Unless you just happened upon my blog today, then you are aware that I recently traveled to Liberia, Africa on a mission trip. You can read some of my very recent posts to learn a bit more about the trip. However, something very significant happened while there that I need to share with you in hopes of finding someone that can help…

We had the privilege of meeting a family with a darling baby girl by the name of Darlene Grace…

You see…Baby Grace was born in November, 2009 with a condition by the name of omphalocele, in which she was born with her stomach and intestines on the outside of her body. When she was delivered, her parents were told to “get rid of her” that she wasn’t even human. They knew she was a gift from God and refused to do so. Due to lack of knowledge of how to care for this deformity, the hospital simply wrapped up her organs in gauze, which eventually led to a very severe, life threatening infection.

I had actually never heard of this birth defect before, but in researching it, I learned that it occurs worldwide and can generally be corrected fairly easily in countries with the resources to do so. Hence…the problem. Baby Grace was blessed this past January by a Chinese surgeon that happened to be in her home country of Liberia at the time but has since returned to China. He performed a first surgery on her then to save her from the life-threatening infection that had invaded her body. He secured her organs under a thin layer of abdominal skin but said that a second surgery would be required when she turns one, or she would not survive. This doctor, however, had to return to China, and there is not another surgeon in Liberia skilled to perform this type of procedure.

To get to the point…I’m putting this out there in hopes of finding some help for Baby Grace. There is a small group of us working on this, but it’s going to take many people to pull this off. In short, this is a very poor Liberian family in need of a miracle for their daughter. This will need to be considered a charity case at all levels! I have met Baby Grace’s mother and have spoken with her father (a pastor) by phone. They are wonderful people!

If you have the skill, ability, or know anyone with the skill or ability to help with the following, please contact me at [email protected] or through a Facebook message:

1) A surgeon that can gift this type of surgery.
2) A hospital that can gift all services related to this surgery: operating room, staff, pharmacy…the works!
3) Someone to donate air travel for the baby and mother (at minimum)…frequent flyer miles might be an option here too.
4) A host family living close to the hospital where this procedure takes place.

These are just some initial thoughts. This is actually a pretty monumental project to undertake, and we’re simply trying to gather as many resource possibilities as quickly as possible. We have been put in contact with a couple of people already, but we’re willing to look at anything possible. Please, please pray for Baby Grace and ask God to reveal to you any possible way that you might be able to help with getting her this miracle!

Thank you friends! Be most blessed!

Thank you for following my journey to Africa with me, as I recap some of my journal entries through this blog. I continue to do so again now, but we’re going to change locales a bit. We’ve just completed the first two workshops at the Love Center, and we’re now moving to a new location a bit further out – Faith Works Ministries.

Journal Entry – June 10
Today has been an emotionally charged day on many levels. The day began with what else? RAIN! And…lots of it. It delayed us leaving for Brewerville, about an hour away, for the next workshop. But, it finally slacked off enough for us to begin the trek over there. We saw more of the country today than we have all week so far. However, most of the sites weren’t very pleasant to look at. Extreme poverty. It makes me sick to think that anyone has to live this way. When we got to the church – we were pleasantly surprised to see that it was inside an orphanage compound. There were nearly 100 women waiting for us when we arrived. This was a MUCH different crowd than the last two days. The women were less educated, less attentive, and generally noisier. However, they still knew how to dance and praise the Lord. The hand massages were very popular – like at Love Center. I think we ended up doing around 30 each. The message that I gave on being God’s princesses took on a completely different meaning here. Not only did the women hear that they were “royalty”, but God really impressed upon some of them to also wisely choose the name of their children. Maria shared on the ride back to the compound that many of these women name their children by what is taking place in their life at the time. For example, they might literally name their child “Poor Me” or “Hard Times” or “Struggle”. It’s amazing to see how God took that message and allowed the women to hear something completely different than I intended. But, it was obviously something God wanted them to hear.

The rooms in our compound continue to fall apart. We’ve had things break right in front of us. Tonight, it was my shower – the floor of it literally caved in. Ginger and I decided that we need to find a way for a group of US men to come here and work on this facility before it completely falls apart.

Journal Entry – June 11
I don’t even know where to begin writing today. I’m emotionally spent! Today’s workshop was amazing! It was a smaller crowd than yesterday, but many of the same women returned. God gave me a gift today in a woman by the name of Teresa. I was able to see her transfrom into something spiritually beautiful between yesterday and today – right before my eyes. Ginger and I were both very drawn to her! She had her beautiful son with her today as well. God makes such beautiful people! At the end of each of the workshops this week, Maria has invited the women to come forward and share how our messages have touched them and how God is working in their lives. These particular women have a hard time communicating their emotions (Maria explained to us later), so they expressed themselves with a song. We had so many beautiful songs shared with us this afternoon. However, those that chose to also speak with words did so in such touching ways. My life will literally never be the same again! They flocked to us afterwards begging for our address and phone number. They treat us like celebrities, and I don’t like that attention. I’m a woman just like they are – I just happen to be very blessed to live in the USA.

(BTW…I was so happy to be able to talk to Chris a little while ago – I needed to hear his voice desperately.)

The ride back to the compound today was very interesting. Traffic was horrible, and we even had to drive with the van door open part of the time – just to be able to tolerate the heat! Apparently, a drunk man “allowed” himself to be hit by our van (barely). He started shouting obscenities and ended up spitting on our driver and front seat passenger. What a crazy, messed up place this is – desperately needing the Hope found in Christ alone! We saw more and more poverty, as we made our way back to the compound. The stench of it won’t leave my nostrils. I’m starting to long for home, but I’ll return home a changed woman!