I've been on enough short term mission trips to know that as far as blessing goes, it is me that does most of the receiving, not the people I'm visiting. The probability of my life being changed is much higher than theirs. Sure, I might make a difference in a life; I may even see people get healed. However, I think the only way to really change a nation is to fully immerse oneself in it and actually live there - like Heidi and Rolland (and so many others have). That said, it's way more important for you to know what is going on there and support THAT rather than give towards my trip. Pemba, Mozambique sits right on the Indian Ocean and they are currently experiencing horrible floods that are wiping out homes, etc. Please take a moment to visit Iris' website and learn more about what is going on and how you can help. Also, frequent updates, pictures and videos are being uploaded to Heidi's Facebook page so be sure to check there as well.
Well, tickets are purchased! Many of you have asked what my itinerary is - and while it's a little loose and uncertain at the moment, I can give y'all a first draft (minus the travel times - those are set!)
Sunday, June 29: 6pm flight out of JFK
Monday, June 30: arrive at 9:30pm in Johannesburg, South Africa
Tuesday, July 1: morning flight to Pemba, Mozambique and meet up with the rest of the team. (I was originally traveling with the whole group but b/c of a work conflict for me, I have to leave a day later and travel on my own). Afternoon arrival in Pemba, near the beautiful Indian ocean. Check into Iris Ministry base and settle into the visitor’s center. Orientation with staff
Wednesday, July 2 – Saturday July 5: Spend the next few days in Pemba at the Iris Base. Ministry opportunities on the base include an exciting overnight outreach to a remote village, as well as prayer times and worship, Hospital ministry or prison outreach, Meize village, medical outreach, village feeding program, (they are feeding over 1,000 kids every week) and special beach time with the children
Sunday, July 6: Enjoy Sunday morning celebration service at the Iris Base. Afternoon flight to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. Take tour of Children’s Centre at the beautiful Zimpeto Iris Ministry base
Monday July 7: Outreach to the Garage Dump – visit church there and bless the people. Evening church service at the base with the staff, pastors, and children
Tuesday, July 8: Spend time with the kids in the children’s center. Special outreach possible
Wednesday, July 9: Depart early in the morning for all day Safari adventure in Kruger National Park. Kruger National Park is located about 3 hours from Maputo over the border in South Africa. Enjoy open-air trucks and up close encounters with God’s amazing creation! Overnight at game park lodging
Thursday, July 10: Morning breakfast and 3.5 hour drive to Johannesburg. 11pm flight out of South Africa for the states
Friday, July 11: arrive at JFK at 3:30pm, back in Jax around midnight!
I canNOT wait!
For those of you who are just joining the conversation and don't know what this is all about, read my previous post to get all caught up.
...a HUGE thank you to everyone who has contributed financially to my trip...there's no way I could do this without you. I am blown away by what has come in in just a short amount of time. I have just about $1000 left to raise before I am fully funded. If you feel led to contribute financially, there are a number of ways you can do that:
through my GoFundMe page - this is very easy and you can make payments via credit card (I also update it frequently with info about the trip, videos, pictures...)
through PayPal - Pay Pal is a quick and easy way to send money. My user name is lizbailey1978@gmail.com (just make sure that you select the 'I am sending money to friends/family' option - otherwise, there is a fee)
if you would like to send a check, simply make it out to me, earmark it 'Liz - Soul Safari' and mail it to me: 12296 Water Tupelo Road/Jacksonville, FL/32226
That's it for now - thank you all for your love and support!
...oh and for a little fun yet sobering entertainment, check this out:
(this was put together over 10 years ago so I'm sure all of these figures are even more staggering)
For as long as I can remember, there's been a certain tug on my heart from the far away land of Africa. It has definitely had its different reasons over the years but the tug has always been there, nonetheless. Growing up in the 80's I got to be a child in a generation of young people who watched those awful commercials of the little pot-bellied African children sitting in the dirt with flies swarming their faces. I remember as a very young girl feeling a little bit helpless. I don't think I was old enough to feel guilty - but I do have a very clear memory of seeing one of these commercials while I was making myself a very generous glass of chocolate milk and knowing that something about this scenario was unfair. I wanted to give that little starving girl my chocolate milk because I knew that I didn't need it. I was probably 5 years old.
