Leah Stirewalt

Out of Deep Waters

An African Miracle

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When I traveled to Liberia, Africa in June of 2010, I had no idea what I was about to encounter. I thought I was going on my first overseas mission trip that encompassed leading 5 days of women’s conferences. While that did happen, something so much larger also took place.

Cecelia, a precious Liberian woman (30-ish) drove 8 hours on a borrowed moped with her 7-month-old infant girl strapped to her back. Baby Grace, as she affectionately became known, was born with an omphalocele (the medical term for being born with her abdominal organs on the outside of her body). Grace had a surgery, only a couple months prior, performed by a Chinese doctor, who “happened” to be traveling through the area. He gave her a thin layer of skin to protect her organs while her abdominal cavity grew large enough to be able to hold them. However, this doctor made sure Grace’s family knew that if she didn’t have a follow up surgery by the time she was a year old, she would not survive.

Grace’s mother heard that three American ladies where traveling to Monrovia, and she took a leap a faith and traveled to see them. She needed help. When she introduced us to Grace, and we saw her problem with our very own eyes, our hearts melted. Cecelia simply asked us to help sell the Christmas ornaments that she and her sister were making to help raise money for Grace to go to Ghana for surgery (the closest country with a surgeon skilled enough to do the surgery). However, when doing the math, there was no way they could make them fast enough even if we sold every single one they gave us.

At the end of the week, we were beyond tired but in a rewarding sort of way. We attended the “sending service” they had for us on Sunday morning, and towards the end of the service, one of the worship leaders addressed us and declared, “I don’t think God brought you here just to lead women’s conferences. He brought you here to help Baby Grace.” I looked at my speaking partner, and she looked back at me, we politely smiled and said, “We’ll do whatever we can.”

I can honestly tell you, I didn’t have the faith that Cecelia did. I thought we’d end up coming home and never see a happy ending to this story. But God is so much bigger than my little mind can understand. Through a series of events and amazing financial miracles…Grace traveled to the United States with her parents and a traveling companion (all compliments of Delta Airlines). She had her surgery FREE at Vanderbilt Hospital, was able to stay in the Ronald McDonald House, and spent two months in the United States visiting between Nashville, TN and Asheville, NC. Only God could orchestrate all of this! And, I thought I was just going on a mission trip to lead women’s conferences.

My daughter, Anna, has been invited to Uganda, Africa this summer…for FOUR weeks! She’ll be traveling with a team from Adventures in Missions, a mission organization based out of Atlanta, GA. She needs to raise $4,595 to cover the costs of this trip, and she’s already raised slightly more than $2,500 by selling bracelets through Trades of Hope, selling t-shirts, hosting a Thirty-One fundraiser, conducting a Pampered Chef basket raffle, babysitting, and of course through the generous donations of friends, family, and several people that have never even met Anna (or me, for that matter). The deadline is looming, and Anna will not be able to travel with this team unless she’s able to raise the full $4595. I can’t help but wonder how many other “Baby Grace-type miracles” God’s waiting to unleash through Anna’s faithfulness to go on this life-altering journey. I’m asking you to prayerfully consider helping with a financial donation to help reach the monetary goal, thereby helping to advance the Gospel.

If you feel led to give, please go to www.adventures.org, scroll over donate and select mission trip participants. In the program drop down box, select Ambassador and then enter Anna Combs’ name on the “Participant Full Name” line. All donations need to be in by June 10. I have full faith that you can help us get Anna to Uganda this July.

If you are unable to support Anna financially, please commit to praying for her. Prayer is THE vehicle by which all of this will come together. We don’t take that lightly and sincerely thank you for every prayer offered up to Heaven on her behalf and on behalf of the “least of these” in Uganda.

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. ~Matthew 25:40

Pic of Anna with Baby Grace just hours before her surgery in October, 2010. She’s now a thriving little 2 ½-year-old.
Pic of Anna with Baby Grace just hours before her surgery in October, 2010. She’s now a thriving little 3 ½-year-old.

My Crazy Collection (a Whimsical Wednesday post)

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Newspaper 1Since I was a little girl, I’ve collected things. Postcards, key chains, tea sets, dolls, bells, elephants, Africa stuff, Carolina Panthers paraphernalia, porcelain roses, Christmas cards, and I know there are others I’m missing…but, you get the idea. While I don’t collect most of things anymore, there is something another collection I have and will continue to add to until I reach the end. No – not the end of my life on earth (unless that comes first) – the end of the collection. Yes – this one does have an end. Whew! The collection? Newspapers from state capitals.

I mentioned a few weeks ago in another Whimsical Wednesday post that one of my 2013 bucket list items was to add at least one more newspaper to my collection this year. Now, the catch with this particular collection is that I have to actually travel to the capital of each state to pick up my paper. It’s not enough to simply call the newspaper office and buy one to have shipped to me over the phone. What fun is that? For a travel nut like me, the joy in this is actually creating a fun memory and getting to see more of this beautiful country.

I’ve actually traveled to more of the capitals than I have newspapers for, but I didn’t start this little collection until my daughter was around 3-years-old. That’s been 13 years ago now. A little over a decade ago, my mother and I went on a New England adventure together. The entire purpose of the trip was for me to gather newspapers from all of the capitals in that area (and there are a lot of states packed into that tiny little part of the country)! We packed a lot into a week…including a side trip to Niagra Falls and a Baltimore Orioles ballgame. The best part of the week was the fun memories we made…

  • sampling maple syrup on a maple farm in Vermont
  • me winning a can of Bush’ baked beans by answering a trivia question correctly on a tram in Portland, Maine
  • driving in NYC for the first time and driving completely out of the way to simply avoid heavy traffic only to discover Boston was far worse to drive in
  • being in Boston when the Tall Ships come in
  • laughing hysterically through the tunnels in West Virginia for no apparent reason.

And the list goes on. So, while many may laugh at my crazy collection…it’s a memory maker for me…time to get more (and create more memories)!

I’d love to hear about your crazy collections (and those not-so-crazy ones too). Feel free to leave a comment or contact me through my Contact page. Meet you again here on Friday!