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.

Moses

We welcomed in another sweet little one this week!  His name is Moses Muwanguzi {which is a Luganda word meaning winner}.  GSF has worked with his family before and his siblings are the 2 little ones that came last week.  He is 4 years old, but is extremely malnourished and is about the same size as his 20 month old sister.
He does not move very much, but can scoot across the floor a little bit.   He has a possibility of scoliosis, which may have stunted his growth a little and made it hard for him to move.  He is not so sure about playing with the other kids yet, but loves all the new toys he is finding.  He especially likes the little baby piano and the shaker. He is settling in to his new home and is often found sitting away from the other kids or on someones lap, with his little tongue sticking out {as seen in the first picture}.  He is very shy at first, but will warm up eventually and gives lots of smiles and an occasional laugh.  Just as with all of our kids, it is sad that he had to come, because of his situation, but we are so glad he is here now!  It has been good to have the three siblings reunited, although they don't interact much.

{Sebastian and Moses will both be taken to the orthopedic hospital on Monday, Sebastian goes in just for a check up of his cleft pallet surgery and Moses will be going to get checked for Scoliosis.  Please be praying!}

An update on Philip + picture of Susan

Philip (right) with Benji

Many of you have been asking for 'Philip Updates'. I don't know if I have mentioned it before but the hospital that Philip is in, is not close to GSF. He is in Kampala, which is two hours away. So, my mom and several others were able to go when they were in Kampala and today some house moms went to visit. The other updates have all been from his auntie by phone. Those calls have been few. That is why updates have been few. The calls usually don't contain enough information to write full blog posts about. So, this is kind of a combination of those phone calls and visits. The latest news is, he is doing better but doesn't want to eat. He does want bananas, apples, and yoghurt however. He has been threatened with a feeding tube.
Hopefully he will start eating and will not have to go on a feeding tube so he can come home soon.

Philip soon after we came to GSF

Current Prayer Requests for Philip:

• That he will have an appetite.
• That he will be able to come soon.

Susan hasn't been at school much this week so I just got this picture today.

Prayer

I am writing this post for several reasons, all of which involve prayer requests. Thank you everyone for your prayers!
This is a very special little boy ... Philip. He is very special to many ... all over the world. Many are praying for him everyday. On Wednesday he was diagnosed with a very serious type of Pneumonia. Every since Philip was little he has lived a very difficult life. The worst part is that no one can do anything to help him ... he will always have a hard life. Why? Because he has that awful disease called HIV. So, all that to say please pray for him.
As I said earlier Philip is special to very many people. Why? Well, because he can put on those puppy dog eyes and look sad and make you want to give him as many bananas and fruit snacks as he wants. Because of skinny little legs and that bandage that is on his ear a lot. Because he is silly and when he starts acting and dancing you can't help but laugh. (he is the one on the right in this picture the other boy is one of his good friends, Geoffrey.) And because he has an amazing smile.
And really just because he is special.

On Wednesday I went to devotions with the preschoolers. At the end one of the teachers brought a girl who is about 6. The teacher said 'We are going to pray for this girl. She is ever sick (she is sick a lot). Her name is Susan. Everyone hold out your hands and pray for her.' That is exactly what we did. I do not know exactly what is wrong with this little girl, how old she is, or where she lives but, I know her name and that she needs our prayers. I do not have a picture of her right now but I will post one of her as soon as I get one.


Well, that is all - thank you for praying!

Tiny Rosie

I wrote about Rosie in another article ( http://caralinag.blogspot.com/2011/04/two-special-kids.html)butkids.html ) but, this one really needs to be written. Rosie needs prayer right now. She was taken in to see the doctor because she was sick and the doctor discovered her leg was broken. How that happened is a mystery. She was taken to the doctor because she was still very sick. After a few days they sent her home So she was taken to Kampala but they couldn't find out what was wrong either. She was then taken to another doctor in Kampala but still nothing was found. Please pray for this little girl. Also, pray for wisdom for the doctors who see her and the nurses at GSF as well as her house moms.

Two Special Kids

There are nine Special Needs Kids at GSF. Two of them make me sad when I'm around them. Tom and Rosie are both very special to me - I will never forget them.

Tom is about four years old now. The way Tom spends his days is not the way anyone would choose to live or should have to live. Tom spends most of his days wandering around the house or laying on the couch, and chewing on his shirt. He cries all the time - when they put him to bed, when they bathe him, when they put him on potty and just about any other time. When he eats a lollipop he licks his fingers and then touches the lollipop over and over again. He does that sometimes with his milk too. His life is so sad but who knows if he's ever known another way of life.

Tom laying on the couch.

Tom's usual look.

Rosie is almost nine years old. She came to GSF when she was seven. You would have never guessed that she was seven. When Rosie was two years old she got either cerebral malaria or meningitis. After that she has never walked again, she never told anyone anything again, and her world became a dark one where she could never see again. When Rosie came she was very malnourished. Every bone in her body was tight her fists were clenched. She literally was and is living a life of fear. Every time you touch or move her, she cries. Slowly with many people working with her and helping her patiently and persistently and with the grace of God her hands are opening. Rosie is still a long way away from being a normal - or even almost normal - little girl, but God has brought her a long way and he can bring her even farther.

Rosie on her first day at GSF.

Rosie was very malnourised.

Rosie still lives life in fear but looks much better.

Rosie's hands look much better!

No one should have to live the way that Rosie and Tom have to live. No one should have to constantly be in fear or confusion. No one should have to live without ever being able to talk to anyone, or walk anywhere, or see anything, or understand all that much. But, that's the way that Tom and Rosie have to live and God has a plan and a purpose for their broken lives just as much as He does for anyone elses' life.