Jesus with Katiana & Me

Katiana arrived at the orphanage the week before we got there. She had a broken fibia & tibia right near her ankle, and she had lost part of her arm to amputation. During lunch one day, she was taking her meal in the church on her bunk and was complaining (through a translator) of being hot. She told the translator to ask if I could find a fan for her. I tried but didn't find one. So I grabbed a coloring book and returned to her bunk to personally fan her with it-- a la a queen and her servants in ancient days! I could tell she thought I was crazy and eventually asked the Haitian with her to carry her back to the "girls house" for the rest of the day.

The next day, I accompanied the doctor & her house mom to visit Katiana at the girls house. They were going to change her arm's dressing. The house mom warned us that Katiana had been having panic attacks anytime someone got near her arm and would scream & cry.

While Katiana sat at the kitchen table with the doctor trying to unwrap her dressings, she started screaming & crying. I sat next to her and just reached out for her hand to let her squeeze mine. The house mom stood next to her and cuddled her head, patting her hair and whispering "its okay, don't be scared" in Haitian. I kept her hand held tight in mine and was patting her knee. I tried to keep eye contact with her and just share comfort in a non-verbal way. It was hard. It was bad. She was so distraught. Lots of sobbing. Lots of screams. Yet we pressed on, knowing the work had to be completed.

Just as we were about to wrap her arm back in new dressings, in walks a team of surgeons who had been walking the streets of the town looking for anyone who needed help. Another house mom brought them in to consult on Katiana's arm. They took one look at it and said-- "This girl has an exposed nerve. Whoever did her surgery sewed her up leaving part of a nerve sticking out of the wound. No wonder she's in so much pain!" I looked at her arm and saw what they were talking about. It was right there in the open. We'd assumed it was part of the wound that wasn't healing properly. They offered to perform surgery to repair the mistake the next morning. GOD PROVIDES!!! Can you believe it?

So, they re-dress her arm and everyone leaves the room. I stayed with Katiana while she was recomposing herself. Sniffling, wiping her eyes, and trying to breath more calmly, Katiana looks me dead in the eyes and very clearly says (in English): "thank you." I was shocked. I didn't know she spoke English. My eyes welled up and I said back: "i love you." "I love you too." There it was again, this crystal clear, no-accent English. We were still holding hands at this point and she starts to twirl my wedding ring around my finger. I have a ring I specifically wear on overseas trips that is just plain gold with a cross imprinted on it. She twisted the ring till the cross was centered on my finger, then says: "Jesus." To which I eloquently said: "Jesus." We smiled tired smiles at each other and hugged.

It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. It was JESUS right there in our midst. Who gave her English words to share. To connect us in HIS NAME. Who comforted her. It wasn't me. It was HIM. Thank you God for reaching out to this young girl.

Pray for Katiana, that He continues to tangibly reveal Himself to her.

(For a little back story on Katiana, click here.)