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Hope's Yēsū Book

I know we haven't talked much about Hope's adjustment, but the poor little one has suffered tremendously from nightmares. We have tried many things to help her through her long nights of torment.

Two nights ago, when I thought I was going to get some sleep since I wasn't administering medication to a sick child, I was instead consoling Hope from her terrible dreams once again. I believe I counted seven (7) nightmares that night.

Our family prays for Hope, and we teach her about Yēsū (Jesus). We have a translation app on our tablet that we use for Bible times. We have some favorite verses saved in the "History" section of the translator, so before bed we scroll through the verses so Hope can hear the verses in Mandarin, and Cherish and Andrew can hear them in English.

Here are just a couple of the verses:
"I can lie down and sleep soundly because You, Lord, will keep me safe." (Psalm 4:8)
"God takes care of His own, even while they sleep." (Psalm 127:2)
"Be our Shepherd and always carry us in Your arms." (Psalm 28:9)
"I am the Lord your God. I am holding your hand, so don't be afraid. I am here to help you." (Isaiah 41:13)
"You keep me safe, Lord God. So when I pray at night, please listen carefully to each of my concerns." (Psalm 88:1-2) And, I have heard Hope praying to Yēsū at random times throughout the day!

Last night, we remembered that Andrew used to be plagued with night terrors, and the first night we placed a New Testament in his crib, under his pillow, the night terrors stopped. Permanently! (His story is HERE.)

So, before Hope went to bed last night, we gave her one of our New Testaments to put under her pillow to sleep with. She was SO EXCITED! She couldn't sleep. She kept getting out of bed, handing me the book, and asking me to read it to her.

When she was back in bed, I could hear her praying to Yēsū. She stayed awake from excitement!

Before I went to bed, I went to check on her. The Yēsū Book was under her pillow, but this is how I found her and her Book:

Hope had NO nightmares last night!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!!!!  We were/are overflowing with thanksgiving to God for His Sword of the Spirit!

Am I saying the Yēsū Book is magical? No. But, I am saying the Savior of the book is All-Powerful!

May Hope fall in love with the One Who is in love with her!

Writing in English before speaking English!

We might just have a genius on our hands! ;-)

Hope has only been with English speaking people for a little over two months, and she only speaks Mandarin. Yet, today, WITHOUT being taught, SHE WROTE her name!!!!!! I could have passed out! So, she repeated her name for daddy tonight:

Talk about parents and big sister hoopin' and hollerin'!!!

All we can assume is that she has been looking at her name in various places around our house.

We are so proud of our little Hope, or "Koe" as she calls herself! (She can't say the "H" or the "P" sound yet.) J 

Rescued by THE Rescuer

“Oh for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise!” (Charles Wesley)

I am praising Jesus for saving my boy’s life today!!

This morning started before I was ready for it to. After a night filled with Hope having nightmares and breathing issues, and Andrew needing middle-of-the-night medication, all I wanted to do was turn over in bed and go back to sleep. It had been nine nights since I had a full night’s sleep. I.was.so.tired!

Knowing it would not be wise to turn over and get additional rest, I got up and began the morning routine. I got in the shower and cried out to God for help. I felt I could not make it through another day. I was just too tired to function. Too tired to fight spiritual battles. Too tired to even put on my armor to fight any battles.

I got out of the shower and began to dress. With each piece of clothing I put on, I verbally clothed myself in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, love…(Colossians 3:12-14). Then I put on my armor (Ephesians 6:14-17). By the time I was physically dressed, I was spiritually dressed.

With renewed strength and energy, I began the laundry and started cooking breakfast. The day progressed like most days with schooling, laundry, silliness and playtime, schooling, cleaning, laundry…. Ya know. Normal.

When it was about time for lunch, I went into Andrew’s room to let him know I was going to cook lunch, and he would only have a short time left to play before we ate. I walked into his room and saw him getting a toy out of his toy box. I let him be to play—since I had to cook anyway.

About fifteen minutes later, I went into his room to tell him his lunch was ready. Strangely, he had fallen asleep face down by the entrance to his bedroom. Knowing how tired I was and how many nights he had not slept through the night due to being sick and needing meds, I figured he was just tired. I decided to let him sleep. Since there was about an inch gap between him and the door, I closed his bedroom door to block out the noise of the house.

About an hour and a half later, I had an uncontrollable urge to go snuggle with Andrew. (That boy is the sweetest, most lovable, huggable boy I know, and I just had to snuggle with him!) I opened his bedroom door to find him lying on his back, face up. His eyes were open. It took a few seconds for my brain to register what I was seeing. His eyes were open, and his eyes were rapidly flashing back and forth horizontally and his head was shaking. Then I realized he was lying in vomit. I quickly turned him on his side and ran for the phone.

While on the phone with rescue, Andrew stopped seizing only to begin again about a minute later. He began throwing up again, but this time he was on his side. He began turning blue. His fingers—all the way down, not just the fingertips—were blue.

When the paramedics got to our house and entered Andrew’s bedroom, he was just coming out of the seizure. Seconds later—before the paramedics could even kneel down next to him—he began another seizure. This continued. They stabilized him for a few seconds, scooped him up, and headed for the ambulance. Little did I know, he went into another seizure when they entered the ambulance. The police and firemen tried to keep me busy with talking. When they finally got Andrew stabilized, they let me get in the ambulance with him. At that point—from the 911 dispatch to the last seizure—he had been seizing for over 25 minutes.

He had no fever during all this time (the paramedics had been checking). However, while in the ER, Andrew developed a fever.

After the emergency was over, the doctor said that it was possible that Andrew had had a seizure and landed on the floor, and I had seen him between seizures when he looked at “rest”. He could very well have been seizing for 2 hours!!!!

He said, “Not to scare you, but he could have coded from such a long seizure—from his diaphragm freezing up—or from vomiting while on his back. I can give no reasons why he didn’t code.”

I said, “By ‘code’ you mean ‘died’, right?” He said, “Yes, but I’m trying not to scare you.”

I couldn’t have become more scared. I had seen my “baby” lying in vomit from a seizure, and I knew he could have/should have aspirated! I had been overflowing with gratitude and horror from the very second I found him.

I believe children have angels (Matthew 18:10). It was God’s intervention that kept Andrew from “coding”. He is a miracle-working God!

God is not finished with Andrew! He has been through so much, and yet, he is still here. God has big plans for that gentle little boy!

To God be all the glory for what HE has done!