Lomansotfu preperation for the trip to South Africa!

This is an update about Lomansotfu porgress by Teresa:

Good News!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!! At long last, after 3 or 4 weeks, we finally have all of the documents necessary to send Lomansontfu to for her surgery to have the tumor removed. I saw the letter from the senior medical officer today, and it states that she will go to South Africa on Monday the 30 of June. Abraham came up from Maphiveni today and took the sister and the child to get the travel documents. He said that it was just God, because when he got here, he realized that one of the certificates he was bringing was not correct. So he prayed and asked the Lord to make a way where there is no way, and He did!! He said that they took them into an office and corrected the document and they were able to get the travel documents without even waiting in the line! We were rejoicing and praising God right there in the corridor of the children’s ward at the government hospital! Prayer works!

When I visited her earlier in the week, I felt led to just pray and agree with the child, and the sister that this paperwork would be gotten quickly and that the doors would be open to get her to I could hear the other care givers in the room agreeing with me in prayer, and God did hear us, and answer! The tumor is getting bigger every day and causing her more and more pain. One of the care givers in the room told me today that it causes her much pain and she cries at night.

Now we must get her older sister to Mbabane to travel with her on Monday.Please help us pray that this goes smoothly, they travel safely, and that the surgery goes well.
God is a good God!!

August 12 baby!

I'VE BOUGHT MY ONE WAY TICKET TO SWAZILAND

FOR AUGUST 12!
CRAZY?!

I'll be flying out of Denver, CO at 8pm on August 12 to England. Kick it in the Hethrow airport for a 6 hour layover (ya know, to give my arms a break...hahaha). Fly from England to Johannesburg, South Africa, arriving early in the morning (and try to find the most comfy cozy corner to catch some zzz's). Then in the early afternoon hitch a ride from Jburg, SA, to Manzini, Swaziland!

I'll be arriving in Swaziland around 3 pm on August 14.

Now get out your calculators...how long will I be traveling?

Drum roll please......Brrrrrrruuuuuuuummmmmm bump.

34 hour of kick you in the pants exciting international travel! YEAH!!!!

(Actually I really do enjoy international travel...we'll see what I'll say after 34 hour it ;)

My financial support is at 80%!

Praise the Lord!

I've got 91% of my moving/car costs covered!

($1500 still needed)

I've got 76% of my monthly covered!

($475 of month still needed)

Thanks you for everyone who has been donating one time and monthly financial gifts. This would not be possible if it wasn't for you and your wonderful giving hearts! Thank you for becoming a part of the ministry God has called me to in Africa for you have now become a part of a ministry that touch the hearts of needy children in Swaziland with the love of Christ! Thank you all who have been in supporting me through prayer! I greatly appreciate and feel your support!

I'm excited to see how God brings the rest of the money in...He continues to reveal His character to me in these times when I have to fully depend on Him (I'm learning it's in all time and all things I am to depend soley on Him ;). Times when He's apparently made it quite obvious I could not do it without Him and His Provision. So I learn to actively rest and watch as He provides all that I need not only financially but physically and emotionally and socially. What an amazing God we serve!

If you would like to financially contribute with a one time gift or monthly gift (any and all money helps!) then you can either contact me by email/phone and donate by mailing in the money or by donating on line on the Children's Cup online donation website!

I've also put in my 2 weeks notice at work so my last day at Longmont United Hospital on the cancer floor will be July 11...right before I'll leave for my Third World Nursing Course in Canada!

Quiting work was exciting and scary and kinda sad.

Exciting because it means I'm another step closer to moving to Swaziland! Something that I've wanted to do for a long while. I've had about 5 false starts...5 different times when I thought I'd be leaving work at the hospital and move to Swaziland.

Quiting work is scary cause it means I no longer am "providing" for myself with a secure job with awesome benefits and coworkers. The security of having all the medical equipment and extra nurses, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, clowns (love those visiting clowns ;), and doctors for extra insight and support.

I'm sad to no longer be a part of the 5 west staff. I love everyone who's there and will miss their encouragement, laughter, and commodore when we all need to crab about such and such a patient. "Can you believe that he..." "He is driving me up the wall!" "If she does...one more time I'm going to..." Love you guys and will dearly miss you!

Thank you all again for your love and support! Can't wait to see where God will take us in the journey called life.

Love ya all!

Me, Renee and Hannah at the Denver Aquarium...here fishy fishy fishy...

