Gisele:
"For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!" Psalms 139: 13 - 17
"For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!" Psalms 139: 13 - 17
May 21, 2014 by Louise (Tiffany's mom)
Today our precious Gisele went to be with the Lord. The following story may sound confusing or contradicting. Why would God give a promise that she will live and then take her home? Why would He give me a word of knowledge about her illness even before any indication that she would have any health problems? And why did we all look for that promise and hold tight on to it for three and half months before God took her home?
If I ask myself the question “WHY?”, I don't stay there for long because then it becomes disbelief. Our faith is not in the "promise" but is in God Himself, and in God alone. “we are perplexed, but not in despair” 2 Corinthians 4: 8
Someday, God will reveal His perfect will, and it is always the best for us all.
One more thing I'd like to say,,
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23: 19
When God promises, He always fulfills His promises. I don’t trust my ability to hear His voice, but I trust His faithfulness. God did fulfill His promise on that day when Gisele’s heart stopped for more than an hour during her first surgery and God kept her alive for three and half months. I may have misinterpreted His promise to be for the long term, or I may have had my own wishes to become louder than God’s voice. I don’t know what to make of it, but as I said, I don’t trust my ability to hear God’s voice, but I trust His faithfulness.
God is God, and He will remain as my Lord.
Louise, Tiffany's mom.
The Original Story by Louise (Tiffany's mom)
The night that Tiffany called me to tell Sameh and I that she was pregnant, we were so happy that we were brought to tears at the sheer joy of this wonderful blessing. Sameh and I had waited and prayed for years that the Lord would bless Ron and Tiffany with a baby. And now, it was finally happening. That evening, Sameh and I prayed and thanked the Lord for this baby. We were so excited. No sooner had we said "Amen", I received a word from the Lord. He told me that the baby was going to be very sick and that He was going to allow her to nearly die, but that she'd be okay. He told me that he was going to allow this to happen so that his name would be glorified, so that Ron and Tiffany's faith in Him would be deepened and so that many would be brought to the saving knowledge of His cross. This was before any of us knew that the baby had a tumor. Tiffany hadn't even had her first ultrasound yet. The only thing I did know was that Gisele's illness would be very difficult but that eventually she'd be well again. The Lord told me to keep this information to myself until He was ready for Ron and Tiffany to know about it. I shared it with no one, not even Sameh. I just remained fervent in prayer, trusting in the Lord.
About 2 months later, Tiffany finally went for her first ultrasound. That's when the technician noticed something on the baby. They couldn't immediately determine what it was. A week later it was confirmed that she had a tumor. We were devastated, all of us. But I remembered the promise that God had given me.
Fast forward to the day of Gisele's surgery. Sameh and I went to be with Ron and Tiffany at the hospital. I met Tiffany downstairs. She started to cry and shake and told me how scared she was. Right then, the Lord put it on my heart to tell her what He'd told me, but not to share the part about Gisele coming very close to death. As soon as I told her, she started sobbing. We hugged each other and I was crying too. She said, "thank you mom. That's exactly what I needed to hear." I was relieved to be able to finally give her that piece of news.
Tiffany went back upstairs to wait with Ron while the surgery was being done. Sameh and I waited downstairs where we talked and prayed. We weren't permitted up on the 3rd floor. Hospital rules. Ron was texting us with periodic updates. The surgery was going very well. Then we received a text asking us to pray...now. Gisele was struggling. We didn't know exactly what that meant. We only knew that it was very bad. About 30 minutes later, Tiffany came downstairs to get us. There was a social worker with her and she told us that the doctors wanted to have a meeting with all of us right away. On the way there, Tiffany explained to us that Gisele's heart had stopped beating and that the doctors had to work long and hard to revive her. That's when I told her that Gisele would be brought literally to the brink of death, but that she'd survive. Needless to say, Tiffany was shocked and greatly relieved at that news.
