Most of you know that the Philippines is one of my favorite countries of all time! This past month we had close to 150 racers there serving all over the country. It just about killed me not to be there with them, but I love hearing stories of what God continues to do there. Below is a blog from Bill and Katie Swan. Last week they posted a blog asking for help and we were working behind the scenes to help little Jayson. In the meantime, God took care of everything in his perfect timing.
You can read part #1 of the story here. GOD IS SO GOOD AND FAITHFUL!!
God is Ridiculous: Part 4 by Katie and Billy Swan on 4/1/2010
Jayson
is the one-month old who’s starving to death because of severe cleft
palate/lip (a dying baby blog). My eyes fill with tears as I
recount the emotions I experience every time I’ve been able to hold
him while his mother looks on in despair. “Help my baby,” she
has pleaded again and again. “Yes, oh yes, I want to!” I respond
while racking my brain as to what I could do.
How
can I leave this land behind when there is such a great need lying
before me? How can I walk away while this mother sits by and watches
her baby die? How can I share the LOVE of Christ and not choose to
BE that love?
With
this in mind, Billy and I made it our goal, our purpose, this last
week to save Jayson’s life. We pleaded with God that He would
provide a miracle. We were willing to do whatever it took. We were
on a mission.
We
compiled a list of local hospitals, organizations and Filipino
contacts and decided to spend our first morning traveling around the
city in the hopes of an answer. We were going to exhaust every
option, turn over every rock, and tap every resource we could find
before we left this country. And that’s when God showed up-Big
time.
we had a chance to make one phone call, e-mail or house visit, God
answered all our prayers. Read the following response that was made
on the blog we wrote about Jayson.
Hi,
This was sent to me by a colleague. I work with Operation Smile Inc,
and am currently in the Philippines having just finished a medical
mission in Cebu. Please get me the contact information for this
family including a phone number and name of village/city. We would
like to arrange to care for this child, free of charge.
Regards,
Jimmy Grotting (the programs manager of Operation Smile
Inc.)
“What?!”
But God, we didn’t even do anything
yet!
How did he find our random, insignificant little blog? How can
all our hopes and dreams for this little boy be answered in one
second? The needed surgery, free of charge, and done right here in
the Philippines!
To
say that we are reeling in shock would be a complete understatement.
To say that our God is GOOD doesn’t even begin to touch it. To watch
Jocelyn’s face (Jayson’s mom) when she was told the news…we’ll
never forget it. So join with us in rejoicing with Jayson and his
family for the life that has been saved!
cute.
Jayson, and the other six kids in their one room shack.
