Susans Blog

Because Every Child Matters

Well, I think it was inevitable that sooner or later the kids would be coming down with some kind of cold since they just started back to school.  It happens every year.  This year, however, Philip had a cough for about 3 weeks.  We took him to the doctor last week and he was diagnosed with bronchitis.  He seemed to improve with the antibiotic, then the day after he completed the antibiotic, he began coughing again.  His cough was worse, and this time he also had a fever. 

We took him back to the doctor the other day, and they believe he has pneumonia.  Different medication was prescribed.  Philip has missed a few days of school as well.  Santhosh has also returned from India, with a high fever.  He was taken to the doctor, and was diagnosed with the flu.  The doctor was amazed that even before the official flu season began, he was diagnosed.  Well, the desire to be first in everything can sometimes go too far. 

So I am home this long weekend, destined to get everyone back on the road to recovery.  I love being home with my family.  I think that they may get tired of me.  After I ragged Philip for only drinking one jug of water today, he asked if I was going to work tomorrow.     Yes, I feel the love.   My sweet babies.  I cannot bear to see them sick.  

Thank you so much for your prayers on their behalf.  We want them well so that I can get more of the LWR updates.  God is faithful.  God bless you all!

Susan

In the book of Ecclesiastes there is a verse that reads, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days it will return to you.”  I remember reading that verse so many times as a youth and not understanding the meaning.  I know there are so many interpretations, but I learned one from Wes Stafford, the president of Compassion International. 

His  radio commentary discussed  Corrie Ten Boom, a brave woman whose house was a safe refuge for the Jews during Hitler’s reign.  He mentioned that recently one of Corrie’s nephews who was a great speaker, had a speaking engagement  in Israel.  Sometime during his stay in Israel, he suffered a massive heart attack.  He was cared for by the cardiovascular surgeons in Israel.  One of them asked Corrie’s nephew if he was in any way related to the “Ten Booms” of Holland.  The nephew explained how his aunt had rescued and hid many of the Jewish people from Hitler’s regime.  The surgeon exclaimed that as a baby, he had been one of those victims rescued by Corrie Ten Boom.  How amazing that years later, the same person whose life was saved, now was saving the life of his rescuer.

Talk about goosebumps!  Mr. Stafford ended the commentary by saying we do not know what kind of a difference we are making in the lives of the children, but we do know that whatever bread is cast, it will return to us.  We know the verse “reap what you sow.”  I pray that we all would unabashedly sow into the lives of every child that we can.  It will never be in vain.  Pray that God would help you and me to do so.  May God use us all.

Because every child matters!

I recently returned from a mission trip to Guatemala.  Though our focus as a team was on medicines and missions, I did try to read up on the sex trafficking issues in Guatemala.  Apparently in Guatemala City and Antigua, sex trafficking is a tremendous problem.  Prostitution is legal, so long as it is contained in brothels.  The law enforcement is not trained to identify victims of trafficking, or prepared to restore lives, if anyone is rescued. 

My roomate, Lovely, and myself prayed together over the city of Antigua.  Lovely has a great passion for the trafficked victims.  After spending our last day touring Antigua and seeing the people, and after reviewing what I had learned of the city’s trafficking problems, we came together to pray.

Prayer changes things.  The unanticipated theme of our mission trip was “Nothing is impossible with God.”  This was reaffirmed to us on many occasions throughout the trip, and even after we returned home.  I believe God is working already over our precious children in Antigua, Guatemala City, and Guatemala.  May God show us the way to rescue and restore young lives who are victimized in the country. 

Because every child matters!