At the meeting, the anesthesiologist explained that Gisele's heart had stopped beating during the surgery and that they'd done everything they could to revive her. He kept saying, "We did everything we could." He said, "The fact that she was even born is a miracle in itself." I know this is true because most babies who develop this tumor don't survive long enough in the womb to be born. The fact that they were able to revive her was no doubt another miracle. The doctor then explained everything that was going on with her, and that her prognosis was not good. They didn't expect her to make it through the night and he told us to prepare ourselves for that. He said that if she lived through the night, she might have a chance of surviving. All of us were so devastated. We could barely keep our composure. It was tearing Sameh and I up to see Ron and Tiffany having to deal with this news. The doctor apologized for the bad news and then politely left the room so we could be alone. Sameh and I went home that afternoon, broken hearted for Ron and Tiffany, and unsure about what would happen next. We cried, we prayed, begging God for another miracle, barely able to sleep. By this time thousands of people were praying for Gisele as well as for Ron and Tiffany.
The next morning we received the miraculous news that Gisele was still obviously extremely critical but that she had made it through the night. We were elated, praising God for His goodness and faithfulness. He proved himself true to keep His promise. She came very close to death, and she survived. It wasn't until that day that we heard from the doctors that her heart had actually stopped for "over an hour and a half". All of us were stunned at this news and in absolute awe of God's healing power. More than an hour and a half!? And she's still ALIVE???!!! All the MORE reason to believe that God is DEFINITELY in this!
To all of you who continue to pray for Gisele and her family, thank you so much for being such an amazing blessing to this family. The Lord hears your prayers. He is faithful and true. God bless every single one of you.
Louise, Tiffany's mom
God's word to Tiffany in retrospect 5/22
Two months before I got pregnant I had a miscarriage and days afterwards, while crying about it, God stopped me in my thoughts and told me I'd have a baby soon. Little did I know this amazing revelation was in order to prepare me for the road ahead. I thought, "Who am I? Why should I deserve the honor and privilege of God almighty, creator, heavenly Father tell me that I'm going to have a baby?!" I also knew that she'd be very ill. Two months into my pregnancy I felt he was preparing me with a mindset of determination that if anything was wrong it would be for a purpose, as in good things would be brought about despite the bad situation (see explanation on Romans 8:28). He impressed upon me that it would be a calling. I kind of forgot about it because I didn't know it was God telling me. I just had this determination. At my first ultrasound (16 weeks?) the tumor was seen on ultrasound as a cyst. When the nurse told us I suddenly remembered and knew it was in fact God who prepared me for this.
He began speaking to me more, promising me that it would not be in vain, that it would be for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom. This was going to happen, but for her it would not be in vain. Gisele's life was a very sad experience for her, but her life is full of meaning. She caused us to draw near to God. People have told me that they are nearer to God now than before Gisele came along. He encouraged me that I would experience growth in my faith, that I would see my husband and Tykei grow in theirs, and that people would also be drawn closer to God and others would come to know Him. He promised my family would grow closer together too. I've seen His faithfulness because I've witnessed it myself. The whole purpose of any of our lives here is to know God and make Him known, to accept Jesus as our savior because he died for our sins so we can be forgiven and be with God in heaven. Without accepting Jesus we cannot go to heaven. Where we spend eternity is the most important thing. Our time here on earth is an opportunity to make that decision and walk faithfully through life with God.
What my mom wrote is true. The morning of her surgery on 2/13, my mom said her life would be "in jeopardy" at some point, but God let me know that it really meant during surgery she'd almost pass away but would survive. I didn't know until that morning that God had spoke to each of us individually. God spoke to me the same thing, that something would be very wrong, but that eventually she'd be okay. I was never really sure what okay meant, but I had such a deep peace about it. I kept telling myself that okay meant going home with us, not that she'd pass away and suffer no more. It always felt uncertain if she'd actually make it home. Yes, I was sad the whole time because I felt bad that Gisele was very sick, but I was looking forward to that time of peace when she'd be okay. All the while I tried hard to convince myself she'd come home, but as time went by I realized it was not going to happen.
I promised God I would be faithful to do what He has given me to do in this situation. Yesterday, as Gisele was in my arms I promised her that her life will not be in vain. She has already done so much and brought about change in so many people. I look forward to sharing with everyone at her memorial service. So many of you have prayed so diligently for her and I thank you so much. Thank you for coming along side us in prayer.
