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January 2, 2008 Reynita had her surgery to remove the metal brace from her back. She and her family spent New Years Eve
at our house and she is feeling great! Thank you to Calvary Chapel Running Springs, Solomans Porch Panajachel and Tom &
Lisa Guffey for their financial support. The family sends their sincere gratitude!
November 26, 2007 As can be seen by the stories below Reynita is having a difficult time. In fact, her whole family
is having a difficult time. After the doctor's appointment on Tuesday I received a call from the pastor, Reynita's father
asking me to call and talk to his wife. She was crying and feeling very low, thinking about another operation simply to undo
what was done a year and a half ago. I reassured her and told her that God does have a plan and that none of this takes him
by surprise. But they are having a difficult time. I invited them over to our house for the day on Friday, November 23 and
we bought Reynita a dollhouse and a doll for what we thought would be an early Christmas present. However, it turned out
that her birthday was just on October 30 so we made it a birthday present instead! Though she was in considerable pain she
enjoyed her time; we all enjoyed the time.
Please pray for this little girl who just celebrated her 12th birthday. Her operation is this week. If you'd like to
contribute to the approximate $3000 cost, please see below.
| Happy Birthday Reynita |
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TO DONATE SEND YOUR TAX DEDUCTIBLE GIFT TO:
Calvary Chapel of Running Springs
Reynita/Guatemala
PO Box 1344
Running Springs, CA 92382
OR
DONATE THROUGH SALOMON'S PORCH CLICK HERE
November 25, 2007 The news for Reynita is difficult. Please read the e-mail below from Natalie at Salomons Porch here
in Panajachel for the latest:
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Lloyd,
I know how Melanie felt when she saw Reinita, its an awful
situation. But here is the update: They went and met with the Dr. at Las America's Hospital. He suggests to immediately
have the rods removed because they are causing a serious infection and obviously they are extremely painful! That is all he
wants to do for the moment.
Just get them out and let her body heal. Then maybe after a month or so, think about putting in the screws. Maybe by that
time, one of those teams will be here to perform that operation at a lower cost, that just seems like something really delicate.
I would think that a specialist would be best. (Just my thoughts though) They are going to do that next week on Friday. She
will be hospitalized on Wednesday at the private hospital Santa Terezita in Solola.The doctor is actually going to do it in
Solola. The cost is really high though, 20,000Q. But Hector said that Jim was for it and that it needs to be done. I am thinking
about maybe taking some pictures of her and sending them to my Mom and the church at home and see if they can raise some support.
I don't know, what do you think? I hate taking pics of her though... its kind of weird. But this is so serious. Sharon
Smart said that she could help with some fundraising also. I will talk to her more about that. Hector is a really good worker
and his heart is in it. I can tell!
Natalie
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September 15, 2006
I have been in Guatemala
for three weeks and will be having dinner tonight with Reynita and her family. I
shared with you a few weeks ago some pictures of her surgery and it was pretty extensive as you could see. When I met with the family a few weeks ago we talked for quite a little while. Hector had told me about the girls dream of going to heaven with the angels but it got even more interesting
when I heard it from her. I know that some reading this will think this is just
hyperbole and fantasy but I know better. This is her story, as she told it to
me.
Reynita has spina bifida and was being fitted
with a special brace to make her more comfortable, to be able to sit up normally. This
brace was being inserted into her back on both sides of her spine and was a somewhat serious operation to undergo. As she was taken to the operating room the family waited for the hours it took to complete the operation. She was brought to the recovery room where her family gathered all around her, waiting
for her to regain consciousness. As she awoke and became able, she and the family
spoke.
The mother told Reynita how worried they all
were for her as she was taken to the operating room for the surgery. The little
10 year old girl expressed surprise at this and asked why they were worried. Her
mother told her they were worried that she might not come back. Reynita told
her she had to come back because Jesus told her to. The family was puzzled at
this but had to wait until Reynita recovered more and could tell them the full story, which goes like this.
