Since Monday night, my 5-year old nephew has been in the hospital, and we have had our 7-year old niece with us.  For over a year now, my nephew has fought a battle with leukemia.  He has been through so much and was doing so well, and it has become easier and easier to feel that he is "safe".  After celebrating his 5th birthday the 2nd week of June, we were all rejoicing over his survival.  However, after being sick for a few days, Monday night, he was taken to the hospital with an unidentified infection.  He has virtually no white count, so his body has no way to fight whatever is attacking it.  Please pray for him, if you think of it. 

When he got first got sick (last year), the whole family rallied around him, lavishing time, attention and gifts on him.  It was a hard fight, at first, and we didn't know if he would make it.  Although we tried hard not to exclude his sister and made an effort to give her an equal share of time and attention, understandably, it was inadequate in her eyes.

Having her here the last few days, it has become apparent to me that she has some serious needs.  She is a sweet little girl, but she is hurting.  She'll be repeating first grade again next year, and I can't imagine what that is doing to her self-esteem.  The homework they loaded on her, added to the fact that her parents were spending so much time dealing with her younger brother made it impossible for her to succeed in public school.  I would love to homeschool her, or see her mother do it, but I don't really believe it would possible right now, for a number of reasons (among them being that her parents are divorced). 

If it is not God's will for us to be the ones ministering to her, I pray that God will bring someone else into her life.  But my wish is that God will show me some way to help her, both while she is staying with us and after she goes home.  I've been busy with my own family this year, and haven't made the time for her that I should have.   This could be blamed on a number of things, but bottom line is that here is a ministry opportunity in my own family.  Hopefully, I can rise to the occasion.