Thank You for Giving to the Lord!

I dreamed I went to heaven and you were there with me*

We walked upon the streets of gold beside the crystal sea.

We heard the angels singing, then someone called your name.

You turned and saw this young man and he was smiling as he came.

And he said, "Friend you may not know me now" and then he said, "But wait"

You used to teach my Sunday School when I was only eight.

And every week you would say a prayer before the class would start.

And one day when you said that prayer I asked Jesus in my heart."

(Chorus)

Thank you for giving to the Lord

I am a life that was changed.

Thank you for giving to the Lord

I am so glad you gave.

Then another man stood before you and said, "Remember the time

A missionary came to your church and his pictures made you cry.

You didn't have much money but you gave it anyway.

Jesus took the gift you gave and that's why I am here today."

One by one they came far as the eye could see

Each life somehow touched by your generosity.

Little things that you had done...sacrifices made.

Unnoticed on the earth in heaven now proclaimed.

And I know up in heaven you're not supposed to cry.

But I am almost sure there were tears in your eyes.

As Jesus took your hand and you stood before the Lord.

He said, "My child look around you...great is your reward."

(Lyrics by Ray Boltz*)

I came home from our last dedication of house #17 today and sat down at my computer to blog and share the pictures from the last three Saturdays of dedications.  As I opened up my computer, this song popped up from my Itunes (I rarely listen to Itunes and honestly, I do not ever remembering putting this song on my computer!) and it was being sung by an African gospel group. The words were amazingly powerful as I sat and listened to it. It wasn't long before my tears took off like a water faucet.  How blessed we have been to be able to be here in Mozambique and have the opportunities that God has placed before us. So many have given to make this ministry possible and this song describes it so well. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! from the bottom of our hearts for your support in prayer and giving. Because you gave....here are some fun stats about the Green Door ministry.

Houses completed this year:  17

Houses completed in the last two years:  28

Houses completed since Green Door's inception:  55, as well as repairing many houses

Churches built:  Savane Church Plant

Cookies baked this year:  3,400 (that is 283 dozen!!)

Pop drank this year:  816 bottles

Ana receiving her key from Jeronimo.
She had no house, she was sleeping outside.

Noemia giving Madalena her key.  She is blind and her
husband is crippled. They have three children.

I don't think they can smile any bigger!

Madalena's husband can't walk, he is
being helped into his new home.

Rosario is getting his key from Phil.

Rosario and his brothers will live here.

Noe is opening up his new Green Door home.

Belinha is receiving her key from Noemia. She prayed for
this house for as long as I have known her.

The builders are praying over Lidia's house.

Lidia received her keys today too.

I love it that the children get to enjoy a
special treat. However, if I don't see a
cookie again as long as I live, that is okay!

The Green Door has personally supported the local pop store.

This year has been full of triumph and tragedy.  In this land of spiritual warfare, the battles are won and lost. At times it is overwhelming but never without hope. We know who wins the war.

Fernando Joaquim's grave.  His brother Antonio (pictured),
Lourenço, and sister Aida are trying to go on without him.
 Please pray for all our brothers and sisters in Mozambique.
Pray for all the orphans that are trying to survive.
Prayer is the key that opens the door for their future.

Eva - the Epilogue

Yesterday I spent more than my usual time with Eva in the hospital. She wanted me to hold her so I held her for an hour. I took her coloring book and colored in it as she carefully chose the crayons, pointing to each desired color. It was all the strength she could muster. I reminisced as I colored. Several years ago I had given up pursuing an art career. A friend of mine (now a nationally known artist) and I had an art show together. After the show I realized that it wasn't the direction or the dream I wanted. Instead, my husband and I pursued adopting three children from overseas. Several years later, here I was using my art abilities to color in a coloring book with a dying 10-year-old AIDS orphan. I couldn't think of a better place to be.

The nurse interrupted our coloring to encourage Eva to drink some milk. Two sips later she was in severe pain. I held her as I held my grief, asking God to please send His angels to come get His little princess. She had suffered enough.

Less than 12 hours later, as the African clock struck midnight, the King ordered His escorts to carry our little princess home to His heavenly castle. Her room was ready.

Now she has more than she could ever ask or imagine. I remember telling Eva each day that we would bring whatever she wanted because that was what a princess could do. She ordered “eggs” every day. It struck me funny that she could have asked for anything, but in her little world of poverty, that was the best thing she could think of. So one day I chided her to ask for something more than eggs – I promised she could have anything! She thought for a lttle while and then she quietly said, “ovos fritas.” Fried eggs.

Sunday afternoon we will bury Eva. I picture her in her new surroundings enjoying more colors than any crayon box could ever hold. She is dancing and singing, laughing and skipping...living a life beyond her wildest imagination. What was stolen from her has been restored; the King has spoken.

Eva, Part III

A little princess in her carriage.

Eva finally got her wish.  She had been asking to go with us (preferrably to go home and live with Brooke!) each day at the close of our visit.  How do you explain to a terminally ill orphan the complications of such a wish? But sometimes for little princesses, wishes can come true.

Eva's sweating and constant coughing at night was an indicator to me that she needed to be tested for TB.  We requested that such a test be taken. The next time a doctor was able to come to the hospital, he requisitioned a test for her.  We were told that the ambulance would take her to Beira for the test. I was relieved because of the present challenge of my small window of time for her each day. It all seemed so simple.  But nothing is simple in a third-world country.  Each day we came back to see if the ambulance had taken Eva away. Finally the hospital admitted the ambulance had no gas. They would have to requisition the government to allot some gas for Eva.  An orphan with AIDS and possibly TB? I rearranged and tightened up my schedule so we could take Eva to Beira.

Simone, Brooke and I returned the next day. Simone gingerly carried Eva out to the car. She was finally "getting to go with us." I knew the 22 kilometers to Beira would be tiring and difficult.  We told her that she was a princess and we were her subjects and that my car was her carriage. (All missionary cars are undercover carriages...) We prayed that the there would be a technician available in the X-ray room.  When we arrived we were informed that room was closed for awhile but would reopen in an hour.  We waited in the hot car under a shade tree.  When we returned to the X-ray room, many people were already in line. We waited again.  When it came time for her X-ray, they ushered Brooke, Eva and myself and many other women into a room with an X-ray machine. Mercifully, they chose Eva to be first though we were the last to arrive. All the women disrobed for whatever they were to be X-rayed for and then they asked us to remove Eva's clothes.  Naked and barely able to stand, she stood bravely in front of the cold, hard backing. A skeleton with skin, it seemed redundant to take her picture. With all of us in the room, they began to X-ray patients with no concern for radiation exposure.

After a long wait, we were given the picture and sent on our way.  We returned her to Dondo hoping this would open up the door for treatment. Days later, without any word on the X-ray, we were told she needed more blood. This all sounded too familiar.  A month ago I had paid for two people to give 1/2 liter each of blood to another AIDS patient in Project Life. Rather than giving both donations to the patient, the hospital took one 1/2 liter and gave it to someone else.  The PL patient died a week later. In the meantime, no doctor or nurse was present to even discuss the possibilities.

Of course the hospital considers our efforts futile.  It isn't that I am blind to the end stages of AIDS.  I see her swollen belly; her advancing decline, her fading fight.  Little Eva isn't blind either.  She listened intently this afternoon as we encouraged her in God's love - the Father and King of this little princess.  She nodded her head as we told her what heaven was like...no hunger, no sadness, no sickness...only joy.  It is not futile to love an AIDS orphan.  It is exactly what the King ordered.