I was happy to find out we could visit Tarza at her home during a recent trip to Iraq. A friend from one of our Iraqi partner organizations met both Tarza and Rezhin while they were all with us in Jerusalem, and has been continuing their relationship in Sulaymania. She arranged this visit, and the family met our taxi down the street to guide us to their home.
Tarza's case was one of the fastest healing processes we've had among our Iraqi patients, so we expected to find her full of energy and were not disappointed. She 
was a polite hostess, bringing refreshments with her sister's help while we all sat together. She practiced her English for us as evidence of her excellent progress in school, and is really doing well with her ability to read. It presented a perfect opportunity to give her one of our favorite story books about Jesus which is written in both Kurdish and English. She began to pore through it immediately with great interest.
Tarza's mother was full of thanks for everything done for her daughter and invited us to stay for dinner with the family. Having made a prior commitment, we declined after a pleasant visit. We were able to tell Tarza's mom and her daughters before we left that it is the love of God which brought this opportunity for Tarza, and to Him goes all the thanks.
This was Tarza and Rezhin's last week in Israel. These two girls are just precious and full of life. Every day they've talked about when they would get to go home to see their families. You could see the anticipation growing in them each day and never would have imagined that these two girls running around playing, recently had had heart surgery. It's exciting to think who they will become as they return home with new hearts.
Everyone woke up this morning freshly cleaned and with their best clothes on. Packing must have begun last night, leaving things only to be tidied up today. After waiting several hours, we all loaded up in the van mid-afternoon to head to the border crossing. It was a beautiful day, providing for a nice drive and great views of the country. Once at passport control things went fairly smoothly and they were able to make a couple of quick purchases from the Duty Free Shop before going outside to wait for the bus.
Sadly they faced a long wait on the other side of the border crossing, making what was already a long day that much longer. After a quick nap, they'll awake early in the morning to head to the airport to return home.
What a privilege it has been to meet these two beautiful girls. How grateful we are that they have many more years of health and life ahead of them.
We set out early this morning for Tel Aviv so that Tarza and Rezhin could visit the Save A Child's Heart house near Wolfson Medical Center in order for some media and some supporters of the doctors' organization to meet the Iraqi children who are being helped. Since the Iraqi families stay with us in Jerusalem before and after surgery now instead of at the Save A Child's Heart house, this was their first visit there, and they were not quite sure what to make of it at first. But the girls enjoyed being at the house after they were offered bead-making materials to pass the time. We were also relieved to be able to move their echocardiograms up one day rather than make another trip tomorrow. 
Tarza got an excellent report after her echo, and although her mother was hoping to be able to leave after today, Dr. Tamir said Tarza should come back in one week for the final echocardiogram. We are thankful for this good report, and expect Tarza will be on schedule to go home early next week. Keep praying for her recovery to be complete and quick.
We made our way to the hospital this morning for Tarza and Rezhin's follow-up echos. After waiting nearly an hour, each girl was taken in for her echo. Afterwards, the report was that they are doing really well. Neither of the girls has any sign of water in her lungs, nor are they on any medications, only vitamins.
By the end of the day the mothers were ready to get back to Jerusalem. Both Tarza and Rezhin will have another echo next Monday.
Yesterday Lawk's mother asked to go to the hospital and visit Tarza and Rezhin. I was a little reluctant to take Lawk to the hospital for the day because he is such an energetic boy, but it turned out to be a great afternoon.
Tarza had her surgery this morning. Tarza's mother was nervous and was crying. Ali's father and Rezhin's mother were with her. While we were waiting to see Tarza after her surgery, they wanted to go to lunch, so we went to the cafeteria and ate. Later went to drink tea. They had not let Tarza's mother see her yet. It was a good while.
We received a surprise telephone call this evening from Wolfson Medical Center telling us to bring Tarza and Rezhin up to the hospital and they would have surgery tomorrow.
A shy Tarza and her mother began the admissions process today for her heart surgery at Wolfson Medical Center. Even though she is beginning to warm up to those of us on staff, she is still very quiet and shy. Because of this, I rather expected her to be fearful of the tests which had to be done today prior to her admission. What a surprise that she was such a trooper when it came her turn for the dreaded blood test! She only made a small whimper when the needle was inserted, and was very brave the rest of the time for every test.
surgery can be scheduled soon, and after the surgical team meets on Sunday we should have a better idea about just how soon. Naturally all of us hope they do not have to endure a long wait to get the treatment they came for.
Late this afternoon we arrived at the Israeli border to welcome Tarza and her mother, along with Rezhin and her mother, into Israel. We'd hoped to receive them Sunday evening but needed to wait until today. They were happy but tired, and after a little snack in the van, they rested as we drove up to Jerusalem.
Once here at the house, we were all thankful to have Sara's father to help us communicate with one another. Neither of these mothers speak Arabic or English, so one of our major prayer requests is for translation to be available for all of us during their stay here. We all hope that Sara and her dad will be able to leave quickly after her echo next Monday, but in the meantime are thanking God for his help to introduce the new moms and daughters to being with us.
Tonight at the house the three little girls (Tarza, Rezhin and Sara) are all feeling shy, and therefore have not yet begun to play together. Since Tarza will not have her first echocardiogram until Thursday, we're hoping that they will enjoy playing with one another in the morning after a good night's sleep.
Please pray for this little one to be able to receive her surgery soon, and that her heart will be made new in every way while she is with us. Begin to pray for peace for her mother as they approach the initial exam here, and the healing process for Tarza begins.
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