update on katy

Here is the email update sent out by Jennie.

Hey all,

I'm glad to report that Katy made it through her surgery and is stable and doing well. Thank you all for praying!

It was a tough wait leading up to the surgery. It was originally planned for 11am, but kept getting bumped back as there was another head trauma surgery ahead of us and it was taking longer. Her grandmother, Wusne, and I did our best to keep her occupied until 5pm. It's tough telling a little hungry and demanding girl, that she can't eat or drink anything. For some reason she just didn't seem to understand....I'm sure any of us would find it hard to understand as well! Anyway, she went in at 5pm and at about 9:45 she was rolled out of the operating room.

Katy had a large cyst attached to the head of her pancreas and really close to her two main arteries. Therefore, it was impossible for the doctors to try to remove the cyst from where it was. So they cut a whole into her intestine that sits right close to there and attached the cyst to her intestine. Slowly the fluids from the intestine will eat away or suck the cyst into it and carry it away with the rest of her body waste. Pretty crazy, huh? I had the doctor explain it 2 times and it really helps to look at pictures to really understand what went on.

But all in all, she is doing well. We're going to take the sample of the cyst that they cut away to be biopsied. The doctor is pretty certain that it is benign and was caused either by a traumatic hit or fall to that area of her body or possibly a previous viral infection. Thank you all for praying! Up until this point, all looks well, and it is pretty certain she'll have a good recovery. She is still in intensive care. She will most likely be moved from out of there to a regular room tomorrow. Continue to pray for us throughout this time. Between her grandmother and I, we are the only ones taking care and watch over her. There hasn't been a good response from concerned family members coming to help us out. It has already been draining and she has about 6 or 7 days more to stay in the hospital without eating or drinking! Trust me, that is not so easy to try to explain to a hungry 6 year old.

Thank you for your prayers!

Serving Him,

Jennie

una casa llena

So, a lot has been going on. We had two different groups come down, a high school group from Hill Country and a college group from the Austin Stone. It great was seeing so many familiar faces and also meeting some new ones too. In total we had 73 people in the house, not including staff. That is una casa llena!! Below are pictures that sum up Thursday-Sunday of spring break. Enjoy. I don't have pictures from the first half when HCCS was here, sorry.


Finally some pictures of the classroom. I had half of the kids in each class while part of the group took the other half to the beach. On a normal day picture a lot more kids and a lot less gringos!











Here the kids and group members are acting out a Bible story, group members are helping pass food out for the feeding program, and below, the boys are waiting, getting ready to go to the beach. It was a fun filled week for everyone!




On Sunday, we traveled with the group to Santiago and fed the kids lunch in a village called La Lomita.

Lots of kids here, just like Pancho Mateo and Chichigua, run around naked.

you scream, i scream...

we all scream for ice cream!

this is a picture of two of my English classes with a group of students and sponsors from Hill Country Christian School at the Playa Dorada Plaza eating ice cream. we had about 80 people come through in 2 different groups last week during Spring break. as a result of having so many people wanting to help out with Makarios, we were able to take some fun field trips, and this was one of them. thanks to all who made this, and other trips, possible.

little katy

an email sent by Jennie

Hi everyone,

I wanted to send you a quick email asking for your prayers for a little girl named, Katy. Katy is Haitian and lives in the Batey of Pancho Mateo. It's situated on the backside of Montellano, Dominican Republic. Katy is about 6 years old and was recently brought to our attention for the unusually big stomach that she has. It even seemed unusually big for having parasites. So after a series of doctor's visits, tests, cat scans, etc. etc. she was found to have a tumor right up next to her stomach, pancreas and liver. Its difficult to tell if it is cancerous or not until they can operate on her and take it out.

Katy is scheduled to have surgery this coming Tuesday, the 27th of March. Please be praying for her. Her liver and pancreas are not functioning up to their optimum probably due to the tumor. She also has tested positive for Cickle Cell Anemia, which is very common here in the DR. The doctor was honest in saying that she could die during the surgery but if she doesn't have it taken out, then she could still die if the tumor continues to grow. Pray that the blood donors that we have lined up come through with the necessary blood that she needs. I don't know if she or her grandmother are Christians. I have talked to them about the great Physician and about praying to Him on Katy's behalf. We will meet with her and her grandmother the night before her surgery to pray with them.

Katy lives alone with her grandmother who works hard at making a living for them both. They were recently given mattresses to sleep on, but other than that they don't have very many belongings and are very poor. Katy's mother died a month after she was born. Her mother was 22 years old. Her father also died from a fever, and to my knowledge she doesn't have any other brothers or sisters.

Attached is a photo of her and her grandmother in front of their neighbor's house. Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

In His Service,

Jennie

lil bow wow

doesn't jacob look like a rapper with these corn rows?

I have a crush on the DR

update from Keith Ries, Makarios volunteer

I have been here in the DR for over three weeks and I have fallen in love with so many aspects of this place. The love of the kids, the beauty of God's creation, and the fellowship with coworkers who I can and cannot speak to is truly God's work.

I would have to say the one major thing that I have learned and am continuing to learn deals with simplicity. As I have been reading and living life here in the DR I keep seeing how God is teaching me to live a simple life that is focused on him and nothing more. I have learned that I do not need anything of this world to live a life glorifying to God. As long as Ihave God in my life he will direct, teach, and challenge me. I don't need a tv, a cell phone, and many daily things we use in America. I eat rice and beans and many different things that is grown right in my back yard. That is all I need and that is truly satisfying.

I have no idea what is going on in the world of sports, movies, and so many other things that we get caught up within America and it has allowed myself to live a simple life. As I am now nearing the close of my trip my heart's desire is to hold on to this simple lifestyle for this is where I have found myself growing closer to God. As we increase the amount of stuff within our day it begins to redirect our focus which is not towards God.

The DR has opened my eyes to a world of Joy that comes from God and God alone. Seeing the smiles on kids faces who have absolutely nothing and working next to people who I cannot talk to but just smile and see joy in their heart is something I cannot explain. Life here is so simple and God is truly moving and changing lives all the time. I like the DR a lot and may have a little crush on it.

In Christ,
Keith