God's Grace

As many of you know, we have been working hard to get a baby from Haiti here to have life saving sugery. Yesterday, before she could get a visa, Baby Grace passed away. Our hearts are hurting, but we know that she has ultimate healing now.

About a week and a half ago, Grace got very sick. My friend Heather took her to the hospital only for them to tell her there is nothing they could do and she would die. They told her to take her home and that she would not make it through the night. The doctors in Haiti told Heather that they could "put Grace out of her misery" like she was an animal, and also that "this is why most of these babies end up at the bottom of the ocean." Heather took Grace home. We called and talked to Grace that evening. She was unconscious and barely breathing. She was oozing from her nose, mouth  and eyes. My accountability group and I met that night to pray. We prayed for healing and for God to work a miracle. We called Heather in Haiti and all prayed and sang over Baby Grace. As we went home, we figured out a prayer schedule and took turns throughout the night praying for her. At about 5:30am, Heather emailed me and said that Grace woke and was eating a bottle. I talked to her again at about 12:30pm and she said that there was no explanation, but that Grace had been awake all morning and was eating well. She wasnt' oozing anymore...WE SAW A MIRACLE! I had a friend tell me once that she prayed to see a miracle with her own eyes...and I believe we did that night. We continued to fight for the visa and stopped at nothing. We even had Congressman John Sullivan's office contacting the embassy on our behalf. Unfortunately, we lost her before the visa got issued...but our loss is heaven's gain!!

I had this dream after our prayer time of her at about 3 or 4years old dancing barefoot on the beach in a little white sundress. She was completely healed. I had that dream again last night. I believe that she is running and dancing in heaven complete! As much as our hearts hurt now, we know that the pain is temporary. Her healing is eternal.

I am going to repost Heather's note about caring for Grace...it's complete with pictures. Enjoy.


