You know those amusement parks that have the crazy roller coasters that everyone talks about. The ones that you make pilgrimages to just to say "yep, I rode that and survived." The ones that entitle you to bragging rights for the next century! Well, that has been the roller coaster we have been on for the past year... We all survived, we all have bragging rights and we can all say we made it through together and what a ride it has been!There is no doubt that we have been walking in grace that God has given us- otherwise, we wouldn't have made it through the past year in once peace (and yes, I meant to spell it that way!). Brian and I have an incredible peace that we have chosen to reach out and get from the hand of a savior who loves us with a love we could never imagine. Our children, I believe (in their own childlike ways), have also reached out and grabbed a hold of that peace.
On March 30th we celebrate an incredible milestone in the life of a transplant patient- 1 year post transplant! We still don't know whose life was sacrificed so that our child could live but we continue to pray blessings on that individuals family. Without his death, Brasen's life would be drastically different. It is so incredible to me how this story is so much like the death of our precious savior- whose death gave us life. Forever thankful......
Our lives have been blessed by countless people- some of which we still don't know. Our church family and friends, acquaintances, our home towns of Checotah and Quinton, OneOk, small town churches who chose to take up offerings to help us and so many others. The people who sweat to make food at dinners, the people who sweat to sell items at a garage sale, the people whose knees are bruised from countless hours of praying- we are forever thankful.
The Brasen Russell Transplant fund helped out our family so much this past year. We have spoken to the team who over see's the fund and have chosen to take the fund one step further this year. In addition to continuing to pay for Brasen's medication costs we will be using this fund for other children who have been touched by illnesses. We come in contact with families each month that have a difficult time covering the extreme costs of transplant. Commuting to and from hospitals and doctors appointments, the outrageous cost of medication as well as the cost of things their homes need to make it a safe environment for their children to live in with a transplanted organ. The funds that are raised this year will go beyond the boarders of our churches and our homes and will truly enter a mission field. Each family that we help this year will receive a bracelet that has John 10:10 on it as well as a special message from Brasen.
John 10:10 says "I have come that you can live and live life to the FULLEST!" God has a mission for Brasen and this transplant fund is the beginning of his mission to spread the gospel in a very unique way. We hope to someday use this fund in other countries where pediatric transplants are not as advanced as the United States- and where the gospel has not yet penetrated the boarders as well. God is good and we cannot wait to see what he has in store for our family.
On March 30th we will be having a celebration at Common Ground Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This church, has loved us and supported us as a family with prayers, finances and countless hugs and they are ready to celebrate this milestone with us! We will be having a night of worship with many of our closest friends and family members- if you are reading this, you are included in that and we welcome you to this event. Brian and I want to say thank you and with the help of some of our friends we would like to offer you desserts and a time to relax and worship with us. Brasen will be joining the worship team for one of the songs- he will be playing the drums with his drum mentor and is so excited he can hardly stand it!!!
On this night we will begin the sale of the Brasen Russell Kidney Transplant Fund bracelets. They will be available for a donation of $1.00 and this will help go towards growing this transplant fund into what we believe God would have us do with it. With the message that is on the bracelets we are asking you join with us in spreading the gospel with us through Brasen's testimony!!! Who knows what could happen next!
Our diet has changed as well and we are eating much healthier because Brasen has to and we choose to. I have told some you that I would pass on some of the recipes we are using that are high in iron, high in antioxidents as well as protein so here is one of our favorites:
Banana and spinach bread (trust me it's good!)
3/4 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of regular flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup applesauce
2 large egg whites
4 regular sized bananas (mashed up)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 big handful of baby spinach chopped us as small as you can get it:)
topping: Optional
1/4 cup of old fashioned oats
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix all of the bread ingredients together in a large bowl while preheating your oven to 350 degrees. You can choose to make these into muffins or a loaf of bread. If you choose to make muffins you will cook them for approximately 20-25 minutes. If you choose to make bread you will cook it for 50-55 minutes. after you spoon the ingredients into the muffin tins (or loaf pan) spread the topping evenly over them and pat down just slightly.
Here is the trick to these muffins. Let them cool completely before eating them. When they are warm they still taste a little like spinach and this really turns some people off but when cooled- you can't even taste it!
Thank you for your love, prayers and support.
Brian and Kim
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