Tiffany
Today our precious Gisele went to be with the Lord. The following story may sound confusing or contradicting. Why would God give a promise that she will live and then take her home? Why would He give me a word of knowledge about her illness even before any indication that she would have any health problems? And why did we all look for that promise and hold tight on to it for three and half months before God took her home?
If I ask myself the question “WHY?”, I don't stay there for long because then it becomes disbelief. Our faith is not in the "promise" but is in God Himself, and in God alone. “we are perplexed, but not in despair” 2 Corinthians 4: 8
Someday, God will reveal His perfect will, and it is always the best for us all.
One more thing I'd like to say,,
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23: 19
When God promises, He always fulfills His promises. I don’t trust my ability to hear His voice, but I trust His faithfulness. God did fulfill His promise on that day when Gisele’s heart stopped for more than an hour during her first surgery and God kept her alive for three and half months. I may have misinterpreted His promise to be for the long term, or I may have had my own wishes to become louder than God’s voice. I don’t know what to make of it, but as I said, I don’t trust my ability to hear God’s voice, but I trust His faithfulness.
God is God, and He will remain as my Lord.
Louise, Tiffany's mom.
The Original Story by Louise (Tiffany's mom)
The night that Tiffany called me to tell Sameh and I that she was pregnant, we were so happy that we were brought to tears at the sheer joy of this wonderful blessing. Sameh and I had waited and prayed for years that the Lord would bless Ron and Tiffany with a baby. And now, it was finally happening. That evening, Sameh and I prayed and thanked the Lord for this baby. We were so excited. No sooner had we said "Amen", I received a word from the Lord. He told me that the baby was going to be very sick and that He was going to allow her to nearly die, but that she'd be okay. He told me that he was going to allow this to happen so that his name would be glorified, so that Ron and Tiffany's faith in Him would be deepened and so that many would be brought to the saving knowledge of His cross. This was before any of us knew that the baby had a tumor. Tiffany hadn't even had her first ultrasound yet. The only thing I did know was that Gisele's illness would be very difficult but that eventually she'd be well again. The Lord told me to keep this information to myself until He was ready for Ron and Tiffany to know about it. I shared it with no one, not even Sameh. I just remained fervent in prayer, trusting in the Lord.
About 2 months later, Tiffany finally went for her first ultrasound. That's when the technician noticed something on the baby. They couldn't immediately determine what it was. A week later it was confirmed that she had a tumor. We were devastated, all of us. But I remembered the promise that God had given me.
Fast forward to the day of Gisele's surgery. Sameh and I went to be with Ron and Tiffany at the hospital. I met Tiffany downstairs. She started to cry and shake and told me how scared she was. Right then, the Lord put it on my heart to tell her what He'd told me, but not to share the part about Gisele coming very close to death. As soon as I told her, she started sobbing. We hugged each other and I was crying too. She said, "thank you mom. That's exactly what I needed to hear." I was relieved to be able to finally give her that piece of news.
Tiffany went back upstairs to wait with Ron while the surgery was being done. Sameh and I waited downstairs where we talked and prayed. We weren't permitted up on the 3rd floor. Hospital rules. Ron was texting us with periodic updates. The surgery was going very well. Then we received a text asking us to pray...now. Gisele was struggling. We didn't know exactly what that meant. We only knew that it was very bad. About 30 minutes later, Tiffany came downstairs to get us. There was a social worker with her and she told us that the doctors wanted to have a meeting with all of us right away. On the way there, Tiffany explained to us that Gisele's heart had stopped beating and that the doctors had to work long and hard to revive her. That's when I told her that Gisele would be brought literally to the brink of death, but that she'd survive. Needless to say, Tiffany was shocked and greatly relieved at that news.
