Living the crazy life

Where should I begin? There has been so much going on, so much that happened, I’m not sure I can even keep up with it all. There are times I feel like I’m catching up for the month that dengue fever had me down and out. Well, I’m just going to start somewhere and go from there: Construction. As you know, we have been replacing the roof of the mission house. It is coming along well and looks amazing! Huge difference! We also have to redo the walls outside the whole house. But since it’s rainy season, the guy who is doing that part wants to wait so that it can be done properly. Conveniently, we had been talking about how we need a bathroom for our clinic patients ASAP. Since he is unable to do the walls of the house and he had vacation time, he has been able to build a whole bathroom in basically a week. Just a few more finishing touches and a door need to be added and then it is complete! We are also redoing both bathrooms in the mission house. They were a hot mess to say the least! By the time more teams begin to come down, they should be complete and ready to go! One of our youth kids is coming to the house a couple times a week and working on making cabinets, bunkbeds, and shelves. So we are slowly getting around to getting both houses (Mom’s and the mission house) back in order. I’m so excited!

Camp: oh my word. Camp was just absolutely amazing!! The theme this year was about the power of prayer. My friend Dorothy was here from PA and led the main sessions teaching kids how to pray and talk to God. She gave each kid and youth a prayer pillow that she had made. We had taken the kids to a house down by the beach and for most of the kids, it was the first time seeing the ocean. It was so great playing with them, seeing their reactions, and connecting more personally with each kid. I really feel like our relationship with each kid is so much stronger from that weekend together. Huge, huge shoutout to our whole team who got this camp to run so smoothly! Lauren, Yelsi, Peter, Estela, Dorothy, Edwin, Brayan, Micah and the boys: you guys rock! And special thank you to all of you for your support! We couldn’t have done this camp without your support and prayers! Lots of kids’ lives were changed that weekend and you were a huge part of it!

Clinics: Man, clinics have been keeping us busy! I love it! The past few weeks especially we have had really sick patients…one right after the other. It’s been a lot of really long days and nights, caring for patients and doing house calls. It has been no where near dull around here. Some of our patients and families are showing their gratitude by giving me a rose, Peter and I receiving 2 live chickens, and 1 already skinned. The family with the baby who is sick frequently with pneumonia even invited us to their son's 1st birthday party. Recently, we got a call one night about a baby. We were told that she had hydrocephaly. Once we got there, we found out that she has microcephaly, probably caused by zika. Mom said she had gotten sick when she was 3 months pregnant with this baby girl. They had an ultrasound done at 6 months and were never told that anything was wrong until this baby was born. They attempted a CT scan soon after birth, but it was blurry and they were told to repeat it, but it would cost the parents. They didn’t have the money. Meanwhile, this baby ended up in DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) and was basically unresponsive. Soon after that occurred, we found out about this baby. Since then, we have been attempting to control her sugars, taught the parents how to use a glucometer that we bought for them, bought them formula and seizure medications, and have gotten an MRI and hearing and visual testing done. The MRI showed what I basically thought it would. This baby is missing most of her brain. So at this point, we are keeping her comfortable, managing her sugars and seizures, and just loving her as much as possible while she is here on earth. Explaining that to the parents is by far the toughest part in our “jobs.” But honestly, as most of you know…especially my former co-workers from Reading, I wouldn’t have it any other way than to be right there beside this family and their baby as they go through the toughest time in their lives. Many of you have poured your heart and soul into this baby and her family and even scrounged together money to help pay for these tests, glucometer, medications, and formula. And I am honestly so humbled and truly, truly grateful! Dorothy had the privilege of giving this family prayer pillows while she was visiting as well.  So thank you all, for the prayers, spreading the word about this girl and her family, support, and financial support. We seriously couldn’t do it without all of you.

Great needs: Along with the baby and her family, there is another family who we visited this past week who is struggling. They literally live on a cliff and fear that every time it rains that their house is going to disappear in a landslide. They already have a tree that split in half because it fell during rainy season. 8 adults live in this tiny house, sharing 2 beds. There are medical and school needs that need to be addressed. I feel like the more that I'm here, the more dire situations you find. I have known about villages and the struggles, abuse, rape, malnutrition, not having food, no clean water, really sad living conditions, and I could just keep going on. But as you help one family, they know of so many others who are in a similar situation, or even worse and asking for help as well. They don't know where to turn. Some literally have nothing. So I know that I probably sound like a broken record, but prayers and donations are huge. Honestly, we can't do any of this without you all giving your support any way you can. We can honestly feel the power of prayer from you all and are witnessing miracles with it daily. Anyone wanting to make a financial contribution can do it by clicking on the donate button on the donate tab or on the homepage of this website and it will redirect you to the appropriate site. And please feel free to keep spreading the word! Honestly, any amount is huge and helps so many people!

Visitors: We have been loving our visitors recently and my cousin Laura is on her way to us now! Lauren, Dorothy, Ana, Heidy, Xander, Anne: it’s been so awesome to hang out with you all and have you help this ministry! It’s been a huge blessing…more than you even know! If any of you want to visit, you are more than welcome to! Just let me know when and we’ll work out the details!

New grandsons: As most of you know, I became a grandmother last year…and our family tree is continuing to grow! If you are thoroughly confused, it’s ok. I totally understand. I have trouble keeping it straight most of the time. Short story from last year, I was helping with a kid living in our home who was 13 years old. He started calling me mom…then grandma. Said that I don’t look like him, but this way, we are still related. Then Lauren’s brother, Conner (kid I went to Uganda with) started to call me grandma. Now, 3 boys from youth who frequently come to the house now call me grandma. Let’s just say we have a crazy life. But, I feel so at peace about it and even when I feel like it’s a hot mess, I know God has it under control and is changing these kids’ lives…and ours.