Monday, Monday

Today was such a busy day!! The booklets I made for New Life and Peace Ministries were ready last week, but when I took them to Victor and Chici's we saw that they hadn't made the address change that I sent him with the first half of the money. So, this morning I took them back to be corrected. Luckily for them, Victor said it was ok just to make stickers to cover the wrong address. So they should be ready by Wednesday or Thursday. Other than that, they turned out really, really good... if I do say so myself!! Then I made the trip to the other side of the city to pick up my new radio that my insurance company is buying for me. I got the cheapest one I could find, but I actually liked it better than any of the other ones! Funny how things like that work out, huh?!? Anyway, it was nice to sing along to something again. Then after paying a few bills, taking and picking up laundry and dry cleaning, and a few other errands... I was pooped (and hungry)!! But it's nice to have these things done and out of the way!!

Gerson's birthday

Today is Gerson’s 9th birthday! He was very excited about it all week, but didn’t know until yesterday that today was the day that I was bringing him and the other boys swimming at my house! Gerson, Selvin, Bryan, and Jose have asked me every time I see them when it was going to be their turn to come swimming… so can you guess what they asked me today? “When do we get to come again?!?” haha!!

A new direction

So, a few months ago I was waiting to pick my family up at the airport. To pass the time I looked around online and ended up checking my bank account. To my surprise I see what I think has to be a mistake. I immedietely call me sister to tell her to call the bank first thing in the morning because there was an extremely large, odd amount in my account. She said she'd take care of it.
I finally get to pick up Daddy and Jami and mention the mishap on the way home. Daddy just smiled. "Its not a mistake." He's lucky I didn't drive off the road. The next thing said is what kept me awake several nights later.
"Amanda, what have you been praying for?"
I had no clue.

A week later, after Daddy had left, I laid awake at night thinking about Flor. I can't tell you how long I laid there, when it finally hit me like a ton of bricks.

Flor was my daughter and that money was to be used to adopt her.

Needless to say I didn't sleep much that night.

I didn't tell for several weeks, until one day I decided to talk to Shyrel. I was nervous that she wouldn't be for it. I pulled her aside into one of the bed rooms, where Flor just so happened to be getting ready for bed. :) When I told her my thoughts, she said she got chills! She immedietely knew it was meant to be! I hugged Flor extra tight that night and went home to call my family. I have to admit it was completely scary to say it outloud to anyone. Mostly because I had no idea of how to even start the process. But lucky for me, God had been preparing the way for a long time.

hit and run

I really can't believe it... I had Ami and Sarah over to watch a movie. We heard a noise about an hour into the movie, and I ignored my "gut feeling" to go check it out. When Ami went outside she had a huge dent in the front driver's side of her car and her door won't open all the way. We went to the guard gate and asked the neighbors.. but nothing. We walked around the whole neighborhood with a flashlight to check for cars with dents and her car's color paint, since whoever it was left their white paint on her car. But no luck there either. It's really a shame. How could someone live knowing they had just hit someone's car without saying a word?? I wouldn't be able to do it. I felt so bad... sigh

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.