To Margret,With Love

First of all, we have reached our goal for my Score A Goal 4 Ukraine fundraiser!!!! We went over and above and raised $325!!! I will be going shopping TONIGHT and I will blog about my trip this weekend. I am so excited and so appreciative for all of you that participated!!! Thank you for your prayers and donations!!  I will still have the drawing for the winner of the unique Orphan Lifeguard item on November 1st ... stay tuned!

When I started Orphan Lifeguard, I had expected to do a project every few months with things being kinda slow to start. I was okay with that, as I really just wanted it to be free-flowing and in response to when something tugged at my heart. Well, something is already tugging at my heart. I've learned that when God opens doors for you, you don't close them because it was not what you thought your timeline would be or what you were expecting, you go inside and do what He's calling you to do.

It all started  the last week of July, my family found out that our sponsored Wiphan child, Margret, had at the time what we thought was Elephantitis; which is a disease that makes certain limbs swell out of control, and there really is no cure. Margret was showing these signs in her right leg.

Our August Care Package to her just
before her 1st Doctor Appointment

However, yesterday we got word from Wiphan that her doctors appointment did not show Elephantitis, but it was clear that she has large tumors in her buttocks, her lower back, and her thigh which could be causing her leg to swell.

Tumors? When I read that word I was devastated and very sad for her. Even though I have never met her before I am always thinking about her. I feel a connection to her because she is close to my age, and we have her picture on our fridge. I see her face every day and think about her, and wonder about what it is that she is doing.  The letters she writes to us are so sweet and I love how she always includes stickers or a hand drawing. I can really tell that she tries hard in school and likes being there through her writings to us.

I continued to learn through Wiphan that the Tumors have to be removed. They have to be removed in order to save her life. People can not survive living with tumors. Her leg, obviously, is not getting better, only worse. It is hard to imagine what it would be like for someone with so little technology, and limited accessibility to medical care, would feel like when they walk into the medical room when she gets her surgery with all those lights and medical equipment. I am sure it will be very overwhelming and very scary. It would be for me, and I have seen medical technology before just in routine medical care.

Once the tumors are removed, they will test to see if the tumors are cancerous or not. We are praying for cancer-free results. If they are cancerous - well, let's just not think about that right now. My goal is to help her get through surgery first and be blessed with great news.

Also, the surgery will determine if the tumors were the direct cause of the swelling, or if there is a problem with her Lymph Nodes. That would not be good too, as Lymph Node issue could lead to many additional problems. I am praying too that the removal of all the tumors heals Margret completely!

What God has shown me in the months since we've heard about Margret's leg, and the recent news of the tumors, is that I have more ways to help outside of praying constantly for her. I live in a country that exceeds in money. I know there is talk of economic stuff, but really ... we still have money. We have money to give to others. We have money to save a child's life. We have the way and the power to directly impact Margret.

Her friend translating our letter to her
on the way to her first doctor appointment

She does not have money for doctor care, for surgery, for recovery, for medicine. Wiphan and I are her Lifeguards. We are committed to being the Hands and Feet of Jesus - to call upon His people - to raise the money necessary for her surgery and treatments to take place.

Will you join me?

Our goal is to raise $2,000 estimated for her surgery and additional care. I believe without a doubt that we CAN and WILL raise the money in time for her surgery; which needs to happen as soon as possible. If you feel called to help, please keep reading.

Messages 4 Margret:
Here's the deal: when you donate online at Wiphan, it will open access to my CarePage Website that I have created for Margret. With the online invitation, you can write as many messages as you wish for Margret. Words of encouragement, bible verses, prayers, and cheers. If you are a Wiphan Sponsor, you could also include which child you sponsor in your message, as Margret might have a connection with your sponsored child!!

Once we have raised our goal, I will create a book of ALL of the messages for Margret. Worried about English that she may not speak or read? Put away that Zambian Dictionary that we all have lying around the house, because we have that covered!! Our sweet Wiphan friend, Kristin, will be sure that every word of every message will be translated and read to Margret personally. WHAT FUN!!!

Can you imagine? She is a sweet girl, going through this life saving change, and she will be BLOWN AWAY by the number of people who care for her around the World!! She will enjoy hearing all of your sweet messages for her. What better way to communicate the Love of Christ and have a direct impact your donation, and your messages, will have in her life!!

All donations will be collected through Wiphan. They will handle all of the money as they have the direct access to the medical care for Margret and are the ones overseeing all of the details. Because you are donating to Wiphan directly, your money is also tax deductible. Orphan Lifeguard's job in the journey with Margret is being her BIGGEST FAN and CHEERLEADER, encouraging the raising of these life saving funds, and collecting all of the messages for her. I am so excited to be teaming up with Wiphan ... and You!

How do you donate and get access to Messages 4 Margret?? Keep reading ...

Step 1:
Click on any of the Wiphan words in this blog post, or click on the WIPHAN box to the right. It will direct you to the Wiphan website. Click DONATE on the upper tab of the Wiphan site, and select DONATE ONE TIME. Follow the instructions on the donation screen, and include in the Memo Line: MESSAGES 4 MARGRET and Include Your Email Address.

Step 2:
Now that we have your Email Address, we will send you an email invitation from my CarePages website for Margret. Follow the easy instructions in this email to leave your message to Margret. Remember, once you have access to the CarePages website, you can leave as many messages as you wish during the course of this campaign.  So essentially, a one time donation for unlimited messages!!

Step 3:
Continue to pray for Margret, help me spread the word about Margret's story, add her to prayer chains, and check back on this blog often for updates.

Thank you so much for helping me save the life of my friend, Margret. This is the right thing to do, and I would really, really appreciate if you could help Margret.

To Margret, With Love ...