Update: July 17, 2009

(By Julie Marcum)

-Jonathan was released on Wed. and it at home... although they sure had some frustrating moments trying to get him out! He is doing good, and glad to be out of the hospital. He even went briefly to a movie night they had on Wed. for the jovenes - something fun and light and normal. Keep praying for them as they try to get all the insurance stuff - Stateside insurance paying for international health care! - worked out.

-Josh went to visit Miguel again yesterday. He had been moved to a regular room, but had to be transfered back to ICU due to an asthma attack. He was very sedated when Josh saw him. Some family members are wanting to move him to a better clinic, and Josh was supportive of this, saying we could help with medical costs. (We have not been very impressed in all this with the public hospital!) While he was there, the family needed a knee brace (Miguel is becoming more active and even opening his eyes!), so Josh went searching for one... at about 10 different medical supply stores and ended up having to order one, being unsuccessful in his search. Interestingly enough, often hospitals/clinics do not have medications or certain supplies on-hand and family members must purchase them from local farmacies or supply stores.

-Please be praying for Rebeca. Her mom came to our Wed. ladies prayer time and she is doing better health wise, but has to take a final exam on Tuesday of next week. She is in her first year of university on a medical track.... So she is spending her recovery time studying. There are about 1000 students in her course of study and only 180 will be passed on to the next year. Also, school resumes next week for all students... be praying for the teens as they head back to school, and as some of them will have to study from home for a couple months as they continue their recovery process.

-Joshua also visited Bruno and Freddy Vargas and had a good talk with Bruno. Continue praying for them and the emotional state of all our teens.

-Josh got the cochlear device ordered for Ariel! Thank you for your prayers in all that process - it ended up that we couldn't order the free replacement, because more than 3 years had gone by since he had it implanted, but thanks to your generous hearts, we have enough to help his parents pay for it... we're thankful that he's going to be recieving it in about a week! Pray that it will arrive safely.-Please be praying for Wendy, the mother of Ariana. Their landlords told them last week that they have to leave their rental house in a week, so in the depths of dealing with her daughter's death, she's having to think about moving and finding a new house.

-As for our family, the girls are doing better, and although yesterday morning I thought Michaela had pink-eye, it turned out to be an insect bite close to the eye that had caused swelling and puffiness. Maybe things will normalize a little bit in the next week!

-We are daily overwhelmed (in a blessed way!) by the support and prayers and emails and comments that we've recieved. Thank you so much for your financial and spiritual generosity towards us and the brethren here in Cochabamba....