Olive today...

It seems my parents should be arriving in Chiang Rai this evening. I'm sure they will be relieved to finally be reunited with Lynette and Rusty, and to meet Olive.

I have continued to be amazed and encouraged by the loving support that has been extended to Lynette, Rusty and Olive. My aunt Kathy has been great about keeping me informed if she finds out anything new...and my dear cousin, Melissa, called me to today to make sure that I had heard the encouraging news about Olive's day today...(I hadn't then, and it's always nice to get a heads up on good news).

Lynette's Facebook post today at 2:27 pm (2:27 am for her):

Another day without much drama...which is exactly what we were needing today. I was able to catch up on being behind with sleep while Rusty, Bethany, and Jan stayed at the hospital with Olive. Rusty was able to hold her for an hour and sing with her.

I came in from 3 pm-1am and had time singing to her, holding her skin to skin, and praying over her.

Our BIG prayer request is that she would have bowel sounds so that they can begin giving her the milk and colostrum that I have been freezing. She has only been on an IV with dextrose and some other electrolytes and is soooo little and skinny. The Dr. says that there are many factors at the moment for why she has to be NPO (nothing by mouth), but the biggest fear is that if we give her nutrition before her gut is ready, she may get necrotizing enterocolitis (http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/digestive/nec.html).

Please pray that little Olive would be free of this complication. Please pray Carrie's prayer over her...that her damaged cells would be reversed and replaced with new healthy cells.

She is also still anemic, hyponatremic, and jaundiced. The Dr finally ordered her to be on eye drops and eye ointment to prevent her eyes from drying since she can't close them on her own.

Libby is spending the night with her at the hospital and my parents will arrive tomorrow morning.

We are so encouraged by the number of people praying for her. The support we feel from each of you has literally been lifting us up when we are at our lowest points. Thank-you.

love,

Lynette

Here was a little note that encouraged us from Pastor Koemen...

"Our prayer is "O Live!" May the One who formed the eye, the ear, the tongue, continue to form the lungs.

Sunday in Bellevue CRC the text was I Kings 19: 7: The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched hm and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.

So Elijah ate angel food a second time, and in the strength of those two meals of bread and water, he was able to go for 40 days and 40 nights. God has sent his angels. They have human names, like Jan Boyd. They appear in your pictures. They are sustaining you. And they will continue to sustain you because, in truth, the journey is too much for you. What a beautiful thing! So, let them ease your burden and bear the load with you. This is how, sometimes, the hardest and most severe trials are also the places of deepest, richest, most priceless joys and blessings.

In Christ our Healer,

Pastor Koeman and Mrs. Koeman"