Friday, May 29, 2015

Only Matt!

I came out of my shower this afternoon just as Matt was getting ready to go to work.  I said, "What'd you eat Matt?" as he always eats something before work.
  
He said, "The salad."  

I said, "The salad I made for supper tonight?" 

He said, "Don't worry.  I'll have a couple more bowls after work."  
I'm sure he will!  I just hope there's enough left for supper!  

Note:  When Sam and I finished supper last night, I filled a large tupperware with the remaining salad.  When I woke it this morning, what I thought would be enough for a few meals today was GONE - all eaten by my son, the stomach!

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Locked Out!

I stopped using padlocks for my locker at the Y about my third month working there because I kept losing the padlocks.  I figured no one would really want to steal my clothes anyway . . .  and so for seven years I've been padlock free UNTIL today!

I finished my shower and went to my locker and there was a padlock on it.  Thinking maybe I had the wrong locker number, I opened the lockers on either side and one was empty and one had clothes, but not mine!  I remembered that when I had grabbed my shampoo there was a lady next to me who was getting ready to swim and I wondered if she had padlocked the wrong locker!  If not, it was just my towel and me!  

Sure enough, I spotted her in the showers and she came back with me.  "I was having the most lovely conversation and I never noticed where I put my padlock!"  Case solved, clothes found!

I was talking with my supervisor afterwards and she said it happens about once a month or so that she's aware of - someone puts their padlock on the wrong locker and they lose their padlock for good because it's always removed with the bolt cutter!  After all, we do need our clothes!   

Our Faithful God

Today's post is reblogged from Kristin Jack's blog, "A Beautiful Wander" because her post shows us the faithfulness of our God.  Amen.

During my Onboarding field service we painted a few murals of Africa, I remember thinking the little island off the southeast coast must be a mistake but no it wasn’t. It was Madagascar, a country I’d never even thought twice about. And now here I am. That little blob on the side of the map is my home now.

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A year ago I was in Benin preparing for the ship’s arrival. A year ago the ship was still in Congo wrapping up and preparing for technical phase. A year ago none of us had an inkling how Ebola would come to our doorstep and affect us, none of us could’ve imagined the challenges we would face or the beautiful fruit we would see come out of those challenges. But here we are a year later and a lot stronger for what we’ve experienced.

I think looking back is key to transitioning well, acknowledging the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly allows us to move forward with purpose. And this last year has plenty to reflect on, thousands of Ebenezer stones… big, small, polished, rough, displayed and hidden. This week I’ll highlight just a few that have been personally meaningful to me.

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I’ll never forget the words, “The ship will not come.” I was sitting at our dining room table across from Andrea. It was a hot Benin night and we’d all been tensely waiting for an answer from the ship, would we stay or would we go. We finally had our answer but it was heart breaking, completely understandable but completely devastating. I remember fighting back tears and wondering why. We had poured so much into this country, into this Advance, into these people… why?
  • We arrived with no Protocol (an agreement with the government which allows us to be there and grants us special rights and exonerations). We fought to get it signed and after six weeks we did.
  • We arrived thinking we would be at a very difficult berth which would drastically impact the number of patients we could treat. But over the months we ended up getting the prime berth in the Port and more space then we could’ve dreamed of.
  • There had been no assessment and our only real contact was our Mercy Ships country representative, Daslin. We had to start from scratch building relationships and presenting Mercy Ships. By the time we left we had strong connections that can be resumed at any time.
  • We struggled to find a HOPE Center, eye and dental clinic. But we found them and renovated them in a very short time.
  • We found a Selection site, we found patients, we found Day Crew… we found a home.
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Selection posters in Benin

