Kayla and Barbara

I heard great news from Shadow of His Wings... some of you may not remember Barbara. She was the little girl who we had to do dialysis with 4 times a day for the past 4 years. She was 13 at the time. She'll be 15 in September and has lived in New Jersey with her adopted family now for well over a year, maybe almost 2 years... I can't remember. She has really improved while living with her new family and getting the medical treatment she could have never received here. She started dialysis at nights while she slept and was put on a kidney transplant list almost as soon as she got there. Well... I got an email from Carroll the day before yesterday and BARBARA GOT HER TRANSPLANT!!! She is doing great they say and is producing urine. So, thank God for that!! Please keep her in your prayers as she continues to heal! Also, my friend Cyndi wrote me to tell me that a young girl, Kayla, who lived there while I worked there, but also left toward the end of my time to return to live with her father, is BACK! I'm not sure any details as to why, but I'm thankful just knowing that she is ok. It's always hard when they go home. It's bittersweet really. That's when you just have to hand them over to God. (where they should be in the first place) But Cyndi says that she is so grown up in these few short years! I can't wait to get over there to see her and the rest of the girls!

Herlinda

I want to wish a very happy birthday to my nephew, WILL who turned 5 yesterday! That doesn't even seem right... It really doesn't seem like he could be that old... I must be mistaken!!

Also, today is daddy and Jami's... 21st anniversary, I think it's the 21st... anyway, it's been a long time!! So congratulations to them and happy anniversary!!

Monday

Today was kind of busy. We started early this morning and I took Rebeka and her mom all over the city to get paperwork done. Her father passed away six months ago and it has been like pulling hair to get it all done and her mom won't see a cent of the money he left behind until the paperwork is done.

I had another check-up appointment with the doctor this afternoon. I'm 100% better. Thank you for your prayers again. Now I finally got to go work out again after a week of just laying around. It made me feel so much better! Plus, I saw an old friend as I was leaving!

Now I'm going to make some BBQ chicken for dinner... MMM!!!

all better

Thank you all so much for your prayers. I am, I think, 100% better! I feel that way anyway. I still am on antibiotics until Wednesday and I have a check-up appointment tomorrow, but I feel so much better. I actually got around to cleaning and washing the clothes that have piled up all week. It feels good to be caught up.

Exciting news: Amor del Niño moved into their new house over the weekend. Of course, I wasn't there to help out, but I am so excited for them! I know those kids were beside themselves with excitement! I can't wait to go see them tomorrow... plus, since they have a nice huge yard to play in now, I got them some great outdoor toys! Hula-hoops, frisbee, and badminton. I think it'll be fun for as long as they last.

I got mad skillz

Tonight I had the privilege of meeting an adorable couple who are adopting an even more adorable baby boy from Guatemala. I just "met" them a month or so ago via email. A lady who knew me as a baby, who just happened to run into my dad, who just happened to tell her what I was doing here in Guatemala, which just happens to be where they are adopting their baby from. Who of you believes in coincidences?? Not me. I know a God meeting when I see one. This couple has since kept me in their prayers and even helped with a request I sent out about the strollers. So, when they told me they were coming to Guatemala to meet their baby for the first time, we decided to meet, for real. I was also intorduced to their adoption lawyer.... hmm.... wonder why I would ever need one of those??? You never know. Anyhoo... I just think it's neat how God brings His people together. I mean, these people are from Madison, AL... HELLO??!? I would never have met them in Alabama! Anyway, it's just exciting for me to meet new people I guess. It's always amazing to see what these new relationships are about. How they play out. How God will use them for His honor and glory.

It was a weird day today. Plans changed. Time ran out. But it's all good.

Oh, I am so excited that I have actually finished the booklet for New Life & Peace Ministries!! (i.e. the boys' home in Parramos) I took it to the printer yesterday and he said it was good to go and was very impressed with my mad InDesign skills!! (thanks to Lisa Milby for the book she sent me!) But I had all the pictures on my external hard drive, which is so conveniently small (for traveling) that I forgot to take it with me. So, all I have to do now is show Victor and Chici the final product, get their approval, and take a copy of the pictures to the printer... and TADA!!! Booklet. YAYAY!! I like this stuff!!

And let me just say that taking Katerin and Monica to therapy has become a new experience with the stroller!! It's GREAT!! I love it so much!! (and so does Katerin!!) So, thanks again!! (I think I'll say thanks again in the future, so just get used to it!!)

Prayer request

I sent out an email yesterday asking for prayer for Flor and Estuardo, who I was taking to get cleft pallet surgery today. I just now realized that I got several of them back, so sorry if you're just now hearing about this.

We left about 6:30 this morning and got there about 7:30.. right on time! We went right in and saw one of the American doctors volunteering this week and she took us right in. Turns out the surgeon was a little under the weather, so they were cutting back on his operations. We waiting around about an hour to see him. After he looked at Flor and Estuardo, he decided to go ahead and operate on Estuardo. His pallet is very deep, and Flor only lacks the hard pallet surgery. So, it was a matter of importance on how he decided. Now remember, I was there alone with two toddlers, which was fine, until I had to take Estuardo to get him blood drawn. Flor was in the stroller just watching, wide eyed. As Estuardo screamed while they took his blood, he also felt the urge to pee and it leaked out all over my pants!! I just had to laugh about it. What else can you do? The poor baby cried afterwards in the social worker's office too. I felt like I couldn't console him. But as soon as we left there, I took Flor out of the stroller and put him in. He layed down and rested as we walked around. After the doctor told me that he would be the last surgery of the day, they generously bumped him up and got him in by 11!!

