Chris, his two brothers, his sister, and his mom are most recently from Florida.  The brothers work concrete and landscaping and had a thriving business down there.  Chris and his wife, Amanda, have five kids, of whom the fourth is Chris (whom they all call “Baby Chris”).  Baby Chris was born here in Pittsburgh when his wife went into labor suddenly on their way to NYC.  They ended up in Children’s because he had a heart defect called cardiomyopathy.  The hospital stabilized his condition with medications, and they were able to return home after one month.  For the next five years Baby Chris did well and seemed to be fine.  They moved back to Florida and were part of a Pentecostal church down there, actively involved in preaching the gospel. The Lord was blessing their ministry in powerful ways and many were coming to know Christ.

But then, 11 months ago, Baby Chris’ heart started to fail, and the whole family moved back up to Pittsburgh so he could be at Children’s.  They are still waiting for a heart transplant donor for Baby Chris, and it has been a long hard journey.  The brothers have done their best to get concrete jobs in Pittsburgh and provide for their families, have rented a house near Cranberry, and are trying to make life here work.  Chris’ mom and sister have lived in Baby Chris’ room on the 4th Floor since day one.  The brothers will often come to the unit late at night after working a full day to see Baby Chris and to pray and study the Bible in the waiting room.  They have joined a newly planted Pentecostal church in Pittsburgh that has connections with their church back in Florida.  Even though their life here has been quite difficult, they have started doing evangelistic ministry in downtown Pittsburgh outside a homeless shelter.  They go on Sundays with pizza and speakers, preach the gospel, worship, and then share food and fellowship with those who come. 

About 4 months ago, the hospital told their family that they had done all they could for Baby Chris and that he just wasn’t going to make it.  They prayed fervently for him and continued to press forward in hope that God would provide a way.  Since then, Baby Chris has continued to struggle, but he’s still holding steady, and the family continues to pray in hope.

In my recent conversations with Chris, he has mentioned how they are struggling to keep up with rent and bills.  Because of all the rain this spring, it’s been hard to get and fulfill concrete jobs.  Because of the newness of their church plant and the fact that they are far away from home, they haven’t had much of a support network here.  I have been personally deeply encouraged by Chris’ fervency for sharing the gospel and his boldness in pointing people to Christ.  I have also been deeply impressed by his humility and willingness to learn and be taught.  We have been having great conversations about Scripture, and he has asked me to mentor him in his faith and his pursuit of biblical literacy. 

I am excited about how the Lord has brought us together, especially at a moment that was particularly difficult for both of us.  On the day that we got the transplant, the hospital had told Chris they had a heart that had been offered.  However, after multiple meetings, the hospital was unable to procure the heart because the other hospital didn’t have the right programs and systems in place.  He was feeling incredibly defeated and disappointed as this is the second heart that hasn’t worked out.  It was at that moment that the Lord encouraged him to come out and talk with me, and the conversations and prayers that have followed have been a deep blessing to both of us. 

I have been wanting to be more bold in evangelism and develop my willingness to share the Gospel. Chris has been helping me to develop that skill and just last night the Lord gave me an opportunity to share the Gospel with a young dad in the waiting room. It was my first time really sharing the gospel like that in years, and the Lord really used Chris to give me courage and guidance. At the same time, I have been encouraging him to read the Bible more, and we have had hours of conversation covering topics like baptism, communion, covenants, Gnosticism, the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, and the patriarch's lives. He has been so hungry to learn that in the last week he finished Genesis and is most of the way through Exodus. The more he reads, the more we have to discuss!

In lieu of all that, I offered to set up a GoFundMe for Chris and tell his story on our Caring Bridge.  We have been SO blessed by you all in your financial support and especially in your prayers.  I have really become aware of the difference between those being supported in prayer in this place, and those devoid of that help.  Its power is so evident when people’s lives are in such turmoil.  I ask for your prayers for Baby Chris and for the whole family.  I also ask that if you feel moved by the Lord to help this family, that you would consider donating to their need.  When I shared my desire to set this up for Chris, he was so excited.  He had thought about setting one up several months ago but felt out of place asking for money from others.  I knew exactly what he meant as it took us quite awhile to become comfortable with expressing our financial needs.  But he took my offer as a confirmation from the Lord, especially as their need has increased recently. 

Please pray for them and if you feel led, donate to them through the attached GoFundMe.  Thank you all for your continued love and support of us and through us of other people.  My list of families and kids I’m praying for on the unit keeps growing, and I see the Lord really opening up doors for love and service to others.  All praise to Jesus!