And as long as it takes you to say “Madagascar” the Advance team was on the move again, some to Madagascar, some back to the ship in the Canary Islands, some to Europe and some of us staying in Benin to wrap things up. If we thought the three month Benin Advance was a challenge, we were floored by the six week challenge of the Madagascar Advance. But looking back I’m still overwhelmed when I see God’s incredible provision in all the same ways.
  • We arrived with no Protocol but within days it was signed and we could start work immediately.
  • We arrived not knowing anything about the Port or where we would be berthed but we ended up getting a perfect berth with more dock space than we’ve ever had.
  • We had no assessment going into the country and our only contact was the Prime Minister’s personal assistant. But we made connections right and left and were introduced quickly to the right people and we got everything done in an impossible amount of time.
  • We found the HOPE, eye and dental clinics quickly and were able to start renovations before the ship even arrived.
  • We found the selection sites, we found patients, we found Day Crew… we found our new home.
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Selection posters in Madagascar

Our little team grew each week with new members with new objectives. We were literally scattered across Madagascar, connected by mobile phones and iPads. We were tired but we were driven and we were amazed at how God blew open every door for us on the ground in Madagascar.

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Then it was a week before the ship was due to arrive, the Africa Mercy pulled out of her berth in Capetown and set sail for her new home in Tamatave. And shortly after she departed she hit rough seas, not like little white capped waves but big waves and severe lists. I saw people posting on Facebook how terrible it was, hearing about the 3:00am list that upheaved everyone’s cabin and destroyed the Academy. We heard about the Tuesday afternoon one that caught everyone off guard. And we heard about the “flood” on Deck 3. For us on the ground it sounded terrible. And I’d be lying if a part of me wondered if the ship would actually make to Madagascar. Andrea and I had been making jokes all the Madagascar Advance that we wouldn’t believe the ship was actually coming until we saw her with our own eyes.


IMG_6962I didn’t realize how real that fear was for me until the morning the ship was to arrive. It wasn’t until I heard Jan’s voice over the handheld radio that I realized I’d been holding my breath for six weeks. Andrea and I listened to Jan giving commands on the radio to the other officers, tears welled up in my eyes and we both looked at each other, “THE SHIP IS COMING!”


Those four words summed up so much and carry so much weight. That little phrase carries the hard work of two Advance teams, the hopes of a nation and a promise of miracles. The Africa Mercy pulled into Port looking beat up and like she’d been through battle. The Crew on the decks were a sight for sore eyes and there was so much joy at seeing those beautiful faces. I choke up a bit just thinking about seeing Lisa and Amy at the highest points on Deck 7 waving like crazy. After six months of uncertainty and distance we were all finally home.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

The Faces of Lives Changed

Oh, my goodness!  Read what I've reblogged from Nurse Heather's blog, "Girl.Nurse.Ship.Africa.Dream Come True".  It's is so amazing because God is so amazing!

The faces of lives changed..My Ebenezer stones

8 months on this ship has taught me more about the character of the Lord than I’ve ever known. I’ve learned of His relentless love for His people, as well as for myself. I’ve learned about the faithfulness of our Father on countless occasions as I’ve seen legs straightened, wounds healed, and hearts changed.
I was recently reminded of the term “Ebenezer Stones”. Samuel and the Israelites were being pursued by the Philistines and feared for their lives when they asked Samuel to pray for them. Samuel asked the Lord for protection for his people and soon after, the Israelites won the battle and the Philistines retreated. Once victorious, the Bible says, “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” Ebenezer stones have become figuratively known as a monument or memory that recognize a time when the Lord was faithful.

These faces, these stories, are my Ebenezer Stones..My reminders of the Lord’s ever present faithfulness…


