Part One

The following story is true - or at least it is as far as we know and believe. It happened eighteen years ago, and Lynetta and I were not there for part one.


Part One:
Her name was Laura. She was seventeen years old, soon to be eighteen. She was tall with a slender build. She was a very beautiful girl. She had done some modeling. She loved sports and music. She was very talented and very popular.

Perhaps she grew up to fast or not fast enough. She made a mistake – a terrible mistake – one that would change her life forever.

The advice she received was overwhelming. She was too young, too pretty, too talented. She had too much promise to be side tracked by a simple mistake. An abortion was the only solution. Everyone thought so, that is everyone but Laura. Call it conscious, call it guilt, or better yet call it a “still small voice” that said “no Laura,” “trust me,” “have the baby.” Everyone thought she was making an even bigger mistake, but she was determined this time to try to do what was right.

She contacted Christian Family Service, a Church of Christ group out of Gainesville Florida that takes in unwed mothers. They take them into their homes, take them to their doctor visits, pay their medical expenses, and teach them about the love of Jesus. All in exchange for allowing them to place the babies into Christian homes for adoption.

They welcomed Laura, and everything was fine - fine that is until the fourth month doctor visit.
The ultra sound showed a serious birth defect. The doctors detected a hole in the abdominal wall that allowed the small intestine to herniate or protrude and develop outside the abdomen. They called this congenital defect gastroschisis and the prognosis was very poor.

Again the advice was overwhelming. An abortion was the only answer. Laura was scared and uncertain, but she remained determined. But this time Laura was not alone. The Christian family that had taken her into their home assured her that God was listening, and if anyone had the power to make it right, it was him. So they prayed.

Perhaps it was because she was so young, perhaps it was because the baby was too sick, and didn’t have a chance anyway, but the doctors choose to allow the baby to be born naturally. A vaginal delivery for this baby was to say the least devastating.

Most of us are born with at least 12 feet of small intestines. The trauma of the delivery destroyed the unprotected intestines. The baby was rushed to the OR and after extensive surgery only 18 cm were salvaged. Not enough to sustain him nutritionally. He would never leave the hospital. He would be condemned to live out his painful short existence hooked to wires, tubes and IV’s lying in a hospital bed.

She named him William. She stayed for a while. But the tubes and wires and the pain finally got to be too much. She wondered if she had done the right thing. She prayed, she wept, and then she left him in the hands of God.

The Circle

One of my "defining moments" during our Belize trip was "The Circle."
Each morning before we began the clinic, we would all form a circle, sing a song, and say a prayer for the people of Belize.
Sounds pretty ordinary and boring I know. But given the fact that 100 people were already there waiting in line, listening and watching, made it very powerful and moving. I could'nt help but wonder what these people were thinking as they watched us strange Americans - most of us with tears in our eyes and big smiles on our faces. It was absolutly the pretiest music I have ever heard.

Wes Relaxing

Here is Wes Duncan (He was the life of the whole party) Relaxing on Ambergris Cay.

Wes was our Eye Doctor this year. You can't see it in this picture but Wes has a heart the size of Texas.

Lynetta & Gary

Here is a picture of me and Lynetta from our last night in Belize. We were at a mexican restaurant on Ambergris Cay. So our trip wasn't all work and no play.

Where is God?

This is a reprint of a comment i made on Russ' blog last week. I wanted to show you the pictures of the little boy we found.

When Lynetta and I first went back into the village, I was pretty upset. I was actually a little mad - at God. I thought: "how could the same God who blesses me so much simply forget these precious people? " When I finally got brave enough to get out of the van I noticed a little girl about 6 years old peeking out from behind what looked like a broken down chicken coope. I went back through the weeds to talk to her. Her teenage sister appeared from behind the same chicken coope (which was really their house)She told me that her brother needed a doctor but could not come out of the house because he had sores all over him. As I looked around the back of the house, I saw the little boy throught the door. It took my breath away. Over 50% of this little boy's body was covered with open sores. My first thought was leprosy. We all waited while his sister put some pants on him, then we rushed him to Martin Chaney. It turns out that it was a very servere case of Impetigo. Left untreated he probably would not have lived through the year.the odds of us finding this little boy hiding in his house was a million to one.

So, where was God? He was busy leading this Belize team from half way across the continent right to this little boy's house. God really is good.

What do Heros Look Like?

I meet some interesting people last week. They looked like ordinary people. They were hot, sweaty, tired, and hungry. They looked out of place in the little make-shift medical clinic. They looked like rich, spoiled Americans. But, I know what they really were - they were heros.

Since there was no where to buy lunch, these rich spoiled Americans had stuffed their backpacks full of snacks to get them through the day. But when they found themselves surrounded by children, who's only food consisted of a few small fish they had cought in a polluted creek, and a handfull of rice, they quickly lost their appitites. Soon all of the children were all walking around with cupcakes, candy bars, and peanut butter crackers. The heros were still hot, sweaty, tired and hungry. Their backpacks were empty. But, their hearts seemed somehow fuller than they had ever been.

I am convinced that given the oppertunity everyone I know would have reacted the exact same way. There is really a hero living in all of us.

II Corinthians 9:11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Home Safe & Sound - But Somehow Different

We are finally home! We arrived in Nashville last night about 8:30. It was quite an adventure - a life changing adventure. Thank you to all of our family and friends who missed us, and prayed for us. I can't wait to share with you all of the pictures and the stories. As soon as we catch our breath I will start writing. I really hope you kept up with us through Russ' Blog . If not please go check it out.