So, he is in surgery as I type and Flor is scheduled with another doctor who is coming the end of April. Pray for Estuardo today.

Family's trip to Guatemala

Well, I realize I haven't written since my family got here, so I have a lot to update!! It was a long week, but it went by so fast... if that makes sense! We packed so much into 10 days and it all seems to run together, so bear with me!

Having Daddy and Jami here was great! I loved having the company!! We visited Casa Aleluya, Amor de Niño, Rehoboth home for boys, Al & Gail Anderson in Tecuaco and see the work they are doing in La Joya Grande. We snuck off for about a day to the beach at Las Lisas (I got burnt). We took Mike and Carol sovenier shopping in Antigua. It seems like we ate out a lot!! (but it was ALL GOOD!) We helped finish up the painting at Amor del Niño's new house. Daddy and Mike did some much needed repairs in my house and car!! (WOOHOO!) They got to visit my church with me! And we made about a million trips to the airport... haha! That's the gest of it anyway!

It was Carol's first time in Guatemala, so we tried to show her a GOOD TIME... (HAA! I had to throw that in there, Carol!) I think she feel in love with this country... just like we all do!

One cool thing to see, was on the first of many trips to the airport (long story) we saw the volcano Fuego (fire) erupting. It was about 4:30 AM and still dark outside, so it showed up really great! Of course, as usual, pictures do no justice at all. It has been erupting for about a week now, since the big eruption before Daddy came. But to see it flowing was something that is just indescribable. It was really something.

Another thing was that I was so worried about running out of water while I had visitors. I had anywhere from 3 to 7 people staying in my house at one time... and can you believe that I never once ran out of water?!? I even believe that I had extra water. It just never ran dry!! To me it was a miracle!

waiting..., watching the clock

Well, I'm leaving in about 1/2 an hour to get daddy and Jami... I think time has slowed down just to get on my nerves...!!! I'm so ready to leave. Sitting here is driving me crazy! I've cleaned everything I can, there is absolutely nothing else to do, but sit here... and wait.

praise and prayer request

I just received an email from my friend Cyndi, who works with the girls from Shadow. She told me that Joanne's (the director) father passed away yesterday morning. I'm sure it is a very sad time for her. She's been with him over the past week, and so Carroll said she was very tired. But they are also rejoicing because he just recently gave his life to Christ!!

Please keep Joanne and Gib, and their family in your prayers.

They are celebrating the 15 year birthday parties there next week. (15 is bigger than sweet 16 in the States) It's probably the 2nd biggest day in a girl's life, besides her wedding day. So, Lily and Sindy will celebrate next week. I'm not sure if we'll make it or not, since it's on a Thursday night, but I'm hoping to get to take Daddy and Jami that weekend.

Oh yeah, by the way... I guess I can write it here now, since she knows!! Daddy and Jami are coming to visit me!! They come in Friday night!! I'm so excited!! I've known for over a month, but Daddy didn't tell Jami until yesterday. (it was her birthday!) So, we can finally stop whispering about it! Our friends Mike and Carol are coming too!! I really can't wait! This week will not go by fast enough!! I'm trying to do a little bit of "spring cleaning" every morning and not wait until the last minute. With it being dry season, it's really pointless when 5 minutes later everything is covered again, but it has to be done.

They are bringing the strollers down that everyone has pitched in to buy! I was able to buy two and some theraputic toys also!! Plus I had some left over, so I'll just give that to Amor de Niño for whatever needs they may have. Thank you all so, so much for your help! I could not have done it without you!! God bless you!!! I will take lots of pictures and post them as soon as I can!!

therapy party

I think they've decided that Victoria has a UTI and have started antibiotics. Pray that these start taking affect immediately so this little baby can go home and Shyrel can stay home too!!

Today's therapy went well, but what I want to write about is the therapy that went on at the home. There is one therapist from the hospital that is coming twice a week, I think, to do therapy with all the babies. It's more to sharpen their senses, I think, but to me it was fun! We started by touching their skin with cotton balls, then with felt pieces, then with toothbrushes. Then one by one, we sat the babies in a tub of dried black beans (I don't think they have to be black... haha!!), then in a tub of uncooked rice. It was so funny to see the different expressions on each of their faces. Some of the kids, like Martin and Danny, cried at first and then seemed to like it. Flor and Mishel dove right in and were even rubbing the beans on their own legs. Little Jennifer thought she was taking a bean bath! Adriana on the other hand is a different story... she screamed and screamed, but in a way that was cute... in a way. She was reaching for me the whole time screaming, "MAMA!!" It was so pitiful!! She just had no clue why we were sitting her in a tub of beans!!! After each baby was done they were rubbed down with baby powder. They were all walking around covered in white powder! It was EVERYWHERE!! There were actually beans, rice, and powder everywhere...

wonder what's for lunch tomorrow?!?