MIOTY is a 5 year old whose was attacked by a rodent at 1 year of age. She got a new nose and a new life..
Mioty Beforeafter
This girl has been my greatest joy for going to work every day. As I told her story in my last blog she has only continued to come out of her shell that was created after she lost her eye and her face became distorted. She has spent 13 weeks on the ward. Week 7 was her turning point..when she began to let us invade her heart. When she realized that we loved her regardless of anything she would do to make us not. I love how her life is such a beautiful analogy of how the Lord loves us. How we don’t understand what He has for us, and we fight and throw fits because we don’t want change, because we don’t want to endure the “molding” that has to be done in order to make us into something beautiful. Yet when we submit, when we put down our defenses and give the Lord our trust He proves faithful 100% of the time.
Since being on the ward, Mioty has learned how to spell her name and she knows all of the words to the song “10,000 Reasons”. I have never smiled more than when I listen to her sing, “Bless the Lord Oh My Soul, Oh-oh-oh My Soul!” at the top of her lungs.
FRANCINA had a bilateral cleft lip and palate..
Francina Beforeafter
After surgery, she is well on her way to gaining weight. And although she had the cutest cleft lip smile I’ve ever see, she’ll appreciate not having a cleft as she continues to grow into a beautiful woman who will never experience what life would have been like with such a deformity.
BANAY also had a bilateral cleft lip and palate..
Banay Beforeafter
She has lived the majority of her teen years avoiding people. Now with her new lip she says she finally feels beautiful enough to go out into the world. “I was ashamed,” she says. Her first plan now that she’s left the hospital is to take swimming lessons. She’s always been afraid of the water due to her deformity and now she plans to conquer that fear!
JOCELYN had a tumor near his eye that caused his eye to protrude from his face..
JOcelyn beforeafter
With the tumor removed, Jocelyn can now return to a normal life. And apparently he’s a Seahaws fan for all of you West Coasters! (GO SEAHAWKS!)
NATIFA had a bilateral Tessier cleft. The cleft in her lip and palate extended up into her eyes..
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf - Ward nurse Heather Morehouse (USA) with Natifa (MGB12022) on Deck 7.
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf - Ward nurse Heather Morehouse (USA) with Natifa (MGB12022) on Deck 7.
This little girl had my heart from day one as she was chunky and loved to cuddle. She is also blind due to her cleft, but had the sweetest way of using her hands to touch your face to “see” you. I could spend hours holding this precious girl. Her lip has been repaired and the holes that have extended into her eyes have been closed. She’ll return for the next field service for additional surgery.
SAMBANY  had a tumor growing on his face for 19 years. He is now a free man..
Sambany Before:after
It took a 12 hour surgery to remove the 16.5lb tumor from his face. Sambany is one of the bravest men I know.. He heard about Mercy Ships and then walked for 2 days and traveled for a total of 4 with his grandson to get to the ship. His surgery was very risky and there was a point where the surgeons did not think that they could operate. They gave him the choice and Sambany chose to go through with the surgery saying, “I know without surgery I will die. I know I might die in surgery, but I already feel dead inside from the way I’m treated. I choose to have surgery.” This man, who endured years and years of reject headed home last week. Our media team is making the long journey home with him and we are all excited to see how his village will respond to Sambany’s changed life!
(Here’s a link to the video that tells Sambany’s story:  https://vimeo.com/123209406 )
SANTA tripped over a pot of boiling water which severely burned her neck..
Santa beforeafter
Due to lack of money and access to healthcare, Santa’s burns weren’t properly treated leaving her neck immobilized due to skin contractures. The skin on her chin healed poorly, attaching to the burned parts on her neck. She wasn’t able to lift her head.. She can now extend her neck like she never could before and will continue to gain mobility as she heals.
