Nothing too hard...

On Thursday, we said good-bye to Jodi and Jorge (the darling little boy below) as they headed up to IL. When Jorge arrived at CVE he had a badly broken leg and it was not healing properly. Thanks to God, the work of Mike and Susie Zobrist, and some willing doctors, Jorge was scheduled to receive surgery (for free!) at a hospital in Bloomington.

But we got word yesterday morning that God had other plans... Plans that involved answering the prayers of many, including the prayers of little hearts, children who have been faithfully praying for his healing...

Here is an email that we got from Jodi last night:

Praise be to God for His wondrous works! Friday we met with Jorge's surgeon in Bloomington and found out that God has worked a miracle in Jorge's life. His leg has healed to the point that it doesn't need surgery.  The x-rays taken in Bloomington showed that his bone has grown back together and that his two legs are almost equal length. There is still some scars on the bone, but overall the x-rays were amazing. The doctor told us to remove the brace and let Jorge run and play like normal.  With the regrowth of muscle in his right leg, his foot should rotate inward and he should be able to walk normally. The most important thing will be watching long term to make sure that two legs continue growing at the same pace. 

We have an appointment on the 27th with physical therapy so that they can show us some exercises.  But according to the surgeon God has designed our bodies to heal themselves and Jorge's leg is testimony to His grand design! God has done the healing, and we will be able to help Jorge regain flexibility and strength.

How amazing and humbling to witness God's work! The kids have been praying daily that God would heal Jorge's leg and I joined them believing God would work through the surgery to heal it.  But now I weep in thankfulness. God answered our prayers!!! And He didn't need to use the doctors, just the prayers and faith of His Children.

Thank you for the prayers!

Praise God for this reminder that there is NOTHING too hard for Him!

Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Jeremiah 17:14

the Rinkenberger kids

After their wedding on the 5th, Joel and Steph stuck around until Monday morning when they took their families up to the airport. Monday through Saturday I got to stay with their kids. (Hence the lack of blogging last week!) 

Here are some random pictures from the week:

Aron drawing a leaf.
 

 Candi with her baby doll (which went about everywhere with her).
 

 I don't remember what Candi was showing me here...

 Marcos, happy to be wet in this hot June weather!

Jorge (Jodi's) with a water-squirter that some of Joel's family brought.

The kids love to play in Rito's house. (Rito is their dog.)

 Candi

 Keyla (Jodi's) playing with her baby doll.

 Aron using up the last of the water balloons (leftover from the wedding weekend).
 

 Diego and Marcos reading

During the week we had a shortened preschool schedule and just did it here in the house.

 Candi smiling (I didn't post the other 3 pictures it took to get a smiling one!) with the puzzle she put together all by herself.

 Osmara who also put the puzzle together.

 Playing in the sala (livingroom) with Jodi's kids one afternoon

On Friday, Julián (the youngest son of one of our grade school teachers) joined us for preschool.

 Candi, Julián, and Osmara

 Osmara coaching Julián on how to write his numbers.

 Candi concentrating on her work.

Friday night I wanted to do something fun with the kids so I made homemade mac and cheese for supper--a pretty easy favorite! Then we put together puzzles and ate ice cream with mango and banana. 

The kids at supper...Aron making a face and Candi turning her head (she wasn't fond of the camera this week)!

 

Marcos, Diego, Aron, and Candi

Attempt #2 with just the boys: 

 Marcos, Diego, and Aron

After supper we started in on the puzzles...

Marcos and Candi were a team and started with a Princess puzzle. :)

Diego and Aron were a team and started with a Veggie Tale themed puzzle.

Hard at work

Marcos and Candi with their finished puzzle.

When they finished with the puzzles we bought out the ice cream, fruit, and toppings. Yum!

  As you see below, Aron was as into making funny faces as Candi was into not smiling

Aron with his ice cream sundae attempt #1

Attempt #2

Diego being a cheese too.

I must have missed a picture of Marcos and his ice cream but here is attempt #2 of Candi. Someone finally had to tickle her to get a smile!

It had been over a year, maybe more, since I had taken care of these kids for an extended period of time but praise God it went smoothly overall! I was thankful to see a "settled-ness" in these kids that I don't think was there before. Praise God for the family that He has created!


Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 68:4-5

Praise God for His continued work here at CVE! Praise God for raising up families and men and women to stand in the gap for the fatherless. Praise God for the maturity and growth we see (at least from time to time!) in our kids. Please pray that God would continue to work in their hearts, changing them, renewing their minds, teaching them the Truth, weeding out the lies that they are believing, drawing them close to Himself. Praise God that our kids (and we all), no matter what their situation is or who or where their earthly father may be, have the opportunity to have a Heavenly Father who is perfect, a Father who will never leave or reject them, a Father who seeks a relationship with them, is jealous over them, desires to know, protect, and provide for them. A Father who is more than they could ever dream of. Pray that they will seek a saving relationship with Him from their youth.