One last post...

Greetings - from the United States!

As many of you know, my two year contract with Paradise Bound Ministries came to an end in the middle of August, 2012.  Living and serving among the Guatemalan people was an amazing experience and I was blessed beyond measure to be used in such a grand way!  So many life-changing friendships and memories.  However, I felt God tugging on my heart - whispering that He had a greater plan for me back home in Michigan.  It was time to share Christ's love with those in my own backyard...my not-so-comfortable "comfort zone." 

 By God's grace, I was hired at my dream job and booked a one-way ticket to fly from one home to the other.  I am now settled into a place of my own in Grand Rapids, and I LOVE going to work as a Neonatal Intestive Care nurse at Helend DeVos Children's Hospital.  It is quite a change of scenery, but God has indeed called me to use my gifts and talents to minister to these precious little ones and their families.
 

 
 

THANK YOU so much for all of your prayers and support during my international journey!  Today, I continue to covet your prayers, love and support as I embark on the next chapter of my life.  May God continue to write the words on every page as HIS story and plan unfolds! 

Josue!

This blog update revolves around one common theme - the name Josue (Joshua)! 

The first story revolves around Josue' Daniel, our precious Open Doors child who spent part of July and most of August in the hospital.  At this point, he has been discharged and is on his way to a full recovery!  Though diagnosis was difficult to come by, your prayers helped the doctors to discover an enflamed duct in his kidney that was causing an infection.  It is unsure yet if the enflamed/distorted duct is due to an infection or a birth defect.  Josue had been in and out of the hospital over the last few months, each time without diagnosis.  He is now on various medications and is seeing a kidney specialist weekly.  Please pray with us in faith believing that 1) the infection leaves his tiny body, never to return, and 2) that this is not a birth defect requiring surgery or other intervention!  Thank YOU for praying and holding up little Josue' and our staff as this has affected each of us in different ways!  Pray as well for Open Doors Orphanage as we continue to seek financial and prayer sponsorship for each of our precious children! 

 The second story revolves around another young man named Josue.  This individual just so happens to be the boyfriend, and now fiance of PBM staff nurse Yojana!  We celebrate along with the young, happy couple as they embark on this new phase of life together.  CONGRATULATIONS!

And 7 became 6...

On July 12, we bid farewell to our precious little Franky Fernando.  He came to us from a broken family where both parents were alcoholics.  One day, the father and mother had both had too much to drink and they got into a large dispute.  The father ended up in jail, the mother ended up in the hospital, and Franky ended up in our loving arms, battered and bruised.  When the ambulance dropped Franky off at Open Doors Orphanage, we gained full custody of this little guy…but his parents still had a chance to get their act together.  They proved to the judge that they had indeed done this when they appeared at their court date last week.

However, this doesn’t mean that we are saying goodbye to Franky forever as Open Doors will still maintain fully custody.  A social worker with be making one surprise and one scheduled visit to Franky’s home every month.  At the first sign that his parents have returned to their old habits, Franky will return to live with us forever.

Please lift up adorable Franky and his parents in your prayers as they begin this new journey together as a family. 

Many of you have heard about and given graciously to our new water filtration system. Thanks to you, many families in the village of La Reina are now provided with pure water - water that will strengthen the health of the entire family! Here are some photos of the process.

Dulce's Recovery!

Yesterday, Dulce returned to the orphanage after spending the night in the hospital.  Her surgery went well on Thursday, and now she is recovering with her blue hip spica cast.  Please continue to keep Dulce in your prayers as the cast is quite uncomfortable and she is not able to move around as she normally does.  Also, continue to pray for the Open Doors Orphanage staff as they care for Dulce and the other six children during this recovery period.  Hopefully it will be a speedy process for all!

Roaring Like a Lion!

The past few days, I have thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with and getting to know Katie, one of Paraidse Bound's 2012 interns.  We have decided that this song, God's Not Dead (Like A Lion) by the Newsboys, is going to be our theme song for this summer.  Enjoy the lyrics below!

God's Not Dead (Like A Lion)

Let love explode and bring the dead to life

A love so bold to see a revolution somehow

Let love explode and bring the dead to life

A love so bold to see a revolution somehow

Now I'm lost in your freedom

In this world I'll overcome

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring

Let hope arise and make the darkness hide

My faith is dead, I need resurrection somehow

Now I'm lost in your freedom

In this world I'll overcome

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring, roaring like a lion

Roaring, He's roaring

Let heaven roar and fire fall

Come shake the ground with the sounds of revival

Let heaven roar and fire fall

Come shake the ground with the sounds of revival

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

My God's not dead, He's surely alive

He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion

He's roaring, He's roaring, He's roaring like a lion

He's roaring, He's roaring, He's roaring like a lion

Prayers for Dulce

Please join us on Thursday, May 31, as we pray for Dulce Maria, one of the seven precious children that call Open Doors Orphanage their home.  Early in the morning, 6-month old Dulce will be heading to a hospital in Antigua to under-go surgery for her severe hip dysplasia.  An American doctor will first perform a closed reduction procedure, which will allow her hips to abduct normally.  After that, Dulce will be placed in a hip spica cast.  The casts will be changed every 6 weeks for 3-6 months in order to provide her hips with the support they need following the surgery.  Once her hips begin to regain strength, Dulce will be weaned down to a hip brace that she will wear until her hips return to normal!  This whole treatment process could take up to a year.  Therefore, please continue to keep Dulce and the Open Doors staff in your prayers...not only tomorrow, but in the weeks and months to come as they trek down the vigorous road that lies before them!