Thank you for giving! Please share with everyone as we still are in need of funds!
So…no surgery for the children today, despite being told that they were at the hospital. I have been told different things…. First the doctors refuse to operate unless they were assured that they would not be returned to the orphanage…and since we have no one who will take them in…for pay or otherwise, they would not operate. I was also told that there was also a dispute over the agreed-upon rate…which infuriates me…that is NOT a reason to withhold surgery, as I sent all the requested funds by Western Union yesterday. One Congolese pastor in the US said that “he could not help because he does not trust Congolese people.” No comment needed to that one! Someone else wanted to know what ‘tribe’ the children were from…as IF THAT MATTERS!
This is a rescue mission. When there is an earthquake, do we say, “we will come back to rescue you from the rubble once we have all the answers as to why, what if’s, when and where, and when the complete money is available?” There is no time to consider all the possible scenarios…these children need to be surgically rescued…otherwise some can die from tetanus or gangrene!
So…yesterday we sent overnight an application for a visa for my husband Dave. We also overnighted our daughter’s passport from Ethiopia to the USA. Honestly it scares me to have her in a foreign country without a passport…as she would not be able to leave in an emergency, having no identification as an American. But I realize that God will take care of her during this uncertain time.
We hope that within a week, both Dave and Julie will have visas to Congo and can travel together and get there to open an infirmary in a guest house for children to recovery. We are also trying to get a quick passport for one of our Ethiopian friends so that she can join them in Congo. She is scared as some might remember what happened when our Ethiopia rep tried to enter Congo with us (valid visa and all). But she is going to try to come along and she has experience with this condition and also has a master’s degree in Public Health and can help us with longer term solutions.
There is a pesticide which can kill these fleas but it is not available in the USA. But some people are working on trying to locate it outside the USA.
For today, I have cried all the tears I have in my body. I am banging my head against a brick wall. Maybe my head will crack open and out will come ideas and solutions. Today we had an unexpected visit in our office by the local police (they were just updating contact information) but what popped in my head was “I bet Angela called them as a suicide precaution.” But, no, not to worry…we will see this to the end.
So for now, please, please, please PRAY for:
- Dave and Julie to get visas QUICKLY so that they can be on their way to DRC together…hopefully within a week. They cannot stay long, so hopefully others might come to replace them if needed
- Possibly for Nurse Hewitt in Ethiopia to also get a quick passport and then a visa to DRC
- For adoption cases to be approved quickly so that other families can arrive soon and possible help care for other children.
- For the rest of the needed funding to come in so that all children can be treated
- The health of the children needing surgery while they wait
- For Congolese Christian families to step up to the plate and open their hearts and homes to care for children in need
Some have asked if we need shoes and socks. YES, we could use NEW or very slightly used sneaker type shoes and new clean mid length socks for children aged 2-8, boys and girls. Children need these once their feet are healed. I do not need hundreds of shoes… just about 30-40 pairs. So if you are going to send shoes, please ask me first… because we cannot possibly receive hundreds of pairs. They can be sent to my son’s address, who lives in WashingtonDC…and they should arrive by Thursday Sept 13th in hopes that he can leave Friday for Congo with 2 visas in hand. He is not there during the day so please don’t send them with a signature required. His address is: Tim Hedberg 4303 18th St N, Arlington, Va 22207. Please check with me BEFORE you send shoes and socks. Thank you!
Thank you for the words of encouragement from so many of you!
Sue
Project Feet 