The Resurrection and the Life

An excerpt from-- Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Written by Lew Wallace.

“All the eyes then looking were fixed upon the Nazarene. It may have been pity with which he was moved; whatever the cause, Ben-Hur was conscious of a change in his feelings. A conception of something better than the best of this life—something so much better that it could serve a weak man with strength to endure agonies of spirit as well as of body; something to make death welcome—perhaps another life purer than this one—perhaps the Spirit life which Balthasar held to so fast, began to dawn upon his mind clearer and clearer, bringing to him a certain sense that, after all, the mission of the Nazarene was that of guide across the boundary for such as loved him; across the boundary to where his kingdom was set up and waiting for him. Then, as something borne through the air out of the almost forgotten, he heard again, or seemed to hear, the saying of the Nazarene,

“I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.”

And the words repeated themselves over and over, and took form, and the dawn touched them with its light, and filled them with a new meaning. And as men repeat a question to grasp and fix the meaning, he asked, gazing at the figure on the hill fainting under its crown, Who the Resurrection? And who the Life?

“I AM,”

the figure seemed to say—and say it for him; for instantly he was sensible of a peace such as he had never known—the peace, which is the end of doubt and mystery, and the beginning of faith and love and clear understanding.”

May you find such Peace this Easter.  

Cecelia is out of the ICU!

After three tough nights in the ICU Cecelia was moved to the medical ward Sunday afternoon. She was smiling and laughing and licking a lollipop when I stopped by to visit. There is still some minor swelling in her throat and she’s still receiving IV antibiotics and steroids. However, she is drinking fluids and trying to eat soft foods, which is a huge step in the right direction. When I asked her what I could bring for her next time I visit her scratchy, raspy voice squeaked out, “Anything, Auntie.”

Thank you so much for all the prayers and messages of concern for Cecelia. Having a sick child is scary anywhere in the world, but here in Liberia where the health care system is lacking in so many ways-- where an ICU with 20 kids has only one nurse to care for them-- it is down right terrifying. Each night Cecelia was in the ICU a child in the bed next to her died. This is the hard reality of life in Africa. Orphan Relief and Rescue is thankful for the support we receive from you so that we can continue to care for children like Cecelia. 

Fighting for her life

A little girl named Cecelia urgently needs your prayers. She is literally fighting for her life right now. I just got back from seeing her admitted to the ICU at a local hospital where she is being treated for a life threatening condition called epiglottitis. She has severe swelling of her throat, difficulty breathing, a fever of 104 and severe dehydration due to the fact that she has not been able to eat or drink anything for a couple days. This is a rare and serious medical condition even with the best medical facilities available.

I was holding her as we waited to see the doctor in the emergency room and she could barely hold her head up. Exhausted from working so hard to breathe, she just kept looking up at me, big dark eyes pleading for help. So, now I plead with you. Please pray for this sweet girl who is struggling to make it through the night.

Thank you. 

Barvor's big adventure

On Sunday Barvor is going to start the greatest adventure of his lifetime. He is leaving Liberia for the first time and flying on a “big bird” to the United States for eye surgery.

We have known Barvor for about four years and almost from the very first day have been trying to get him help for his eyes. He has been to several local ‘eye specialists,’ worn special sunglasses, and used daily eye drops. His diagnosis is unclear, but it was clear that nothing more could be done to treat him in Liberia. I thought we had hit the end of the road.

Then we met Michelle Quinn. From the moment she met Barvor over a year ago she has been his greatest advocate. She has been in contact with doctors from all over the globe-- from Dubai to the states-- trying to figure out what could be done to save this boys eye sight.

Finally his day has come. On Sunday afternoon Barvor will be boarding a plane and flying to New York where a doctor and foster family are waiting for him. Due to less than adequate diagnostic equipment in Liberia, no one knows for sure what kind of treatment that Barvor will need. Arrangements have been made for him to stay in the states up to a year for recovery if surgery is required.

Please join us in praying for Barvor. There are many unknowns in the future for him. His biological mother and older brother are already blind. He has already been uprooted and moved to three different homes in the last nine months, now is the biggest move of all.

There are a lot of people to thank for making this opportunity a reality for Barvor. Thank you, Michelle Quinn and Sis Leonora Tucker from the MacDella Cooper Foundation Academy, your vision to help Barvor see is the only way we have reached this point today. Thanks is also due to Donna Barber from Global Orphan Outreach who has facilitated Barvor’s medical VISA, travel arrangements and is accompanying him on his flight to the states. 

(This was originally posted on the Orphan Relief and Rescue blog.)