Growing up, my dad was always very intentional about exposing my brother and me to the reality of the world just outside of our little privileged bubble. I'm grateful for where and how I grew up and I wouldn't change a thing about it - but I'm even more grateful to my parents, who were constantly reminding us how lucky we were by exposing us to those less fortunate and reminding us to never take for granted all that we had. My dad used to take me to pre-school every day. And every day, as we would cross over the Cooper River and into Charleston he would say, 'look at that, Pooh. We live in the most beautiful city in the world. We need to thank God that we get to live here.' Often, just as we came off the bridge, we would pass through a section of town that was nothing like our neighborhood. It was dirty. There were dilapidated houses and disheveld people wandering about. Without fail, every morning there would be a group of men sitting on a wall just around the corner from my school. My dad and I would wave to them every morning. I would roll down my window and stick half of my body out of the car to greet these guys. Sometimes, if we had enough time, we'd stop and buy them donuts. Looking back, I realize what my dad did for me. He treated those guys with the same respect that he did the businessmen on Broad Street. I thought those guys were our friends. It wasn't until many years later that I learned that they were homeless and most mornings, extremely intoxicated (which explained why they were so animated). But to me, they were a highlight of my day and I was always disappointed if they were not there. I'm beyond grateful that my dad taught me at a very young age to look people in the eye, shake their hand, and accept them regardless of their shape, size, color, status, etc.
In 1985, the most AMAZING thing happened. USA for Africa. Remember it?? Here, let me refresh your memory:
I was 7 and certain that this was going to solve all the worlds problems. Even though it didn't, what it did accomplish was solidify in a 7 year old little girls heart that someday she would visit Africa.
Well, if you thought 1985 was a good year...just wait for it. In 1986, I held hands with America. Who remembers that?? It was, in my 8 year old mind, the smartest and coolest thing ever thought up.
'Hands Across America' was a terrific idea and I was all in. I even got a tshirt. I remember thinking we were gonna change the world. Plus, there was no way I was missing the potential chance of holding hands with Kenny Rogers or c3po. (you have to watch the video for that to make sense). Anyway, my dad took me (and I suppose my mom and brother) up to the east side of town and we joined hands with the African American community (which, I'm sad to say, was a little abnormal for where we grew up and the way we grew up) and GET THIS...we sang 'We Are the World.' I was so fired up. I was holding hands with a young man from Africa. I remember thinking his accent was so cool. I remember looking up at him as he passionately sang 'there are people dying' with tears streaming down his face and knowing that our lives were very different. While still very young and not completely able to grasp the reality of just how privileged my life was compared to most of the world, I had a knowing deep within that I wanted to understand this man's life and where he came from.
Then I met Jama. I'm not sure exactly when we first met - probably 1988 or 1989. Jama Aden was a young Somalian and a member of the Somali Olympic track and field team. Through some simply amazing opportunities, my family was able to form relationships with Olympic runners from all over the world. But Jama was my favorite. Recently, I watched the movie 'Captain Phillips' about the pirated American cargo ship off the coast of Somalia. I couldn't help but think of Jama. I couldn't help but think about how his sport most likely rescued him from situations very similar to those portrayed in the movie. Jama was one of the lucky ones and he knew it. As a 10 year old girl, with no ability to comprehend what it was like to grow up the way Jama did, his stories moved me. They touched my heart in a way that changed me.
In 1994, well...
sorry, I had to do it. That was just a little comic relief. :)
Anyway, fast forward to 2003. I heard about this little blonde lady from California who was living in Mozambique and seeing miracles happen every day. Blind eyes were opening, deaf ears were hearing, dead people were being raised, multitudes were being fed from just a few plates of food. And she was saying all she was doing was loving them. Her approach was simple. Love God, love others. (sounds familiar, huh?). Anyway, her name was (and is) Heidi Baker and she is without a doubt, one of my heroes...
The more I heard about Mozambique and Heidi, the more I wanted to go there. It's been a dream in my heart for 11 years now to visit Mozambique and join in on what God is doing in that place. FINALLY, the time has come. I have the amazing opportunity to travel to Africa this July and fulfill a lifelong dream. I will be traveling with an organization called Global Awakening and our plan is to spend 10 days in Africa serving the poorest of the poor. We will serve food to thousands of street kids, we will pray for the sick, we will comfort those who are suffering, we will spend a night in tents in the bush to share the love of Jesus to unreached tribes, we will give the love that has been so lavishly poured out on us by our Heavenly Father. It will be amazing, heart wrenching, hard, wonderful, and everything in between. I know it will stretch me beyond what I think is possible. I will not be the same if and when I come back. (just kidding, mom and dad, I'm coming back). I can't wait.
I do need your help. Most importantly, I need your prayers. It's not totally unsafe, but it is also nothing like 22 Council Street (my childhood address). My personal safety, my health, finances, etc rest secure in God's hands. 'He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.' I am fully confident that everything I need for this trip will be provided in some way or another. I probably need about $5000 for this trip. If you would like to help, I would be so grateful.
