Remedy Mission

These past two weeks have been busy for the Preemptive Love Coalition.

Click here to read the story that the Arab and Muslim world's top publication, Al-Jazeera, wrote on their work in Iraq.

"Do you love me?... Tend my sheep." John 21:17

Please Pray...

Please lift up Travis Bigham, the nephew of my friend, Mindy. He is currently in a coma due to a car accident several weeks ago. His precious family would appreciate your prayers. His Caring Bridge website is www.caringbridge.org/visit/travisbigham or you can click on the link in the column.

Also please pray for William Carter, the nephew of my friend, Karen. He is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, and his precious family would also appreciate your prayers. His Caring Bridge website is www.caringbridge.org/visit/williamcarter1 or you can click on the link in the oclumn.

Thank you for lifting up these young men to our powerful, personal God.

First Day of School Blues

I've always hated the first day of school. When I was young, I hated it because I didn't want the care-free days of summer to end. Now that I'm in my 40's, I hate it because I don't want the care-free days of summer to end. I hate it because it means no more staying in our pajamas until late afternoon, no more staying up late just because we can, and no more boys filling the house with their rambunctious laughter.

I also hate it because it's one more milestone that I'm missing with Paul.

Paul, who would be in fourth grade.

Yep. I've always hated the first day of school. I guess I always will...

The End of Summer

It's been a great summer.

I've done a lot of things, but nothing more important than this.

Istanbul

Today was a great day. This morning our group headed to the hospital (a short walk from our hotel) and hung out with several families in the sitting area outside their rooms. We were able to give Leah's mom a little break from her, but Chro still refuses to leave her mother's side. She's 2, so I spent some time painting her fingernails and toenails. She allowed me to do it, but she is still a long way from warming up. That's OK... I can be patient!!

After lunch, Jess wanted to make a trip into Istanbul to buy something for Leah. Sarah and I went with her on the long journey. We started off in a hospital shuttle, then caught the dolmus (a group taxi), then took about a 20 minute walk. The commute was hot, the taxi was crowded and lots of people were stinky, but.... I loved every minute of it. I don't know why, but I just love Istanbul. Doesn't make any sense, really... It reminds me a lot of New York City, which I absolutely despise. It's incredibly noisy, and I typically prefer quiet. It's bustling with people, and I tend toward solitude. It's extremely huge (over 14 million people), and I like quaint. It stinks, it's hot and it's polluted, but I love it. I love it's amazing history, I love the fact that it spans two continents, I love it's beautiful horizon at sunset, I love the outdoor cafes, and the shop owners who spray down the walkways outside their doorsteps, I love that you can buy anything from phone cards to fishing gear while waiting to cross the street. I love it's different smells and sounds and scenery. But most of all, I love the Turks themselves... their culture (what little of it I understand), their hospitality and their helpfulness.

We ended up not being able to find what we were looking for for Leah, but that's OK... sometimes the journey itself is the most important part.

Hot, tired and happy...

The Banquet!

The banquet on Friday was a HUGE success!! Thank you to everyone who has prayed, donated, planned and prepared for this amazing celebration. We shared a meal together, then the kids played carnival-style games. Afterward, we all walked across the street to a new theater and watched TOY STORY 3 while enjoying popcorn and Fanta! Keep in mind that for many of these kids, this was the first time they've ever done anything like this before. Everyone had a blast!

The highlight for me was meeting a little girl name Frishta (which means Angel in Kurdish). She is the sister of Mohammed Star, one of the boys who went to surgery this past year. A smile and a wave, a few pictures together, and we were inseperable for the remainder of the banquet. What a precious little girl... created in the image of God and for His glory!

Cross Culture Experiences

Well, we just finished our first full day in Iraq. Sarah and I were able to spend some time in the home of Leah, one of the kids who will be going to Turkey with us at the end of the week for surgery. She is a precious little one-year-old who has downs syndrome (I didn't realize that a large percentage of kids with downs also have heart defects). She has very low muscle tone, but her mother has been diligently working with her doing physical therapy exercises and - according to Jessica - has improved and developed amazingly in just the last couple of weeks.

What a blessing to meet this wonderful family, be served water, pepsi, tea, then more water, then grapes (you definitely don't go hungry around here), and then to be reminded that even though it is so easy to see the monumental differences from our culture, when it comes to being parents, we have everything in common. The desire to provide for, protect and love your child crosses cultures. The desperation a parent feels to fight for their child's life exists in its fullest regardless of who you are or where you live. I didn't need language to understand this mother's overwhelming yearning for the health and prosperity of her daughter. And that is who I met today: a mom who loves her daughter deeply, who places nothing of earthly value higher than her child's well-being, and who prays to God every night for his hand of blessing over her children.

I wish you could've met her, too...