Compassion International

...my friends and I had the privilege of driving up to Chimaltenango with Compassion Int' staff to see first hand the way the Lord is using this amazing ministry...it was one of those face hurting because I am smiling so much days...but, how could you help it, with the beautiful faces of hundreds of mothers and children beaming right back at you, testimony of the love of Jesus already shining in their lives through Compassion!! Most of you probably know about Compassion, how they come along side families in support, sponsor children, school and educate them, feeding programs, working through native Guatemalans and coming along side churches so they are enabling the people to help their own people on many different levels and on levels all of us can be involved in, making a difference...it was such a wonderful afternoon and I am so blessed by this ministry!!!!! http://www.compassion.com/about/where/guatemala.htm

I saw what I saw.....

...I am vowing never to get that sick again, never, at least not in my apartment by myself with a baby.....I have to laugh at what my dad always said to us kids growing up, anytime we would go through something rough ( rough as in being found during hide and seek, or leaving your best doll in the rain overnight or even falling off your bike and getting one of those bad concrete scrapes) "It builds character" he would say "It builds character" ...so it did and so it does... Madi and I had some good character building, the past few days....in finishing my long stretch of wretched dentist appointments, I have had since I lived in Guatemala ( and I am one of those white knuckled gripping, not eating a week before a simple cleaning (ha...little exaggerated) people, seriously dislike the entire profession)...so, how about some good character building, Dad...try about 24 hours in a dentist office over the past 10 months...hey, does it still count as building that old character, when you calmly ask the dentist to please drug you or knock you out so soundly that you don't wake up for at least, well, give it 48 hours...and in Guatemala, there is very little "red tape" to go through for such a request...more like, "Si no problemo" My dentist is great, really and does a great job, but a couple days ago, I left Madi with a sitter and went into the city for my second to the last appointment ( can you tell I have been counting) 5 hour one, at that....what a doozy and came home so sick, I couldn't see straight. With Madi as my nurse we battled through it though...poor child, I seriously don't remember even feeding her, but looking at my sink full of dishes, I must have, or maybe Madi whipped up some delectable's for the both of us, who truly knows!! My friend Sharon ( bless her) came laden with "ibuprofeno" ice cream, Gatorade and a "Get Well Soon" balloon, to Madi's delight, trust me, she deserved it, she was the hero baby of the hour, that's for sure!!

I had to share this song with you guys...many of you may have already heard it, but it so adequately describes the heart changing that the Lord allows, once our eyes have been open to need...

"Compassion ~ is not a bending toward the underprivileged from a privileged position; it is not a reaching out from on high to those who are less fortunate below; it is not a gesture of sympathy or pity for those who fail to make it in the upward pull - .....On the contrary, compassion means going to those people and places where suffering is most acute and building a home there. God's compassion is total, absolute, unconditional, without reservation. It is the compassion of one who keeps going to the most forgotten corners of the world, and who cannot rest as long as he knows that there are still human beings with tears in their eyes."

"I saw what I saw

Sometimes, pictures are just better than words....

...and this seems like one of those moments. After an unforgettable ( on many different accounts) two weeks and more to share than I possibly have time to share at this time, I thought I would just post tons of pictures and then try to fill in the gaps of my last two weeks over the coming days. First, thank you guys so much for your e-mails,phone calls and for keeping up, letting me know you are praying and just for your support and friendship... I have no idea why I have been so blessed with such amazing, precious friends, but I am forever grateful that I have and your prayer support is what keep us going, seriously!! Some of the highlights of the past two weeks....

*** Time spent with my wonderful mom, who originally planned to come for a little under a week, but pushed her time back some and stayed for nearly two. We had such an amazing time and she was just my rock and support during some pretty hard days. We had a blast watching Seth ( my folks' youngest from Guatie) and Madi play and enjoy each other...I am afraid Madi taught "Angel Seth" a couple of her little tricks, but we just laughed and enjoyed our babies. My mom leaving all of her kids at home was a huge sacrifice and I really have no words to thank my folks for the time spent with her...only God could have orchestrated the timing of her visit....so good and "right" to be together again! We also were able to spend about three days with Lucas, the toddler my parents are in process of adopting...Lucas needs surgery in the states and we are praying his long journey home will be over soon and he can receive the help he needs! He is a doll baby!
(this is my mom and Seth)


****My girls and dear friends, Mary and Kelley coming for almost a week from Michigan.... spending time with them was probably the most refreshing time, I can remember, in a long time. Thank you Kirk and Tim for holding down the homefronts. We laughed, prayed, talked, talked, talked and talked. These two are the true meaning of the word "friends" and pretty much as soon as I saw them, I just started crying, after a rough couple of months with major upheaval in Guatemala regarding adoptions, and it effecting EVERYTHING we touch, the enemy pounding on our doors, hard, just seeing my friends' faces, sent me over the edge and true to style, they were there, with open arms, the words of God and hearts that are as true as they come.....Kelley came to see her two boys who she and her hubby are in process of adopting, rough adoption and their faith has been humbling to all of us on the sidelines. We spent time in Chichi with the Pray America ministry, with Steve Osborn with Amor Del Nino ministry and just seeking His face as we all are sensing this orphan ministry vision He has laid on our hearts, come to fruition. We also spent time at Hermano Pedro, first time for Kelley and Mary but they didn't lose much time as we all gathered around a little girl who is about 6 years old in the malnutrition ward, who was having seizure after seizure right before our eyes and the choking and not being able to breath was killing her....we took her stiff little body out of her "cage", bowed back in a "U" shape as she continued to have seizures and just laid hands on her and began to pray and then watched as right before our eyes and in our arms, the Lord miraculously, cleared her airway, stopped her seizures and touched her little body....we cried and praised God. Ron Morin
( director of Pray America) also blessed the three of us with a free taxi ride and day spent in Panachel, had lunch overlooking Lake Atitlan and enjoyed every second!



*****My dear friend, Sharon who has battled for the life of her adopted daughter, Bella....for over 14 months that she has lived here in Guatemala away from her husband and family, during a very stretching and "impossibly" hard adoption process, received word that the courts officially agreed with what Greg and Sharon have known from day one, that Bella was their daughter and the victory is all God's...only HE could have pulled this one off!! Rejoicing with my friends!!! We love you, Greg, Sharon, Irene and Bella
(our girls, Bella and Madi are the best of friends, we are going to miss being neighbors and seeing each other daily!)

****The passing of the Ortega law, which sent sent every family considering or in process of adopting from Guatemala in a tailspin.... how would this effect the children, the families, adoptions, the rescue of children...the questions were many and came flooding and I have to say the flood knocked us off our feet...it was and is a heavy time and the anti adoption sentiments are strong right now, in Guatemala. Please just pray, pray that the Lord would be honored, be Victor, that He would continue to "place the solitary in families" and that the enemy would be bound. More on all of this soon....there is a lot to share and much more to pray about, we in Guatemala are just in desperate need of His mercy and His power revealed on behalf of the

children.....

*****and......wait... well, I have many more highlights, but wasn't this supposed to be a blog with more pictures than words, I think I just blew that right out of the water....well, then let the pictures begin and I will stop rambling.... for now, anyway....
Love you, guys so much and thank you for your faithful friendships and support!

(this is the Scott's with Lucas's wonderful foster family)

(One of our TSCM babies...Jonathan, who is GOING HOME, we just heard the good news this week!)