There are a number of ways you can give:
through my GoFundMe page - this is very easy and you can make payments via credit card (I also update it frequently with info about the trip, videos, pictures...)
through PayPal - Pay Pal is a quick and easy way to send money. My user name is lizbailey1978@gmail.com (just make sure that you select the 'I am sending money to friends/family' option - otherwise, there is a fee)
if you would like to send a check, simply make it out to me, earmark it 'Liz - Soul Safari' and mail it to me: 12296 Water Tupelo Road/Jacksonville, FL/32226
I am so excited to share this experience with all of you. I am told that we will have very limited access to internet so I probably won't be able to communicate much while I'm there, but I will be sure to update you as much as I can and for sure when I return to the states. If you would like to be on the email list to receive these updates, simply email me at lizbailey1978@gmail.com.
I love you all - thank you so much for your love and support.
I've secretly always wanted to be a food blogger. Or one of those 'here's all my favorite beauty products' people. But, alas, I am neither of these things. HOWEVER - I feel that it is my civic duty to share my most favorite product of all time with you all.
Have you ever stood in the line at the grocery store and marveled at Blake Lively's hair? Or how about Jennifer Anniston's locks? How do they do it? Well, here's the answer: stylists. They have stylists. So, quit thinking you can be like them - unless you have a stylist, of course.
There's good news, though. You can get something semi-similar to those gorgeous, beachy waves and it will cost you a lot less. About a year and a half ago, I stumbled upon Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray (that's fancy French talk for Oribe After Beach Wave and Shine Spray).
Anyway, here's the thing. I'd buy this stuff even if it didn't work because of the way it smells. It has the most delightful scent I've ever come across. It's what I want heaven to smell like. Often, I'm tempted to just use it as a room deodorizer but that would be wasteful and sticky. But also - the stuff actually works. I rarely do anything with my hair. Seriously, there's just too much of it and not enough hours in the day. I don't have much of a 'routine' as it pertains to hair and makeup. I'm lucky if a brush gets through my hair every day. I will admit - I have good hair. Often, people comment on my hair and say really nice things about how pretty it looks. The best part about that is that those are usually the days that I haven't washed it in 3 days or brushed it in 4.
No lie, here's a conversation I had the other day:
person: Liz your hair looks amazing! What did you do to it?
me: um, I washed it 2 nights ago, didn't brush it, wadded it up on top of my head and then let it down this morning.
Anyway, so back to the Oribe Apres Beach...it's amazing. And it works. If you've got any body at all, it tames all that frizzy junk and gives you perfect, delicious smelling waves. Also, you sorta do feel like Blake Lively all day. And I mean...come on...she's married to Ryan Reynolds...who wouldn't want to feel like her for a day?
So the moral of this story is: buy yourself some Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray. And don't come running to me all upset saying 'OMG it cost's $35 a bottle!' cuz I'm telling you now. It costs $35 a bottle. But, it's worth it. Your hair will smell like heaven. And it will look like something straight off the cover of People mag.
So there you have it. My first and probably last beauty/style/product post. I hope you all realize that this is a once in a lifetime thing and you will all go out and buy some of this stuff. You won't be sorry.
time really does fly. I often think about the passing of time and it makes my brain hurt. It's something I try to figure out and it's like that first long division problem I tried to do in 3rd grade...there was no possible way there was an answer to that. I think about how when a person flies to Australia and somehow on a journey that actually doesn't take 3 days, you lose a day. Like, you take off on a Monday and you land on a Wednesday but you weren't actually flying for 48 hours. Where the heck did Tuesday go?? Last week, a friend of mine was in a country that was 11 hours ahead of us here on EST and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how it was possible that she was existing in the future. Also, her journey back started on a Tuesday, she traveled for 30 hours and arrived here still on a Tuesday afternoon. HUH? Anyway, things like this keep me awake at night. Time, as we understand it: in a linear, chronological order is weird. There's the answer you've all been searching for regarding the passing of time. It's weird - don't try and figure it out.
It's a really great thing that God is outside of time. There's nothing linear or chronological about the way God looks at time or the way He is involved in our timeline. I like that. Even though it's maybe even more mysterious, I like it better. It feels safe. Because we can be going along with our day, watching the minutes go by and suddenly...the Creator of time itself can insert Himself in a moment and bring peace, comfort, revelation, challenge, direction, etc, etc, etc...and it has NOTHING to do with the time on my watch (or my phone. who wears watches anymore?). Anyway, I've learned that there are fancy words for the way we understand time. Time, as we view it most of our days, in the seconds, minutes and hours that pass is chronos. Time, as it pertains to a specific point in which God enters and makes Himself known is kairos. It's the kairos that we must look for. It's the kairos that we must pay attention to.
Here's what Webster says:
Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment). The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a time between, a moment of indeterminate time in which something special happens. What the special something is depends on who is using the word. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative nature. In the New Testament kairos means "the appointed time in the purpose of God", the time when God acts (e.g. Mark 1.15, the kairos is fulfilled). It differs from the more usual word for time which is chronos (kronos).
