Breath of Life

 I feel like I am full of things I want to share - I will try to consolidate and organize my thoughts. The surgeon and his wife who have been here for 18 years just returned on Monday. They were in the horn doing cleft lip and palate surgeries. Devotions which are held every morning where at their home yesterday. The group here does a Psalm each day. Dr. Rhodes led as he read from his Hebrew bible, the devotion on the last Psalm - Psalm 150. This is a praise Psalm and ends "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Dr. Rhodes took us back to the beginning of Genesis as God literally breathed life into man, and challenged us to use our every breath to Praise Him in return. Later in the day I assisted in an emergency C-section. The baby (seen here) was premature and had great difficulty breathing. The only way to intubate a baby here is to have someone actually stand beside the baby and squeeze the bag to give each breath. That can only go on for so long. We did this for one hour with this precious baby girl and then put her on pressure oxygen. She is still fighting for her life. All we can do at this point is ask God to breathe life into her. Please pray for the life of this baby. It gives me chills as I realize that if Josef would have been born at this hospital he would have died - he was intubated for 24 hours and had to get a special medicine 3 times to help his lungs which isn't available here.

 Today Annie and I walked with Dr. Rhodes' wife, Laura, to a children's home which they have been supporting for many years. Approximately 30 orphaned children live here. They are mostly self sustaining - they grow corn, vegetables and have cows that they milk. This is their kitchen, which I was told it was nice because it had a concrete floor and ventilation. The Rhodes collect money through AIM international to help send these kids to school. In Kenya through 8th grade is payed for (kids just have to have a uniform - however, shoes aren't required), but after that is not. The Rhodes have sent countless kids to high school and beyond - they can now tell stories of orphaned children who have gone on to be lawyers or teachers etc. Any of you who want to help support the education of these kids - I am going to get the information on how to send money to AIM.

On the road to the children's home I got to hear a little of Laura and Bill's amazing story. It and many things here has reminded me of how one life can make a huge impact for the kingdom of God. In chapel today we looked at Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." So back to Psalm 150 - God breathed life in us for us to breath praise back to Him. Hallelujah! Love to all - Christine