CAROLINE LOSES AN APPENDIX !!!

This tiny red body part sure changed Caroline's weekend plans.

FRIDAY PM...Caroline tells Connie her tummy hurts...things start happening...Saturday tests at Saddleback Memorial...inconclusive...Saturday PM...a CT SCAN confirms...APPENDICITIS...

SUDOKU on PAINKILLERS...better wear a seatbelt

Flowers from the Hamers

PLEASE !!! No Papparazzi in the ER !!!

Connie and I are grateful that Caroline was back from Africa before this happened

Sunday Morning...APPENDIX GONE and things are starting to get better.

YAHTZEE !!!!!!

WHEN YOU SEE THOSE FACES...

When I walk into a church in the Kipsongo slums and see 200 little faces looking back...

When I realize that they will struggle their whole lives with illness we'll never know...

When I see there is NO ONE to take them to the district hospital...

When I see that even if they found a doctor, they have no way to pay for the meds they need...

When I see the effects of malaria and cholera and worms and parasites and HIV...

When a meal of rice and beans and ugali does so much to cancel malnutrition...

When I see the huge results of a mobile medical clinic...

I am forced to  ask myself...

How can I just walk away and not do something?

For me that SOMETHING is helping with Sister Freda's Mobile Medical Clinics.

We just purchased a used Land Cruiser from simple gifts.

We just bought life-saving meds with simple gifts.

We just de-wormed over 2,000 kids with simple gifts.

We just bought hundreds of blankets and cooking pots and cups with simple gifts.

Simple gifts go a long way...don't get me wrong...if you want to give some huge gift, I think that's ok, but most of the folks I know are simple gifts kind of folks...not 'what am I gonna do with this extra $200,000.?'  kind of folks.

Actually a few folks giving a simple gift works out just fine.

Two ways to give to a Mobile Medical Clinic for Sister Freda...

#1 If you go to Saddleback Church... write an offering to 'SVCC' and designate that you want it to go Sister Freda Fund. Send it Saddleback Church, 1 Saddleback Parkway, Lake Forest CA 92630

#2 If you don't give through Saddleback...give through:

 'Reaching Beyond Ourselves' 

21961 Calatrava Dr.

Mission Viejo, CA 92692

 It's an all volunteer group and it ALL goes to the work.

There's no gift too simple or too small.

Sugar Rae...made my day!!!

Some Random thoughts on the birth of Raegan Lynn Rutenbar

1. The amazing team of cousins and grandkids, Harper and Lukey, has added a new fantasy draft pick to it's DREAM TEAM.
2. This picture of Courtney and Kyle and Rae Rae makes my jaws sore from smiling so big. (go to www.maryrosenbaum.com/raegan to see more and a video that will make your bitterest, angry uncle cry ...it'll make your dog cry !!)
3. Kaiser Hospital Irvine is a sweet hospital...but they need a larger waiting room for these Woodstock-like events.
4.  After months of speculation over what this baby would look like...the results are IN...the DORMAN genetic pool overwhelmed the Rutenbar DNA and this little RAEGAN is a beautifully complete copy of baby Courtney 22 years ago. 
5. They should bottle and market the smell of newborn baby...
6. Seeing Connie hold and kiss Reagan reminds me why I love her.
7. Courtney was so calm and collected...which shouldn't surprise me, but amazes me.
8. Seeing all of Kyle and Court's friends gather to celebrate Raegan's birth makes me so happy for them all...there's alot of community and shared joy in all our lives and that's the way God planned it.
9. Playing cards with Bumper in the waiting room takes me back to distant Ukraine bus and train rides with the Dormans.
10. If baby's could pick parents...Rae Rae couldn't pick any better and loving and fun parents than Kyle and Court.
11. Lord Jesus...Bless this little gift and help all of us encourage her along the Path.

        I John 1:7  'If we walk in the LIGHT... we have fellowship...'