Home Sweet Home!

Little One has made it back to us! It took me ALL day of waiting for discharge yesterday but about 3:30 we made it back to the center with a tired but strong Little One! He weighed in at 6.6kg (14.5 pounds) yesterday. His cheeks are filling in, he's eating everything in site, and he's playing, chatting, smiling, sitting, and crawling! He's a little crawling miracle!!!
As for other miraculous stories...he is the first baby from the Bercario (nursery) to come back to us from the hospital! In this vulnerable age group the team has seen a lot of death over the last year...but Little One is a change of events! He is back and doing much better!!! As I walked into the hospital yesterday all the mothers in the hallway said to me...your baby is in there and he's doing great! What a relief!? And, the tia that has been with him these last 4 days is an amazing Christian lady. I could tell that just in the few minutes I had to talk with her on Thursday. But yesterday as we sat together waiting for him to get discharged (8am-3pm), she got to share with me all God has been doing on the malnutrition floor. Each of the other mom's slowly but surely made there rounds to come see our Little One. He has become quite the funny guy...he responds NAO (no in Portuguese) to anyone who asks a question near him even if it wasn't directed at him. He LOVES to ask for things...DAR (give) is his favorite word. He has learned to give five, kiss you (mouth openned wide of course), clap, sit on his own, and crawl! He has also learned to answer the telephone...HOLA! So cute! That was all amazing to see...but as the tia explained to me how she has prayed with all the mom's every day I was blown away! In the midst of her trusting in God for Little One's recovery she was also able to encourage and pray over all the other babies!
The nurses on the floor even came to her one day and said...you're a woman of God aren't you? She responded yes and sadly a baby died each day on the unit that she was there...but the nurses came to get her to comfort and pray with the families. What a testimony!
My favorite story was about the little guy in the bed next to Little One. He has been sick...having diarrhea and vomiting up everything he eats. The night before the mother asked our tia to pray over him. She was very afraid he would never get to go home. Our tia in faith said...don't worry, he will come home tomorrow with us! Praise God that little guy walk out of the hospital with us and even came to get KFC (we don't have McDonalds in Moz but we do have KFC) for lunch! Absolutely miraculous I tell you!
After the first 30 minutes of announce once I realized I'd be in the hospital ALL day waiting on this discharge...I was so blessed to get to experience what it's like to be in the hospital and the difference one woman of faith can have on a whole unit of helpless mothers and babies. Let our Lord reign!