Lano and Ahmed have officially been released to go home to Iraq, and as such we had to have a last day celebration. Mary and I along with a bilingual friend, Vincent, took the two kids and their moms out to the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem after much excited anticipation. Everyone bundled up for the overcast and chilly day, which meant to our delight we had the entire zoo to ourselves. The children giggled and squealed with happiness, pressing their faces up to the glass of exotic fish, tigers, leopards, elephants, monkeys, and exotic birds. We even passed through the petting zoo, where Ahmed decided he would rather be held, and Lano chased a goat!
Rain spattered throughout the trip, but thankfully never came down hard. At one soggy moment, the children wanted to pull out the umbrellas, and had more fun just carrying them open over their shoulders, even when the rain stopped. Next we approached a huge green house, filled with tropical plants, a stream, a waterfall, and lots of jungle birds.
Strolling through the zoo and delighting over the animals was a wonderful time. Afterwards, we took the group over to the Garden Tomb for a chance to share the gospel and the significance of the site.
Back at the Shevet Center in Jerusalem we shared a homemade chocolate cake with all the families to celebrate the homegoing, and Lano loved the opportunity to dance along as we sang our thanks to God. Please continue to pray for their families, for safe travels, peace, healthy prognoses, and the hope and love of Jesus growing in their hearts.
Please leave a comment for the child or for the Shevet team.
I thank God for these doctors. They are an awesome team. They are always smiling and really love these children and the children and moms love them. I think of them when I think of Galatians 6:9: "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." Let's pray that these doctors do not grow weary.
Please leave a comment for the child or for the Shevet team.
Lano was this first of five children from Shevet Achim to have her echocardiogram this morning. She was wonderfully cooperative and blowing kisses at the doctor most of the time. She also seemed quite interested in watching the beat of her heart on the monitor.
Once again, the doctor said, "There are absolutely NO residual problems left since the surgery. She is 100%!" Orders are to discontinue two of the three medications and come back next week for another echo. We thank God for such a wonderful and quick recovery for Lano. Thank you for your prayers.
Please leave a comment for the child or for the Shevet team.
Please leave a comment for the child or for the Shevet team.
This was surely a successful surgery and Lano's mother made the statement that the ICU head Dr. Houri was a very good doctor. We know that he is but we also know the greatest physician who is Jesus was the one in charge. Thank you again for all your prayers.
Please leave a comment for the child or for the Shevet team.
Please leave a comment for the child or for the Shevet team.
Later when I went in they had removed the oxygen mask and just had the tube going around her nose, she was awake and seemed to be doing better. One time she was even smiling a little. They said she couldn't have water until later in the evening. She kept saying "Mama, Ow!" (this means water in Kurdish.) Please pray for her. It seems she's doing well, but she's a very strong willed child and she was even trying to sit up a few times already. Her mother will need prayer also. Pray that the Lord will give her rest when Lano is sleeping and that the peace of God would be on both of them.
Please leave a comment for the child or for the Shevet team.
I arrived at the Wolfson Medical Center at 7:30 this morning just in time to catch Lano and her mother before she went into surgery. Lano was wide awake and was not crying, but looked a little bewildered, probably wondering what they were going to do to her now! The nurses came and carried her in and Lano's mother was wiping the tears away, holding her daughter's favorite doll.
We spent the next hours having coffee, looking around the hospital shopping center, eating together, visiting with one of the Gaza mothers and just talking. I mostly listened because I don't speak Kurdish, but that was o.k. We cried together, laughed together and walked holding hands some.
While we were going to the cafeteria for lunch we saw Lano's doctor and he told us that the surgery was over and that all went well. We went to the I.C.U. waiting room with ever-present Hamza (whose own surgery as delayed today), and he asked if we could see Lano and the doctor said yes. He even let Hamza go in, and he was really a comfort. Hamza stayed with Lano's mother and after a short time he took her hand and told her we should leave.
As we were leaving I asked the doctor about Lano's surgery and he smiled and said it was good. Later Lano's mother was talking to another doctor, and when I asked her what he said she wrote on a paper "100% good." She's a math teacher so she can figure out numbers pretty well!
Lano is on artificial respiration tonight in the ICU, and should be weaned from the device tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers and your support. This is another life saved and another family touched by the grace of God.
Please leave a comment for the child or for the Shevet team.
The player will show in this paragraph
Please leave a comment for the child or for the Shevet team.
The player will show in this paragraph
The children also had their PPD (tuberculosis) tests done today, and at that point the doctors decided to delay the first echocardiograms until next week, as the children really were tired from their long journey and arrival late the night before. Their heart surgeries are tentatively scheduled for the first two weeks of January.
Please leave a comment for the child or for the Shevet team.
Hide comments