Pray for Gilbert...

This is Gilbert. 

 

Gilbert is the son of our good friend Richard.  Tomorrow he has surgery on his nasopharengyl airway.  It is more than 60% blocked.  This is some kind of congenital abnormality.  He has had several different health concerns since he was 2 weeks old.  This is his first surgery.  Intern Teri and I took dinner to them last night (CT was picking up Laura and Ryan from the airport).  I explained to them that in the US when someone has surgery, friends will bring dinner so that the family doesn't have to cook- so they can concentrate more on their loved one.  Since Gilbert will be in the hospital until maybe Sunday, Richard and Beatrice decided last night would be the best.  (Today he was admitted for pre-op stuff).  So we showed up with our Mzungu food- hamburger casserole.  Richard and Beatrice liked it; the kids- not so much.  They took one bite and decided it was not for them.  They'd never had Mzungu food before so I can't blame them.  Then Beatrice walks out of the kitchen with beef stew, rice, and chapatis!  WHAT?  We were supposed to cook for them!  So we went to bless but we, in turn, were the ones who were blessed because it was sooooooooo good!  

I'm embarrassed to say we have known Richard now for a year and a half and never met his family.  We knew they had to be great b/c Richard is so wonderful so we were very anxious to meet them.  We immediately fell in love with all of them.  As a matter of fact, Sylvia had some trouble at first warming up to me.  By the end of our evening Richard asked her if she wanted to go home with her new Mzungu friend- so she was trying to climb in the van to go home with me.  She cried when we went to leave and gave Richard the stink eye b/c he told her she couldn't go with us this time.  I promised her that during her "holiday" (aka- time out of school, which is the whole month of August) she could come and spend a few days with us.  She liked that idea however it wasn't enough.  Richard had to tell her he would bring her by our house Saturday to hang out as well. This appeased her for the time being.   

What a great family!  Please note Sylvia's stink eye!  

So please pray for little Gilbert as he goes for surgery in the morning.