We spent the entire day today doing medical check-ups on the orphans. It was an amazing day, but a very exhausting day also.
As part of the medical check-up we filter the kids through a few "stations". Because I am the coordinator for the African Children Sponsorship Program through Christian Adoption Services, my role is the do the initial interviews on each child. Basically, I sit with each child and ask them questions about their interests and hobbies. I then try to document a bit about their personality (shy, social, communication level etc.).
This information will be extremly useful for both the sponsorship program (which is set up like the Compassion sponsorship program) and also for the adoptive parents.
Whereas, prior to our trip we often didn't have much information on each child; we are now going to be able to refer children to adoptive families and actually have a little background info on each child as well as the medical assessment that our team physician has put together. This information is so critical!
We got through 78 medicals today which means that we still have hundreds to get through and only 3 days left to get through them. We will pray....God can do it!
(The "Medical Center")
Donn spent the day adding a wall into an existing building. The wall will separate one large room into two separate rooms. One of the rooms will be their medical center while another will be a much needed office.
He and the other construction team members have also been working on replacing broken screens in the dormitories which is critical because the screens keep out the mosquitos (which cuts back on the malaria outbreaks). After just a few hours of working, the charger for the power tools got fried by the the generator so from this point on the work will need to be done entirely by hand. Last I saw, the men were sawing wall boards by hand and chiseling out hinges on the doors....true Liberian style!
After the medicals we did an hour of VBS with the kids. I was with the girls of dorm 7. These girls are between the ages of 13 and 17. At first I was a little bummed because I had hoped to work with the younger kids (I figure that I get to work with the teens my entire life and I thought it would be nice to cuddle with the little kids) but, once again, God knew what was best!
The girls crowded around us on the porch of the dormitory and immediately began braiding our hair as we all talked. It is so apparent to me that the older girls seem to have it rough. There's not too many families who feel called to adopt an older child and these girls know it. They are so precious and I can't explain how much I love being with them.
Sherry was one of the girls in our group. Sherry is 15 and helped me during the morning by "translating" for the younger kids. (Like I said yesterday; in Liberia the people speak English but it is with such a strong dialect that sometimes it's hard to understand). When I got to VBS and realized that Sherry was in my group, she immediately took me to see her bedroom. It was a basic room with 2 bunkbeds in it. Sherry then pulled a note from under her pillow that she had evidently written for me during lunch.
The note read:
"Dear Mom,
Special greetings come to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. My reason for me writing you this letter is to tell you that I am very happy. I want you to be my friend and also my mom in Christ. This is my first time writing to you and this is my first time seeing you in Liberia. May God bless you and give you very long life all the days of your life. I just want to say thank you so much for helping the children today. May God bless you and guide you. God loves you.
Sherry"
(Cyndie and Sherry)Like all the other kids here, Sherry just wants to be remembered.
Oh Lord, help me know how I can love on these kids!
There are so many and there's so little it seems I can do to help! Use me Lord!
(The kids writing letters to their "sponsors" in America.)For more info on the sponsorship program, please go to http://www.africanchildsponsorship.com/
1 comment:
There are no words other than wow! How do you begin to help when the need is so great? I know that every little bit we can do will make a difference but I am just in awe with how many orphans there are just in this "home". When you give an orphan a face and a name it hits deeper than hearing numbers and stats. I had tears in my eyes as I read the part about the Casting Crowns song. I want so much to give these children what they need. A home. I am praying for you and your sponsorship program.
Blessings,
Kathleen
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