them from the family who loved them home to Jesus.  I did meet Micah.  And although we only got to hold him for 8 days, he will forever hold a place in my heart.  I truly cherished that baby boy.  I loved the late nights with him, and the smiles and laughs we were able to coax out of him.  God blessed us with 8 days with an angel in that boy.  I’m so glad he is home forever free of the suffering he experienced in this life. 

Micah

God has done remarkable things in the home this year. 

He has also shown me many things in the rural villages.  We have lost children and friends in the villages.  Maria Jose, Marta, Miguel, and more.  God has brought new families into our lives, and some of their stories are staggering.  Everywhere I go, I see the physical hurt, and need, but I can also sense the spiritual longing in many hearts.  This ministry is fantastic because God lets us help people who have many physical needs.  But the point would be tragically missed if it stopped there. the whole point of this is not to throw a bandaid over physical needs, but to provide a structure of love and communications through which to share the gospel and Christ’s love.  This is not humanitarian work, but showing Christ’s love through actions lived out. 

San Antonio view from our roof

The road into San Pablo

This year, another family from the United States has accepted God’s calling on their lives to Guatemala, and the Gross family has begun steps to move to Guatemala to take up ministry with us.  Kara Puterball has joined the team in the home, and decided that God was calling her to more than six months.  Other families have also expressed an interest in serving like this.  Many more have brought encouragement and become prayer partners with the ministry. 

Kara reading to Giovanni

This year, steps have begun for the advancement of the ministry to new departments across Guatemala.  In the coming year, we will get to watch as God stretches his hands over many new villages, and out to many new families.  It’s exciting to get to see God working firsthand.  This last year was incredibly challenging, and beautifully fulfilling as God has unraveled his intentions.  I cannot wait to see what He will do next. 

I want to thank you all for your prayers for me, and this ministry.  This life is certainly hard, and there are some specific struggles which I could use prayer about.  But God has blessed all of this, and His lessons are preciously earned.  

Happy new year to everyone!

~Katie~
--after His heart--

A forever home

November 20, 2015

Two nights ago, we adults were sitting around the table after the kids were in bed, sipping on coffee, and relaxing after another long day.  Our two little babies, Olimpia and Alison, tend to stay up longer in the evenings with us because of their napping schedule.  We are often entertained by the antics of Olimpia in the evenings, but that night I was spellbound by Alison.  We lay her back on the table for a few minutes, and she met my eyes and just stared.  Alison and Olympia both do this sometimes, and it is a little disconcerting because sometimes they have little to no expression, and seem to be looking deep into your soul.  So Alison just stared at me for several minutes.  

I am not a mother, but I have learned a lot that first time moms learn.  One of my most favorite times is feeding Alison her bottle because she just stares up at me with complete trust. 
Alison has Downs Syndrome.  And although laws are changing in the U.S., it is still legal in many areas to abort an unborn baby if they have down's syndrome.  This is disgusting.  Alison’s mom abandoned her when she learned that she had down's syndrome.  I remember thinking when I firs, how could somebody abandon this precious baby.  But I want to stop and thank every mom who has had the bravery to give birth to her child that she did not know what to do with, and give them up for adoption.  Alison’s mom could be called a coward for abandoning a child, but she did not take Alison’s life.  She allowed her that chance of a life.  Because her mom left her, but did not kill her, my precious Alison can lay on our dining room table and stare into my heart.  She can give me the best goodmorning smiles in the world, and splatter my face with wet love from her raspberries.  I cherish this baby.  This baby that is flawed and could legally have been killed before she drew her first breath in the U.S.  Thank God she was not born in the United States.  All children are precious whether or not those into whose households they are born realize their worth.  

Praise God for broken children.  

I have been taking classes online to continue my nursing education, and this semester has been interesting to say the least.  I am only taking minimal classes because I don’t want to be taken too far out of the ministry.  The first half of this semester, I took a class called Ohio policies and practices.  This was a very frustrating class because it was entirely about how to affect laws dealing with health care in the state of Ohio.  This was hard for me.  I believe it is necessary to be involved politically to aid the causes of health care that health care professionals have a better insight on than politicians.  But it was hard to read over and over about laws that apply to the health crisis in a nation whose children do not die of preventable illnesses.  It was challenging to not grow bitter to the class which had me studying case studies about the health crisis in a community whose average income is massive while my neighbors may or may not have running water.  This does have its place, and God has been teaching me to evaluate a crisis based on it’s surroundings. 
The second half of this semester, I have been taking a public health nursing class which has several large projects to evaluate a community and assess its health status from a public health standpoint.  this has been fascinating.  I obtained permission to evaluate the village where I live, San Antonio.  This means I am actively studying my community, and the culture I now practice in for school credit.  I have been evaluating San Antonio through a systematic evaluation of the community, and this is growing me in my knowledge of public health nursing as well as my specific work here in San Antonio, and similar villages where we travel. 

