God is good! There are two stories I want to share here. The first is about the family I talked about in the last post that lost their baby after 19 weeks. The father of the baby had always been against Lucia going to El Jordan and was against anything to do with God in general. When he first caught a glimpse of his son in the casket when Corina and Heidi brought it over, though, something changed in him. He was struck by how formed he was and realized that though he wasn't yet born when he died, he was still a baby and still his son. And so he grieved in the best way he knew how. He took the box into his house. After a long time, he came out and they realized that he had written 'Marcelino' with his finger in green paint on the top of the box. This is what he named him. He then buried him in his yard and placed a cross on his grave. After that, when he was talking to Corina and Heidi, he said that he wanted to attend the Friday night chapel that was coming up that friday (which is like a monthly church service held at El Jordan)! The Lord used a terrible event to bring this man closer to himself! Praise God!

A few weeks back I met a lady named Jovanna. She had had a brain tumor that was causing her to rapidly loose all functions, starting with her sight and ability to move. In one week, she went from functioning as normal to being almost completely blind and paralyzed. So we pooled together money to get her brain surgery to take out the tumor that was taking her life. The next day, she came to El Jordan, walking, seeing, and so thankful. That night as she was talking with Corina, she accepted Christ as her savior. The joy I saw in her eyes, left me speechless- literally.
She received new life in two ways on this day. And she completely changed her life around. The next day, however, she got the results back from other tests they took. They told her that though they got the tumor, the cancer had spread and she has 6 months to live. She is a special lady and I have no idea what must be going through her mind right now. But God provided for her for that surgery so that she would have enough time to decide to live the rest of her life for Him. Praise the Lord that she did! But please please pray for her as this must be a pretty difficult time.

The Lord is always working, even when we think no good can come from a situation, he redeems.

Well, preparations are being made for my return home and it is finally sinking in. I look to the future in excitment, yet am trying to spend as much time with the kids as possible as it hurts my heart thinking about leaving them. But I know I am leaving them in good hands. They have already started to grow attached to Sam and Angela, which is really wonderful. Also, my dog and cat will be living with new loving owners here together. That took a giant load off my shoulders and I am so greatful. They will enjoy their new homes.

A little update on Carlitos. He is out fo the hospital and coming back to El Jordan. He is skinnier than I have ever seen him though, and still very sick. Where before he was all smiles and giggles, he now is easily upset, and rightly so. He's a pretty sick little fella. So please continue to pray for him.

I also have another prayer request. One of our girls- actually Beba's mom (Beba is the little 2 year old I asked prayer for for her head when she cracked it open), lost her baby friday. She was pregnant for 19 weeks when all her ambiotic fluid left her uteris, leaving the baby to sufficate. It died on friday and though she was devastastated, she told Heidi that her little baby boy was now in heaven to be cared for by God. He was beautiful and looked so much like his older sister and brother. We made a little wooden box for him and gave him the name 'Louie Solomon'. Please pray for Lucia (the mom) and her family.

I went shopping early this morning in the new 'Mega Market'- a giant white building on the other side of town. As I walked in, I was so amazed. It was like a smaller version of walmart, or superstore. At first, I just ran around looking at all the 'new' things.. like family sized chocolate bars or containers of candy rather than tiny bags. Or more than one kind of cheese. Then, after searching for chips and being unsucessful, I just stood in the middle overwhelmed, the airconditioning pouring over me. That, right there, is culture shock. Makes me a little nervous.