Dear Family and Friends,
I do believe that I can accurately say this is the most special Thanksgiving that I have experienced. Not just because I am home from Romania, but because I know the power and love that God has for each one of us.
I was informed yesterday (Thanksgiving day) that Crizantina had her first surgery and that she was in little pain after the skin grafts. Jeff and I both praise God for this. The story of how we got her here is a MIRACLE and a true testimony of God’s grace and mercy.
I flew to Bucuresti on November 17th to pick up her visa. We had ticket reservations for November 21st….we made them on faith. The travel agent is a member of our church so he did not require us to pay for them until we had money and visa in hand. In fact, he told us that we could pay 24 hours in advance…a true answer to our dilemma.
We paid for the tickets on the morning of November 20th…one day before we were to leave. However, the travel agent neglected to tell us that we had to give 7 days notice for Crizantina’s special medical condition (she cannot walk). At 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon (the 20th), the travel agent informs us that we must fax a letter from Crizantina’s doctor stating that her medical condition does not pose a liability to British Airways. So, I ran around like a mad person and got it done. However, unknown to us, the travel agent DID NOT forward it to British Airways.
We took Crizantina from the hospital at 1:30 a.m. on the 21st. We came with clothes, burn gauze, and other supplies for traveling. Because of her burns, she could only be picked up by supporting her neck, upper back and holding her feet. And, because of trust issues, she only wanted me to do it. Therefore, any time she needed to be transferred from one seat to another, I had to lift her 50 pound body gently and place her gently back down. This took enormous courage on her part…especially after sitting in a hospital bed for 18 months.
We arrived at the airport in Budapest at about 6:00 a.m. The British Airways counter was not yet open so they told us that we had to wait 1.5 hours. Because we wanted a wheelchair, we needed to have Crizantina sit in the van with the heat running. The driver, Pavel, and his wife, Marianela, had to make the 4.5 hour drive back to Oradea. Additionally, Pavel had just spent 20 hours driving round-trip to Bucharest, Romania. Needless to say, he was exhausted but Pavel always has a servant’s heart.
At 7:30 a.m., the British Airways counter finally opened. However, Crizantina’s reservations had been flagged as a problem. We showed them the letter but they would not accept it as proof. They told us that they would have to contact their headquarters in London. Because of the time difference, London was not yet open. So, we continued to wait. Please note that our flight is supposed to leave at 9:15 a.m.
After the person at the counter told us we may not be able to fly out on our reserved flight, I expressed my emotional depletion to Jeff. He graciously took over with the arrangements. In the mean time, I carried Crizantina in and put her in front of the ticket counter. When the young woman behind the counter saw Crizantina, she became visibly moved. As Jeff talked with the head of medical situations in London, I prayed relentlessly. Pavel and Marianela joined me. At 8:30 a.m., Jeff was told that we would probably have to stay in a hotel until arrangements could be made for the next day. I was unable to speak because I was so emotional. We had no money for a hotel and no way to get back to the airport (Pavel and Marianela had to return to their 4 children.) The director of medical problems at British Airways asked to speak with Jeff one more time. Two minutes before they closed the flight, the director told Jeff that he would take our word on her medical condition and allow us to board the flight. Praise God for showing us faith at its finest…and in His timing!!!
We were allowed to travel first class to London where we had a four hour lay over. Crizantina was such a trooper about flying, being carried, and the whole experience. She was so accustomed to staying in such a small bed in the hospital that it was no big deal for her to sit in a plane seat for twelve hours.
We arrived in Chicago on the 21st and were met by Drs. Rhonda and Tom Williams. Dr. Tom is chief of surgery at the hospital and will be coordinating and performing Crizantina’s surgeries. Dr. Rhonda is a pediatrician and will be doing Crizantina’s peds care. What a blessing God has bestowed upon this child!!!
When we left Crizantina, the stuffed animal count was up to about 15 not to mention all of the stuff that Jeff and I bought for her. She is so cute with her tv remote and bed adjustment controls….she does not want anyone to touch them!!
The hospital in Chicago has been so wonderful to her. The staff treat her like a little princess. In fact, on her second day there, we had a Romanian woman, Doriana, come to the hospital to translate and visit with Crizantina. Doriana told me that for one hour, Crizantina repeated the same two things, “Everyone has been so sweet to me and no one has beat me yet.” Bath time was very traumatic for her because she would usually get beaten in Romania for crying during bath time (the water hurts her open wounds.)
Crizantina will have her next surgery in about a week. We are praying that it will be as smooth as the first. Dr. Tom wrote me last night and said that she is missing me. It breaks my heart that I can’t be with her each day but I know that she is in very good hands. I plan on making a trip to Chicago the next time there is a super saver fare…maybe in January.
For those of you who would like to contact me, you can do so at the following phone number and address:
Michelle Kelly
561 Blakely Rd.
Sanford, NC 27330
(919) 776-9978
Thanks for your prayers and letters. God is restoring me to a place of awesome peace and contentment. Jeff and I will meet with my pastor on December 11th to talk about future ministry in Romania.
For those of you who have asked about sponsoring programs, please let me know your exact interest and I will tell you where the needs are at this moment.
I praise God that I was able to come home and surprise my family. I had an incredible Thanksgiving with everyone in my family. Jeff and I ate like total gluttons and then promptly got sick from all the rich food…but it was abundantly worth it.
I apologize for the length of this email….oh, my!!! I guess it has been a while since the last update!
May God bless each of you during this fabulous time of the year! The birth of Jesus is certainly worth a tremendous celebration.
Basking in the Son,
Michelle
