Perrin Update #5

To those of you who have been following the story of our friends, the Perrins, for the last 104 days... big things are in store this week! PLEASE KEEP PRAYING!!!!!! Here is an update Chris sent on Friday along with some photos of these growing babies:

Hayes and Bailey are 14 weeks old, and today is their 100th day with us… pretty big milestone given their condition 100 days ago… especially when you think about the fact that they weren’t even supposed to be here until almost TWO WEEKS FROM NOW. God has been good!

They weighed Hayes over night, and told me this morning when I stopped by that he is now at 5 lbs 2oz (remember he started at 1 lb 7 oz). He is now taking 6 of his 8 daily (24 hour period) feeds from a bottle (the other two through the feeding tube still). He still hasn’t mastered this completely yet. It’s frustrating because some days, like last Saturday when I fed him, he’ll gulp it down in 10 minutes (which is a record by the way… we make a great team… just wait until those father/son potato sack races when he gets older). Other times, we’ll struggle for 30 minutes, and he’ll only be able to take a quarter of the bottle. He never has a problem with sucking, but sometimes he just refuses to swallow. The nurses aren’t sure if this is due to gas, reflux, or just simply a consequence of the brain damage that he has, and that he might never get this down 100% (they initially thought there was a high chance that he wouldn’t be able to swallow at all due to the extent of brain damage he suffered). Despite these issues, he is doing a great job at breathing on his own now for more than a week! That’s right, breathing completely on his own, the same way you and I do… no breathing tubes, no oxygen, nothing! He hasn’t had any apneas or needed any additional oxygen since they took him off. He’s also regulating his temperature on his own now just like a normal baby. The only thing keeping him from going home right now is the bottle issues. Please continue to pray that he can master this so we can get him home without any additional attachments (i.e. feeding tube).

Bailey is now a couple of weeks completely infection and bacteria free! She now weighs 4 lbs 8 oz, and is slowly getting bigger. She has started working on bottle feeds as well this week, but has struggled more than Hayes did initially. Because of the infections, surgeries, and setbacks, she has become a little more used to not having to “work” for her nourishment. Yesterday the occupational therapist worked with her, and she seemed to do better with last night’s bottle. Today the speech therapist (didn’t know they did stuff like this) will also work with her on mastering the suck, swallow, and breathe all at the same time issues she’s been having. They are also going to do an x-ray of her lower intestines (which haven’t been used in three months) to see what kind of shape they are in, because they have scheduled surgery for her for next Thursday (11/18) to reattach her intestines! We are excited about this, because we were not looking forward to taking her home with a colostomy bag that doesn’t seem to want to stay on (this thing is disgusting by the way), and we weren’t looking forward to taking her back to the hospital after having her home so they could do the surgery. In addition, getting her back together is going to help her grow because it will give her intestines more time to absorb all the nutrients and calories from her meals. So, they are going to transfer her again on the 17th to Texas Women’s in the Med Center to prepare her for surgery on the 18th. If all goes well, she should be back at Clear Lake about a week later. Please pray for this, and for no more setbacks because if all goes well, we should be able to take both of them home by early December!

Both of their eyes seemed to be doing better, and by better I mean no worse. They are still getting regular eye exams and treatment as needed for the ROP eye issues they both have. Please continue to pray for this as well. Likewise, we still don’t really know the full extent of the issues Hayes is facing with his brain damage, and won’t for months/years down the road. We still pray for a miracle, and at the same time for peace and comfort in whatever God’s will is for him. Continue to pray for Emily. She is doing great physically and emotionally with everything that is going on, but I know things are going to be getting more difficult as she prepares to bring them home, and possibly having one home and one in the hospital, and all the attention that everyone needs (including dad J) throughout this process.

(Left--Bailey all cute and happy; Right--Hayes and Emily)

Most of all, don’t forget to praise God for all he’s done for us, and Hayes and Bailey to this point. It truly is a miracle that they are still with us, and doing as well as they are considering where they started and everything they’ve been through. The Lord has already used them in a mighty way to touch so many people, and we praise Him for that. Thank you so much for your continued prayers, love, and support. It means so much more that we could ever express, and we hope that you know that.

Attached are some great pictures from the last week. They have so much more personality, and look cuter and cuter as they continue to get bigger and develop… especially Bailey, but she’s a girl, and girls are always cuter than boys… Sorry Hayes, you’re still my favorite though… as parents, we’re supposed to have favorites, right? I’m still new to this.

