Safe in His Arms

Maria's first day at GSF

Late Friday night, baby Maria went to be with Jesus.  We know she is safe in his arms, but it is hard.  Please keep everyone at GSF and her family in your prayers.  We appreciate the prayers you lifted up for her in the short time she lived at GSF.

Photo credit: Dayna

Maria, we are so glad you got to be a part of our 'family' for a month.  We miss you.  Love you forever!

Mark

I have a story to tell today.  It is one that cannot quite be explained with words.

Mark lost his legs in an accident several years ago and was recently gone for 2 months

On Tuesday, Mark came back to GSF with legs!

Auntie Rose with Mark!

Mark and my dad {also named Mark}

An after picture

With a whole bunch of GSF kids

Big David and Mark - 2 men of God who have had the opportunity to get new legs!

 I {along with several others} was privileged to go take him home.  It was so amazing to watch people gather around as he came.  Here he is getting out of the car.

This truck from GSF pulled up no more than a minute after we did - perfect timing!

 Some very happy people to see Mark again - and with legs!

Showing them how he can take some steps!

Mark is a huge evangelist and is excited to have this opportunity to tell others about what God has done for him!

 This sweet little girl came and clung to Mark.  They spend a lot of time at his house listening to Bible stories and she was so excited he was back!  She is in the next couple of pictures as well.

The people in Mark's village.  He is in the middle.

Dennis and Maria!

Meet the 2 newest members of the GSF family, Dennis {age 3} and Maria {age 1 and 4 months}.

Please keep both of these little ones in your prayers as they adjust to life at GSF.  Please be especially praying for Maria as she only weighs 13 pounds and is very congested and is always sad.  She was taken to the clinic today to try to get her more comfortable and find out what is going on.  Please keep her in your prayers!

Update: Maria has severe TB.  Please keep her in your prayers!

God's timing

Today, 'blogging' for me means copying my mom's post and adding pictures.  She told me I could use it and I couldn't have written it much better.  Although, if you know me - you know how much I love pictures so I had to add pictures.

I wrote last Thursday in this blog regarding two new little boys, Charles and Inno. 

"Our hope and aim for these two boys are to nurse them back to health, help the family and return the boys to those in the village who love them."

Charles and his mom the other day.

Little did I know that the boys' mother would show up the very next day! She had left the family for a couple of months for personal reasons. We were skeptical at first but began counseling with her and her husband, invited her to come and spend time with the boys and invited the family to come to the local church. By Tuesday, it was obvious to all of us that it was better for all involved that the boys return home. The whole family came to church on Sunday, the mother spent a lot of time with the boys at GSF most days, and the boys and mom were distraught every time they had to leave one another. 

The boys' mom with Inno {right} and two of the other babies, Teddy and Godfrey.

So today, after the parents signed several agreements regarding the care of their boys, the family left GSF together. We believe this may be a record of the shortest time a child has been at GSF before returning to their home. We are helping with the education of the 5 older children, helping their father restart his garden (as he had lost much during a recent hospital stay), putting the two boys on our feeding program and facilitating counseling. 

Inno with his mom at the feeding program yesterday.

Please pray with us for this family that they will grow in their understanding of God, and that their lives will bring glory to Him.

The newest kids

{Sometimes I am so un-creative with titles.  Today is one of those days.}
Little Ivan came to GSF about 2 weeks ago.  He has spinal TB and has to take medicine for a few months to make sure the TB does not spread.

You can sort of see the bump in this one

He is 2 years old, but when he came he could not walk and was barely talking.  He has only been at GSF for 2 weeks and he is already taking some steps and beginning to talk more.  He is going to flourish living at GSF even if he is only here for a few months.

Trying to walk! :)

His first day at GSF

He's trying so hard to walk by himself!

Our newest additions to the family are Charles and his little brother Innocent {Inno}.  Charlie is 3 and Inno is 1.  They had a very rough first few days and are still adjusting to life away from the rest of their family.  Another struggle for them is that Charlie is in the toddler house, but Inno is in the baby house.  There have been a lot of tears shed as they leave each others houses or just as they are missing each other. Please pray for them as they continue adjusting to life at GSF!

While I was gone in America 9 new kids came to GSF.  They are not really new anymore, but they are too cure to not put their pictures here. :)

Richard

Sadie

Joshua

Brothers {more pictures of them below}.

Abraham 

Elijah

Big brother Festo

Little brother Joseph

Baby brother Godfrey

Isma

I know this post is about the new kids, but I have a prayer request to add here.  Our pastor's {more commonly known as 'Uncle Sam'} mother-in-law is very sick right now.  Some of you may know her as 'Judith's mom'.  This is not the first time she has gotten so sick.  We have watched God do BIG miracles for this lady before.  We would love to see them happen again, but we know that God's will isn't always for big miracles to happen.  Please join us in prayer for this lady {I don't know her name}.  Thank you so much!