It's great to get wonderful news!

There are some incredibly hard and frustrating days here in Burkina. Yesterday we encountered a problem when two of our interns were supposed to board a flight and return home. At the entrance to the baggage check in area a security guard turned them away. We were told that they could not enter and get there boarding passes because the counter for their airline was closed. We clearly could see through the glass that it wasn't. In fact, we witnessed the same security guard allow others to enter and check in at that very counter. We were told to go to the airline window in the lobby. We were told that there was nothing they could do and to go to the Agency in town the next morning. How frustrating it was to know that the plane was sitting there and would continue to be there for another hour while we could not find anyone willing to assist us. Come to find out that this has been happening to other people who are even at the check in over two hours prior to there flight and for no apparent reason. Unfortunately the girls could not fly out that night, but did get new tickets with a different carrier for this evening. Getting them to the airport over four hours early and waiting until they were checked in, with boarding passes and through security we could breath a sigh of relief. What kept our spirits up is that God has a plan and this must have been a part of it. To spend an extra day with us? To have a milkshake from the Rec Center? Perhaps to meet and talk to someone on the new flight?

So when today I received a very encouraging email with a very good report I was so grateful for God's timing

 

We met Florence when her mother brought her to the malnutrition clinic that we hold in the village of Kabo. She was underweight because she wasn't getting enough food do to having a cleft lip and palate. We have been helping the mother with milk and brought them to a pediatric clinic to see if she could receive surgery. We were told to bring her back when they had specialists for this condition in town. We were then told that she should wait until at least the age of two to have this surgery. Florence did gain weight with the help of the milk we were giving and her mom stopped bringing her to the program. Many months went by and then we saw Florence once again at the clinic. She had lost a significant amount of weight again and her mother said that it was becoming increasingly harder to feed her. It became clear that if Florence was going to have to wait much longer for surgery it would be a death sentence for her.

 

Through connections that only God could weave together, we were able to connect Florence's parents with Medical Missions West. This mission helps children receive life changing/life saving surgeries in the U.S. Florence got on a plane and arrived in the U.S. this past April. The email I received today says that Florence has received surgery for her lip which was very successful and is scheduled for the palate surgery in October. If all goes well she can fly back to Burkina in December. In the past four months Florence has gained 7 lbs. and has gained the energy to start walking! I think the pictures of Florence say it all.