We called her 'Starfish Stephanie'

We first saw her during a JESUS film showing at a rural church plant about an hour and a half bus ride from Asuncion, Paraguay, in March 2009.

In the arms of her father was a 7-year-old girl named Estefania (Stephanie) who had been born with deformities in the ankles and hips. As a result, she could not walk. When not carried by someone, her mobility was restricted to crawling on the ground with all of its concomitant implications of filth, injuries, infections and psychological outlook. 

It is probably fair to say that her mother, who just recently gave birth to her eighth child, has found Stephanie a bigger burden than she anticipated when awaiting her birth. Lacking both medical knowledge and financial resources, Stephanie's parents have been severely limited in responding to the challenges facing their handicapped daughter.
 
Members of our Work & Witness team -- one of 24 teams we have led and call "Mavericks" -- were moved with compassion for the little girl. Realizing that they could make a difference in this one life, they nicknamed her "Starfish Stephanie," and left discretionary funds to facilitate a medical evaluation. 

The report from that evaluation recommended a series of four surgeries, each costing approximately $1,000, which the Lord has graciously provided through unsolicited donations. However, due to a change in field staffing, those procedures have not yet been initiated.

Meanwhile, Liliana and Felix Vargas, a new missionary couple in Paraguay, have found additional pediatric resources and are re-evaluating the options. Those resources are recommending just two surgeries, but encourage pre-surgery professional counseling to prepare Stephanie for the inevitable pain and discomfort that she will experience in the process, plus significant post-surgery physical therapy.  In addition, they said that efforts should be made to "normalize" Stephanie's situation, meaning getting her into a wheelchair, addressing her bladder challenges and doing things that will enhance her self-esteem.
 
With that in mind, and learning that Stephanie recently turned 8 years old, we invited her family to bring Stephanie to our main job site, the District Center at Fernando de la Mora, and we threw a birthday party that will be one of those unforgettable memories. 

My wife, Judy, found a cute pink dress. It was a bit big so it has a future. She also found a jeweled crown from the 99 cent store.

Work teams brought along an abundance of gifts, cakes and candies were purchased, balloons inflated, and Stephanie's self-esteem hopefully significantly enhanced.

Pray for Liliana as she seeks to coordinate a viable game plan among the doctors for Stephanie's treatment.