HAVEN OF HOPE - Jerusalem

HAVEN OF HOPE - Memoir of Jerusalem

Dear Friends and Family around the World,

Many of you heard firsthand our joy and excitement to return to Uganda and bring Jerusalem into our family. From the time she was abandoned she was sick off and on, more often sick than well. When we finally received her into our arms last week she was recovering from her most recent illness, but we didn’t realize she was actually falling right back into it.

On Tuesday we took her into the hospital to get her started on ARV therapy (antiretrovirals for HIV) and the doctors decided to admit her for her rapid breathing, failure to eat well and dehydration. As we looked through her medical documents for the last two months we found that these were the symptoms she had twice previously been admitted for. Our hope was that once her ARVs were started she would pop out of the cycle she had been in and would be a happy, thriving little girl soon. Stephen had also been very sick when we first brought him home and we had confidence Jerusalem’s story would be the same.

By the evening it became clear that she was not getting better. Even as she became hydrated other symptoms presented. She started having small seizures, spitting up so much and with increasing blood in it so that feedings were stopped altogether. International doctors were daily having conferences around her to decide what could possibly be done to help and every measure was taken. By Wednesday night we were told, and there were many signs that her life here with us was nearly over. We were in a small room with about 15 other babies and their parents and it was so hard to hear everyone’s attempts to comfort us with, “She will be okay,” when we knew differently. We spent every minute, 24 hours a day stroking her skin and hair, kissing her sweet face and fingers, singing to her and whispering in her ears how much we loved her and were fighting for her to get well.

Thursday, her oxygen decreased and she became so tired we changed our messages and our songs. We praised Jesus and we told her that He loves her more than we do and that she could stop fighting here and run to Him. We told her that her suffering was almost over forever and that she would soon be whole and she would feel joy and peace like never before. As we snuggled her in our arms, we told her that we would meet her there. I sang a song to her that I sing to the boys every night which says, “Hush a bye, little one, you belong to Jesus.” I had to release her to Him in a way I don’t think I ever have with Asher and Stephen. I started thinking that maybe God had given us her name as a prophecy that she was never really meant for this world for long. We know with all our hearts that Jesus gave her to us to love her for the time we had, but she always belonged to Him and she was always meant to go into Peace with Him before experiencing all the emotional and spiritual pain that goes along with long life on this earth. It was the most precious and terrible moment in my life as I held her in my arms and she passed from this life and into Jesus’ arms on Friday morning.

I cannot describe the pain or the hole that we feel as we grieve and miss her. One of the happiest weeks in our lives has been turned to the most profoundly heartbreaking. There is nothing that can fill the space left by our precious baby girl. She was so beautiful. She is more beautiful now and she is perfect. We are comforted knowing that, but the wait to see her again is so painful. She was among the least here and now is among the greatest in the Kingdom.

We pray for the day to quickly come when we see Jesus in the New Jerusalem with our daughter Jerusalem.

Crystal and Matt Kehn

FAMILY LIFE Abandoned Babies Rescuing infants with HIV Care Packages Send us some love in a box Community Outreach The gospel burning in our neighbhorhood Nowhere in Africa Matt and Crystal's love story You can help! View our strategic plan HERE PRAY that God will be with and comfort us in our life-time of grief	HAVEN OF HOPE - Memoir of Jerusalem Dear Friends and Family around the World, Many of you heard firsthand our joy and excitement to return to Uganda and bring Jerusalem into our family. From the time she was abandoned she was sick off and on, more often sick than well. When we finally received her into our arms last week she was recovering from her most recent illness, but we didn’t realize she was actually falling right back into it. On Tuesday we took her into the hospital to get her started on ARV therapy (antiretrovirals for HIV) and the doctors decided to admit her for her rapid breathing, failure to eat well and dehydration. As we looked through her medical documents for the last two months we found that these were the symptoms she had twice previously been admitted for. Our hope was that once her ARVs were started she would pop out of the cycle she had been in and would be a happy, thriving little girl soon. Stephen had also been very sick when we first brought him home and we had confidence Jerusalem’s story would be the same. By the evening it became clear that she was not getting better. Even as she became hydrated other symptoms presented. She started having small seizures, spitting up so much and with increasing blood in it so that feedings were stopped altogether. International doctors were daily having conferences around her to decide what could possibly be done to help and every measure was taken. By Wednesday night we were told, and there were many signs that her life here with us was nearly over. We were in a small room with about 15 other babies and their parents and it was so hard to hear everyone’s attempts to comfort us with, “She will be okay,” when we knew differently. We spent every minute, 24 hours a day stroking her skin and hair, kissing her sweet face and fingers, singing to her and whispering in her ears how much we loved her and were fighting for her to get well. Thursday, her oxygen decreased and she became so tired we changed our messages and our songs. We praised Jesus and we told her that He loves her more than we do and that she could stop fighting here and run to Him. We told her that her suffering was almost over forever and that she would soon be whole and she would feel joy and peace like never before. As we snuggled her in our arms, we told her that we would meet her there. I sang a song to her that I sing to the boys every night which says, “Hush a bye, little one, you belong to Jesus.” I had to release her to Him in a way I don’t think I ever have with Asher and Stephen. I started thinking that maybe God had given us her name as a prophecy that she was never really meant for this world for long. We know with all our hearts that Jesus gave her to us to love her for the time we had, but she always belonged to Him and she was always meant to go into Peace with Him before experiencing all the emotional and spiritual pain that goes along with long life on this earth. It was the most precious and terrible moment in my life as I held her in my arms and she passed from this life and into Jesus’ arms on Friday morning. I cannot describe the pain or the hole that we feel as we grieve and miss her. One of the happiest weeks in our lives has been turned to the most profoundly heartbreaking. There is nothing that can fill the space left by our precious baby girl. She was so beautiful. She is more beautiful now and she is perfect. We are comforted knowing that, but the wait to see her again is so painful. She was among the least here and now is among the greatest in the Kingdom. We pray for the day to quickly come when we see Jesus in the New Jerusalem with our daughter Jerusalem. Crystal and Matt Kehn
the KEHNS serving in Uganda with Juna Amagara Ministries