On our recent trip to Iraq, we reunited with Aryan in Delir's house in Dohuk. Aryan and her parents had driven all the way from a small village near the Turkish border to meet us. Aryan is doing well and she looks healthy; however, she may need a follow up procedure in the future.
We remembered how blue she was when she first came to Jordan for the screening. She was considered an emergency and was transferred to Israel with the first group of patients. She came just in time for her little life to be saved!
It was very nice to see the father lovingly interact with his daugther.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your grace towards this family.
Last night around 10:30 p.m., tears of joy were shed as the mothers of Aryan, Sarbast and Cheya were informed that today they would be on their way home to Iraq. Prayer has gone before the throne of God for this to happen. There is thanks to the Lord for this prayer answered.
Before traveling today, we all gathered together to pray and give thanks to the Lord for all He's done, and to pray for traveling mercies on them. Alex and I then began the long awaited journey to the border. As we traveled to the border, almost everyone in the van fell asleep, except for Alex of course. At the first checkpoint, they waved us through without a long wait, thank goodness! When we arrived at the border there seemed from the mothers to be nervousness as well as excitement. They were probably too excited to really express it. Because Alex and I were close to missing our bus back to Israel, we had to say our goodbyes quickly. I'm glad that they are able to go home to their families. Through the goodness and grace of God, Aryan, Cheya and Sarbast may now have a full, healthy life.
It was a little step on the journey, but at last today Arya left the Save A Child's Heart house and came to stay with us in Jerusalem. We are not sure how long they will be with us as we work on the newly required visa to re-enter Jordan on their way home to Iraq. This new law has made it difficult for patients dismissed right after its implementation, because of the lengthy administrative process to get the visa they need. We need your prayers as we begin assisting the patients by helping them get these visas. God can make holy connections which can make rough places smooth, and this is what we need. Please pray for grace for us and favor with the authorities who can help us. Meanwhile Arya and her mom have joined the mothers and children here waiting their turns for surgery, as she waits her turn to go home.
Aryan was moved from ICU to intermediate ICU on Sunday night. She extubated on Saturday, and Sunday was her first day awake. Aryan's mother has been having a hard time sleeping though. She found that whenever she went to sleep, some sort of accident happened with Aryan. She recounted that on one incident she awoke to find that Aryan had been bleeding somewhere out of her hand, and because her hand was under her blanket while she slept, the nurses hadn't noticed. As a result, Aryan's mom hasn't been getting nearly enough sleep. I strongly encouraged her on several occassions to get enough sleep so that she could think clearly and be of the greatest help to her daughter.
Aryan wouldn't smile the entire time I was there. Since she had just recently come out of sedation this was normal, but I think her mother is still somewhat shocked by the calmness of her daughter. Aryan is typically a very strong-willed girl and this is evident in many ways! Even while in sedation the nurses were shocked that she started moving and trying to wake up. She really has a will to push through. Please pray for rejuvenation for both Aryan and her mother right now.
After eating lunch the time came for Nahro, Sarbast, Ghaith, Aryan, and their mothers to say good-bye to the other families. Many of the mothers and even some of the children teared up as they sent them on their way with the hope of joining them soon in Israel.
Since we got an unexpected late start, we didnt arrive at the border until it was almost eight. While Dirk was inside the terminal waiting for their paperwork to be processed, I took the families outside to enjoy the pleasantly warm evening. I enjoyed these last few moments with them as we spoke of the time theyll spend in Israel and what lay ahead in the coming weeks and months. The kids also took advantage of the time to run around and stretch their little legs. After about an hour of patiently waiting, the families loaded the bus and headed for Israel.
It was a joy and an encouragement to see these precious little ones on their way. Pray that the Lord will continue to give them grace, strength, and endurance for the road ahead as we look forward to seeing His healing touch in their lives.
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