Anyway, on this day one year ago, God intervened. Many of you remember the journey I was on last year to get Ana Maria to the states for brain surgery. Looking back, I cannot believe all that has happened in a year. One year ago today, I took my place on a dirty, loud, smelly street corner in the Dominican Republic and fixed my eyes on the door to the American embassy. The hope was that Ana Maria would walk out with a Visa. We had no idea what the minutes, hours, days, weeks and months ahead had for us. If we knew, we may have backed out. Too much time, too many obstacles. But since we have a God who is outside of that kind of time, we leaned into His understanding and gave Him our trust. The 5 1/2 hours of waiting and inhaling diesel fumes became meaningless when Ana Maria got her 'yes' from the immigration official...because God stepped into that moment and demonstrated his sovereign nature.
“Charleston has a landscape that encourages intimacy and partisanship. I have heard it said that an inoculation to the sights and smells of the Carolina lowcountry is an almost irreversible antidote to the charms of other landscapes, other alien geographies. You can be moved profoundly by other vistas, by other oceans, by soaring mountain ranges, but you can never be seduced. You can even forsake the lowcountry, renounce it for other climates, but you can never completely escape the sensuous, semitropical pull of Charleston and her marshes.” ~ Pat Conroy
I pretty much have the IHOP-KC webstream on ALL the time - which might qualify me as some kind of junkie but that's ok. Last week, I went on a little silly journey of some of the funnies that have happened in the midst of worship. I don't know how many times I've seen all of these but I laugh so hard that I cry every single time. Enjoy...
1.
'why is it that evey time I look at a picture of a creature that is extinct, why is it that they have great big teeth and look really really angry?'
...in all fairness to the lovely Justin Rizzo, this is actually not a blooper. I get what he's doing. But it's really dang funny. Just look at his drummer trying to hold it together.
2.
'I take my cocoa hot'
Misty's face cracks me up - she's trying so hard to be serious but at around 3 minutes she gives in.
3.
'I don't wanna fart my own story'
I pretty much have a major crush on Cory Asbury. He's such an annointed goof ball. I love the face that he makes when he realizes he just said 'fart' as a part of worship. And I love that most likely, in the debriefing room and for many days after, he probably thought long and hard about how he could actually fart his story.
4.
the funniest thing about this one is the description at the bottom of the clip. If I were in a band, it would be a dangerous thing to give me a talkback mic
5.
again...major crush on Cory Asbury. Pretty much everything he does is precious. And he's got Justin Bieber hair. Also, I love Laura Hackett...I think we're supposed to be BFF's. Laura, if you're reading this, call me.
6.
DISCLAIMER. this is not a blooper. this 9 minutes and 34 seconds of heaven on earth. I love this song. And I love what they did with this. And OMG barf-tastic.
Ok. That's all. Tune in to the webstream at IHOP-KC if you don't already. It's fantabulous.
Well, guess what? She's done, folks! On October 10th, Ana Maria received her last radiation treatment and celebrated by getting her hairs did at the cancer center hair boutique (I never knew they had one of those - I think that is so cool). Just to remind you all of the process...Ana Maria arrived here in the states on Thursday, May 10th, had surgery to remove a brain tumor on Monday June 4th, entered a very long 3 month waiting and recovery process to begin 5 1/2 weeks of radiation treatment. She's been a trooper through it all and I am happy to report that Ana Maria is GOING HOME! On Friday, November 2nd, Ana Maria will re-enter her country and her home and her family, all of which she has missed desperately. We are all so happy to send Ana Maria home HEALTHY! She is still 'recovering' and will continue to take growth hormone medicine for some time to come (years, maybe!) but the worst is behind her and we are thrilled for her. So, many of you might remember the very beginning of this process - when I went down to the DR in April to help Ana Maria get her visa. If you had told me then what the next 6 months would look like, I may have lost hope in the process. But our Lord has proven Himself ever so faithful each step along the way. With His favor and some pretty incredible people (Christy and Gerry Wallace specifically - her hosts) this thing began to unfold and became a very real journey for all of us. I'm relieved that this part of the journey is coming to and end. For me, it is particularly exciting as I get to go back to the DR and be a part of Ana Maria's homecoming. I fly to Santo Domingo on Friday, November 2 and will meet Ana Maria and Christy there...we will drive the 3 hours up to Pedregal where a massive welcome party will be assembled, I'm sure. I will not be able to stay long - only 'til Sunday - but to witness her homecoming and to be a part of that celebration will make the short stay more than worth it. I want to thank you all for your prayers, support, financial help, visits to Ana Maria, meals, etc. You played a huge role in saving her life!
Ana Maria will continue to need financial support for her medical costs. If you would like to donate towards that, you may write a check to: The Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St.
Paul
memo line-DR SURGERY (very very important to put this in
memo line) 126 Coming Street Charleston SC 29403 Thank you all for EVERYTHING and please join me in this celebration!
