Hello Family & Friends,
I hope this update finds you healthy and thriving!! I am currently sitting in my bed fighting off the beast that is COVID-19. Don’t ask me whether it is the Omnicron or Delta variant as that is well above my pay grade. I’ve had a full host of symptoms and am taking care of myself as best as I know how. It’s textbook COVID though and so if you look up the symptoms, I have almost every single one listed on Google. I have yet to lose my sense of smell or taste, however. Praise the Lord. I love food and losing my ability to taste things would be a huge loss. It’s probably the least of my concerns at the moment, but I’ve been daydreaming about my last day of isolation and all of the things I’m going to eat. The last time I remember being this sick was back when I had the flu, nearly 14 years ago. Also, “COVID brain” is a thing…so this update will probably be written in the course of multiple days. My sympathies are with anyone (probably everyone) who has experienced this illness or who has been affected by it in any way.
As most of you know, I was able to go to Guatemala back in October of this year! It was my first time being out of the country since returning from the World Race back in March of 2020. I went with an organization called Beauty for Ashes that seeks to specifically empower & encourage women through Christ. It is connected to the World Race & I was miraculously able to use a portion of the remaining funds from the Race to fund it. The ministry occurred over the expanse of seven days. During that time, I partnered with an amazing team of women to serve the local Guatemalans. We witnessed extreme poverty and hardship but also the hope and healing that can only be found through Christ. I am always astounded by the presence of Christ in what appears to be the bleakest of situations. A lot of these women have lost loved ones this year or had their husband abandon them for someone else. They too have been suffering the devastating effects of COVID as they struggle to provide a meal for their family. I think it’s important to note here that ministry in its nature is not designed to be one-way. As we gave to these women, we also received. One of our first days included making house visits to a small village and delivering food and household supplies. We asked the women their stories, prayed for them and invited them to our Beauty for Ashes retreat at the end of the week. They were encouraged and one woman even invited us to sit down and share a glass of Coke with her and her family. Her husband had recently passed and she was working hard to care for her son with a developmental disability. Despite her grief, she spoke of her son’s improvement over the last year and the many ways the Lord had provided. We then had the chance to remodel a kitchen in that same village. The woman whose kitchen was selected was overjoyed to be chosen. Every year, Beauty for Ashes selects a woman to bless, specifically by remodeling their kitchen. Now it was her turn! The remodeling took place over the course of a day and that included the compilation of a stove and a new water-cleansing system. At the end of the week, we hosted the Beauty for Ashes retreat in a beautiful garden. All 23 women that we had visited during our house visits came and joined us for worship, teaching and discussion. It was a beautiful time of hope and healing.
Okay, now for the latest update on future travels, my current life circumstances & so much more! Life has been changing so rapidly for me over the course of the last two weeks and I could really use your prayers. As of last week, I am transitioning out of my current job position. As of this week, I have COVID and my plans to leave the country in the next couple of days for Africa are entirely on hold. Currently, I am in the process of calling four different airline carriers in hopes to receive a full refund and reschedule my flights for later dates. Thankfully, my Africa travels are independent of any organization or ministry and can be rescheduled! I am going to primarily spend time with my family living in Nairobi, Kenya while serving at local schools for children impacted by poverty. Here’s a little blurb from a fundraiser I created about two weeks ago: “In just under two weeks, I have the opportunity to fly to Kenya, Africa, to spend time with family. I am super excited. Not only that, but while I am there, I will be partnering with Chitra Wright, founder of the Watumull Family Children’s Fund. Chitra runs multiple schools for impoverished, Kenyan children with no other access to schooling. Chitra wants to right the injustice that prevents any young child from reaching his or her full potential & she believes education is the way to do this. Upon asking Chitra how I can serve as a nurse, she told me that none of her students have ever had their vision or hearing screened. I have the equipment necessary for vision screenings but I am in need of a portable audiometer to perform the hearing screening test. My hope is to assess as many children as possible & educate the staff on how to perform future screenings. In order to give Chitra the necessary hearing screening equipment, I’m in need of your financial support. To learn more about the Watumull Family Children’s Fund, please see the website: watumullchildren.com.” Below you can find a link to my fundraiser. So far, 95 of the 350 dollars required to purchase the equipment have been raised! If you are interested in donating, there is one day (the 10th of December) remaining before the fundraiser comes to a close. If you are still interested in donating but miss the fundraiser, you can venmo me at @Stephanie-Gilbreath-4. The link to the GoFundMe and a video that discusses the Watumull Family Children’s Fund are attached below.
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Much love this Christmas season, Stephanie
