Prayer Request

I got a text this morning from a friend in Chicago who just found out that her 21-year-old niece, Jennifer, is in an ICU in Dallas, and they're having trouble stabilizing her. I don't know any other details right now, but I (and my friend) would definitely appreciate prayers for Jennifer and for her whole family as they go through this scary time. Please pray that God would give them His peace even in the midst of their fear and that their trust would be in Him.

Psalm 145:18-19

The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
to all who call on Him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him;
He also hears their cry and saves them.

Ti Nina

Earlier this year, I met Christina and fell utterly in love with this sweet little girl. Christina, like my youngest sister, has hydrocephalus; also like my sister, Christina was born in Haiti, a place where quality medical care is extremely hard to come by and where those with disabilities are looked at as cursed (if they're even looked at at all). Because Christina's family did not want a "cursed" child and the accompanying social stigma, they abandoned her at the Haitian Social Services office; shortly thereafter, Christina was taken to Notre Maison, the orphanage for children with special needs that is run by a dear family friend, Gertrude Bien-Aime. This is where I met Christina in February.

I was only at Notre Maison for 5 days, but it didn't take me long to learn Christina's story and decide that I wanted to help her. Left untreated, Christina would slowly die as the fluid gradually increased pressure on her brain. I decided, then, that I would do my best to find help for Christina in the States, hoping and praying that God would work out all of the details (particularly since I really had/have no clue how to go about this).

I returned to Haiti in March and was able to spend nearly 3 weeks with the kids at Notre Maison; though I sort of tried not to play favorites, it was pretty clear that Christina (Ti Nina) got quite a lot of my attention. (And look at her; how could she not?) :)

It was very hard for me to say goodbye to Ti Nina at the end of my trip; however, I came back to the States determined to do my best to find a neurosurgeon and a hospital to provide medical care for Christina. I sent letters to about 10 neurosurgeons within a 3-hour drive of where I live, hoping to find someone nearby to donate care. Tonight, I finally received a response; a doctor in Houston is willing to help as long as his hospital is also able to donate their services. Please pray for Christina and for everyone involved in making decisions on her behalf. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Edit: When the neurosurgeon in Houston looked at Christina's CT scans, he realized that Christina does not, in fact, have hydrocephalus as she was diagnosed in Haiti:

The fluid filled spaces of the brain are enlarged mainly due to a developmental anomaly called corpus callosal agenesis. This is benign from an intracranial pressure point of view, but can lead to delayed neurologic development.

So, good news for Christina; her condition is not life-threatening.  Since she does not need surgery, I am not able to bring her to the States at this time.  We'll see what the future holds... 

Bucket List for 2010

I realized recently that though I have lots of hopes and dreams and plans etc floating around in my brain, if I don't start writing them down and becoming intentional about achieving them, I probably won't end up getting around to a lot of them. So, for that reason, I decided to create a bucket list, per Caroline's example, of things that I hope to accomplish (or, as in the case of the things I want to learn, begin working on) by the end of 2010. Here is the list I've come up with; it'll be fun to see how many I can check off over the next 6 1/2 months!

1. Start keeping a prayer journal again

2. Have the Anne of Green Gables party part 2

3. Go on a picnic

4. Go back to Haiti

5. Have a Jane Austen movie night

6. Braid Jeweliet’s hair on a fairly regularly basis

7. Go camping at [at least] one Texas state park

8. Go to the True Woman 2010 conference in Fort Worth

9. Learn about and put into practice what it means to be a godly/biblical woman

10. Go back to Florida [for a visit]

11. Finish watching the last episode of season 5 of LOST

12. Have the LOST season finale party

13. Babysit/hang out with little kids more

14. Visit Anna in Humble

15. Learn how to play an instrument of some sort

16. Learn more French

17. Make a gingerbread house

18. Have a summer Bible study with Caitlin and Caroline

19. Learn sign language

20. Study child development

21. Visit a state where I’ve never been before

22. Re-learn how to drive manual

23. Memorize a poem

24. See Mary Poppins on Broadway

25. Go to Rachel and Bobby’s wedding

26. Go on a hike, preferably in the mountains

27. Visit the North Carolina farm

28. Celebrate National Smores day on August 10^th

29. Buy a tent

30. Bake a cheesecake with Jeweliet

31. Visit the Blue Bell Creamery

32. Bake homemade bread

33. Successfully have a plant of some sort (i.e. keep it alive for more than 1 week)

34. Get a College Station library card

35. Update my blog more regularly

36. [Find a boy to help me] put up my hammock swing

37. Watch Aladdin

38. Go stargazing

39. Watch The Twilight Zone, per Will’s recommendation

40. Visit Joelle at the YMCA of the Rockies this summer

41. Figure out how to register the van in TX and then do it

42. Get a TX driver’s license

43. Hang out in Austin with Caitlin and Joe and other such fantastic people

44. Watch The Sound of Music

45. Acquire a book of Martha Snell Nicholson’s poems

46. Acquire more children’s books

47. Memorize more of the Bible

48. Take a walk in a park

49. Write more

50. Volunteer for something

51. Go to a playground and play on the swings

52. Have a tea party

53. Learn how to sew and/or knit

54. Watch an episode of The Office, per Lee’s recommendation

55. Read The Mysterious Benedict Society books, per Teeko’s recommendation

56. Go ice skating more often

57. Go on a boat ride of some sort

58. Go to Plato’s Closet

59. Write a short story based on a childhood memory

60. Make toffee almond crunch candy

61. Go running in the rain.

62. Name the van. For reals.

63. Paint with watercolors

64. Go to a concert

65. Go on a bike ride

66. Watch Lina sing at Carnegie Hall

67. Celebrate National Ice Cream day on July 18^th

68. Watch the sunset with a friend

69. Visit the lovely Ms. Jenny Jenkins at some point in whatever city/state/country she happens to be

70. Find a neurosurgeon for Christina and get a medical visa for her

71. Go to a zoo

72. Go to a museum

73. Climb a tree

74. Get a hymnbook

75. Hang out with Kevin and Danielle

Congratulations!

Just want to congratulate my brother Kevin and future sister-in-law Danielle on their engagement! So happy for you two!