1. Aprox~$366 in travel fees for her son (so that he could be here for the surgery) 2. $375 for VISA Renewal 2. Aprox~$1200 for injections needed to suppress her Growth Hormone levels 4. Aprox~$300 for incidentals (personal items, medicine (antibiotics, pain meds, etc), travel fees)
Could you give $1 ?? (we need 41 $1 gifts) Could you give $5?? (we need 10 $5 gifts) Could you give $10?? (we need 15 $10 gifts) Could you give $25?? (we need 20 $25 gifts) Could you give $50?? (we need 10 $50 gifts) Could you give $100?? (we need 10 $100 gifts)
If you can help click on the link below-not only will your gift be tax deductible but it will also be a huge blessing to an amazing family and community in the Dominican Republic.
Hi all!
June was CRAZY. Where did it go???
Anyway, I wanted to update you all on Ana Maria's recovery - she is doing great and feeling great. She still has not been cleared to start treatment but hopefully that will happen in the next couple of weeks. She will need radiation and hormone treatment before the doctors will release her to go back home to the DR.
Bills are starting to come in. We knew this would happen. A lot of them have been taken care of (so many gracious doctors have waived their fees) and we are still waiting to hear back from the Roper Foundation about how much they can absorb. But for now, we need to pay for things like prescriptions, the fee to extend her visa, etc.
If you are able to help financially, we would so appreciate it. You can send checks to
The Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul
memo line-DR SURGERY (very very important to put this in memo line) 126 Coming Street Charleston SC 29403
Also, if you are interested in providing a meal, click here. You will be asked for a last name and a password. Contact me for that info!
So, please yesterday's post for part one of how you can help with Ana Maria's recovery process, etc...
We have added a really nifty thing that allows you to sign up to provide a meal for her - please click here to sign up. It will need you to enter a last name and a password to get to the actual page. Because there's some personal info on there, I don't want to post it for the whole world wide web to access - so please send me an email (lizbailey1978@gmail.com), message me on FB, or call me (if you're so lucky to have my number) for these details.
THANK YOU!
p.s. Ana Maria is out of ICU!! She is in a normal room doing pretty good. She had a bit of a tough spell this morning with some nausea due to some medication they have her on but nothing to worry too much about. She's a fighter.
Wow! What a week!
The best news I can share with you is that on Tuesday morning, Ana Maria woke up and said it was the first time in 4 years that she didn't have a headache. How amazing is that? To get immediate relief like that -- I just love the faithfulness of the Lord! And I really really really love doctors and modern medicine. When Ana Maria woke up from the surgery, one of the first things she noticed was that her peripheral vision had been restored. She lifted her hands to the side of her face and said 'wow, I can see my hands.' Incredible.
So, here's the scoop on the surgery: it went incredibly well. The surgeon told us before the surgery that it was not likely that they would be able to get the entire tumor out and that she would need radiation treatment once she heals from the surgery. What I learned is that the area in which these types of tumors grow is very small and surrounded by a web of nerves and arteries that, if touched by the surgeons tools, could cause a serious/fatal result. Therefore, they have to go in, get what they can and basically hoping for the best. Some of these tumors are soft and mushy, and because of their consistency, they grow around the nerves and arteries and can even attach to them. This is when radiation is relied on. Ana Maria's tumor, thanks be to God, was solid and came out in one piece. The ENT who assisted in the surgery (and is also a Christian) had a very good feeling that they got it all. That is what we are praying for. We will not know for sure until she has another MRI in a few weeks. If that is the case, her recovery time and stay in Charleston will be much shorter. She will definitely be in Charleston for at least another 6 weeks. That raises another issue: the visa. She is likely going to need to stay past the expiration date - please pray for favor as we request an extension.
So many of you have asked how you can help. What we need most right now are people who would be willing to spend some time with her. Christy and Gerry both have jobs and are also trying to maintain somewhat of a normal life. Her son, Owaldy, will be leaving mid June to go back to the DR for a couple months so she will be facing a lot of time by herself. So, people who are willing to come sit with her during the day, or take her out for the day, have her over for dinner, invite her for the weekend, etc...we welcome your help. She is easy and wonderful company! (and FYI: being able to speak Spanish is helpful but not a must - don't let it stop you from hanging out with her if you don't know any Spanish - the language barrier never was, never has been an issue). Please email me (lizbailey1978@gmail.com) and let me know. Also, if you'd like to provide a meal for them, contact me.
We are also in the process of raising money to cover hospital stay and care for her and her family. If you would like to contribute, you can send a check to:
The Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul
memo line-DR SURGERY (very very important to put this in memo line) 126 Coming Street Charleston SC 29403 I want to thank you all SO much for your love and support during this time. I have so felt your prayers. It has been an incredibly unique, amazing, painful, joyful, crazy experience. I cannot honestly say I'd do it again if I had to - but it certainly has been an honor to be a part of something so special. Only God can orchestrate experiences like these!