This research has refocused me on the health and spiritual needs in my community.  I truly love this town and this country.  Woking here is such a blessing.  God has shown me things I thought my eyes would never know.  Thank you God for pushing me farther than I would have dared go.  

November 25, 2015
Today we visited the families in Guastatoya again, and a number of our families are affected again by chikingunya.  Again, chikingunya is a mosquito born illness resulting in body achas, joint pain, and a fever.  Three of our families have chikingunya traveling through their family including Jorge, his mother, Dora and her mother, and Jan, his sister, and his mother.  This illness is not fatal if the fever is properly treated, however many do not know how to properly care for a fever, and most do not have any medications to fight a fever,   and many people do die. 

December 7, 2015
Ok, So here’s what’s been eating at my heart for a while.  I wrote tis back in September, but did not make it public at that time.  --

"September 29, 2015
So, I won't be sharing this until I know for sure one way or another.  We learned last week that there is a family interested in adopting the twins, Esther and Raquel.  Remember, these two are playful and giggly 4 year olds with significant developmental delays.  For example, only one is just recently potty trained, and neither speak clear words, or full sentences.  In fact, Esther still gets very confused and thinks her sister is actually Esther.  This potential adoption has caught us all off guard.  We prayed for this, yet I don't feel very happy about it.  You see, in Guatemala, very few people adopt.  Fewer still adopt children with special needs.  Since adoptions to the US are still closed, I had started to feel that our kids would likely be with us for the long hall.  The thought of them not being ours anymore is staggering.  I love their running and giggling, and the way they get so excited to see us returning after being gone all day.  They always want to help with chores, even though it's a lot longer with their help.  I know things are still up in the air with his adoption, but if all goes well, the may be leaving us as soon as three weeks.  Tomorrow they will be observing the twins at McDonalds, but are not allowed to interact with them.  After that, they will visit the home a few times, and then they will take our girls.  We prayed for this, so why do I feel so sad. "

Today the couple that is adopting them came to meet them for the first time.  They are a loving Christian couple who are very excited to welcome their new daughters into their home.  Their entire extended family is eager to meet them because most of their children are older now.  When I walked past the Esther and Raquel, and their new parents, my heart broke.  They had bonded instantly, and were sharing hugs and giggles.  The rest of the afternoon, they played together, and spent time getting to know each other.  The joy was incredible to witness.  We fought tears as we watched with perfect joy, and heartbreak as our girls fell in love with their new family. 

I have hugged and kissed these girls.  I have washed their hair, and painted their fingernails. I have read to them, cut up their food, and tucked them in at night.  I have loved these girls with a true and complete love.  

So I can’t Not celebrate with them as they are about to have a forever family who will devote 100% of their love and attention to them.  But neither can I not feel desperately sad that they are leaving us.  As their parents learn to turn on the night-light so they don’t get scared at night, or figure out how their baby curls escape around their faces after their hair is up, I will pray for them to grow together as a strong family. 

God has blessed us so very much with the gift of these twins.  And he sees fit to bless another family with their joy. 

Therefore I praise God through the tears.  

Thank you for your prayers for us, and for the people of Guatemala.  Please continue to pray for those affected by chikingunya, and for the twins and their new parents.  Please also pray for us as we are broken despite our joy. 

October village visits

October 14, 2015

Monday we drove out to San Pablo to visit a few families in crisis. 

Lucia was discharge from the hospital because here was nothing more that could be done.  She is dying, and looks to be struggling.  She is her mother's only child, and her mother lives for her.
Please remember Lucia and her mother Maria in your prayers because they are hurting.  Pray that Lucia would soon dance with Jesus and her mother would know the comfort of a personal savior. 

Next we visited a new family whose little girl Rut had a number of seizures a few weeks ago that left her nearly unresponsive.  They say that now she does not walk or talk.  After assessing her, it seems likely that she may have permanent brain damage.  Rut's brother Juan is an I can't who has trouble with vomiting and diarrhea since birth, and likely has a lactose allergy.  

Please pray for Rut and Juan as we learn if the interventions we have taken have been  effective. 

