Thanks Tara Craver for sharing
We are home. The trip was long and our girls are still not recovered – struggling with night and morning coughs and jet lag. I keep asking Jon to reassure me that it will get better… and it will, though it seems like it is dragging. I caught the bug before leaving the States and was determined to get home and get our house ready for Christmas. So before all of our bags were unpacked and laundry was done the tree, garland, and lights went up. This year I am enjoying a little Advent calendar with the girls, and while they may not understand it all, perhaps little bits and pieces will stick.
On Thanksgiving day we received a heavy email with a health update from our dear Eliza. She left for South Africa to start radiation the day we went on furlough to the States. The treatment has not gone well. Her throat has swollen and she is unable to eat food. She has stopped talking and can only use gestures to communicate. Her brother came by our home a couple of days ago to ask for help to get her home. We are so very blessed by our supporters in that the financial side of that is not a problem – Thank you! What we need from you is prayer. Pray that Eliza, who is currently on breathing tubes, will improve and stabilize enough to get on an airplane and make it back to Mozambique, her home country, where she can be around family and those that love her.
Yesterday we were able to make our first visit back to Oncology! We wanted to arrive as a family and introduce ourselves to all the new patients. Our girls are such a blessing there. It was fun to watch our Karasi being toted around, chill as could be. Anaya is becoming more and more comfortable, and we are able to talk with her more about our “job” there. It is sweet when she suggests that we pray for people. We saw two patients that we knew and the rest were all new! Pray with us as we develop new relationships and ask the Lord to guide us in the selection of 4 new patients for Casa Ahavá.
This holiday season, surrounded and so very aware of this weary world, we feel the thrill of hope, and we rejoice! Christ our Savior has come.