Babies.
12:11 PMAs a family who wants to adopt multiple babies, this post by my sister who lives in Nigeria continues to make me tear up every time I read it..I am absolutely envious and anxiously awaiting the day that every orphaned child has a home. Keep up with the rest of her adventures at Letters from Liz Tate
....
Orphan Sunday
Things
went so much better for us this week. The strict matron we met last
week was away(at church ironically) and there were very few workers
around. Because of last week, we were timid to hold the babies at first.
As the babies would get fussy, we'd pick them up and hold them. By the
time we left, every baby had been held for some amount of time.
Although
things seemed so much better than before, the orphanage is still run on
an un-altering schedule. Today we arrived around 8:30 and all of the
potty trained toddlers were sitting on the plastic buckets they use for
potties. After being there for about 15 minutes, I tried to ask the
woman working there if we could get them off and how long the kids
usually stayed on the potties. She didn't speak much English, but she
told me they could not get off the potties until 9:30. The poor babies
have to sit for an hour on the potties!
I sat beside a few of the kids, because they just looked so bored! While I was sitting, one the the girls scooted her potty over so she could be right next to me. It looked so funny, but at the same time it was slightly heart wrenching to watch. After the hour, they were allowed to get up, and some of the kids had empty pots. They didn't even need to use them!
When
they were done with the potty, the little ones were clambering all over
me. They didn't want to play, they just wanted to be held.
I tried to play games like "ride a little pony" but it's a little difficult to do with 4 on your lap.
Also, some of the kids actually started smiling and laughing with us this week.
At
one point, when I had all of the kids on my lap, they were so squashed
together that I thought they'd be crushed, but when I tried to move any
of them, they'd start crying and climb back to my lap. They're just
begging to to held!
I got so hot and sweaty, but I wouldn't have traded those hugs and snuggles for anything!
As
I was leaving a thought passed through my mind of, 'man, I really love
these babies.' About that same time, one of my roommates reminded us
about November being adoption awareness month. For many churches, today
is "Adoption Sunday."
As
people around the globe focus on adoption, I was also reminded of God's
adoption and unfailing love for us. If I could love this tiny baby, who
might smell and be dirty, who has done nothing to "earn" my love, and
who is a helpless baby... How much more does the Heavenly Father love us?!
"I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says The Lord Almighty."
-2 Corintheans 6:18
How
great and awesome is our God, who we also get to call "Abba," our
father... daddy. Ps. 68:5 says he's the father to the fatherless.
Not only that, but we are called his heirs. We, his adopted children, will enherit his eternal kingdom.
That's too incredible for me to even wrap my mind around!!
"How
great the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that He
would give his only Son, to make a wretch his treasure..."
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God te Father is this: to visit orphans... in their affliction. "
-James 1:27
2 comments
Hey Jordan! I'm interested in this orphanage! Can you connect me with your sis-in-law? David and I are pursuing adoption and are in an "information gathering stage" so every connection we can make is helpful. I love following your blog ... God Bless!!
ReplyDeleteHey Kristen! They actually don't allow adoptions from this orphanage. :( Something about not wanting the children to be taken out of the culture. I don't really understand it myself but I know that this is a popular thing for the Nigerian orphanages. I said the same thing to Liz before I knew. In a heartbeat..........we will be praying for y'all! That's amazing. Can't wait to adopt ourselves!
ReplyDeleteLeave us some love! And don't forget your blog link so I can visit! :)