2011's first entry :) (Another day with Sonia in the hospital-Madras)

Well after God graciously added 20 little ones to our lives since September 2010, I completely abandoned this post. :) 19 girls were birthed in our hearts --girls rescued from female infanticide my hubs and I have loved since their birth years ago --the oldest is 7 and Paul held her on her birthday),and the 20th  --2nd son to Paul and I birthed at home in September:)
I am just now coming out of the fog and giving into my friends challenges to get back on here, to document our wild journey, wreckless faith--it's challenges and victories regardless of responses or not, my hubs also feels I need to be on here....
So power outages and slow speed dial up, diaper-less babies, look out, I will be determined!
I will get a post on here--even if it takes a week in bits. :)
have to re-learn how to put up pics, have forgotten the drill here!
One of our precious 19--Sonia, age 4 thanks to God's generous kids was able to undergo heart surgery here for a 5 in. hole!
This entry has to do with giving thanks for and trials that go along~

 "I have all and abound"  (Phil, 4:18 a)

also see 2 Cor, 9:8  He is able to make all grace abound to you!

Words my mother use to challenge me to chew on, to say out loud again and again until it feels true.

Paul,  (My amazing hubs of 3 yrs), flashes an all-knowing smile under his dirty sun glasses my way when he hears the whispering pep talk with God under my breath, through my head covering on the bike, "I have all, I have ALL, i abound, I AM abounding, overflowing, flowing...."

The more you tell yourself you have ALL and abound, the more you let this truth sink in and settle on the levels of your heart, the more you learn to hear it--to really believe it and let the truth feed the core of your being.

 It's a good thing when God changes your perspective, it's a great thing when I can remember in light of eternity today is just a flash, in a moment we will be with Him--in a moment we will be like HIM!!!

It's an amazing day when I recall that He has saved me and all who call on His Name from sin and self and death!

Some of the struggles that have been more overwhelming that usual include driving on our motorbike with babies to and from the hospital in flooding, congested traffic and filth. And dealing with people who don't seem to care for our little one they are over seeing in the hospital.--they will tell us to come at 5 or 7 am and we will set our 4 am alarm, bundle babies and arrange/pay for a friend to help watch them in the hospital waiting room as they aren't permitted inside..... then they will inform us the procedure will delayed 20 min. to 4 hrs all the while baby girl is waiting to drink and eat. We must be there to sign a paper before they move her or do anything, but 4 out of 5 times they will inform us no one is permitted that time....when you’re too polite, no progress will be made.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, you are here.

Thank You for reminding me to abide, wit out you I cannot do this, I tell pray..

 Finally, we sneak up the flight of stairs like every other morning where we will be able to spend time with her together! The little dolly waits in her hospital gown--open in the back--her shinning eyes light up as he lifts her head to the sound of our calls, SONIA, SONIA (it’s a well-known song in Tamil here), surrounded by iv bags, carts and tiyn sick babies--even just a few days old. She leaps in our arms forgetting about her bandage on her heart, clinging to us for dear life smiling. She's ready to pray--our little tradition when we first arrive in the morning, she presses her hands tightly together, "Dear Jesus, thank you for this day. My Jesus, thank You for my heart. My Jesus, please bless my doctors, please bless my nurses..." then she proceeds with us to pray for her 18 sisters and ends with baby Maciah looking up asking suddenly, "where is my baby?" (Our baby boy :)

:) I adore this little girl!!!

Paul plays a game with her on the pillow using the chain on our entrance pass, her giggles lighten my weary soul.

Our time is up, Paul and I both use every trick we can think of including, “I will get your ears pierced when you come out for Christmas…” to keep the sobs from coming as her eyes fill with water, pleading to leave with us. I generally sneak out first –no goodbye, just telling her how strong she is and playing a game, then Paul will hold her 5 minutes to make sure she’s settled as I wait around the corner.

Last night after we left, Paul's parents went to pray for her--of course they were stopped, but Paul's dad pushed right through to find Sonia sobbing alone in her ICU bed, he went to here, laid and on her forehead and silenced all in the room, including Sonia. How thankful I am to have loving in-laws who have also taken on these girls and their care in their hearts with us.

and this hospital is the very best in India for hearts. Sonia's surgeon is clearly brilliant, but lacking strength in the people skills department. "Can you explain to us how you repaired the hole- what’s involved in re-constructing  the atrium wall?? "

pause, "ya, you can just check the chart at the time of discharge"

Paul says questions here are  very offensive and untrusting.

Maybe I can ask in another manner, "Sir, see we rescue girls and have other girls with heart issues and will face this again-we wanted our girls to have the best care- vs. cheaper government care. If there is a way you can help me with photos of the heart before and after the surgery so that we can document what a great service our little girl had with your treatment, vs. something local..."   "No photos were taken of Sonia during surgery, she will have a long life now, see the file at discharge".  As he gives a smile that doesn’t seem to go with his tone or few words.

I remind myself of the miracle that we are even here in the lovely  hospital, I praise God that our little girl is no longer critical as I look around at all the mournful faces of families of critical patients. Praises well up in my heart turning genuine as I consider all my hubs has on his plate .....

Paul's cell vibrates none-stop as usual when we meet with staff in the hospital, questions regarding church needs, repairs in the church, budget issues, calls from our other 18 girls we are missing, updates on our babies waiting in the lobby, new sports teams for the start of the year needing orientation, jerseys, friends inviting us to their churches, dinners, wondering why they haven't seen us yet in India... etc.

and he is here with me, with Sonia….pushing this wagon along. His heart adores these baby girls as much--if not more than I do, what a gift! This untaking was never something I tired to talk him into.

He's already turned down 3 pastors inviting him to preach this week; I am thankful.
(He's a pastor---we live above our church in madras :)

It's all worth it, I tell myself as we come home after 7 hrs, walking up the 47 stairs carrying water, babies and a few groceries , greeted by the neglected mounds of laundry waiting for us to wash together by hand.
this whole process will give a wonderful future to our precious little girl, I tell my soul
then I am stopped by the presence of the Lord
grateful He is steadfast in His encouragements to my soul, I make sure to put crying babies down, sit and listen.
"I have much more in this for you, my daughter, I am molding you even in this"

a great comfort to my soul that all this struggle, all this waiting in doing something great in the eternal realm. 

Paul is now at the dentist with his precious mother. We are determined to help this sweet servant of God with only 3 remaining teeth and in so much pain though she refuses care. :)

This morning at 4 when the call to prayer sounded and our church started to fill up below for prayer and fasting, Paul declared a stay at home day as he noticed I was limping to get baby. (early this year I broke 3 bones in my ankle from a fall down the stairs in my 2nd trimester needing surgery and now I have a foot full of plates and medal that aches when I am too active:)

  I am very happy to stay home, ( although Home here feels like a very extended camping trip---in a third world country, I must confess), need to entrust Sonia to the Lord and His perfect care.

I need to learn this.

:)