More news from the Perth base
Following is the latest update (as of Saturday morning Perth time) on the situation with the accident in Nigeria, and all of those involved.
The two girls in South Africa are recovering well. One is still in a serious condition (Dagmar), although her vital signs are good. She has had two operations and both have been successful. Erin also had surgery and that too was successful. They both have a long road to recovery ahead of them, but we are encouraged by the progress they are making.
The four girls in Accra, Ghana are also recovering well. They are all at different stages with their physical injuries. One is ready to fly home to her family this weekend, another sometime next week, and then the other 2 girls will probably need a few more weeks before they would be ready to travel.
The two bodies of Brianna and Delphine are in Lagos, Nigeria, and are being prepared for transportation to USA and Tahiti. We are hoping this will happen during the weekend, so that the families can have their memorial services as soon as possible. Because of the busy Christmas period, this is a challenge, please pray for the paper work to be completed, and for flights to be available. We have staff from Perth that are in Nigeria helping with this, and also meeting with the remaining six girls from the team, preparing to travel home to Perth with them early next week.
Thank you all so much for your prayers. I think I'm starting to work through some of my emotions, although for the most part that has had to be on hold because of attending my best friend's wedding, you know? I'm so happy for her--I just watched her become a wife this afternoon. I gave Sandy (fellow BASer) a call, but I guess she wasn't at home. I've sat here, looking at my list of BAS phone numbers, wondering if I should call, open up those wounds and memories and cry, or not. Or do it later, like when I'm at home. And I wonder if I WILL get around to calling them, or if I'll keep putting it off. My good friend Tina has told me that we'll do a wailing tree when I get back. She says in Africa (somewhere) especially outside of hospitals, they have a tree where women go (usually when they've lost a baby), and they sit beneath the tree and wail, and all throughout the day other women will come and join them and wail with them. I'm so touched--I'm sitting here crying right now. The only response I've gotten from all my friends about this situation has been embrace and love. And it touched me in Sandy's email when she mentioned how Delphine had been deported from Australia, and had so much trouble getting back in, and spent a LONG time at home with her family, just waiting for a new visa to get approved. And at the time, it didn't make sense. And it seemed like it was just the enemy trying to prevent her from doing her heart's work. But you know what? She had all that blessed time with her sisters and brothers and neices and nephews and parents that she would have missed out on completely. The other very comforting thing I read in Sandy's email was the vision that she also had the night she heard about Delphine--of Delphine dressed in white, standing before the throne of Jesus, beautiful and unashamed and holding the babies we've said good-bye to here on Earth. And it was the same vision I had the same night, and it was beautiful--so beautiful it made me weep harder for the beauty of it. If you've never seen something truly beautiful then you have no idea how that's possible, I'm sure. And she will never be ashamed in the presence of Jesus, because she loved Him with all her heart, and she never hesitated to call on His name and tell of His love to everyone in the whole world. She had such a beautiful freedom in speaking of her Lord. And I know the instant she came into His throneroom, she was told "Well done, my faithful daughter. I have given you much, and you have given it your all. Come share in my Father's joy."
The two girls in South Africa are recovering well. One is still in a serious condition (Dagmar), although her vital signs are good. She has had two operations and both have been successful. Erin also had surgery and that too was successful. They both have a long road to recovery ahead of them, but we are encouraged by the progress they are making.
The four girls in Accra, Ghana are also recovering well. They are all at different stages with their physical injuries. One is ready to fly home to her family this weekend, another sometime next week, and then the other 2 girls will probably need a few more weeks before they would be ready to travel.
The two bodies of Brianna and Delphine are in Lagos, Nigeria, and are being prepared for transportation to USA and Tahiti. We are hoping this will happen during the weekend, so that the families can have their memorial services as soon as possible. Because of the busy Christmas period, this is a challenge, please pray for the paper work to be completed, and for flights to be available. We have staff from Perth that are in Nigeria helping with this, and also meeting with the remaining six girls from the team, preparing to travel home to Perth with them early next week.
Thank you all so much for your prayers. I think I'm starting to work through some of my emotions, although for the most part that has had to be on hold because of attending my best friend's wedding, you know? I'm so happy for her--I just watched her become a wife this afternoon. I gave Sandy (fellow BASer) a call, but I guess she wasn't at home. I've sat here, looking at my list of BAS phone numbers, wondering if I should call, open up those wounds and memories and cry, or not. Or do it later, like when I'm at home. And I wonder if I WILL get around to calling them, or if I'll keep putting it off. My good friend Tina has told me that we'll do a wailing tree when I get back. She says in Africa (somewhere) especially outside of hospitals, they have a tree where women go (usually when they've lost a baby), and they sit beneath the tree and wail, and all throughout the day other women will come and join them and wail with them. I'm so touched--I'm sitting here crying right now. The only response I've gotten from all my friends about this situation has been embrace and love. And it touched me in Sandy's email when she mentioned how Delphine had been deported from Australia, and had so much trouble getting back in, and spent a LONG time at home with her family, just waiting for a new visa to get approved. And at the time, it didn't make sense. And it seemed like it was just the enemy trying to prevent her from doing her heart's work. But you know what? She had all that blessed time with her sisters and brothers and neices and nephews and parents that she would have missed out on completely. The other very comforting thing I read in Sandy's email was the vision that she also had the night she heard about Delphine--of Delphine dressed in white, standing before the throne of Jesus, beautiful and unashamed and holding the babies we've said good-bye to here on Earth. And it was the same vision I had the same night, and it was beautiful--so beautiful it made me weep harder for the beauty of it. If you've never seen something truly beautiful then you have no idea how that's possible, I'm sure. And she will never be ashamed in the presence of Jesus, because she loved Him with all her heart, and she never hesitated to call on His name and tell of His love to everyone in the whole world. She had such a beautiful freedom in speaking of her Lord. And I know the instant she came into His throneroom, she was told "Well done, my faithful daughter. I have given you much, and you have given it your all. Come share in my Father's joy."
posted by Judy Baskerville at
3:58 PM
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