Special Update – Prayer Request
This is not our normal daily blog. Instead, I have a prayer request for everyone reading this.
Our team returned to Hogar de Fe today. After arriving our students split off, each with two or three of the children living at the orphanage—except for me, as I was going around taking photos for our blog.
After wandering around for a little bit, I stepped into one of the dorms and met Edwin Joel. He’s four years old.
About two years ago Edwin suffered brain damage from an unknown source. Half of his brain suffered. As a result, he has been unable to feed himself, and has to eat through a feeding tube. He has also stopped talking.
Edwin with his mother and Sarah Ganster, one of our high schoolers.
At nearly five years old, Edwin is only 16 pounds. Because of insurance problems, he went months without any medicine, and he was just recently able to receive medical treatment. He was just released from the hospital today.
The mother, Marta, has two other boys (9 and 7). They all live at the orphanage. She has land, but not a home that is safe for Edwin to be living in.
Students and leaders gathered to pray for Edwin.
Autumn Gilchrist and Megan McKinley.
The doctors say that he is getting better, and he’s gained a little weight. A rash and blisters that had covered his entire body has almost completely disappeared. Eventually they will put a feeding tube in his stomach to help him eat.
However…the doctors also said that if he was not able to make significant weight gains within the next fifteen days, then they would not be able to offer more treatment, and they would have to leave him with his mother.
So please, please pray for healing! Pray that he will recover soon and gain weight before his next appointment with the doctors!
A number of students laying their hands on Edwin and praying for him.
Edwin’s mother holding a photo of him taken two years ago, a healthy baby.
We’re heading to our next assignment and everything is very rushed down here in Nicaragua. But please. I implore you. Pray for Edwin as soon as you can. Pray for God’s spiritual healing and that the doctors will be able to treat him when he returns to the hospital in fifteen days!
This is an extremely urgent matter. If nothing changes in fifteen days then Edwin could be in serious trouble. Please share this with your friends. Tell them Edwin’s story.
The song Hosanna says“Break my heart for what breaks yours. Open my eyes to the things unseen.” That is the epitome of this trip. I don’t even know how to put it into words. We see things and experience things that we never would at home, and it breaks our hearts. And this is what the cause of Christ is here. Our hearts are broken for what his breaks for, and he’s using us. But that’s what’s hard about this situation. We can’t do anything besides pray for the family. We believe God is a God of healing, and we believe in the spirit of prayer. Let’s demonstrate the power of God’s Spirit through prayer and healing.
“Out of the three trips that I’ve been on, this is the most horrific thing I’ve seen. It’s a situation completely out of our control. It just breaks my heart. There’s got to be more Edwins….” Autumn Gilchrist
Update 7/17/2011:
The Missions Team visited Edwin prior to traveling back to the US. Check out the details here.
Praying that the Lord watch over Edwin and give him the strength to get the nutrition he needs for continued medical care and for his health. God Bless you Edwin.
I Will be praying for Edwin. I know that all things will work together for our good and that God will be glorified through this condition that Edwin is in.
Heavenly Father, please put your hands on lil Edwin. Give him your healing touch and comfort his mother and brothers through these trying times. I pray to you with a broken heart for this precious little guy. Hold his hand for his entire journey and please soothe his pain ,in your son Jesus’ name I pray this AMEN!!!!
Heather and i will keep Edwin in our prayers
Our Father in Heaven, you have great plan for Edwin. This child of Gods is touching the hearts of many people. Please give him strength and the healing power that you alone can give through others from you God. We ask this in Jesus’ name…AMEN
We will be in continued prayer for Edwin. Thank you, SALT team, for being God’s hands and feet for us. We pray for you too. God’s blessings to you all.
This truly touched my heart. Will be praying for Edwin..& everyone involved. For strength and that he begins to look like the picture held up two years ago in fifteen days. God Bless you all.
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