Reynita was anesthetized awaiting surgery. She said that angels came to her and carried her to heaven. She was able to see her family and her body lying in the bed. As
she went with the angels to heaven they began to play. She said, "Mommy, I could
run and play just like the other kids!" She played with the angels for a long
time and then she saw Jesus off in the distance. The angels took her to see him
and he told her when she comes to heaven she will be able to run and play and do everything like everyone else. But now, he told her she must return to her family. The angels
took her back to the hospital room and the experience was over.
Reynita expressed puzzlement as to why her
family was worried. She was very happy and continues to be so.
What a great lesson to learn! I spoke with the pastor
about the difficulties of this situation, about our need to worry and about how it reflects on our faith, our trust in God
and his provision. Make no mistake, Reynita may have died in that operating room
and may still in the relative near future. Only God knows. But can we dispute that she will be far better off than she is now?
We cannot understand this but we will someday.
======================================================
Make your tax deductible donations to:
Calvary Chapel of Running Springs
PO Box 1344
Running Springs, CA 92382
Attn: Guatemala/Reynita .
August 25, 2006 Surgery was performed
on August 21st and everything is looking good! She returned home Wednesday and is feeling better.
I will be there in Pana next week and will have pics and full
details!
August 20, 2006
I have received an e-mail today from Hector in Panajachel Guatemala concerning Reynita. It appears that
the problem she has stems from one of the two metal braces which have been implanted in her back. The mental brace has
broken loose from where it was positioned and is poking through her skin. When they informed the doctors of this last
week the doctor said that was not possible. But when they took her for an x-ray to the city, they discovered that it
was in fact possible and had occurred. They have now scheduled tomorrow to perform a follow-up operation to reposition
the brace.
Reynita will be in the operating room tomorrow for an unknown period of time followed by three to
six days recovery time in the hospital. Several persons as well as Calvary
Chapel Church of Running Springs
have contributed money for this family so their expenses are being covered. And as always, God is watching over this
little girl. While we don't know his plan we trust in his Providence.
June 25, 2006 I met with the family yesterday and was able to obtain some additional facts.
They have been helped by an organization called
Senderos de Maiz which is from Spain. Their web site is:
http://senderosdemaiz.org/
Their doctor is a woman named Mercedes Alonzo who
is also from Spain living here in Guatemala. Her e-mail address is:
senderosdemaiz@yahoo.es
She does not speak English. The family talked
with her Friday when they took Reynita to her appointment in Guatemala City
and told her that there was an option to use the private hospital the money notwithstanding. The doctor said that it
was better to continue the tests and wait another month to determine whether the apparatus\material used in the brace here
in Guatemala was the same as in Spain. If it was, she thought the better thing might be to do the operation
here in Guatemala for the convenience
of the family. The operation will take place in the middle of September and Reynita will need to spend three months
in the hospital recuperating, with physical therapy and the like. If the operation were done in Spain, though it is free of charge, the expenses of getting
there and back and living for three months would be extensive. And there would be no support for the mother and daughter.
If the operation were done here, there is family in Guatemala City
and it would be much more convenient for everyone. In the family continues to wait, trusting in the Lord. They
are strong, but it is a difficult path.
For now, they need expense money to go back and
forth between home and Guatemala City (about 2 1/2 hours by
car and three to four hours in a bus). It is difficult for them, granted because they have special needs and the buses
run only a few times a day. This means they leave in the morning and, if they are through at noon, that must wait until
four for the bus. But that is life here in Guatemala.
They only ask for help with the expenses which we're providing.
Please pray for this family and watch for further
updates. God has a plan.
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June 23, 2006 Well, it wasn't any minute but then we are in Guatemala
after all! Here's all the news I could get yesterday:
Two months ago the little girl went in for a minor operation on her
knee to release some pressure caused by her spinal problem (Spina bifida; she also has Hydra encephalitis). When the
doctors did some checks to be sure she was ready for the surgery, they discovered her heart, lungs and bladder were seriously
impacted by the deformity of her spine, which was growing out of the spinal canal and into her torso. Several years
ago she had a cantaloupe sized growth removed and it is regrowing. The doctors told her parents that it was urgent that
the problems with her heart and other organs be dealt with immediately. They recommend a procedure for some sort of
brace apparatus is installed to straighten her spine and remove the growth.
