Hi friends, family, and the church at large,

As some of you know, in November 2024 Emma and I crossed paths with Ermina and her sweet family of 8. What started as just one day going to get groceries to fulfill immediate needs has grown into a sincere friendship and deep love for their family at large. We want to share their story as it has deeply moved our hearts and we hope that it does for y'all as well.

Ermina (23) and her husband, Riccardo (24), immigrated from Romania with Riccardo's parents and oldest two kids, Kevin (9) and Eva (5). For their first few years of being here in the States Riccardo and his father were able to work and provide for their family. In these years, Ermina had three more children: Luisa (3), Raphaela (2) and Aesop (1). They fell on hard times when Riccardo's father started to have major medical issues and three surgeries later was unable to do the same heavy labor jobs he was doing before. In September, Riccardo was forced to go back to Romania leaving the family with no one working in the home. With 7 mouths to feed, Ermina and her in laws were crying out to Jesus to help them.

In God's providential timing, He allowed Emma and I to meet Ermina just two months later. Emma met her first and came home to get me to meet her as well explaining, "this girl is different! You've got to come with me!". That day I met her and her family and got our church community involved in helping them get groceries, pay rent, and get Christmas presents for the kids.

On January 3rd, their difficult circumstances got worse as their 2 year old daughter, Luisa, was care-flighted from Dell Children's in Austin to Texas Children's in Houston because of a liver failure. For the next month, Luisa would be sedated, fighting for her life in the Houston hospital. Ermina had many sleepless nights in the ICU by her daughter's bedside anxiously waiting for good news. On one night in particular, after Luisa had nearly died and doctors and nurses rushed to get her vitals back to normal, Ermina cried out to Jesus asking Him if He was still there and if He was if He would give her a sign. That night, Jesus visited Ermina twice in a dream. I share that 1. to give God glory and 2. because it reminds me that Jesus loves this family and is the one who is truly taking care of their every need. He is with them and providing for them and we just get to be humble vessels of His love and care.

On January 25th, Luisa went into surgery for a liver transplant. Today, March 5th, she is still in the hospital in Houston recovering, but has transitioned out of the ICU (praise God!) and is taking steps towards healing. Ermina and Luisa will be in Houston for at least another month, while her other 4 kids and the grandparents stay at their apartment in Austin.

HERE IS THE CURRENT NEED:

Having a transplant at age 2 (now 3 as of February 21) is no small thing. It is a year of intensive care, dozens of medications, and a high risk of disease and viruses being deadly because of the immunosuppressants that she must take in order for her body not to reject the new liver.

As Ermina has been in Houston and unable to bring in any income, they are $2,800 behind in rent and in risk of being evicted. We are fundraising for this immediate need today.

We are also praying about how to make their position more sustainable as Ermina will need to be a full time caregiver of her daughter. Our hope is to help them buy a cheap car so that Ermina's father-in-law can go back to work (at a less physically demanding job). If anyone has a car they would be willing to donate that would also greatly bless them and take the burden off of Emma and I of finding one for them to buy.

Thank you for taking time to listen to their story. Please keep their sweet family in your prayers as well as Emma and I as we try to discern how to best support and care for them.