At the meeting, the anesthesiologist explained that Gisele's heart had stopped beating during the surgery and that they'd done everything they could to revive her. He kept saying, "We did everything we could." He said, "The fact that she was even born is a miracle in itself." I know this is true because most babies who develop this tumor don't survive long enough in the womb to be born. The fact that they were able to revive her was no doubt another miracle. The doctor then explained everything that was going on with her, and that her prognosis was not good. They didn't expect her to make it through the night and he told us to prepare ourselves for that. He said that if she lived through the night, she might have a chance of surviving. All of us were so devastated. We could barely keep our composure. It was tearing Sameh and I up to see Ron and Tiffany having to deal with this news. The doctor apologized for the bad news and then politely left the room so we could be alone. Sameh and I went home that afternoon, broken hearted for Ron and Tiffany, and unsure about what would happen next. We cried, we prayed, begging God for another miracle, barely able to sleep. By this time thousands of people were praying for Gisele as well as for Ron and Tiffany.
The next morning we received the miraculous news that Gisele was still obviously extremely critical but that she had made it through the night. We were elated, praising God for His goodness and faithfulness. He proved himself true to keep His promise. She came very close to death, and she survived. It wasn't until that day that we heard from the doctors that her heart had actually stopped for "over an hour and a half". All of us were stunned at this news and in absolute awe of God's healing power. More than an hour and a half!? And she's still ALIVE???!!! All the MORE reason to believe that God is DEFINITELY in this!
To all of you who continue to pray for Gisele and her family, thank you so much for being such an amazing blessing to this family. The Lord hears your prayers. He is faithful and true. God bless every single one of you.
Louise, Tiffany's mom
God's word to Tiffany in retrospect 5/22
Two months before I got pregnant I had a miscarriage and days afterwards, while crying about it, God stopped me in my thoughts and told me I'd have a baby soon. Little did I know this amazing revelation was in order to prepare me for the road ahead. I thought, "Who am I? Why should I deserve the honor and privilege of God almighty, creator, heavenly Father tell me that I'm going to have a baby?!" I also knew that she'd be very ill. Two months into my pregnancy I felt he was preparing me with a mindset of determination that if anything was wrong it would be for a purpose, as in good things would be brought about despite the bad situation (see explanation on Romans 8:28). He impressed upon me that it would be a calling. I kind of forgot about it because I didn't know it was God telling me. I just had this determination. At my first ultrasound (16 weeks?) the tumor was seen on ultrasound as a cyst. When the nurse told us I suddenly remembered and knew it was in fact God who prepared me for this.
He began speaking to me more, promising me that it would not be in vain, that it would be for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom. This was going to happen, but for her it would not be in vain. Gisele's life was a very sad experience for her, but her life is full of meaning. She caused us to draw near to God. People have told me that they are nearer to God now than before Gisele came along. He encouraged me that I would experience growth in my faith, that I would see my husband and Tykei grow in theirs, and that people would also be drawn closer to God and others would come to know Him. He promised my family would grow closer together too. I've seen His faithfulness because I've witnessed it myself. The whole purpose of any of our lives here is to know God and make Him known, to accept Jesus as our savior because he died for our sins so we can be forgiven and be with God in heaven. Without accepting Jesus we cannot go to heaven. Where we spend eternity is the most important thing. Our time here on earth is an opportunity to make that decision and walk faithfully through life with God.
What my mom wrote is true. The morning of her surgery on 2/13, my mom said her life would be "in jeopardy" at some point, but God let me know that it really meant during surgery she'd almost pass away but would survive. I didn't know until that morning that God had spoke to each of us individually. God spoke to me the same thing, that something would be very wrong, but that eventually she'd be okay. I was never really sure what okay meant, but I had such a deep peace about it. I kept telling myself that okay meant going home with us, not that she'd pass away and suffer no more. It always felt uncertain if she'd actually make it home. Yes, I was sad the whole time because I felt bad that Gisele was very sick, but I was looking forward to that time of peace when she'd be okay. All the while I tried hard to convince myself she'd come home, but as time went by I realized it was not going to happen.
I promised God I would be faithful to do what He has given me to do in this situation. Yesterday, as Gisele was in my arms I promised her that her life will not be in vain. She has already done so much and brought about change in so many people. I look forward to sharing with everyone at her memorial service. So many of you have prayed so diligently for her and I thank you so much. Thank you for coming along side us in prayer.
Tiffany
