My Girls

Aaron's home for a short time. Monday he leaves on a trip with the crew from Class One of Patmos Reality Discipleship to Morocco. Reunions these days are short lived. I've found it necessary to make the most of the time I have with people. The last few days with my son have been great.

Communication with the charming and beautiful Susan has been limited to text messages and extremely short phone calls while I was in the Bahamas at the Adventure Learning Centre. Being there was therapeutic. Not only was I with Aaron, but I was able to be with friends that have been mentors and given me guidance through my early years in ministry. I saw God's hand divinely arrange things that way.


Even so, I can't stop thinking about my wife and Ali and how that there is where all the action is. The beautiful and charming Susan is in the middle of dealing with social workers and lawyers and un-official in-laws.

But Ali is there. And Charity. And, as of last night, my sister. They're there. And three thousand and something miles away, I'm here.

Susan is watching Ali improve day-by-day. Ali opens her eyes and just stares at Susan. And of course, Susan, like a star gazer, gets to look into Ali's beautiful and soft little face. Ali can reach out and touch Susan, but she can't yet get her thumb into her mouth which is pretty dang frustrating for little Ali. I'm so thankful that Ali can be frustrated and her audience knows it. The other night, during a short phone call from the Bahamas, I could hear Ali crying in the background. A baby's cry never sounded more like angels singing. I'm not sure I would be more pleased to hear angels or Ali belt out wails.

Susan says that Ali stares up at her as she's held and tries to imitate the movement of Susan's mouth as she talks to Ali. A little over a week ago, a short time in reality, I had a difficult discussion with a doctor. The doctor said that Ali may never be able to breathe on her own. Ali may need a tracheotomy so a machine can breathe for her. A tube may have to be inserted from the outside through her abdomen into her stomach to bring nourishment to her comatose little body.

Ali breathes on her own. She sucks on a pacifier. She swallows, with difficulty, but tomorrow they will begin to re-teach her how to swallow on her own. I'm confident that in few short days, I'll write to you about Ali drinking formula through a bottle.

Ali's gone a long way past any talk of breathing on a machine for the rest of her life. Thanks for praying us through through this with us. We've all been privileged to watch the healing hand of God at work. Please don't grow weary of praying for us. I don't know how we'll come through this without your continued prayer support.