SHE'S HOME!! Praise Jesus that Marlene made it, she went home in the arms of her mother rather than a casket. Her life is a miracle. I am so thankful to the Lord that I got be a part of it these last seven months. We laughed a heck of a lot together and there are so many moments that I will never forget. I don't think this is the of my relationship with Marlene and her family, we will see what the Lord has for our future. Please continue to pray for her as she transitions back home and gets back to "normal" life.
Marlene's journey (PS she is turning six next month):
June 8 - 14lbs, slight kwashiorkor in feet and legs
June 13
June 23 - me and Anna were freaking out that night about how chubby she looked :)
July 2
July 7
July 10 - with Anna
July 16
July 26
August 9 - Saying goodbye, the day before I left. 20lbs
November 22 - Up to 25lbs!!
January 2 - Incredibly healthy and looking so grown up!! 27.5lbs
January 4 - All dressed up and ready to go home...or so we thought. She ended up staying an extra week. Lucky for me :)
7 months ealier...
January 11 - Official goodbye. 28.5lbs She DOUBLED in size! The Lord is good.
Marlene with her Mama when she was admitted
Mid-July with her two brothers and mom. (The youngest, Gethro, passed away this fall)
Going home!!!!
One of the reasons that made it a lot easier to say goodbye to Marlene is her precious mother. This woman is truly a diamond in the rough. Marlene was always talking about her mom and how she takes her to church and prays with her and how she loves her mom so much and she was always letting me know the next time her mom was coming to visit. She consistently came to see Marlene and words cannot express her excitement whenever she got to see her mom. Please pray for Marlene's mom as she raises her 3 children (Marlene and her older brother and sister) and deals with the loss her youngest, Gethro.
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
James 2:5
Hey Jess. Thank you so much for making Haiti personal to me. You have shared such wonderful things in such a wonderful way. I am so grateful to be able to pray specifically for people. I love the heart that God has given and the talents He has given you. You have done an outstanding job at keeping everyone up-to-date on what is happening in Haiti. I love you so much. You are such a precious gift to me and to everyone who gets to know you. Praise God for all that He has done, is doing and will do. I will continue to pray for Marlene and her family. Thanks again Jess for all that you do. Leah (Lehman) Guerin
ReplyDeleteWow, Marlene's story is so awesome! Thank you for making it personal and sharing the miracles. Faith is rising! I've loved reading everyone's stories. Thanks for always sharing. You are a blessing everywhere you go!
ReplyDeleteoof .. this blessed me in a way that i cannot explain. the innocence, purity & beauty that children carry is so divine.
ReplyDeletekeep sharing yours & their stories ... please.
incredible. God is crazy & good.
Marlene is beautiful!! It is a joy to see you live out your faith and the pics are sweet! We look forward to seeing you soon! Love you and you are a daughter after Gods own heart!
ReplyDeleteJess! This is Bekki and I was there in May. I remember the first time I saw Marlene she was eating - one grain of rice at a time. she was so tiny! Then, while we were there, she became ill and my nurse husband put an IV in her jugular because none of her other veins were large enough. She was so tiny and sick and beautiful. Now she is big and healthy and beautiful. What a difference LOVE makes! Thank you for this post. It is a gift to us for sure!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you keep a blog too!! It's now bookmarked :)
ReplyDeleteKeverly