Sunday, July 13, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Reality
Something I didn't expect to see when I came here, was what it looked like for the Baby House to take a new child into the house. I have actually been able to see this happen a few times since I have been here. When Justin and I arrived, Hawa had been here only two days and Antonio came into the house the second week we were in Mozambique.
Just last week, I really got an up close look at the need for what Pieter and Rika are doing here at the Baby House. It has been very eye opening for me to experience the arrival of brothers Junior and Abacari. Last Friday, Allison, who is here long-term with All Nations Mozambique, and I had just returned from attempting to celebrate Independence Day as best as you can here in Matola, Mozambique. As we returned home, Pieter received a phone call from a police officer who told him that he had two abandoned children at the police station and had nowhere to take them.
Two women had brought the two boys to the police station. They had found the them screaming by the road outside of their house, as the grandmother of the boys was abandoning them on the roadside. The two women yelled at the grandmother trying to stop her, but she just yelled back that she couldn't do this any longer. She left the boys with a suitcase and two plastic bags of clothing. The two boys are named Junior (three years old) and Abacari (one year old). That is all we really know about them as the women, who found the two boys, couldn't really get much more information from the fleeing grandmother.
As the two new boys arrived at the house, it amazed me that just two hours ago they were left on a street corner by themselves with what seemed to be no hope. As they came into the house they were hungry, and we were able to feed them. They were dirty and without much clothing, and we were able to bathe them and give them new clothes. This experience has just really opened my eyes to the reality in which Pieter and Rika face day after day in Mozambique. It is a daily occurrence for children in Mozambique to be abandoned or orphaned due to family that just can't care for them or because their family has died of AIDS.
What God has called Pieter and Rika to do for these children really matters. This is important to the heart of God. God is using them to literally save children's lives. That is huge and something that I have seen up close while I have had the chance to be a part of what God is doing in Mozambique.
Just last week, I really got an up close look at the need for what Pieter and Rika are doing here at the Baby House. It has been very eye opening for me to experience the arrival of brothers Junior and Abacari. Last Friday, Allison, who is here long-term with All Nations Mozambique, and I had just returned from attempting to celebrate Independence Day as best as you can here in Matola, Mozambique. As we returned home, Pieter received a phone call from a police officer who told him that he had two abandoned children at the police station and had nowhere to take them.
Two women had brought the two boys to the police station. They had found the them screaming by the road outside of their house, as the grandmother of the boys was abandoning them on the roadside. The two women yelled at the grandmother trying to stop her, but she just yelled back that she couldn't do this any longer. She left the boys with a suitcase and two plastic bags of clothing. The two boys are named Junior (three years old) and Abacari (one year old). That is all we really know about them as the women, who found the two boys, couldn't really get much more information from the fleeing grandmother.
As the two new boys arrived at the house, it amazed me that just two hours ago they were left on a street corner by themselves with what seemed to be no hope. As they came into the house they were hungry, and we were able to feed them. They were dirty and without much clothing, and we were able to bathe them and give them new clothes. This experience has just really opened my eyes to the reality in which Pieter and Rika face day after day in Mozambique. It is a daily occurrence for children in Mozambique to be abandoned or orphaned due to family that just can't care for them or because their family has died of AIDS.
What God has called Pieter and Rika to do for these children really matters. This is important to the heart of God. God is using them to literally save children's lives. That is huge and something that I have seen up close while I have had the chance to be a part of what God is doing in Mozambique.
Monday, June 23, 2008
A Few Highlights
I apologize for the lapse in blog updates. I hopefully have figured out a way to be more consistent from here on out.
Everything here in Mozambique is going extremely well.
When we first arrived we had about four days with the fulltime educators before they left for a two-week holiday. While they were gone it was quite a trip. Watching over ten kids will definitely make you laugh and cry all at the same time. I picked up fast on the way things run around the house, but that didn’t mean that it has went smoothly all the time. If you can just imagine ten children ranging from 2-4 years old…need I say more?
A few days into the trip, I had the opportunity along with a few others to take Idrussi to the village where his grandmother lives for a visit. Social welfare asks that the Baby House would facilitate visits for each of the children who have family each year and report it back to them. This was a very unique experience as it was the first time I have been able to witness the way many live in Africa. We drove about two hours from Matola to end up at Camp 2000 where his grandmother lives. As we walked back to where she stays we were flooded by children who tagged along with us. We were able to bring clothing for the people there and it was amazing to see the joy it brought so many to have a single shirt handed to them or something for their child to wear. Idrussi was able to sit with his grandmother along with many other women in the village and we just had a great time hanging out with the kids there and loving on them a bit.
There is one girl who stands out that I saw while I was there. I don’t know her name, but I won’t soon forget her. She was maybe two or three in age and stood to the side away from the other children. As I walked up to her I noticed she was covered from head to toe in sores. She was absolutely beautiful wearing a tiny little capulana and she just stared down at the ground. As I knelt down to her level she just kept her stare downwards and almost flinched as though not used to someone paying individual attention to her. She let me put my hand on the small of her back, but never would glance up at me. My heart breaks for her and every child like her. I just want to scoop her up and show her love, show her touch, show her kindness and compassion.