Finally we visited Oscar, he is paralyzed from the west down from an injury a few years ago.  The problem are his bedsores.  They are severe, stage 4 and unstable in some places reaching to his bone, and tunneling an estimated three inches deep. These are infected, and life threatening.  Most significantly, it is unclear if the urgency of our education fully grasped.  Please pray for Oscar his wife, and his son.  Pray that thy would understand the significance and in portable of the training we have given them.  Pray that God would show them the hope that can be found in Him because I wonder if Oscar has lost hope.  

I love what God has let me see and do, but it is so hard to shake off one situation to walk into the next one without being overwhelmed, or apathetic.  Yes, it is a balance between being caring and loving fully, but being able to continue on to the next situation.  Please pray for our team that we are neither overwhelmed or apathetic to the multitude of needs in every direction.

October 27, 2015

I have a lot to share, but I may fall asleep before writing all of it!  Today we returned from an all day trip out to Nueva Concepcion for an emergency medical intervention.  Last week we visited Sipacate, La Gomera, and Guastatoya.  This last weekend, we celebrated with Andi Brubaker and Krishauna Fulp as they committed their lives to each other before God and their friends and family.  Finally, a number of our kids have been sick in the home. 

Hearding cows in Sipacate

Selvin's sister waving goodbye

Adriana's grandaughter

In Sipacate and La Gomera, the team started out a rough day with several difficult visits, including the mother on one of our visits who had a blood sugar higher than my meter would read.  She had already been to see a doctor and was taking insulin and medications for a week.  Obviously this was an issue, and I was grateful for Gerardo and Manuel, and Kara who traveled with us that day, for their input as we determined a plan to get her the help she needed with the resources available.  Katerin is having more spasms, and these combined with her cerebral palsy leave her doubled backward with her head near her feet.  She cannot sit, and spends a lot of time in her hammock.  Her family is very loving and supportive of her, and are frustrated that she is struggling.  Selvin has a condition called Pectus Excavatum, or concave rib cage.  This has left him susceptible to respiratory illness since birth.  He has had a congested cough for as long as I have known him.  When we arrived at the house of Adriana, we learned that she had died earlier this month.  She was an older woman with many health problems.  Luis Fernando is doing well, but a grandmother who lives in their compound is talking to nobody and increasingly confused.  By this point, I was beginning to feel so worn down.  It so often feels like there is no hope for these families.  What can they do?  The hospital in Escuintla is a death trap, and there are no resources for them.  I feel so overwhelmed sometimes at the extent of the utter poverty and inability to meet basic health needs.  After a few more difficult visits, the day began to turn around, and we were again blessed by the incredible families God has allowed us to serve.  What a mighty God we serve.  He is so good to allow us to see part of His plan before it has unfolded. 

Manuela

Manuela's house

In Guastatoya, I was again blessed by the team God has me working with.  I may not understand the language very well, but I surely understand the camaraderie and love we share with each other, and the families we serve.  This is the best ‘job’ in the world.  We were encouraged to see Dora’s mother has had a second surgery to fix what the national hospital did to her arm in February, rather than fixing is properly.  Now, she is able to move her fingers, and says the pain is much less.  Angel’s mother’s circulation ulcer on her leg is

now healed over, although the skin is still not receiving proper circulation, and since she works constantly on her feet, the ulcer is likely to return.  Miguel, an older gentleman who suffered a stroke, could use prayer as he has been greatly depressed for the years since his stroke.  I am aware that many of these names may be unfamiliar, but I have mentioned most in either blog or facebook posts.  If you would like to know more about their stories, please ask me!

Today, Daryl, Gerardo and I traveled to Nueva Concepcion because we had been asked to see Jorge, a young man with Spina Bifida who has a very seriously infected bedsore on his foot.  Based on the pictures, we anticipated that his foot would need to be amputated.  This assumption is correct.  We evaluated his foot, and his foot is gangrenous.  There is dead tissue through his foot, and simply by touching his foot to check for a pulse over the intact tissue, pus squirted out around the dead tissue.  We loaded up Jorge and his mother, and took them to the national hospital in Guatemala city.  Although they do not have any supplies, many of the doctors are good, and we will provide the supplies needed for him.  After a long wait, and a run around from some nurses who wanted to send him home, we were told the doctor saw him, and determined to keep him overnight, likely to remove part of his leg.  Since we have heard that they will remove his leg up to above his knee tonight.  Please be praying for this young man,he is only 18.  Further, pray that the seriousness of this will sink in both for him and his mother.  They had received care before for this same problem, and we believe they have not been caring for the wound properly how they were taught a few times.  This is very frustrating. 

I think God is using all of these things to teach us, and to grow us.  I am excited about the things He is teaching me, and I am praying about where he is leading me, and this ministry.  

Again, than you all for your prayer!

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--