ZAKAEL had a large cyst on his neck that everyone could see..
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Now he can show his infectious smile off without worrying about curious looks from other people..
ROMINO had bowed legs..
Romino Beforeafter
After orthopedic surgery earlier this year his legs are now straight!
MINETTE had a 9 lb tumor hanging from her back..
Minette beforeafter
She would do her best to hide her tumor by wearing oversized T-shirts.. Now she’s 9lbs lighter and has changed up her wardrobe!
FREIDA  is a 14 month old who had a left lip and a cleft palate..
Freida Beforeafter
Due to her malnutrition she was admitted into the Infant Feeding Program several weeks before her surgery in order to get her to a safe weight so that she could have surgery.
Getting Freida to eat was a challenge from day 1. A hole in the palate of her mouth made it difficult to eat and she learned to hate having any food in her mouth. When she finally gained enough weight, she had her first surgery to repair her lip and then her palate was repaired once her lip had healed. She has been a patient of ours since the beginning of the year whether on the ward after her surgeries, or at the HOPE center having frequent appointments with the dietician. She stayed much longer than the other kids do that have the same kind of repair due to her aversion to food. It took a lot of patience from the dietician and us nurses to re-teach Freida how to eat and to “like” to eat. She was discharged from the hospital last week and our prayer is that she will continue to gain weight and that her momma will be persistent in feeding her even when it’s difficult!
SALASTINE and ZAFILINE  wore scarves over their faces to hide their tumors…
before after
zafiline beforeafter
Now you can see the hope they carry in their eyes of their beautiful faces.
MARIE was 2 years old when she fell into a pot of boiling water..
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Since Maria’s parents didn’t have the money to seek medical treatment, her arm healed improperly and she was no longer able to raise it away from her side. Her parents said, “The problem was always the money. Always the money. It would have been impossible for us to find the money to do surgery.” The Lord proved faithful and Maria had free surgery and can now lift her arm like she used to when she was 2 years old.
VANYA had “windswept legs”..
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Vanya would come home from school and tell her mom that her friends would make fun of her because she couldn’t run. She wouldn’t wear clothes that other girls her age would wear for fear of people seeing her crooked legs. Now, for the first time in 10 years, she can run with the other kids and show off her straight legs!
JEAN LUC had a tumor on his tongue that was slowly occluding his ability to breathe and eat..
JeanLuc Beforeafter
This picture on the left was actually taken after Jean Luc’s surgery. His initial tumor of his tongue was so large that his tongue protruded from his mouth making it close to impossible for him to eat and he was unable to close his mouth. Now, after the surgery and the decrease in the swelling, Jean Luc is able to eat and can close his mouth for the first time in years.
This little boy holds a very special place in my heart because it was my blood that he was given for his first blood transfusion! He was admitted to the ship before his surgery date because his labs were unstable to proceed. I was honored to be able to give a part of myself to help change this little boy’s life. I prayed over him as I peaked into the ward and saw my blood flowing from this bag into his frail little body. That he would be strong enough for surgery and that he would grow to be a man who loves Jesus.
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THESE FACES ARE MY EBENEZER STONES..
What are your yours?
I’ve been challenged to never forget the way that the Lord has provided, how He’s followed though, how He’s answered prayers. Remember those moments and be expectant for Him to give you more!
These faces will forever be imprinted in my mind and even more so in my heart. They will always remind me that I serve a living and faithful God.
Thank you, Father, for a beautiful reminder of the kind of God I serve.

