New pics of Sendy

It breaks my heart to see her just sitting in her car seat all the time. She still has a huge smile though. I guess she doesnt know any other life.

The bottom pic with tears all over her face kills me. How can you not want to love her, hold her and give her all the medical care she deserves. Ill let you all know when I do when they get a visa.

Steph

New updates

Well my and Flamandas tickets are booked! We travel back to Haiti the 28th of Dec. to reunite her with her mother. I have raised some funds for the trip but not all. I am so thrilled to be a part of her journey from beginning to end. God is truly amazing. The community is very excited about her return. To have someone travel to the U.S. and return is a very big deal there. I can wait to see her mom. I will take lots of pics.

I am still hoping to bring Sendy home with me. They are working on getting her visa now. Please pray that everything works out and I can transport her for surgery.

The kids will be staying with my mom and Tom will be home working. Pray for all of them as I am gone. I couldnt do it without them!
Steph

Who knew cats liked pizza??

C.C. decided to open the lid with her head and try to help herself to the pizza last night!

Nick's Poetry

This is Nick reading his Ode at Barnes and Noble. He did a great job. He was really nervous.
The kids had to pick a topic that they really felt strongly about or liked a lot and he picked....

Gas Stations! Yes I was surprised too but that is Nick for you.

Ode to the Gas Station

A gas station is fantastic. You can pay with cash or plastic.
A gas station is an oasis on the road.
A gas pump is a juice box for cars.
The car was thirsty when it reached the station.
The foodmart was happily feeding the people
A gas station is like a little city in town.
The cost of the gas is as expensive as gold.
Giant cars greedly guzzle gallons of gas.
Gas stations sell sodas, snacks and scrumptious snow cones.
The car glugged the gasoline and away it sped.
The cars vrooomed as they drove away.
Snacks are goodies that children cannot wait to devour.
The cash register chimed as it opened.
Gas stations keep us on the go. Even as far away as Tokyo.
by Nick Mueller

They had to include all sorts of different illiterations. It was a difficult project for Nick. Creativity is not an autistic trait! His dad was in tears as he read. Shockingly it wasnt me crying. Even his special ed teacher had a tear. He has grown so much. Just a few years ago he was comming out of the bathroom naked in preschool! I can believe he is in third grade already. He is so smart! He can remember anything he just has to see it once or hear it once and it is never gone. I wish I had half his memory power.
We love you Nick, you never cease to amaze us!

Flamanda/Sendy updates

Flamanda is cleared to go home already! The hole in her brain is draining fluid and her head has gone from down by 4 cm. The doctor feels confident that the hole will stay open. We are a little nervous about her returning so soon but the doctor has released her and we have to send her back now. Her mom will be thrilled to get her so we are happy that she will be reunited with her quickly. We are trying to work out how to get her back to Haiti and her mother. Hands That Heal is very low on money right now and does not have the entire amt available to pay for a ticket for me to take her back. I am willing to pay for half of my ticket to go but we still need more. In Chambrun where I work with NVM and where Flamanda is from is having a revival the week I would love to return to take her back (the last week of Dec.). It is the 1 year anniversary of the opening of our church. They are having many festivities and a wedding that week. The first one ever. It is not often that people get married because they simply dont have the money to do it in Haiti.
I might also be able to bring Sendy back with me then too. The surgeon in OH that put in her first shunt is willing to do surgery again. They are working on the hospital to agree as well. I would love to be able to do that for them and spend a day with her. I always felt we were supposed to adopt her but we have never been persuaded to take that step I guess. If the hospital agrees that would give them enough time to get the visa by the time I would leave.
So many things up in the air right now. I wish God would just show us the future and His plans! I might not get to go at all and I am trying to prepare myself for that too. I guess if I am supposed to go God will work it out. I hate stupid money!! So much could be accomplished with more money. We are desperate to raise 12,000 with NVM now too to be able to get our next shipment of food to feed the 320 kids we have for the next year. We are almost out of food. I would be happy with a few hundred to get Flamanda back and Sendy here right now though. Starving and suffering kids is just not something I am willing to accept. Pray for Tom and Jer and Nick as they do a great job dealing with my craziness! Though Jeremy has definately inherited my compassion:)

