Dear friends,
God continues to unfold an amazing story in the life of baby Bayan from Iraq. This morning the deputy chief of mission at the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan, called us in and personally wrote out by hand visas for Bayan and her mother and father to enter Israel for her emergency heart surgery. He spoke very warmly of his wishes for better relations with the Arab world and sent Bayan off with his blessing.
We drove down to the Jordan River crossing and, as to be expected, at both the Jordanian and Israeli border terminals the clerks began by saying it was impossible for the family to cross. They had never seen an Iraqi enter Israel before! But after checking with superiors permission was finally granted, and at 7 p.m. we arrived with baby Bayan at the hospital in Israel. It was difficult for me to believe that it was really happening.
A Jerusalem Post newspaper article this morning (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/
ShowFull&cid=1069656248475&p=1006688055060) tipped off the media
about what was happening. We pulled up to find a mob of television cameras
and newspaper photographers waiting for Bayan's arrival. They encircled
her and followed her in one big group right into the pediatric intensive
care unit, shooting away as the waiting team of doctors hooked her up
to monitors and began giving her urgently-needed medication to improve
her oxygen saturation. It's beautiful to see a hitherto neglected child
suddenly surrounded by intensive medical care; and the doctors do it the
same way when there are no cameras there to record it.
We've now brought Bayan's mother and father to a home for parents and children near the hospital. Just after we walked in one of the television news reports was broadcast. The reporter identified Shevet Achim as a Christian group, and chose to air a succinct quote when asking me why we were doing this: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
All I can say is thank God for all that we've seen happen thus far.
Bayan's surgery is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, and it is
complex. Let's stay constant together in prayer and thanksgiving.
In Jesus' name,
Jonathan
