Update: Pray for these kids--Hassan & Rachel

Here is the latest update from Karen:

Please pray for Hassan. You may have heard his name before. He has been in and out of the orphanage for several years now. Hassan has repeatedly run away from the home to return to Freetown and life on the streets. This past month Hassan was returned to the care of an aunt in his home village. Please pray that he would be a light for Christ in this village. Please pray for adults to come into this young man's life and help him grow.


I only had this picture of Rachel to put up at the moment (she's the one in the middle), but I noticed Hassan is at her right (far left). Go figure....




This request is one of the most difficult I have had to write. Many of you know that Rachel, one of our teen girls, was diagnosed with a very serious kidney problem over a year ago. She has an ectopic, necrotic kidney. She and her twin sister, Leah, have been in the orphanage for several years. After a long run of tests, second opinions, third opinions, and a thorough examination by an American doctor, it was determined that the necessary course of action was for Rachel to have surgery to remove the necrotic kidney. There is only one surgeon in Sierra Leone that we felt comfortable with to do the surgery. He agreed to do the surgery and plans were made. Days before the scheduled surgery Rachel's mother appeared at the hospital and refused to let Rachel have surgery. We believe her mother is misguided and lacks the understanding of the consequences of not having the surgery. At that point, the doctor refused to do the surgery because of the problems caused by Rachel's mother. Rachel returned to the orphanage in Bo. When Roger arrived at the orphanage, arrangements were made for Rachel and Leah's mother to sign a relinquishment of the girls over to the ministry. This was completed and Roger was able to convince the surgeon to re-schedule Rachel's surgery. Rachel was admitted to the hospital days after Roger's return to Iowa and was ready for the surgery. Again her mother appeared and caused problems at the hospital and with the doctor. The relinquishment was taken to the police and the ministry of social welfare to be sure we did have the right to insist that Rachel have the surgery. Neither agency would support the ministry's position and said that we must abide by the wishes of the mother. The ministry was forced to ask the mother to either let Rachel have the surgery or to take the girls home into her care. As of today, the mother has taken Rachel and Leah back to their village. This is heartbreaking for the girls and the rest of the children at the home. It could also put Rachel's life in danger. This was a difficult decision, to say the least, but the medic at the home and the doctors agreed that to do nothing is to put Rachel at great risk. The ramifications for the ministry should something happen to Rachel while in the care of the ministry are numerous and could make it impossible to continue on in the ministry. Please PRAY. Please pray that God would miraculously cure Rachel's kidney. Please pray that her mother would seek proper medical care for Rachel. Please pray that Rachel's mother would have the means to support Rachel and Leah. Please pray that God would use the difficult situation to reunite the family and provide means for the needs of Rachel and Leah. Please pray that God would use this situation to bring the light of Christ in Rachel and Leah to their village.