I am excited to announce the second focus of Mission Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz. I actually shared this amazing young woman with you not too long ago, and it's my pleasure to dedicate one week of the Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz to help send this courageous young lady all the way to Israel to help mend broken hearts! I'm honored to announce Taylor Nicole as this week's memorial blitz focus!!! If you didn't read Taylor's story of her life back in March, please click HERE to read it. You will be SO INSPIRED.
Taylor is a precious young lady who has hydrocephalus and Cerebral Palsy, but she doesn't let either of these conditions keep her from obeying God's will. She is one COURAGEOUS gal. I was blown away when Taylor introduced herself to me after God gave us Selah, our hydrocephalus baby. Taylor is an inspiration BIG TIME. She speaks English, Spanish, and Arabic. She weighed 1 pound 12 ounces at birth. She's had 15 surgeries and a brain tumor.
And she's going to Israel as a medical missionary, despite all that she's been through, despite all that she currently struggles with, and despite the things that could "go wrong". WOW!
Taylor has less than 2 weeks to raise her remaining funds in order to go to Israel, as He has called her to do. Taylor has worked SO HARD to try to raise these funds on her own, but she still has $3,554 left to raise by May 6. I wish so much that I had the entire amount to give to Taylor, as she is such an incredible inspiration, but I am praying God will shower blessings upon Taylor and give her the necessary funding during this week of the Boss Your Heart Memorial Blitz.
Will you please read Taylor's story below, which will inform you of how she "met" our family, as well as inform you of what God has called her to courageously do for Him. Her story reminds me so much of what Chrissie's MIGHT have been if God had chosen to heal Chrissie on this earth because Taylor has that same fighting spirit, a princess warrior, just like Chrissie. And how fitting that the mission God has called Taylor to is MENDING BROKEN HEARTS, in the same country where Dr. Porisch prayed for Chrissie in the Jordan River. The same country that Dr. Porisch wrestled with God over, as she didn't want to leave Chrissie back on April 28, 2010, but God asked Dr. Porisch to go to Ancient Nineveh despite what her heart wanted to do. God taught Dr. Porisch to "boss her heart" on the exact same day that He taught Chrissie to! And the timing of supporting Taylor this year, as we are in the one-year anniversary of Chrissie's 31-day battle, is the EXACT SAME WEEK! It was this same week last year that Dr. Porisch left for Israel, and this year, we are hoping to raise money to send another miracle girl, a warrior princess to Israel for a medical mission trip to heal broken hearts.
It's just too much. It overwhelms me to think of God organizing and orchestrating so many connections ahead of time. Our God is so much more than we ever fathom. So much more.
Please join me in praying for Taylor, donating to send her to Israel, and spreading the word so more can read about God's amazing ways. I'm off to donate to Taylor. Please join me!
I was introduced to Princess Chrissie on April 19, 2010, the day of her open-heart surgery. I followed the link shared in another blogger's post, and spent that day reading about and falling in love with Christyn Joy Patterson and her feisty, determined fighting spirit.
On April 19, I was in the process of filling out paperwork and researching flight options. In just a few short weeks, I would be on a plane bound for Jerusalem, Israel. As I researched, read, and scribbled notes, a small voice in my head reminded me, "It's not too late. You can still turn back. You don't have to go. This is Israel, after all; you know the risks...." I decided to take a break from paperwork and "what-ifs", and check my email, take a peek at Facebook, and read some blog updates.
As one particular blog loaded, and the images and text filled my computer screen, I came face-to-face with a beaming Princess Chrissie in her pink princess dress and jewelry. I quickly read through the blogger's post, and clicked on the small blue link that would take me to Lorraine's blog.
During my four weeks in Jerusalem, I held babies from Gaza, made cookies with mothers from Kurdistan, sang worship songs in English, Arabic, and Kurdish, and got to know the families and staff. We laughed and rejoiced, cried and mourned, shared meals, took pictures, played games, danced in the streets of Jerusalem, and grew to love each other.
Just five days before Chrissie went to Heaven on May 19, we said goodbye to a precious little boy. On May 14, five-year-old Ahmed went to be with Jesus after a six-month battle for life. I sat with his mother in the tiny hospital room that night as we wept, prayed, and finally sang worship songs over him as he left his earthly body and entered God's kingdom in Heaven. It was one of the most difficult, and yet most meaningful, things that I have ever done.
My four weeks in Israel were filled with experiences that stretched and challenged me more than I had ever imagined. All the while, God reminded me of Princess Chrissie "bossing her heart." So I summoned my courage, followed Chrissie's example, and "bossed my heart" as I prayed with mothers from Kurdistan, cuddled babies from Gaza, and kept late-night vigils beside the hospital beds of precious children that I had come to know and love.
Almost one year later, God has called me back to Israel. I'm stepping out in faith to answer God's call again, returning to Jerusalem to heal broken hearts and share the love of Jesus with the families that I will meet.
Only one thing stands in my way: Money. I have $3,554 left to raise (out of $4,100) by May 6. That amount covers the cost of airfare, pre-trip medical appointments, travel visa paperwork, room/board and food, and any incidentals or emergency expenses.
I don't really like to ask for help, but that is another thing that God has taught me through my missionary journey! I know without a doubt that this is where He wants me to be, but I can't get there on my own. And so, I am asking for your help! I have a variety of fundraisers available on my blog: Puzzle pieces, cuddly stuffed animals, and a Christian ministry theater script. You can find more information HERE.
Please, will you consider supporting me, either financially or in prayer? No contribution is too small; it all adds up and it all is greatly appreciated!
I am eager to see what God has for me to learn during this trip to Israel. And I know that Princess Chrissie will be with me every step of the way, helping me to "Boss My Heart"!