Many, many blessings to you all and please be in touch if you can help in any way!
Hope fills my soul, and the love that youʼve shown Brings refreshing like the rain Peace floods my heart, Iʼve known nothing apart Apart from Your goodness God
You are Glorious, You are Holy, Holy The heavenʼs shout, You are Worthy, Worthy My soul cries out, You are Holy, Holy The Nations will shout, You are Worthy, Worthy
Your Love frees my soul, and fear has no hold For You have broken the chains Now Joy fills my life, Your Spirit Your Light Iʼm undone by the Kindness of Christ
At the sound of our praise, the heavens will shake and the earth will move
This song has been on repeat on all my music devices and in my heart for the last couple months. As I look back on this whole experience, the journey to get Ana Maria to the states for this surgery, I'm tempted to question how the heck it all happened. Seriously, in hindsight, there were just so many obstacles, so many impractical things that should have prevented us from succeeding. But looking back, I also see the steady hand of God leading us perfectly into and through a process that only He could have orchestrated. It has been an absolute honor to be a part of it. I truly am 'undone by the kindness of Christ.'
*Please stay tuned for an update on Ana Maria and how you can help!
As Ana Maria was getting prepped for surgery, she told us that when she found out she was going to have to have brain surgery she told God 'My head is yours. I give it to You.' And then after we finished telling her that she's got one of the greatest teams of doctors in America operating on her she pointed up and said 'I've got the best doctors in the world operating on me. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and ALL the angels.' Oh to have faith like hers...
Ana Maria right before surgery
She was very nervous this morning - but there was also a peace about her and we all know where that comes from. We are blessed to be at St. Francis, which is a faith-based place. The OR nurse, Pat, is a very sweet lady and was anxious to pray with us. All of the doctors were so kind.
One of my closest and oldest friends and big brother in the Lord, Shay (who is a priest) came by and prayed for her. Shay has been with me to the DR a couple times and is a friendly and familiar face to Ana Maria.
Owaldy (Ana Maria's oldest son) is here and has been a brave and supportive young man. When Ana Maria was rolled back to surgery and we went to take our place in the waiting room, he said 'maybe after today, I will be able to sleep.' Yes, Owaldy. I pray that for you and for your family...that today will be the beginning of much brighter and lighter days for all of you.
mother and son
Then there's Christy and Gerry. These two...saints. Or angels. Or both. I don't know. All I know is we wouldn't be here in this waiting room if it weren't for them. Christy and Gerry have taken Ana Maria into their home and into their hearts (which is the easy part). More than that, they have been CHAMPIONS in getting this process rolling. Seriously, the 3 months that she was granted on her visa may have come and gone and no surgery would have happened had God not given Christy and Gerry to us and to this process. I have no adequate ways to express my gratitude to them...they are heroes. Please pray for them - that God would pour back into them more than what they have poured out.
So...we continue to wait. There's this cool computer screen in the lobby that shows the progress of all the patients who are in surgery right now. I snapped this shot as Ana Maria's surgery officially began a little while ago: (sorry for the blurriness - I had to crop out all the other docs and patients - wouldn't want to violate any HIPA laws) :)
The little person at the end means the surgery has started (b/c the little cartoon person is asleep). At the end of the surgery, the cartoon person will be awake and smiling and that will mean that she is headed into recovery. I can't wait to see that little icon pop up.
So, one major prayer request: the doctor told us that because of where the tumor is located, they probably would not be able to get the whole thing out and that once she recovers, she will need radiation therapy. This isn't altogether bad but we would prefer that they are able to remove it ALL today. SO - pray for that! If they can't remove it all - our next challenge will be extending her visa. She cannot begin radiation until she is completely recovered from todays surgery - which could be 5-7 weeks from now. Then, she would need 4-6 weeks of radiation. That puts us at the end of August for a return to the DR and her visa expires July 22. We feel confident that with official documentation from the doctors and the hospital that it shouldn't be hard getting it extended but please add that to your prayers.
Well...that's it for now. Oh, breakfast in the cafeteria at St. Francis is gooooooood.
Stay tuned......
Tomorrow morning, June 4th, at 8am Ana Maria will have her surgery. This is what we've all been waiting for, praying for, hoping for, crying over. I cannot believe this day has come. Even though the past couple months since this all got started have flown by, it seemed like this day would never come.
Ana Maria has been in the states since Thursday, May 10th and is more than ready to have 'Timmy tumor' removed.
Please be praying for her tomorrow and in the days and weeks following the surgery. We are not quite sure what the recovery time looks like - we'll have a better idea about that once the surgeon sees what we're dealing with.