Lomansontfu - Teresa's blog insight

Here is a blog from Teresa the nurse I'll be working with. She writes on some of the kids we care for so I thought you would be interested in seeing one of the kids I'll be caring for. You can check out her blog stories by clicking on this link: Rehmeyers in Swaziland

By Teresa Rehmeyer:

"This is a little girl named Lomansontfu (name means Sunday), which probably means she was born on a Sunday. She is from our Maphiveni CarePoint. She is about 10 years old, and she is an orphan. She lives with her older brother and sisters. She is not treated very nicely by them, because she is just an extra mouth to feed. She has a large tumor growing on the side of her face. The doctors think that it is a myeloblastoma. She needs a major surgery to remove the tumor and probably plastic surgery because the tumor is eating into her jaw bone. This surgery can’t be done here is Swaziland. She has been in the Mbabane Government Hospital for 3 weeks waiting for the Senior Medical Officer to approve her case and provide the money through a government fund to send her to South Africa to have the surgery done. We are also waiting for her family to get her certificate of birth from the chief so they can get travel documents for her trip to South Africa.

Each time I see her, the tumor is bigger and bigger. Sometimes, she drools because she can’t keep her mouth closed. She is having a lot of pain, especially at night, and her gums are beginning to bleed. In spite of all of this, she manages to still have a beautiful smile that lights up her whole face! I pray that we can get the help that is needed for this little girl. Please pray that the funding, the paperwork and the approval will all come quickly so that she can get the medical care that she needs and deserves!"

World Vision Experience in Colorado!

I've been hearing of this World Vision Experience for the last year or so randomly from different people. Then I got a phone call from Scott (Thanks Scott!) who received information in the mail and he gave me their website!

The World Vision Experience takes you through the life of an AIDS orphan in Africa. It's an interactive, walk through exhibit that will transport you into the heart of Africa...and the life of one child.

I highly encourage all that can make it to go through this Experience. Many times I think I've got a grasp on the AIDS crisis in Africa. Then I realize that I have no idea what's going on. This Experience will start to give you an idea of what is going on in Africa, what I'll kind of kids I'll be taking care of, and what you can do to help!

For my Colorado peps Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, CO, is holding the World Vision Experience in July. 7/6 - 7/15!

They also are holding them in Loveland and Fort Collins later in the year!

You can make your free reservation to get a specific time allotment or just show up and get placed when they can!

Event States and dates.They are holding these Experiences in California, New Jersey, Georgia, Colorado, New York, Illinois, and North Carolina!

So check them out!

World Vision Experience: AIDS

Three little monkeys sitting on the bed...

This is a story of three girls, one hotel room, and a 6 night 7 day trip working at the Denver Rescue Mission...

We were all peachy and friends. Loving one another and singing silly song together.Then Tasha was laying on the bed texting Mr. Rogers on her phone.

An overwelming temptation to push her off the bed came over me...

So I pushed her off the bed! I thought it hilarious!
Hannah didn't want anything to do with it.
And, well, Tasha was upset.

THE END

I wish I hadn't turned from my relationship with Jesus...

Mr. Mitchell, a man who live on the street and is a patron at the Denver Rescue Mission, shared his story with us today.

He told us about his wife and three kids and how much he loves them. He told us of his wonderful job he used to have and the houses he was able to provide not only for him and his wife, but also a house paid in full for each kid.

He spoke of how he lost it all when he became addicted to drugs and alcohol...job, family, money, health all down the tubes. Now he lives with Parkinson's and fights daily with his addictions while he live out on the streets.

Someone asked him if he could change one thing in his life what would that be?

Mr. Mitchell replied, "I would have never turned my back to my relationship with Jesus that first time".

He didn't say I would have never drank or done drugs or change this or that.
He sincerely knows the importance and life changing simple fact...a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is all that matters.

Do you know this simple fact as well?

Denver Rescue Mission Trip day 3

These are my girls in my room on the Denver Rescue Mission Trip. This is Tasha and Molly up top and Hannah and me on the bottom. We have a group of 20 teens from our church for the week as our mission trip.

This week we are staying at a hotel in Denver and working at the many different sites of the Denver Rescue Mission ministry. What a great time to be able to not only serve those who are in need but to get to know them and hear their stories.

I'm greatly blessed by their stories of how God has touch their lives in a personal up close way...

More to come on what we experience....

African Chriatian Youth Group Praising God!

Here is a video of some kids sing from one of Children's Cup care point in Swaziland.
Mark and Kay are from the Children's Cup family.

In the not to distant future I will be joining Children's Cup in Swaziland...

Praise the Lord!

Truth and Shadows