Less Than Two Weeks to Our 3rd Annual Mom's of Near Drown Children Retreat. I'm So Excited and So Not Ready Yet, Prayers To Bring Together All The Details Would be Greatly Appreciated!!

Here's all the mom's that attended our Mom's retreat last year

It's hard to believe that our 3rd Annual Mom's of Near Drown Children retreat will be happening in just two short weeks away. My mom asked me if I was ready for the retreat this year and I had to be honest in saying that I haven't really started making all the little details that I usually already have done by now. This past week has been absolutely crazy busy.

On Sunday afternoon I got a text from my daughter saying that one of my best friends was being taken to the hospital, she was having a hard time breathing and had been having quite a few medical problems recently. I didn't realize how serious it was until I got a call saying that Barb was in cardiac arrest. Needless to say I began crying and praying like I rarely have before that God would spare her life, when I arrived at the hospital I wasn't sure if she was dead or alive, it was a nightmare feeling. As I walked in the ER I was told immediately that they had brought her back to life after 20 minutes of trying to get a heart beat, we all believe it was God that brought her back to life because of the prayers that were being said for her during that time. Over the next few day I spent quite a bit of time at the hospital in shock as I would look at my dear friend lying in bed with a ventilator breathing for her as they tried to figure out why her kidneys were not working and the medical community thinking that she had probably suffered a brain injury from her lack of oxygen during her 20 minutes of death. 

Here are Jacob's family, my dear friend Barb, her husband Rick and children Nicole, Andrew, Tessa, Ryan with his wife Maria and their neice Brittany.

Praise God never once did her husband or her 4 children doubt that their mom would be perfectly fine and hallelujah she is!! As I went to see her last night she was definitely cognitively there, not able to talk yet because of the vent, but definitely shaking her head yes and no to questions that were being asked of her and moving her feet when we were singing the song "I went to the enemies camp and I stole back what he took from me" she would begin to move her feet as we would sing, he's under my feet, he's  under my feet, satan he's under my feet. It was an awesome sight to see God's miracle unfold before our eyes. She still needs a miracle touch for her kidney's as they are are not working properly and we are believing that it's just a matter of time before God completely heals her whole body. What a great testimony of God's amazing power!!

All that to say with Barb being in the hospital and with Josh, Natalie and Abigail living with us before they leave next Wednesday to move to Missouri and with Luke not feeling very good this week and with our dyer breaking and me having to go to the Laundromat to dry our clothes and with me finally taking the kids up to hike today at Mt. Rainier, something I said we were going to do all summer long but wasn't able to and with  . . . . . . It's been almost impossible for me to sit down and plan out all the details for the retreat, but now I'm making it my number one priority since it will be here in just 12 short days:-)

I'm excited to say all the mom's that are coming have bought their airline tickets and it looks like we are are definitely going to have 18 moms this year and one grandma. Some are coming in on Thursday the 4th and the rest will fly in on Friday. One of the mom's that is coming has never been to the Pacific Ocean so we are going to be going out to see the ocean on Thursday after she arrives and then meeting up with all the other mom's that are flying in on Friday.

PLEASE won't you join me in praying for our mom's this year:

• That they will all get here safely.
• That their families will stay healthy, especially their child who had the near drowning accident.
• For them not to worry, especially for the new mom's that have not left their children before.
• For me to have the time and energy to get all the details put together for the weekend.
• For everyone to have a great time together and for lots of healing laughter as we all take a much needed break from the constant stress we live through everyday of our lives. 
• I'm so, so thankful to Julie one of the Mom's coming to the retreat for all her fund raising this year, she's raised almost all of the funds we need for the weekend. What a HUGE answer to Prayer!!

Once again if you would like to send a donation to help pay the retreat please e-mail me for my address at sgsearles@yahoo.com.

Thank you and God bless you,
Luke's Mommy Sue