In a bit of a lighter note…a few days ago while the educators were still away there were just three of us at the house attempting to make things flow as best as possible. It was naptime and I was out taking laundry off of the line when I heard a bit of commotion in the boy’s room. As I walked over to the window I was thinking, “what am I about to see going on in that room? Do I even want to know what they are getting all excited about in there?” Well, as I go to the window I looked into Paulo’s bed and as I looked closer I noticed he wasn’t wearing a diaper any longer. I began to look at each of the boys and none of them were wearing their diapers. At this point I am half laughing half thinking why am I the one who had to make this discovery. I run into the house and down to their room and all of their diapers are either thrown on the floor or are still in their beds with them. I can’t really control my laughter – it is one of my weaknesses and I just lost it. We eventually got it all cleaned up and all is well and to be honest it is a great little memory of what life is like with five little boys in one room.
Everything here in Mozambique is going extremely well.
When we first arrived we had about four days with the fulltime educators before they left for a two-week holiday. While they were gone it was quite a trip. Watching over ten kids will definitely make you laugh and cry all at the same time. I picked up fast on the way things run around the house, but that didn’t mean that it has went smoothly all the time. If you can just imagine ten children ranging from 2-4 years old…need I say more?
A few days into the trip, I had the opportunity along with a few others to take Idrussi to the village where his grandmother lives for a visit. Social welfare asks that the Baby House would facilitate visits for each of the children who have family each year and report it back to them. This was a very unique experience as it was the first time I have been able to witness the way many live in Africa. We drove about two hours from Matola to end up at Camp 2000 where his grandmother lives. As we walked back to where she stays we were flooded by children who tagged along with us. We were able to bring clothing for the people there and it was amazing to see the joy it brought so many to have a single shirt handed to them or something for their child to wear. Idrussi was able to sit with his grandmother along with many other women in the village and we just had a great time hanging out with the kids there and loving on them a bit.
There is one girl who stands out that I saw while I was there. I don’t know her name, but I won’t soon forget her. She was maybe two or three in age and stood to the side away from the other children. As I walked up to her I noticed she was covered from head to toe in sores. She was absolutely beautiful wearing a tiny little capulana and she just stared down at the ground. As I knelt down to her level she just kept her stare downwards and almost flinched as though not used to someone paying individual attention to her. She let me put my hand on the small of her back, but never would glance up at me. My heart breaks for her and every child like her. I just want to scoop her up and show her love, show her touch, show her kindness and compassion.In a bit of a lighter note…a few days ago while the educators were still away there were just three of us at the house attempting to make things flow as best as possible. It was naptime and I was out taking laundry off of the line when I heard a bit of commotion in the boy’s room. As I walked over to the window I was thinking, “what am I about to see going on in that room? Do I even want to know what they are getting all excited about in there?” Well, as I go to the window I looked into Paulo’s bed and as I looked closer I noticed he wasn’t wearing a diaper any longer. I began to look at each of the boys and none of them were wearing their diapers. At this point I am half laughing half thinking why am I the one who had to make this discovery. I run into the house and down to their room and all of their diapers are either thrown on the floor or are still in their beds with them. I can’t really control my laughter – it is one of my weaknesses and I just lost it. We eventually got it all cleaned up and all is well and to be honest it is a great little memory of what life is like with five little boys in one room.
Monday, June 2, 2008
We Made It
We made it safe and sound in Mozambique.
I am excited to be here and see all that will happen on this amazing adventure.
The babies are beautiful and naughty!
I am so glad that I can be here.
Thanks again for the prayer and support.
I am excited to be here and see all that will happen on this amazing adventure.
The babies are beautiful and naughty!
I am so glad that I can be here.
Thanks again for the prayer and support.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
I am out of here!!
So tomorrow is the big day. We are finally going to be on our way to the Baby House. I am so excited and if you have been around me you know that I just can't hide it.
A big thanks to all those around me who have been such a big support to me on this journey. I will be so excited to share with you these next 8 weeks.
I appreciate the prayer and support more than I can put into words.
Unitl next time...from Mozambique.
A big thanks to all those around me who have been such a big support to me on this journey. I will be so excited to share with you these next 8 weeks.
I appreciate the prayer and support more than I can put into words.
Unitl next time...from Mozambique.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Blogger
So I am officially embracing the world of blogging. I have never really been into this, but thought I would share my journey to the Baby House with my friends.
On May 29th I will leave for Mozambique to work with Pieter, Rika and their team at the Baby House for about 9 weeks. I have a huge passion for children who have been orphaned or abandoned. This is an opportunity for me to act on passion. On some level I am not quite sure what to expect, but what I do know is that I can love these children well and that I can be open to whatever else comes my way. I am very ready to live out passion.
Stay tuned...
On May 29th I will leave for Mozambique to work with Pieter, Rika and their team at the Baby House for about 9 weeks. I have a huge passion for children who have been orphaned or abandoned. This is an opportunity for me to act on passion. On some level I am not quite sure what to expect, but what I do know is that I can love these children well and that I can be open to whatever else comes my way. I am very ready to live out passion.
Stay tuned...
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