Gloria and Lilly

Gloria, one of our special needs girls,  is in the hospital for pneumonia.  She is not doing well and has been very weak for about a year.  She has been in the hospital for about 2 weeks now and has been feverish and vomiting most of the time there.  I was told today that the doctors are going to try one more antibiotic for 5 days and if she doesn’t get any better, they will recommend that we stop trying and just continue giving fluids via IV.  They also recommend that we bring her home and focus on quality of life as opposed to quantity of life.  Tough decisions but we are praying that God will bring healing and allow us to bring her home to recuperate. 

This morning before I was given this news, I really felt impressed to take Lilly to see Gloria.  Lilly is another of our special needs kids and one who can cause anyone to smile.  Those of you who have come to visit most likely remember Lilly and her full-body hugs.    Lilly makes every situation seem better.  Some days I just sit out on the veranda with Lilly and somehow she makes life better.  So this morning, I just wondered if Lilly could lift Gloria’s spirits as well.  The other thought is that almost any other kid at GSF would be stunned by Gloria’s feeding tube and IVs.  Somehow, I knew that that would not phase Lilly.

Later in the afternoon, our farm manager asked Mark if some of us could go and pray for Gloria.  Mark and I got ready and filled our car with 2 house moms, one of our American nurses, our tailor, our farm manager, Mark and I and of course, Lilly!  And by halfway through the trip, I think everyone was glad we brought Lilly.  She made us all laugh with her tries at saying all of our names and with the common phrases she uses all the time. 

“Lilly, are you happy?”  I asked her.

“Hmm, appy!” was Lilly’s response.

When we arrived to see Gloria, Lilly was quiet but still animated.  Gloria was very still and sleeping.  We gathered around and prayed.  Lilly leaning very strongly on me, was very quiet except when someone would say, “In Jesus Name. . .”

“Amen!” would be Lilly’s loud response. 

When we all finished I asked Lilly if she wanted to pray for Gloria. 

“Hmm, ray Goriah!”

She then repeated after me a prayer for Gloria.  When we finished, I looked down at Gloria to see she had her eyes opened and fixed on Lilly!  She realized Lilly was there!  Anytime Lilly moved, Gloria’s eyes would follow.  When Lilly began to speak again, Gloria began to move her mouth!  Wow, what a blessing!

When we finished talking to Gloria, Lilly was ready to continue her new found hospital ministry.  She turned to the many onlookers in the big hospital room filled with many patients and their caregivers.  She started waving and saying, “Hi!”  When we told her to go greet some others, she quickly walked over and gave high fives to unsuspecting people who were expecting handshakes.  One of the caregivers in the room even gave her money.

We have now decided Lilly is going to be making more hospital visits because she cheers the ones taking her, the person she is visiting and those in the ward. 

We think God for Gloria and Lilly.  When you think of them, pray for these two special girls.  Pray that they will be able to visit each other in their houses right next door to each other real soon!