My Friend Manuel

I met Manual the first time we went to the Children's Hospital three weeks ago. He and his sister were in the hallway of the hospital with their mother who looked emotionally and physically trained. Manual and his sister both looked like they were on the verge of death. They were extremely weak and exhausted. Manual and his sister were both suffering from intestinal problems and couldn't eat without getting sick. We prayed with them and left.

The following day we had a children's program, where all the kids who were able came outside and watched my team perform skits and sing songs. During the program, I sat with Manuel, who looked a little better than the day before but still looked tired and weak. I was praying and hoping that these silly skits we were performing would bring some joy into his life. It took awhile, but he finally smiled and laughed, a lot! It was so nice to see this little boy, who was so sick, not only smile but laugh. At the end of the program, our leader told a story about prayer and the power it brings. Afterwards, there was a time to pray and I asked Manuel if I could pray for him. He smiled and said yes, and I prayed for healing and strength. I had already asked him all the questions I could in Spanish, so together we counted his fingers and toes, my fingers and toes, Kevin's fingers and toes, Jordan's fingers and toes, and then continued to count to a hundred.

Last week when we went back to the hospital, I was on the lookout for Manuel. I didn't see him in any of the main rooms, but then someone on my team told me he was hanging out with one of the nurses in the emergency room. I peeked through the window and waved, and he smiled and waved back. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to go in, so I waited awhile and went to another room. When I came back, one of my leaders was in the emergency room, so I went in to visit Manuel. He looked better, but the nurse said that they didn't know when he would be able to go home and that was frustrating him and his mom.

This past Tuesday we went back to the hospital. Part of me wanted to see him again, but the other part of me was hoping that he made a full recovery and was at home. To my surprise, I saw Manuel again. But this time was different. This time, Manuel was happy! He was smiling from ear to ear. His sister looked great too. He asked me when I'd be back, and I said probably next week. As much as I would love to see him again, I hope I never do. Please pray for Manuel, his sister, and their family.

I love going to the hospital and talking to the parents and praying for the children. This past Tuesday, I wanted to do something in addition to the prayers and talks, something that would bring some joy and life into the kids. I figured most kids like to color so I bought a coloring book, markers, and crayons and found some kids that looked bored. They loved it! It brought joy into my heart to see them active and happy. If you can think of any other fun and creative ideas that we could do with the kids, email me! 🙂

To all the prayer warriors out there, I have a special prayer request for you. While we were at the hospital, we met a 13 year old girl who was in a car accident six days ago. Her mom was killed at impact and her father was injured but was just released from the hospital. A family friend was staying with the girl. The girl and her family speak Quiché, an indigenous Mayan language, not Spanish. The girl had broken her femur, and some of the disks in her back were misplaced so she had surgery yesterday to fix that. They didn't tell her that her mother had died yet. When we saw her, she was in a lot of pain and extremely scared. I can't imagine what she is feeling. She is living a nightmare. But I trust that God will wrap his loving hands around this family and comfort them. He will heal them and make them stronger. He will be there for them, if they look to Him. Pray that during this extremely difficult time, they will look to their Father in Heaven for their strength and peace.