Because these parents are very
poor (he is the pastor of an Assemblies of God church with about 20 members) there is a foundation out of Spain
which provides for the care of Reinita. This is a great charitable organization but they have a lot of kids needing
free care and they must divide the money and be frugal about how they spend their budgeted allotment. The procedure
can be performed in Spain by this foundation at their hospital but the
public hospitals in Guatemala cannot perform
the surgery; however, the private one here can.
Believe it or not, the foundation
wants to fly her to Spain so that they
can perform it in their hospital. They have a benefactor who owns the large hotel in Panajachel who is willing to pay
for the airfare for two people round trip to Spain.
So you can see, it would be much cheaper to do it in Spain.
The problem is that in Spain, the doctors
take off for vacation for June and July. It's better not to be sick or need surgery in those months. That is why
there's so much waiting going on. Once the doctor commits to the procedure in Spain, it must be scheduled. Realistically speaking, it will be mid-September
before the procedure can be done in Spain
if the foundation agrees to it. In the meantime, the family has to wait.
Though the family cannot afford
it, they are desperate and went to the private doctor for a free consultation several weeks ago. We gave them the money
for the transportation and the x-rays and they found out some things. The cost of the private surgery for this procedure
is 24,000Q or about $3300. It is estimated that about $4000 more is needed to cover housing, transportation, medicines
and other incidentals. The surgery can be done relatively quickly if the money were available. But the foundation
from Spain cannot justify this much money.
And so the family waits.
In Guatemala while people wait on the medical
establishment or are shuffled through the public hospitals, they die. Witness the six month old baby boy above who had
been to the hospital no less than five times in less than a year, each time receiving prescription medications that his parents
dutifully gave him. He died. Here, the people have few options. $7,000 for the private doctor and hospital
procedure would be similar to maybe $150,000 at home in the US.
And there are no banks to get a loan from; no house to refinance and no assets to sell. And so they wait. And
people die all the time for relatively simple to fix reasons.
As for the little girl herself,
she has been in school just since January. She has already been passed to the second grade. She is so excited!
Though she can't get out of the wheelchair we bought her shoes and exercise outfit for gym just like the other kids.
She is in a private class by herself as she feels so much a part of the group. A report card in the first half of the
first year (she finished in three months) had a B-minus average. Remember this is her first involvement outside of the
home. Her second report card showed an improvement to an A-! The smile on her face tells it all! However,
she is in a great deal of discomfort and the doctors say that if the wrong thing happened, the pressure on her heart could
kill her. And the family is very nervous.
As I sat with her mother today,
Hector and I listened as she told the story. Several times she broke down crying and she recounted the desperation of
sitting and doing nothing while the potential exists for the loss of their daughter. She talked about the frustration
of not being able to do anything. And she cried. So Hector told her about something we had just been talking about
at breakfast, about how things happen that we don't understand, yet down the road, we may be able to see it more clearly.
He talked about having absolute faith in God regardless of the circumstances. And we talked about having total trust
in his plan. And then we prayed. It was a very special time and she cried throughout the total time we were there.
So I would ask you first and
foremost to stop what you're doing right now and go to God on behalf of this little girl and her family. Whatever his
plan and whatever the outcome, we are involved in it. Our role is very simple: we must allow the love of God to flow
through us. We must yield ourselves to his desires, and we must deny ourselves as he works in and through us.
Let us see what he says.
The family has another appointment
Friday June 23, 2006 in the city. We are going to get some answers to some very pointed questions and they are going
to meet with me at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. Stay tuned...
=======================================================
More news expected any minute...
May 29, 2006 Still awaiting news from Spain about this little girl.
April 30, 2006 We have received some difficult news concerning this young girl.
She went to the city on April 24 for an operation (yet another). Upon doing the test prior to the operation they determined
that her heart and lungs had some problems and she is then considerably worse shape than they thought. More tests were
needed to determine whether or not the surgery necessary to correct the heart and lung problems could be done in Guatemala.
If not, she will have to be flown to Spain for the surgery.
Information is sketchy but we know that she had more tests on Monday the 24th and, based on the results of those tests,
we will know a little more of what the future holds for this family. Her father is a pastor in the local Assemblies
of God church. As you may understand, they're very concerned. Please keep them in your prayers.
