Sep 27, 2006

Thank you all very much for your prayers. Evi is recovering from her 11th surgery this morning. They changed her dressing again and also put in a buried central line (her original line has been leaking). Hopefully now she will be able to get some IV nutrition. She has already lost a lot of weight and is not eating very well. We go back to the operating room on Friday for another bandage change. We will probably be in the hospital part if not most of next week, until Evi heals enough to have her bandages changed without sedation. We began physical therapy on Monday. Right now we are mostly playing games that get Evi moving and trying to get Evi comfortable with her leg. She wants her bandaged leg covered by a blanket at all times. We also need to get Evi able to sit up on her own. She has lost much of her trunk strength and balance. Evi’s also still in a lot of pain from the skin graft donor sites on her upper leg and especially her bottom.

Here are some things that you can be specifically praying for:

Please pray that Evi’s skin graft heals quickly and that her pain will be as minimal as possible. There is one spot on the shin where the skin graft isn’t taking very well, so pray specifically that this will improve so that we don’t have to do another skin graft.

Pray for Evi’s appetite, that she will eat well, and gain weight quickly.

Pray for Evi emotionally and spiritually. She is scared to have her leg uncovered, and becomes frightened when she tries to sit up. Pray that physical therapy will go well and be fun for Evi. Also please pray that will feel God’s peace and comfort throughout this time.

Pray that Evi will take her medicine and allow us to wash and comb her hair. Evi screams and cries and thrashes about the entire time we are doing these essential things. It literally takes 3 people to perform these tasks because it takes 2 people to hold her down. It’s heartbreaking and exhausting for me.

Pray for Caleb that he will continue to be such a pleasant and easy baby. He really is such a blessing. I just pray that he will soon learn to sleep through the night. Oh, and that he will stop spitting up so much.

Pray for Danny and I, that we will continue to experience God’s comforting presence. We continue to need His strength during the long and difficult road of recovery that lies ahead. Pray that Danny and I will remain close and united. We are apart every night and much of the day with Danny staying with Evi at night while I go to the mission house with the baby.

Pray for a semi-permanent vehicle for us to use while here in the States. We have a car to use for the next few weeks, but we are hoping to find a larger vehicle to use for the next six months. We need a vehicle large enough for a family of four to travel back and forth during the next several months that can carry all of our luggage, the baby’s bed and stroller, and Evi’s wheel chair and her walker.

Thank all of you for your gifts, words of encouragement, and especially for your prayers.