Emmanuel : July 2013

Tuesday 9 July 2013

THE MOVE.....

It was with heavy hearts that we watched Eman and Lolo leave this morning.....

We are so grateful for this amazing opportunity that Eman has been granted but at the same time it is very difficult to have our family separated. If there is anything that has kept us through this time it has been the "togetherness" of our family. I could not be prouder of our kids who have, with kind hearts and generous spirits sacrificially given of themselves these last four months and day in and day out been there for Eman, doing whatever needed to be done. Our last night together we hugged and wept and laid hands on Eman praying and claiming our favorite promises of healing. Eman prayed for us and for our healing. The truth is - that bullet hit us ALL. The pain and grief has just been so heavy on all of our hearts and spirits - it is devastating to endure watching someone you love suffer so much. We cried when Eman prayed that our family would be happy again. BUT God is working............... let's face it, it's not everyday the FBI flies in to the rescue and one is extended one of the best medical and rehabilitation resources in the WORLD. - People keep asking me "how did all this happen?" - all I can say is PRAYER WORKS!!!! And that's what we're going to keep on doing!!! - In Genesis 32 when Jacob wrestled with the angel, he said "I will not let you go UNTIL you bless me"..... Thank you all for persevering in prayer with us UNTIL we receive the blessings.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with WINGS [lear jet?] as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint".

Monday 8 July 2013

EMAN'S SEND OFF

WHAT A PHENOMENAL DAY!!!! THANK YOU to all who came from far and wide to join us in sending Eman off with a lot of love and positive energy, it was VERY special. Thanks to the man upstairs, we had gorgeous weather..... Thank you to Edson and Jodie who let a whopping 25O participants invade the beautiful "Oasis Sitio" for the day. From babies to grandparents we all enjoyed each other's company, lunch outdoors and assorted activities. To all the musicians who lent their many talents to our musical program, THANK YOU! Emmanuel played with ArizonA for the FIRST time since March 5th, and true to form brought the house down with his guitar playing. The tidal wave of camaraderie and love was overwhelming. No doubt the days and months to come will be grueling for Emmanuel, I know he is going to think back on his send-off and remember all of YOU his many friends who are "with him" in spirit. I don't think there could be better motivation for him to keep up the fight.

SHOT in Rio - March 5th

Please keep Emmanuel in your desperate prayers, at one o'clock Tuesday, March 5th he was shot!

On the way to a friend's house in Recreio he had stopped at his bank to make a cash withdrawl - upon leaving the bank he was followed by two guys on a motorbike. As he was pulling close the house he noticed the two men on the bike and a gun tucked into the second guy's jeans, realizing he was about to be assaulted he backed up and swerved to get away. They chased him and then in broad daylight, on a public street shot him through the window of his car with a 9mm gun.

Within minutes, friends of ours who live in that neighborhood were with him and the ambulance came and brought him to Miguel Couto, the main public hospital in Rio de Janeiro were they deal with gun-shot victims / trauma patients etc...

Although in serious condition Eman is stable. The bullet entered his shoulder and went across his thorax, piercing his left lung and sending a piece of vertabrae into his spinal cord, the bullet itself is lodged somewhere in his back. When he got to the hospital they performed an immediate surgical procedure to begin draining his lung which was haemorrhaging.

From their initial scans and xrays, it show a lesion to his spinal cord which means irreversible damage. He cannot feel his legs or feet.

Please pray with us for complete healing & recovery for Eman. "All things are possible to him that believeth" we are claiming the promises of God's Word that Eman will come through this without the smell of smoke.

My eldest daughter, myself and several friends were at the hospital all afternoon and were able to see him in the evening, although in a lot of discomfort and pain he can talk [slowly] and is "all there" - he was relating to us what happened. It's a miracle he is alive. The motorbike driver was enraged that Eman tried to get away and screamed "mata ele" / "kill him" to his accomplice on the back of the bike. Eman said he could see the hestitation in the second guy's face as he took aim to shoot him and thinks that's why he was shot in the shoulder.

The medical staff at the hospital have been extremely kind and accommodating and we have been assured that he is in the best hands to deal with this trauma situation.

We cannot tell you how much it means to us know that so many loved ones are praying for Eman and fighting for him in spirit. Thank you! It comforts our hearts just knowing that we are not alone. We will post daily updates and prayer requests for Eman here on this blog. Please share this blog with your prayer groups, spread the word ... "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much"

It's all so surreal, I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and it's just going to be a bad dream, we're in a state of shock from it all.

Love, Julia.

Love .....

[day one] a couple of hours have passed since Eman has been rushed into the emergency room, we are waiting anxiously in the adjoining waiting area. A plain clothes officer approaches; "Ma'am we are trying to apprehend the criminals who did this, we have examined the crime scene and it seems your husband scrawled part of the motorbike's license plate on the windshield of the car with his own blood. We can't quite decipher it as it seems to be missing a couple of numbers. If you get a chance to ask him if he remembers the rest, let us know as it will help us with our investigation."

I call Arthur who has gone with two friends to retrieve the car... "take a picture of the windshield, Dad wrote the license plate down" ... Arthur calls me back... "Mom ........ it wasn't a license plate he wrote down, he wrote .... "ILY JZ"

[ My nickname is Joolz or Jz ]

Benjamin Van Nynatten

This blog would not be complete without acknowledging Benji.

From the minute we got the first phone call Benjamin has been immersed body and soul in whatever has needed to be done to deal with this situation. From driving us back and forth to the hospital, to collecting, fixing and cleaning the aftermath with the car/crime scene, to answering phones and helping deal with doctors. His calm and reassuring spirit and ever-present assistance has been inestimable.

We are honored to have such a friend!

Today he was made an honorary member of the "Gilligan" family.

Faith... Hope....Love.....

When I was about 8 years old I memorized 1 Corinthians, chapter 13 - the "Love" chapter. It's beautiful, I read it all the time, I read it & expound on it to my kids.

I especially like the last verse; "And now abideth Faith, Hope, Love, these three - but the greatest of these is Love".

I always thought I had interpreted this verse in my mind correctly......of course love was greater than hope for the future and faith in God, aka being a good Christian and being an example of faith.

Now going through this experience where we are struggling desperately for faith to believe in God's promises and hanging on to any thread of hope I am seeing that it is LOVE that fans the flame of hope and LOVE that bolsters our faith.

This is what we have felt from the outpouring of prayer and concern and well-wishes. The wave of love that all of you have generated has enveloped our hearts and spirits and encourages our faith and gives us hope for the future. Thank you!

The greatest of these IS love.

Eman's team!