More news should be coming on this family within the next few days.
Update
March 8, 2006 Reinetta
is studying with her new teacher and doing very well. God touched the heart of several of you in the United States who donated to help
and we purchased her a stroller as shown in the pictures. Since she is confined to a wheelchair sometimes it is difficult
going simple places and the stroller is much easier on everyone. Their existing stroller broke a wheel and we were fortunate
to find a really nice one in the city for around $67.
=====================================================
Written by Jim Guffey January 21, 2006
On Thursday I had the privilege of meeting the little girl pictured to the right and her mother and father.
Her name is Reynitaand she is 10 years old. Reinetta suffers from several infirmities, among them water on the brain
(Hydrocephalus) and spina bifida (Meningomyelocele). The following paragraphs describe both:
Hydrocephalus can arise before birth or any time afterward. It may be due to many causes including
a birth defect, hemorrhage into the brain, infection, meningitis, tumor, or head injury. Most forms of hydrocephalus are the
result of obstructed CSF flow in the ventricular system. With birth defects, physical obstruction of CSF flow in the ventricular
system is usually the cause of the hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is a common companion of spina bifida (meningomyelocele).
Treatment of hydrocephalus involves the insertion of a shunt to let the excess fluid exit and
relieve the pressure on the brain. The shunt is a flexible, plastic tube with a oneway valve. The shunt is inserted into the
ventricular system of the brain to divert the flow of CSF into another area of the body, where the CSF can drain and be absorbed
into the bloodstream.
Spina bifida is a congenital disorder (birth defect) in which the backbone and spinal canal
do not close before birth. In severe cases, this can result in the spinal cord and its covering membranes protruding out of
an affected infant's back.
You
must understand that things are very different here in Guatemala than they are in most civilized countries like the United States. Everywhere
you go you are met with steps and rock walk ways or simply dirt. Even the streets are cobblestone in most cases.
This little girl is in a wheelchair and cannot care for herself, and must be pushed or lifted everywhere she goes. She
cannot wheel herself around (she is very tiny) and does not have the use of her legs.
Two
years ago things were so bad she underwent an operation(s) to remove the protrusion out of her back which was the size of
a cantaloupe. This has made things much easier for her but her back is grossly deformed. But she has a very sweet
and eager spirit.
At the age of 10 she has a desperate desire to learn.
This past year her parents attempted to put her in public school here in Panajachel but it did not work out. The other
children were less than understanding of her disabilities and made fun of her enlarged head. Additionally, access was
very difficult. So she was forced to drop out.
Her parents and siblings take care of her and her father is the pastor
of the local Assemblies of God Church in my little barrio of Jucanya. His name is Leonel E. Marroquin and six
months ago we were invited to his church to show The Passion of the Christ movie. He was looking the other day at the
name on our building, which, in English is John 10:10, Central Association of Beneficence (defined as: The state
or quality of being kind, charitable, or beneficial). The verse John
10:10 says "… I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.” He decided to stop in and talk to Pedro.
When Pedro approached me about this we decided to go visit the little
girl and her family and met with them at Leonel’s church. Coincidentally (?) the church and the house where the
family lives is just a short distance from my house on the same street.
I found this little girl to be so charming, with such a sweet smile. Her father has been a pastor for 12 years,
meaning that after only beginning his pastorate his fourth child was born like this. Knowing that many people would
have a difficult time, even questioning their faith and God about why this happened, I asked the pastor about it. I
asked him why he has continued on 10 more years in God's service after God allowed this. He informed me that God has
a plan and his plan is first in the lives of his people. He said they don't understand why little Reetta has these problems
but they know that God knows and they trust him. A great testimony to Proverbs 3:5!
After prayer and discussion
we have decided to supply a teacher (Maria, the Spanish teacher) to work with Reetta four days a week for four hours a day
to teach her to read and write and do simple math, along with some English. She is very excited about her classes, which
begin on Tuesday. The cost of these classes not including supplies will run 250Q per week or about $33.33 (those pesky
threes again-insiders comment). Or if you want to figure it monthly based on a four-week month, it would be $133.33
per month (I don't make these up).
Read About Hardships
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