Dear Friends,

It is with much sadness that I am pleading with you to please pray for our oldest daughter from Ethiopia. Her name is Sisay and she is the one with the heart condition. I am emailing this request to you because in all honesty, this Momma’s heart is breaking right now and I am not in any condition to “talk” with anyone. I am sorry, but I just need some time to process this and to cry.

We heard some good news about Sisay today (Praise God!). We found out that she is not in congestive heart failure and that her scoliosis appears to be mostly poor posture because of her need to bend forward in order to help her breathe.

Our hearts are saddened, however, because after having 2 cardiologists and one GP review Sisay’s test results, they believe she has a problem with her valves (the proper term escapes me now) probably caused by TB. It appears that she will need to have several valves replaced, which is essentially open heart surgery from what we’ve been told. That would actually be a blessing if that was the worst case scenario, however, the one cardiologist felt that she may need a heart transplant.

This news is devastating to us as you can imagine, but we are praying and we are asking that you pray (and to please put her on any prayer lists you can think of!) for God to touch her valves and to strengthen her heart in a miraculous way! We know He can do it.

We were given the option tonight to disrupt her adoption because of the tests results. This is NOT an option for us! Sisay is our daugther and no Momma or Daddy could turn their back on their child…especially when they are so ill. So we are believing that God has a purpose for this test in our lives and that He has brought her into our lives for a specific reason…and in the end, He will receive the honor and the glory!!!

There is one other prayer request please…we should hear about a court date this week. Please pray that we get one and that it is SOON so that we can get Sisay home asap.

She has been through so very much in her young life already, yet the beautiful smile on her face can make you forget it all! Sisay means “Gift of God” in Amharic! We thank God for this precious gift and pray that if it be His will, He will bless us with her precious smile for MANY years to come! What a testimony our little girl will have to share someday, Lord willing!!!!!

Thank you so very much dear friends!!!

Much love,

Tim & Carla

1 Corinthians 10:31′