Valerie Grace, Kate, and Prayer

Last week, Valerie Grace was not feeling well. We posted that on Facebook, but not on our website (mainly because I don't like to worry my mom, and she is not on Facebook, but does read our website - sorry mom :)
Valerie was complaining of lots of head pain, some lower abdomenal pain, and knee pain. She was crying, unable to sleep....no fever, no runny nose - nothing but pain. When we would give her motrin, she would bounce back and fall asleep - then when it wore off, the symptoms came back. Later her teeth began chattering, like she was very cold. She had brief moments of smiling and wanting to play though and no vomitting.
With any of the other girls, I would have set them up comfortably in their room and encouraged them to rest, but having a child with a brain tumor get sick is a different ball game (ask any of the over 1000 members of the pediatric brain tumor support group. Thursday evening, Pastor Dan from Mars, PA (who we met last year when he led a team to Ecuador and has since become family to us) had organized a prayer vigil for our family and our ministry here in Ecuador. Jennifer Prior from our home church helped organize one at the same time in FL. My friend Amber and I talked on the phone for about 1/2 an hour earlier and I had shared more about Valerie Grace. She said that she would be sure to have focused prayer time on Valerie Grace.

The Lord has taught us so much on this four and a half year journey about who He is, about seeking Him. Honestly though, I really do not understand totally about prayer. I don't know why sometimes we pray with absolute faith to see a miracle (like we did before Valerie's first surgery), and yet it seems nothing changes. I don't understand why after the prayer vigil Thursday evening, suddenly, Valerie Grace was completely back to her normal, chatty, happy self. But I do know, that the Lord wants us to be praying - not just asking for things (whether it be material goods, safety, healing), but also spending time in fellowship with Him, worshiping Him, spending time listening, and spending time praying for the needs of others (just as so many of you prayed for our family last Thursday evening and so many times in the past).

I would ask you to please visit the website of another little girl who was just diagnosed with a brain tumor. Her name is Kate. If you feel led, please leave a message in their guestbook - a verse, a note of encouragement....but please, coming from another mom who has been there, do not leave messages about what type of treatment or dietary changes they need to be doing. It is so easy for someone who has not walked a similar journey to offer advice that seems right. Truly, each of our journeys is different. The path we each need to be on is the Lord's path - not a path that any person deems to be the best. Even if it seems like the "Christian" thing to do, as we learned, it is still following another man's idea of what a "Christian" should do.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, with us, and encouraged us to keep on walking.

Love,

Celeste

Below are some photos of Valerie Grace on Friday :) Obviously feeling better as she walked home from Sacha Runa on a sunny day, uphill. (FYI for my mom - if you click on the photos, you will be able to see them larger :)

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