Thanks again,

CP and Em (Hayes and Bailey)

Y'all this is such great news! There is so much to be praying about for this family, requesting help and mercy from the Lord. At the same time, this last 104 days should provide motivation for all of us to drop to our knees humbly before the Lord THANKING HIM for all He has done! Please pray over the next couple weeks as Bailey is transferred, has her surgery, heals, and moves back to join her little brother. Please pray for endurance for Chris and Emily as they care for two babies in two different hospitals. Please pray for Emily's mom (Barbie), who is in Houston with them helping them take care of the massive number of details that have to come together every day to make all this happen. And pray for the rest of their extended family members... all those who would love to be right there with them but can't. Pray that everyone would grow in his/her love for and trust in the Lord. Finally, pray that the Lord will use this family's situation to impact YOU and help YOU grow in love for and trust in Him!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER

Have you downloaded it yet?

Whole Grain Pumpkin Flax Pancakes

I made a large batch and saved a bunch for later. Here's what I did to make about 32-33 5-inch pancakes.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (1 quart) buttermilk


• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats


• 1 2/3 cups whole-wheat flour


• 1 2/3 cups almond flour


• 3 teaspoons baking powder


• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt


• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon


• 1 teaspoon nutmeg


• 1 teaspoon allspice


• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten


• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I use sucanat)


• 2 tbsp. coconut oil (olive oil is okay too but not quite as nutrient-dense)


• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract


• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (I made my own by following the directions listed as part of this recipe)


• 1/4 cup flaxseeds, ground (use the coffee grinder)


• 1/4 cup whole flaxseeds

Preparation:

• Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.


• Whisk whole wheat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a large bowl.


• Stir eggs, brown sugar, oil, vanilla and pumpkin puree into the oat mixture.


• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; mix gently until just moistened. Fold in ground flaxseed and whole flaxseed.


• Cook as pancakes or waffles. Works equally well with both.


• Top with coconut oil and real maple syrup for a tasty finish! Almond butter seems like it would also be delicious.

All It Takes Is ONE

All it takes is one. All it took was one strand of E.coli to be processed into one hamburger patty, to make it to one burger king, to one mom, whose one son, took one bite and the one life he had would then be over. All it took was a series of one events to lead to one of the biggest recalls on beef. Because of one situation America has never been the same.

In 2001, one man, Vernon Burger (my brother), who had, one passion, that being Jesus, took one trip, to Southern Sudan and connected with one bishop, who was trying to love and spread the gospel to many who were orphaned by the civil war. Since that one trip in 2001, HIS VOICE GLOBAL has been in an ongoing relationship with the EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian Church), 10 years and three orphanages later they seek to continue the movement to open a fourth.

You might ask the question what makes this place so special? Sudan was in war for over 20 years before signing a peace agreement in 2006. Until the peace agreement this was the longest civil war to date in human history, leaving over 2 million dead and many children without parents. So what makes this place unique!?!? Many things but one is there are many who have teamed up, like HIS VOICE GLOBAL and The Village Church, to be a gospel centered presence through proclamation and practice. While The Village Church has sent many teams to train pastors, equip leaders and love the children in these orphanages in Yei, HIS VOICE GLOBAL was the door that God used to bring a gospel centered presence from the west into this area of the world. Now there is an opportunity for you to be a part of this continued movement of Christ in this region for as little as a dollar.

This past September a group of 13 from all walks of life from Reach Records, The Village Church, Red Revolution, Collision Records and HIS VOICE GLOBAL partnered under The Village banner to go and minister to those in Southern Sudan. They ministered through teaching, medical, music, and loving children who were victims of the Civil War that now live in one of the three Orphanages sponsored by HIS VOICE GLOBAL. Moved by the fruit there and continued need, Tedashii, Lecrae (Reach Records artist), Swoope (Collision Records artist) and Jai teamed up to do a single to raise awareness and funds for a fourth orphanage in Southern Sudan. The single, which is slated to be released November 16th under new label Collision Records is called Actions Speak Louder. This single and symbol seen above calls believers to move beyond awareness and put their prayers in motion, to quote the song. The symbol inspired by the scriptures that say a strand of three cords are not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12), the exclamation points showing the immediate nature of the call to apply the gospel (Luke 4:18-19), the highlight of one exclamation point showing the power of one to change and lead others and the patch like design showing the reality that there is strength in numbers, calling believers to action, an action beyond themselves.

So leading up to this date will you be the one to blog, the one to tweet, the one to put a twibbon on your twitter account, the one to Facebook, the one to lead and allow you actions to speak as loud as your words. The average number of songs downloaded per day are close to 10,000,000 yes that is correct 10 million. Come November 16th HIS VOICE GLOBAL only needs over 250,000 one’s to download this amazing song (which is not even 10% of the daily average) to complete and have a fourth self sustaining orphanage. We are not asking you to change your lifestyle just point your efforts toward something that will last. The amazing thing about this whole campaign is that 100 percent of the profits from the song will go toward this fourth orphanage. All it takes is one!!!