Special

Gracie came to GSF with many delays.  The doctor didn't think she would ever be able to do anything.  At 9 months old, she couldn't sit up, crawl or put pressure on her legs.  All the things most babies would be beginning to do around her age.  A few doctors thought she would progress, but they said she would NEVER catch up, she would always be delayed.

Little Ivan came to GSF at 2 years old.  He had spinal TB and was never taken for any treatment before he was brought to GSF.  The hump on his back was so big no one knew if he would ever be able to walk.  There was a possibility that he had other special needs and delays as well.

When they came to GSF {at different times} we began praying that God would help them overcome their 'disabilities'.  Today is a very special day as it is Gracie and Ivan's birthday!  Today, we not only celebrate their lives, but the progress they have made!  Gracie is sitting up, crawling and even standing with help!  Ivan is walking ALL OVER THE PLACE and is copying everything he hears his friends say!  They both have such big, fun personalities!

Praise God with us for the milestones these little ones are making and please join us in praying for them to continue making progress.  Happy birthday, Gracie and Ivan, I love you!

Prayers please

I am sitting writing this from Entebbe.  Early Friday morning, I get on a plane and head to America.  I will be in Florida for two weeks and then head back.  I will meet up with my dad who is in America for 6 weeks.   The main reason for this trip is for medical purposes.  Would you please be praying as I am traveling by myself?

Would you please also be in prayer for two of our kids, Kathy and Sebastian.  Kathy is one of our sweet special needs girls and she just had  a surgery yesterday morning to have a part of her colon removed.   It went well, but she will have to be in the hospital for another 5 - 7 days.  I was able to go see her in the hospital today and she is doing well, but just wants all the IVs and things off.  Please be praying for her as she has a long recovery journey.  Sebastian will be getting tubes in his ears Monday morning.

Thank you for joining us in prayer!

Sebastian 

Kathy

Walking

This week I have been encouraged to see three of our sweet kids walking this week.  I know many of you have been praying for them, so I wanted to share some of the joy! {If you do not know much about these kids, please click on the captions to read more of their stories and why we are rejoicing that they are walking this week!}

Ivan

Moses

Esther

That stick will take her far and hopefully one day she will no longer have to use it!

Praise God for his provision for these 3 blessings!

He will redeem.

Tiny 20 month old Alex snuggles up against my chest.  My heart cries out, 'why is this happening?  Why is he still losing weight after living at GSF for almost 5 weeks?  Why will he still not eat very much?  Why does he have no will to live?'  Then I stop and I remember.

Precious Alex

I remember when Leticia. '"For I know the plans I have for her", declares the Lord.'*

Leticia Before

Leticia Now

I remember Philip.  'For my plans for him are good'*

Philip Before

Philip's 13th Birthday {A couple days ago}

I remember Isma and Moses. 'For I won't let evil and disaster win against Isma and Moses.'*

Isma on arrival at GSF

Moses Before

Moses and Isma Now

I remember Richard 'For I have given him a hope.'*

Richard Before

Richard Now

I remember Gracie  'I have given her a future.'*

Gracie Before

Gracie Now

I have to think, that if God could redeem Leticia, Philip, Isma, Moses, Richard, Gracie and so many others, he can redeem Alex.

“For I know the plans I have for Alex,” says the Lord.  “Plans for good, not to let evil win against him, to give him a hope and a future.” ~Jeremiah 29:11

Please join us in prayer for little Alex.

*A paraphrase of Jeremiah 29:11, changed to add in the kids names.

The Gift of Esther.

I walk slowly ahead of her as she crawls on her knees.  Her name is Esther and she’s 8-years-old.  I’ve only known her for 11 days and I already feel like she is changing my life.  Really, like God is using her to change my life.  Esther is such a gift to the GSF family.  Girls who have always shut down around me have suddenly opened up to me mainly because they see that Esther and I need their help to communicate {she doesn’t speak English} and they love Esther so much they want to help her.  It opens them up to me and seriously, I have had girls who have run away from me before {slightly playfully} come running up to me to give me hugs.  This is huge – I thought I would never get some of these girls to let me talk to them or even just sit with them again. 

Esther got ‘sick’ when she was two years old and can no longer walk.  If I said this limits Esther’s ability to move I would be a big liar.  She is just like a normal little girl only she has horrible wounds on her hands and feet and she ‘walks’ on her knees.  When I say she walks I really mean it.  She puts shoes on her knees holds her legs up off the ground and scoots around.  She can walk a long way like this and she is fast!  She can keep up with all the other girls walking at a normal pace.  She dances – oh, she loves to dance!  And the swings, she asks me to take her to the swings every time I see her and how can I say no?  She’s already on her way anyways when she asks me.  As I was walking down to the swings with her the other day and the other kids were watching, it hit me.  We are watching a miracle through Esther.  It doesn’t seem so obvious because we didn’t get to watch the first half of this miracle.  She learned to take care of herself and do everything a normal little girl would do before she came to us.  We didn’t get to watch that, but that’s ok because as we watch her, we are watching the second half of her miracle happen.  She is learning so many new things every day.  She’s learning that we are her family for right now and we love her so much!  Hopefully and prayerfully, when her wounds heal up on her feet, she will be able to walk again.

Please be praying for her as she adjusts to this new life.  She will be taken to a clinic that specializes in skin diseases in Tuesday, so please be praying that they will be able to help her!  We are very hopeful that she will be able to walk again but please be praying for that as well because she currently has no feeling in her feet.  The nurses here say that she will probably regain that feeling when her wounds heal up, but we can’t really be sure.

Praise God with us for the gift of Esther!

Esther and her beautiful smile!

Esther standing on her knees to sing with the rest of us at Church.