1 is Home...but 2 New Critters have Arrived!

Let me just say...it has been an interesting few days. At our weekly staff meeting on Monday night I found out the center was getting 7 new kids this week! Between the bercario and the baby house we were to get 3. How wrong I was in thinking that since they were suppose to come Tuesday that meant they would be here?! No kids as of Tuesday night. Wednesday was a maybe. So about 6:45 Wednesday (which is pretty late around here...considering the baby house bedtime is 7:00), my phone rang and it was Chris asking what she should feed this new little boy. Point being a 13 month old little boy, named Agostinho, showed up with his dad. And he is ADORABLE, if I do say so myself.
As for his story...his mother died in April and his father has been caring for him on his own since then. He has the means to take care of him...as evidence by the honestly amazing job he has done up until now. For a little boy, who has had no breast milk since April it's amazing he's as strong and developed as he is. Anyway, for now the center has taken him in for a year in hopes that after that time he will be old enough that the father can look after him and be able to work. So for now, little Agostinho is settling into the bercario. Dionisio the only other boy there until now is feeling a little threatened...but altogether he is doing wonderfully. And I'm already in love (although he's still not too sure white people are ok to play with)!
As for our other new arrival...She got here late Wednesday night as well. Her and her 2 older brothers have come to live with us for now. She is 3 years old and we are calling her Clotide (said Claw-tee-gee) at the moment but have determined that her brothers don't go by the names we have on file for them...so possibly that is why she looks at us like we are crazy most of the time...or it's the fact that we are white...or that she now lives in a place with 35 other kids running around her constantly. Hopefully we will at least determine her name soon. Here is sweet little Clotide...
As for this family, their story is much different than the other. Their father is out of the picture and their mother has ABSOLUTELY nothing. She has been living in a reed house that she borrowed from someone else. It is falling down and most of the walls you can see through. This means the kids have been living, sleeping, and eating on the dirt floor with not much protection from the elements. So we have taken them in and the ministry is considering building them a home. Her health is a little worse than Agostinho. We have treated her for scabies just in case. Also she has infected sores ALL over her entire body. So we are working on getting those cleared up as well. As for her pot-belly that you can see...most likely cause is worms so we are treating her for that as well. Supposedly if they are bad enough you can see them come out of their poop and nose...I'm hoping and praying it's not that bad! Anyway...she is adorable and I can't wait until she gets comfortable and is able to let her personality shine!
I would ask your prayers for these two as they have been taken from normal and thrown into craziness. It definitely is a transition...and as I watched Agostinho's father leave his crying child Wednesday night I was struck by how great but how heart-wrenching this center is. I have been challenged since I got here to remember that the best life for these children is back with their families...as long as that is a safe place...so in reality our goal as a center is not to keep kids forever but instead to re-integrate them...sometimes a hard thing for me to accept.

But one of our own...Martinha 3 (at one point there were 3 Martinha's in the baby house...so she is #3) went back home. The story there was that she was living with her grandmother here in Maputo. Her grandfather got in a bad accident in South Africa, so the grandmother had to go take care of him. She left Martinha with a neighbor/friend, who locked her up in a room. This was reported and therefore Martinha ended up with us. Now her grandmother is back and so excited to get to raise Martinha! So there you have it...there are happy stories as well even though sometimes the bad out weighs the good! But I do ask you to pray for Martinha as she gets used to her new environment and that God places a protection around her from anything else that could happen.

As for me...I'm exhausted. Most of the bercario has been sick this week on top of our two new critters. I still haven't finished simple paperwork stuff that should have been done today...so part of my Saturday will spent catching up...but at least I have that time. Anyway, just prayers for great rest and continued strength! Much love to all and please be praying for Agostinho, Clotide, and Martinha!