Thank you all for you love and prayers. We've witnessed miracle after miracle in this process. We are still praying for complete financial freedom with her medical bills. So far, every specialist she's seen (6 different doctors!) has agreed to waive their fees. We will still receive a bill for her hospital stay. If you would like to contribute to this, please send a check to: The Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul memo line-DR SURGERY (very very important to put this in memo line) 126 Coming Street Charleston SC 29403
Most importantly...pray! I will update here and on FB as soon and as often as I can.
I have never been great at asking for help. I'm not good at receiving help either. But this time is different...it isn't for me. And plus, so many people have been asking how they can help. So, this post is going to give you all the options of how you can help us in this process to get our precious friend, Ana Maria, here to have the surgery to remove the brain tumor.
We do not have any further details on when the surgery will be or how much we will even need, so that makes this part a little bit harder but I don't want to lose momentum.
What we are aiming for right now is for her to fly to the states on Tuesday, May 8th and hopefully have the surgery shortly thereafter.
So here's what we need:
(I am going to list them out, starting out with the really crazy, impractical questions/needs. I was encouraged by a friend the other day to ask for the things that seem too big to ask for. She said (quoting the book of James) 'you have not because you ask not.' And she said, 'you never know who might be out there, able to meet that need.'
So here goes nothing:
does anyone have a plane? haha! That sounds so ridiculous to ask but there are people out there who have access to private planes and as far as I can figure, that would be the easiest way to get her here.
does anyone have airline points or friends/family benefits that we can use if we have to fly her commercial?
Charleston friends: do you know anyone with any pull at MUSC that might be able to help us get the hospital fees reduced even more? (or completely waived!)
Money. we need money. I don't know how much yet - but I know that we will be responsible for 50% of the hospital stay and any follow up outpatient care she will need. I imagine this will not be a small bill. If you are able to give at all, please send me an email at lizbailey1978@gmail.com and I will tell you how to get it to me. I am hoping to set up a pay pal account soon to make it even easier to donate but until then, you can send checks.
Spanish speakers. We will need help while Ana Maria is in Charleston to help with translating. If you speak fluent Spanish and would be willing to accompany her to an appointment, please let me know. We are hoping that her son, Owaldy, will be able to be with her most of her stay. He is in college in Ohio and speaks English fluently but we want to have some other Spanish speaking people as options.
Housing. We think we've got this figured out but if you are interested in hosting Ana Maria and Owaldy for a night or 2 or know of a place she can stay, contact me.
PRAY! I have been overwhelmed by the support we have had over the last several weeks and could without a doubt feel your prayers last week while I was in the DR. Keep praying! It's the most valuable weapon we have!
I know there's more - but these are the big, immediate ones. Please contact me if you have any ideas about how you can help...even if it's something that isn't on this list.
Here are a few pics from last week: (more to come later on FB)
Wow. There are no words adequate enough to explain the last 4 days...but since so many of you are asking about it and what's next, I'll see what I can do.........
I think in this post, I'll just give you a fly over of the trip from my perspective, including some funny outtakes. The next post will be a more practical update on Ana Maria and what's next for us in this process.
So, I think most of you know about the delays, cancellations etc from the beginning of the trip so I'll just fast forward to the trip to Santo Domingo for the Visa appointment b/c that's the one that will forever go down in history. Ana Maria and I left Jarabacoa around 4:30 pm on Sunday to catch a bus in La Vega. We were barely out of town when a terrifying noise emerged from the smelly man sitting next to me/half on top of me: it was the loudest cock-a-doodle-doo I've ever heard in my life. Perhaps that's because I've never had the pleasure of having a rooster so close to my ear. He has two roosters in a pillowcase. Terrifying. Oh, and at this point, I didn't realize that we were only on this bus for a short time - I thought I was going to have to sit next to this for 3 hours.
So the rest of the trip was smooth. We arrived at the hotel around 8pm and had a lovely dinner. If you want to experience maybe the coolest thing on the planet, take a person who has not ventured out of her village much in her whole life and give her an evening in a nice hotel. It was precious. You would have thought we were at the Ritz. (it was a Holiday Inn) =)
So, 5:45am: Visa day. Ana Maria and I both woke up before our alarms went off, eager to get this thing started. We were out the door at 6:30 and at the Embassy at 6:45. This is when crazy gets re-defined. Our taxi driver lets us off at a gas station and the screaming begins. People everywhere. Yelling at us. In Spanish. At 6:45 IN. THE. MORNING. I had not even had coffee yet. Anyway, next thing I know is Ana Maria is telling me that we need to pay this dude who is leaning up against the gas tank 600 pesos to keep our cell phones b/c they are not allowed in the Embassy. Great, I know what this means. I also cannot take my laptop, camera, or flip video in with me either. (or hair straightener - go figure). So before I had much time to think about it, I paid the guy 600 pesos (about $15) to keep about $2100 of my valuables. Awesome. Actually, as I walked away, I said to God 'if he runs off with all of that but we get a YES today, I don't care. It'll be worth it.' And it would have been.
