Seventh Smith

Evie's daddy left this morning for Ukraine. We're so grateful this little girl is seeming strong enough that we felt at peace about him going.

These last weeks have tested and tried us in ways we could never have imagined. C has been my rock - steadfastly exuding an unshakable faith when our world has been crumbling. We've been on the verge of loosing Evie, and C's response at that pivotal moment has been to remind me that she is in God's hands...that we have dedicated her to the Lord and given her back to Him. Probably every marriage has those defining moments with the potential to grow in your love for each other by walking hand-in-hand through the darkest night. Im grateful for ours, seeing anew the man of God I have been blessed with in C. His absence will be acutely felt in these next days.

It became apparent early after Evie's diagnosis, that our life in Ukraine was going to be terminated sooner than we'd planned because of the extensive follow up Evie will need under the supervision of doctors for the next year. Once life settles a bit, that is another grief we will have to process...difficult to not have closure on ministry, relationships and the life we've built these last 5 years. So, pray for C as he delegates responsibility, ties up loose ends, packs up our home and ships the car back over these next weeks.

..they are talking about discharge over the weekend.

Fever is down.
Blood and urine cultures have come back negative for infection.
Heart arrhythmia has stabilized under the new medication.
Eating well, so the NG tube has been pulled.
...slowly weaning off all the wires and attachments and becoming more "touchable"...pretty cute baby under it all!

The last big thing is that Evie needs to wean off oxygen completely. She's only receiving a tenth of a liter, but couldnt hold her own when they tried to wean her off today.

Thank you for continuing to hold us in prayer. God is healing!!
Mandy and Evie