our team pictures

some pictures from the past weeks

Baby Hector Update

So much has happened in the last month with this little bundle of joy. Emotional and mental ups and downs, it’s hard to summarize them all. In the month-span that we have been privileged to take care of this little guy, much has happened and so I will try to summarize it because I don’t have much time. As I write, Hector is laying on my lap, crying for attention and for his bottle of milk. I’m still working on the multi-tasking concept, which I think is pretty much impossible when trying to take care of a needy little 4month old boy, named Hector!

After spending about 9 days in the hospital, little Hector was discharged and sent to km. 38. Over the next week, he quickly developed many mommies and daddies, all taking care of the little guy. But by the weekend, he was have difficulty breathing and Jenni and Anita took him back to the hospital. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and began rigorious anti-biotic and breathing treatments. Despite difficulties and frustration with being in the hospital yet again for a few days, and with hospital staff trying the patience of Anita and Jenni, Hector was again released, with the promise by Jenni to take good care of him outside of the hospital. So with IV’s hanging up around the room and a crazy 24-hr schedule of medication to give the little guy, Hector became the center of attention. Anita and Jenni faithfully took care of the little guy, many times staying up all night because of the crazy medicine schedule and little Hector not wanting to sleep either.

Every few nights, I stayed up with Hector, allowing Anita and Jenni some much needed and deserved sleep. Over the next week or so, Hector improved, though one was fearful of gaining too much hope knowing that he, just like any other little baby, could become sick with a fever in a very short time. Throughout this second bout of illness, he lost weight. Drinking milk become quite difficult because he was having such a hard time breathing and drinking at the same time. Often he would go into coughing spasms and throwing up much of the milk he just consumed.

Despite all the anti-biotics, vitamins, breathing treatments, minerals, and milk little Hector was being given, he still wasn’t getting better. Nobody could understand why. These medications were top quality, yet the baby wasn’t improving. Why? Back to the laboratories for more testing. Over the next few days, Jenni faithfully took Hector to various places for tests. On Friday morning the results came. Providing answers, yet leaving so many unanswerable questions. Why does this have to happen to such a small, innocent little boy? It’s NOT fair!! Hector. So tiny. Cute. Precious. Lovable. Innocent. Yet, he test HIV positive. Why? I don’t understand.

Hector´s mother has also been diagnosed with HIV, which at this point have already become full blown AIDS. Dad has also tested positive for HIV. They have two older sons (one from the mother´s previous relationship) and neither one has tested positive. Praise the Lord!! Please keep this little family in your prayers. This news has been devastating to say the least. We have been praying for a miracle for little baby Hector. Despite all the nights he keeps us up, you can help for love and adore the little guy. He is just so special to each of us. I don´t know how long he has to live: days, weeks, months, or even years. What I do know is that this little baby deserves the best chance at life as any other baby. Each and every moment I spend holding him, listening to his little coos, watching the little smile crease his face, or even caring for him (even at 3am), I treasure, because I just don´t know how much more time he has, and I want little Hector to know that he is loved!! God can and is doing amazing things in this little boy´s life, please pray for little Hector!

House Hunting part 2

Well, the search is over. At least I think so. We have moved into a new room. After walking up and down street after street in Pucallpa, Jenni and I finally decided on the original place we first looked at. A 4th floor room, with an amazing roof-top view of the city, though you have to walk out onto the veranda area to actually see the viewJ, it’s quite the place, not to mention some quality stair-climbing exercise! Throughout this whole time of searching for a place, I felt God opening and closing doors to various rooms. Some just didn’t have the right location, or the room was really small, or there was no chance at having internet. Needless to say, I feel God has led us to this room, high above almost all of the city. Walking onto the veranda, we are able to receive internet signal. The location is perfect. Being just across the street from our former room, we are just as close to everything, even closer to the french fry place!J We have our own private bathroom, which is great, not to mention cleaner!! Of course, after living here not that long, actually the very first night, we discovered that the ceiling leaks and the water randomly turns off and on. Well the ceiling has since been fixed (thank goodness). However we are still trying to figure out the water situation. Apparently we are under city water, which tuns off supposedly between 1 and 6pm each day. Thats fine with me. If its consistent, i can plan and be prepared. However, the water thing has been anything but consistent. One time it was off for 48hours with no sign of life anywhere. Water is pretty important and so to have its supply source be very unpredictable, makes it a frustrating situation. We hope to have this resolved in the very near future! After organizing and finally settling on Thursday, I have been able to make use of the desk that was already here and finally get some quality work completed. It’s exciting because our little room is finally looking like home and becoming comfortable, despite it’s little quirks. the picture is of our old room. new pictures of new room coming sometime soon...