One thought on “The faces of lives changed..My Ebenezer stones

  1. I am blessed and made joyful by your testimonies :D God is always good and always faithful! Thank you for sharing your Ebenezer Stones with us Heather.
    p.s. Now I have the lyric…
    “Here I raise my Ebenezer;
    Here there by Thy great help I’ve come;
    And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
    Safely to arrive at home.
    Jesus sought me when a stranger,
    Wandering from the fold of God;
    He, to rescue me from danger,
    Interposed His precious blood”
    stuck in my head (not a bad thing though) :)

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Saturday, May 23, 2015

LNHS Awards Night

I had the camera ready and the battery died just as they called Matt's name.  I grabbed my cell phone and took this pathetic picture just as he walked across the stage.  He's the blob with hair in the middle!
 The best comment came from a friend after . . . "I was shocked when I saw his 'fro!"

Actual Text to Matt:

"We're having rabbit for dinner!"

Sadly, the neighbors are all rather happy about the bunny because his family has been reeking havoc in our gardens!  And Annie's always glad to catch more!

Friday's Theme Song

Oh, yes!  Yesterday's theme song was "Jesus Loves Me" and I sang it to the life guards, my co-teacher, almost anyone who would listen!  Because I have my most challenging groups on Friday morning and I was on day five of a concussion headache and I really didn't want to go to work, but I did anyway.  My first class was missing M_____ who can't swim and doesn't listen and is known for swimming off and doing her own thing. It was wonderful and I started to sing softly, "Jesus loves me . . ."  My second class with missing J_____, a larger boy who is argumentative and battles with me, his mother, or the lifeguards every week - but not yesterday!  And the singing got louder . . . "Jesus loves me!"  My third class was missing H____ and J____, both opportunities in action - did you hear me sing because I'm sure everyone at the Y did!  Oh, baby!  God is good all time, all the time . . . and today, so far - no headache!  Amen! 

Thanks, Liz!

Liz came to swimming lessons Thursday morning and proudly told me that she had a runny nose, sore throat and a cough - which she promptly shared with me!  And now, Liz, it's Saturday morning and I have a runny nose, sore throat and a cough . . . you should have stayed HOME! 

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

At breakfast this morning, Sam was telling us about his (5th grade) social studies class yesterday.  During the course of his class, one of his students asked him why Great Britain was also called the United Kingdom.  Sam explained that the UK was made up of three countries - England (English), Scotland (Scottish) and Wales where the Welch people came from.  And one of the kids said, "Is that where Welches grape juice comes from, too?"  Fast forwarding - you can almost hear it - they were also talking about Samuel Adams and when Sam asked who Samuel Adams was, he got the response, "A beer!"  Any wonder why he's tired of "teaching to the test?"  Just sayin' . . .

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Quick!

We're going on a trip!  To a ship far away!  So we can give God the glory . . . because lives are forever changed!

Photo Credit Deb Louden, Mioty (MGB14013) and Jaclyn BLIEVERNICHT (USA) Ward Nurse, play on the ward together.
Photo Credit Deb Louden, Mioty (MGB14013) and Jaclyn BLIEVERNICHT (USA) Ward Nurse, play on the ward together.
Photo Credit Deb Louden, Mioty (MGB14013) and Jaclyn BLIEVERNICHT (USA) Ward Nurse, play on the ward together.
Photo Credit Deb Louden, Nurses, Hospital Day Crew, caregivers and patients from the Maxillofacial ward.
Photo Credit Deb Louden, Nurses, Hospital Day Crew, caregivers and patients from the Maxillofacial ward.
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf - Clarinette (MGB16302) and Ny Anjara (MGB14057) on Deck 7
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf – Clarinette (MGB16302) and Ny Anjara (MGB14057) on Deck 7
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf -
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf – Jean Florent and Anna Iraggi (USA).
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf - Ward nurse Katie Ten Hoeve (USA) with Lixia (MGB12462) and her sister on Deck 7.
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf – Ward nurse Katie Ten Hoeve (USA) with Lixia (MGB12462) and her sister on Deck 7.
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf - Ward nurse Rachel Eason (GBR) with Lauren (MGB16252) on deck 7
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf – Ward nurse Rachel Eason (GBR) with Lauren (MGB16252) on deck 7
Photo Credit Katie Keegan - Judlin (MGB16064) on the dock
Photo Credit Katie Keegan – Judlin (MGB16064) on the dock
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf - Ward nurse Heather Morehouse (USA) with Stani (MGB16286on D ward.
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf – Ward nurse Heather Morehouse (USA) with Stani (MGB16286on D ward.
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf - Ward nurse Heather Morehouse (USA) palys with Mioty (MGB14013) on Deck 7.
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf – Ward nurse Heather Morehouse (USA) plays with Mioty (MGB14013) on Deck 7.
Photo Credit Katie Keegan - Amy Jones (GBR) and Mioty (MGB14013) color in the wards
Photo Credit Katie Keegan – Amy Jones (GBR) and Mioty (MGB14013) color in D Ward.
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf -
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf – Olga in D Ward.
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf - Jacques (MGb16284) and Stani (16286) on Deck 7 together with their new noses.
Photo Credit Catrice Wulf – Jacques (MGb16284) and Stani (16286) on Deck 7 together with their new noses.
Photo Credit Deb Louden, Heather MOREHOUSE (USA) Ward Nurse, holds Bienvenue (MGB16273) while playing with Mioty (MGB14013) and Jaclyn BLIEVERNICHT (USA) Ward Nurse.
Photo Credit Deb Louden, Heather MOREHOUSE (USA) Ward Nurse, holds Bienvenue (MGB16273) while playing with Mioty (MGB14013) and Jaclyn BLIEVERNICHT (USA) Ward Nurse.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

I'MMMMMM BACK!