What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. Dominicans were standing in line. Not one line, but several very organized, straight lines. For those of you who have been to this country, you are laughing already because you know that asking Dominicans to form a line is more difficult than herding cats. I am not being critical - I want to be clear about that - because the very thing that causes Dominicans to be incapable of forming lines is the very thing that captured my heart 9 years ago and made me fall in love with this country and these people. They are warm and friendly and inclusive and loving - they form clumps, not lines. Anyway, after I picked my jaw up off the sidewalk, Ana Maria and I joined said line. We were not in it but 10 minutes or so before I was told I would not be able to go in with Ana Maria. I said 'ok, what should I do?' and they pointed across the street and said 'you can wait over there.' 'Over there' was across the very busy street, with several hundred others who were also not cool enough to go inside. So I gave Ana Maria a hug and said 'Jesus is with you' and then risked my life made my way across the street and leaned up against the fence with all the others. This experience was kind of like being at a parade, only there's no parade. Tons of people lining the street though, all facing the same direction - and lots of street vendors. Lollipops, drinks, sunglasses, cheese, fruit, snacks of many kind were being sold. Perhaps the smartest business man out there was a guy who was renting out little stools to sit on for 40 pesos. I looked at him and thought of my dad - and how dad would have loved this man's street sense - and how he was offering something very practical but extremely important. He also had the market cornered. I looked at him, gave his offer not a second thought and handed him 50 pesos because he deserved that extra 10 for being such a smart entrepreneur.
Well, the next 5 hours (yes, I said FIVE HOURS) consisted of not much but watching the door across the street, waiting, praying, and inhaling gas fumes. I remember at one point wishing I had my phone but then realized it was a good thing because if my mom and dad knew that I was sitting alone on a street corner in the Capitol of a developing country, they might have had me airlifted out. So, I sat. And sat and sat and sat. At about 12:30 I looked up and saw Ana Maria waving to me and calling me across the street. So once again I risked my life, I mean: crossed the street. Ana Maria had also been sitting and waiting for almost 5 hours. But she had just had her interview and now the officer wanted to speak to me. Ohhhhh Lord. 'this is it' I thought. So, we made our way through the gazillion people back to window number 7, where the lovely Joanne waited. Joanne is an American and I love her. As soon as I made eye contact with her, I knew everything was going to be ok. I could tell that she had been touched by Ana Maria's spirit, as so many of us have. She really only had one question 'who is going to pay for this?' - this is when I could have lied (!) but I didn't feel that would be right :). I simply told her that we (me and you) were in the process of fund raising and I was confident that all the money we needed would come in. She said 'do you know how much you need?' DARN IT. I could've lied here too. But I said 'I don't know. They couldn't tell me. But I know we are going to get what we need.' Then, she smiled and winked and said 'I'm going to approve this because I believe her and I believe you. I am familiar with fraudulent cases and this is not one. Best of luck to you.' At this point, I may have said 'I love you' to her. If I didn't I meant to. I love you, Joanne.
So, we walked away from the window, stopped and paid a delivery fee and headed out to the bus station to go back to Pedregal. We both slept the whole way home almost.
It was a long, very tiring day. (my backside and lungs are still suffering from sitting and inhaling diesel fumes). But it was worth it. I'd do it again (I think) if it meant what it means for Ana Maria.
SO....what next?
Watch this space and I'll tell ya (probably tomorrow - it's 1:20am, I'm at my gate in Santiago and I'm seeing double).
I love you all - thank you so much for your prayers and support!
Tomorrow is the big day! April 22...Ana Maria and I will be at the US Embassy in Santo Domingo in hopes that she will get approved for an emergency medical visa so she can come to the states to have the brain tumor removed. Being with her the last 24 hours has made me even more certain how urgent this is. Although she is still Ana Maria - strong and confident and fun and un-shakeable, it is obvious she is in a lot of pain. The answer from the immigration officer tomorrow needs to be yes! Please join with me in prayer for a smooth morning and one that ends with a stamp of approval on her visa application.
Our trip to Santo Domingo today began in a rather peculiar fashion. We were barely out of Jarabacoa before I realized that the smelly man next to me had 2 roosters in a pillowcase. I learned of this as one of them decided to let out a very loud cock-a-doodle-doo in my face. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. After that though, it was rather uneventful and we even got to rest a bit...
Ana Maria is totally digging staying in a hotel and is now complaining that it is too cold in the room. No way am I turning off the AC :)
here's a pic she made me take of her in the lobby (she's on the phone with her son, Owaldy, who has been an absolute gem and rock star in this process - more on him in another post)
sorry about the quality of the pics - had to send them from my phone and had to make them small so I wouldn't subsequently have to owe at&t a billion dollars.
Ok, we're turning in - early wake up call to get doll-ed up for the immigration officers.
