Meet Theresa and Grace

Me and Theresa

I first met Theresa and her granddaughter, Grace, the first day we were in Marurui.  Theresa was translating for us in a couple of the homes.  It was Grace's 3rd birthday.  Brenda suggested we give her a juice box to make her day special.  

Sunday at church, Theresa came and found me and told me that Grace had been looking for me and that she wanted to play with me.  So I gladly took her into my arms.  She giggled.  Then, Theresa asked her to recite to me her memory verse.  In a tiny munchkin voice, she said:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

Me and Grace

After Theresa walked away, I tried to get Grace to repeat it because it was so adorable and I wanted to capture it on video.  I later found out that she doesn't know English very well, so that's why she wouldn't do it for me.  We played for a long time.  She chased me around the trees, we jumped rope, we sat on the swing.

Later in the week, we had a conference for the women who sew with Jacaranda.  Theresa was telling me her story.  Her daughter (Grace's mother) was unable to take care of Grace, so she abandoned her.  She said that she took in her
granddaughter and began to care for her as her own.  During this conversation, Rhonda came up and she began telling us that Grace had been sick and she had taken her to a clinic.  They had given her medicine, but it didn't work to get rid of what was wrong and now Grace didn't seem sick, but she had a bad smell coming from her nose.  I had actually noticed this the first day I held her.  She looked much cleaner than the other kids and her clothes weren't covered in dirt.  But she smelled.  It was a foul smell and it was very strong.   She was asking Rhonda (who is an RN) what she should do.  Rhonda told her that she needed to go back to the clinic and tell the doctor that the medicine didn't work.  It had been two months since Grace first got sick.

I found Grace and took her over to Rhonda.  She said that more than likely, Grace had a sinus infection that had turned into a fungus. Maybe the medicine they gave her wasn't strong enough, or it wasn't treated correctly, but it had continued to worsen.

Please pray for Grace - that she is able to get the proper treatment that she needs to feel better. Pray for Theresa to have continued strength for raising Grace.  She seems to be doing a great job, but I'm sure she will need encouragement.  Pray for women who are in similar situations where they don't know what to do or how to handle or pay for medical treatment.  It's not easy for them to be able to get to the clinic, or to pay for it if they're able to.  And even then, they're not guaranteed proper treatment.