I returned as staff to Sand Creek Adventures yesterday for a wonderful afternoon with a group from AgStar.  It couldn't have been a more glorious day!  I arrived with butterflies in my belly and left with a smile on my face!  In between, I sent a couple of groups down the zip line, took a group through the low ropes course and learned to drive the cub cadet!  To God be the glory!

The One

This post has been reblogged from a post by Naomi Reid, a nurse from Bisbane, Australia. Enjoy!

Quantitative data, like statistics, are necessary to present the facts but they grossly under-tell the story. I love what my supervisor Mirjam says “Numbers don’t tell the whole story. Every number has a name, and every name is a life, an individual with their own story to tell”. Every individual has a heart and soul that longs to know how loved they are by God. There are 7 billion people on this earth, yet God cares about the one. I often find this mind boggling. He loves the individual person that he uniquely created. There are many attempts to explain this but one that I love is by Matthew. He compares God to a shepherd. He tells us to imagine a shepherd who owns a 100 sheep and realises he’s lost one of them. He doesn’t say oh who cares, 99 will do, I'll forget about the one I lost. No, he goes searching for the one and rejoices over it when he finds it. Our heavenly father cares about the one.  


One of the faces and stories behind the numbers belongs to a little two year old girl, named Fitia. On our last day of screening in Mahajanga, towards the end of the day, a desperate mother arrived with her daughter who had a large infected burn wound to her chest. Fitia had been burnt three months earlier when she accidentally pulled a pot of hot water onto herself. Her parents took her to the doctor and bought antibiotic ointment but could not afford anything more. Of course Fitia needed much more than just antibiotic ointment to her badly burnt chest. Desperate, they went to the traditional doctor who advised them to spit onto the wound each day. Obviously, after three months of this, her burn was badly infected and not healing. The likely outcome at best for this little girl would have been a severe burn contracture to her neck or sepsis from the infection. 

One of the nurses on the screening team, Nate was assessing Fitia. She was in agony, so obviously unwell, and desperate for help. Nate knew what needed to be done – surgical debridement, antibiotics and skin grafts. However there was dilemma. As much as we would like to, as an organisation, we can’t fix everything, we can’t help everyone. Therefore there are strict criteria for us to follow to find patients that can be helped within Mercy Ship’s scope of practice. The scope of plastic surgery on the ship excludes recent burns that have occurred within six months or operating on infected wounds. There are just far more complications and a lot more risk involved when these patients. But trying to explain this and say no to Fitia and her mother didn’t seem right. So Mirjam called the ship, to ask hospital leadership for an exemption for this patient, and with wisdom and mercy a decision was made to accept and help this patient. She was then flown back with us on our MAF flight from Mahajanga to Tamatave. A terrified little girl sat on the back of the plane with her anxious mother who was willing to trust us. 

Fitia spent almost three months receiving both inpatient care on-board the ship and outpatient care. She received good nutrition, antibiotics, and surgeries to clean her burn and apply skin grafts and she has been loved and cared for in a way that is unique to this incredible hospital. She arrived on board the ship so fearful, crying into her mother’s arms and hiding whenever anyone came close. But it wasn’t long before she was laughing and playing with the nurses and other children on the ward.


Two weeks ago she was discharged home. No longer is she in agony, so sick and desperate for relief from her infected burns. Instead she is a happy two year old; her wounds have healed, she is healthy and her future is so so bright.

Sometimes it’s so clear to see, other times it’s almost impossible*, but I know that it’s true;

God cares about the one.