they matter

More tears came last night when I heard this news.  This was Elizabeth’s home for 20 months of her life.  And while she made it, these precious babies- Kale and Farahisha- did not.  It hits so close to home.  And leaves my aching heart with the question of “why?”.  As I watched Elizabeth bounding through our home last night, belly filled with food and wide grin on her face, I couldn’t help but wonder why them and not her?  And so, once again, I assume the posture of a girl who lacks answers and yet trusts that her God is loving and just and sovereign and good.

There’s no way to know for sure why these babies died, but I have to wonder if perhaps the outcome would have been different if the orphanage had enough mamas to care for the babies.  Guys, when we first held Elizabeth, it was very evident to us that she had rarely (if ever) made it out of her crib.  Her muscle tone was virtually non-existent, and she had no desire to move past the sitting position.  This is not a result of heartless and intentional neglect, rather  a function of the lack of caregivers in the orphanage.  The orphanage desperately needs funds to hire more mamas to care for these babies.  And what a win-win situation.  The children receive better care and more interaction, and women are employed.  Let’s not forget that this is a region plagued by violence toward women and is widely considered one of the most dangerous places in the world for a woman to live.  To provide a job for some of these women would foster independence and help to provide for their own families.  Let me know (or contact Holly through her blog) if you’re interested in helping to provide the necessary funds to hire more mamas.

I’m well-aware that some of you might be sick and tired of my pleas for help and money.  I get that… and my feelings will so not be hurt if you unsubscribe from my blog.  Because I’ll keep beating this drum over and over… because it matters.  It mattered for my daughter.  And it mattered for Kale and Farahisha.