full

June 17-21.

The first full week is complete. Wow. It was full… of love, smiles, throw-up, stretches, exhaustion and affirmation! The loving is what our job is. To be extra hands to lighten the Aunties load and love. Most of these kids smile all the time! When you start talking to them or hold them, their face lights up. I even saw a smile out of my little baby. We each have one of the small babies we’re supposed to spend extra time with each day, mine is Rodwell. He’s just over 2 months old and was growing well until he got sick a couple weeks before we got here. Then he began loosing weight and still isn’t gaining; now Rodwell only weighs about 7 lbs! But Tuesday when I was talking to him, he smiled. Naturally, I cried. I’m praying a day comes soon when he is much stronger and smiles much more often. Still, Roadie’s smile was definitely the highlight of the week. (p.s. all the kids have nick-names and his is Roadie)

Thursday was a day of throw-up :) It’s going to happen when you’re around infants all day! They decide their full after they’ve eaten too much or their getting used to new food or we’re learning they don’t tolerate that type of formula.

Stretches happen multiple times a day for a couple of our precious ones: Busiku and Joel. Busiku has cerebral palsy, spina bifida and microencephalopathy. She can’t walk or sit up by herself for long (a few seconds on a good day), but Bus laughs and smiles so much! She stays pretty stiff until she’s getting stretched. Singing, even my under par singing, helps calm her as we do the therapy. Joel also has cerebral palsy. With braces on his legs and extra help to balance, from someone walking in front of him or his walker, the boy moves fast! He is so determine to walk and stand and sit in a chair all by himself. Busi is normally really tiered and doesn’t want to finish, but Joel raises his hands asking to practice standing even more! He is just incredible. I really loved working with him each day.

The exhaustion part should be obvious. At the end of the day, about 6, we load up in Meagan’s truck and drive home to make dinner. We decided early in the week if you aren’t exhausted at the end of the day, you didn’t do your job. We invest in God’s children (both young and old) physically, emotionally and spiritually. However, I wouldn’t trade this time for anything. Serving these children is such a blessing!

For me the week was also full of affirmation. I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be, doing what God made me to do right now. Through feeding babies, stretching babies, changing nappies, talking with the girls and reading Scripture, I know that serving in some fashion like this is what I’m made to do! I have no idea what that will look like in 5 months or 5 years, but boy, am I excited to find out! Thank you for following me through this journey and for praying me through it! Love.