And the Doctor Says...

So it looks like it's going to be surgery, folks. We have an appointment scheduled for Tuesday (they didn't tell Caleb the time, which was odd.) His finger is off about 23-24 degrees, so when he closes his fist, his ring finger bends over his middle finger. It was either hope that the finger heals a little more straight, but find out after the opportunity for surgery passes, or get surgery now and correct the direction of his finger for sure. So we decided that surgery would be the best option. The doctor will be moving the bottom of the finger about 10 degrees, which will move the top of the finger more than that. They will insert a metal plate to keep it straight. Luckily it is outpatient surgery so Caleb will be out only a few days.

SO! It goes without saying that we need some serious prayer! Pray that the surgery will go well, the doctors will make the best choices and have steady hands, and that the healing will go smoothly. Also if you could be praying about the expenses that come with surgery, which we don't really have the resources to afford. So be praying for the Lord's provision that we can pay the bills. Thank you so much for your constant support. Love you guys!

A Little Lifeline Love :)

These were some of the sweet notes given to us by a couple of our Lifeline girls last Monday :) Hopefully I will get pictures of the other notes given to him this Monday. They are pretty cute! 

For those of you who hadn't heard, the Stantons had a rather interesting week last week! While at tailgating party through our church two Sundays ago, Caleb dislocated his ring finger playing flag football. We went to the store, bought a splint, and prayed about what to do and where to go in case the finger was broken. We woke up the next morning and his finger still wasn't bending straight. Off to the doctor we went! After some x-rays and an impressed doctor told Caleb "Have you seen this?? This is crazy!!" after seeing the x-rays, it turned out that Caleb broke his finger in two places, tore tendons, and ruptured cartilage. Joy :) They sent us straight to an orthopedic specialist, who took more x-rays, put his hand in a partial cast, and we find out tomorrow whether Caleb needs surgery or not. 

The concerned kids are absolutely adorable. At Club on Monday, four or five girls wrote him "get better" letters. This is a great example of how the relationships with the kids are going. The elementary girls are crazy about Caleb! They always want his attention. The boys obviously show their like for Caleb in different ways, playing games with him and thriving under the attention. We have seen fruit come from Caleb's visits from Mary Beck Elementary, as a boy named Daniel came to Club after being invited by Caleb. I am officially a mother of three, possibly more. Totianna, Amairiya, and Ashanti have taken to calling me "Mama," which just makes my day :) Seeing how the kids cling to you and are so excited to see you every week warms our hearts. It definitely makes what we do at Clubs worth it. 

For those of you who aren't aware of what the upcoming Monday brings, it's Halloween! The city of Elkhart has a scheduled date and time of trick-or-treating, and this year it's on the 31st from 6-8pm. Lifeline is having a carnival to celebrate! We are inviting the River Run Apartments (government housing where a large portion of our kids live) as well as Mary Beck Elementary. Face painting, corn hole, bowling, and balloon animals are only a few of the booths. We are excited for the opportunity for the community to come together in our building and to meet parents who come with their children. So pray that we have enough volunteers and candy to make it through the event! 

Prayer Requests: 

- We find out tomorrow whether Caleb will need surgery or not. If you could pray that his finger heals straight and that there is no other damage to the finger, we would greatly appreciate it. 

- Another request is a prayer for financial provision. Caleb has insurance, just insurance with a $3,000 deductible. So please pray that God will provide a way to pay for the medical bills. 

- That God will be present during our carnival on Monday, and that we can meet and reach our community for Christ.