Pray that God would bless Hands That Heal and NVM financially so we can continue Gods work and that Sendy can get here to have her surgery. They told me she is talking more and loves to play with Barbies! She is worth saving! Pray that Flamanda can be reunited with her mother and that I dont go crazy worring how this is all going to work out! I still wonder why God has choosen me to be there intercessor and put all this in my life!
I guess I'll just keep praying but honestly I wouldnt want it any other way!
Steph

Sendy

Sendy had her shunt taken out a few weeks ago due to infection. She remains at His Home for Children orphanage. They went to the clinic that the doctors from Miami come to do every few months in PAP and Sendy had the ETV procedure done where an artificial hole is put in instead of a shunt. The hole did not stay open long. She is in desperate need of a new shunt. Her inscision site is leaking spinal fluid now. Her fontanel is closed so the fluid will cause extreme pressure and head pain and further brain damage to her if she does not get a new shunt put in. The team from Miami took her last CT scan with them so the orphanage does not have one now to send us to even get to a doctor in the states to see if we can get her here. She had her first shunt put in at a hospital in OH. She has her passport and is a good candatiate for getting here on a visa. She has weakness on her lt side but does sit up, feed herself, sing her ABC's and could have a good quality of life. Sendy was the first child I fell in love with my first day ever in Haiti. I hate the thought of her suffering and it is so unfair that she cannot have proper treatment. At this point I dont know how to help her. I am hoping the orphanage can get her scans from the doctors in Miami or a new scan so we can try to find a doctor very quickly to help her here.

Please pray for this situation.

Steph

Update on Jeri

Here are some new photos of Jerica. Due to her hydrocephaly Children of the Promise felt that if her parents werent willing to have her adopted out they should take her back at this point. They do not feel she is a good candidate for a medical visa. Pastor Pierre flew her back to Chambrun to her parents. I have not heard how she is doing with them. They could not bear the thought of not having her no matter what the outcome. I pray she is eating well and not suffering at all.

Christmas Kitty

Ever since we put up our tree C.C. our cat has taken up residence under it! The kids just love to put up the tree and look at it.

With snow on the ground here in Westfield this morning it sure was looking like Christmas is comming.

Family Pics

We had our family pics taken after 2 years of not doing it and they turned out great! I could have posted a lot more they were all so good. I cant wait to see how my Christmas card turns out, I am picking it up tonight.

Our good friend is an awesome photographer! Check out J. Sherrick Photography she does awesome work.

Thanks Jen!

Flamanda/Jerica/Jean

Flamanda continues to improve. Her host mother reports she is eating as well as she did before surgery now. She still has the feeding tube in for extra nutrition. She has an appointment next week with the surgeon. We are anxious to see what he thinks at that time.

Jerica continues to decline. Pastor Pierre talked with the father yesterday and he could not bear the thought of her with another family. They do not wish to give her up for adoption and the facility where she is at does not feel she is a candidate for a medical visa unless she could stay in the U.S. and be adopted. Pastor is flying to Cap Haitien to get her and bring her back to the family. I would think she will not make it long there since she is not taking any food by mouth. It is so sad to think if we could have been there when she was born or had a clinic running in Chambrun that her life could have turned out totally differently. NVM needs $2,500.00/month to operate a clinic there. The building is almost completed we just need the monthly funding to get it running.

Jean has started his seizure medications this week. He had a really bad seizure right before starting the medicine. He is very hopeful as are we that we can get him seizure free with medications. What a blessing to him to have this opportunity to get the medicine he so desperately needs.

Blessings,
Steph