Holding Grace by: Heather Elyse

At 7:11am our Grace went home into the arms of her daddy Jesus.  There are just no words that can quite express my heart right now.  She died in my arms and surrounded by my children and several of our older Haitian children that are being adopted.  Her skull caved in this morning due to all the pressure and fluid.  She died listening to worship music as we all poured our tears and prayers over her.   I will never forget the day I met Grace.  Her young mother was desperate and on her way to throw her into the ocean.  Her mother was just a child herself....only 15.  Grace suffered from Hydrocephalus.  I came outside and saw two missionaries and two Haitian directors deny Grace saying they couldn't take her in.   I of course was horrified that they denied her, and Scooped her into my arms and began to visit with the mom.  The very people that denied her told me I was crazy for taking in a child that would die.  They explained that I would be responsible paying for the funeral, medical care, medicine etc.  They tried to warn me saying that this mission would look bad having a child die.  I of course didn't listen to them, and told them they should remember why they are in Haiti, and what being a Christian really means.   I went ahead and made the decision to take her in with the mothers agreement that she would go before the judge, sign our creche requirements and papers, sign our integrity agreement, and provide a birth certificate.  The mother fulfilled her promise and was very grateful that we did everything we could to save her.  We have kept in touch with mom and have had the opportunity to minister to her on several occasions.  We had a mission team visiting us that day and they quickly began to clean her, feed her, and make her as comfortable as they could.  We took Grace to the hospital that day and we were told by the doctor that there was nothing they could do for her, and that she would die very soon.  They provided us with a medical certificate stating she needed to go to the US due to Haiti not being able to help her.  As we were in the hospital a little girl died all alone in the middle of a hallway.  One minute she was alive and we were loving on her, and within thirty minutes she died.  She had blood all over her.  She was filthy and was an orphan by abandonment.  She suffered from multiple things including Aids.  I couldn't help but touch her and whisper into her ears.... I so wanted to scoop her little body into my arms, clean her, wipe the blood, and just simply hold her.  No child should have to die alone in a hospital bed without someone mourning and pouring love over them.  So I wept for her that day.  I mourned for that precious innocent child that died all alone, in the middle of a hallway, in a hospital bed.  We ended up taking home another little orphan baby that day who we were told by the doctor, would die.  The doctor had heard we had just become a legal Creche in Haiti, and had asked us to take her.  She was six months old and only four lbs. Diagnosed with HIV, congested heart failure just to name a few.  After the medical director signed papers for us to get her, she was released into our arms. We named her Hope.  As we were on our way back from the hospital with our baby Grace and now our baby Hope, I had just gotten the call that my mother didn't have very long to live, and that I needed to come home.  So when we arrived back to the mission, we booked a ticket back home.  That morning my mother went home to be with Jesus, after a long battle with cancer.  I can't even begin to describe how my heart hurt and still does.  I told our staff that morning that we would open up a terminally ill  nursery for haitian children, and name it after my mom... And a week later when I returned to Haiti that is exactly what we did.  We have a full-time nurse that runs it, and we just hired a doctor. We are basically like a Hospice here in Haiti.  Grace was our first child in our nursery that now can care for terminally ill Haitian babies.  Someone asked me the other day why I would take a child in that is suppose to die and my answer is this:  I would not just take a child in that is suppose to die, but I would adopt one.  I will die trying to help save them.  I of course believe in miracles and have experienced Gods healing Power in my dear children's lives.  My Faith can move mountains.  We of course always believe for healing.   If the child is about to die, then at least that child will die having a family that completely adores them.  Grace died with a full belly, she loved her new crib,  new toys, her special pillow,  loved being touched, and she was completely cherished.  She loved it when we would sing over her, and one of her favorite nannies would dance with her.  Grace loved getting baths and loved her build a bear bunny that her family back in Oklahoma bought her.  She had a family in Oklahoma that completely adored her and considered Grace theirs.  This amazing family  had found a surgeon that agreed to give free surgeries.  This family had told the US embassy that they would be her host home and handle all the costs.  Grace was scheduled to arrive in Oklahoma next week on a medical visa.  Holding Grace when she died made me realize that .... She was worth it.  She was worth all the sleepless nights, major stress, work, research, time, money, and blood, sweat and tears... LOTS OF TEARS... and I would do it all again.  We bathed her one last time this morning, put on the most beautiful little dress.  She loves to have her feet washed and massaged...and special lotion.  So this morning we did this one last time pouring our tears upon her as we literally washed her feet.  We all our completely heart broken, but we choose to fall on our knees and worship our sweet Jesus.  Dear Father God, just as we washed Grace's feet this morning we wash yours.  I dry them with my hair and I minister to your heart.  We just want to touch and feel your heart beating, catch your tears,  and take care of your precious orphans.  Wrap your healing arms around all those close to Grace right now.  We are desperate for more of you and we are nothing without you.  Thank you for your Grace! We need your Grace everyday.  I know you are holding Grace right now and I thank you for the opportunity here on earth to simply be YOU in the physical.  Her funeral is scheduled this week here in Haiti.  Special thanks to Angel Missions who had worked so hard in getting a visa.  Mama V- you have helped save so many lives... Thanks for accepting and fighting for Grace.  Special thanks to Alex & Stephanie Donahue who fought desperately to get her the care she needed.  Thank you for being her family and loving her like she was your own.  I am praying for your hearts.  Special thanks to the surgeon who agreed to do the surgeries.  Special thanks to Mandy W. who also had found her a surgeon that would do it for free, as a back up plan in case we couldn't get her to the US.  Thank you PH-H for bringing a surgeon out to give her meds.  Thank you Pierre Payen hospital and all the help we received... and rides!  Thank you Jason and Ginger for helping me transport her to Port Au Prince.  Thank you to everyone who covered us in your tears and prayers.  It's never too late to start again, if you are reading this right now.....my prayer is that you remember that you were not put on this earth for yourself but for others.  God Needs you.

a typical night for us... oh how we loved gathering around her, taking turns holding her, singing over her, pouring tears and prayers over Grace.
Grace loves having her feet massaged
precious little feet

Grace has the strongest grip! I know for a fact she is now gripping Jesus' fingers as he holds her.

This picture was taken two weeks ago... Grace is wearing the bracelet that her host family is selling to raise money for their adoption. We love you Stephanie Gamble Donaho]


Grace just got her first phone call from her host family all the way from Oklahoma.

Friends from the states singing and praying over Grace..... priceless memory. She loves getting international calls from all HER prayer warriors.
Our sweet Grace


Our sweet baby GRACE loves her new pillow and special thanks to her host family in OKLAHOMA for giving her a build a bunny....
We named her Grace..... because oh how we need HIS GRACE! ...so thankful we were able to rescue her



Our Baby HOPE getting ready to leave the hospital. Only four pounds at age 6 months.
Busy day full of loving, holding, and a hospital visit.